Fuel shortage?

[Harrythedog]

The more you look at it the more Cameron seems to be spoiling for a fight. The announcement of troops being trained to deliver fuel was given last week if not earlier add that to the instigation of panic buying and it appears to be a severe bit of jousting.
The Govt have gone too far to back down now so where does that leave the talks due to commence at ACAS. There may well be massive pressure put on the delivery companies to dig there heels in!

 

[markjay]

...You missed out the one about the conseravtives taking £250,000 bungs in return for providing an audience with the PM.

And that's something new???

 

[artyman]

Walked down to the local BP this morning to buy some groceries, queues along the main road leading to the side road with the garage as everyone panic bought. Still it may help the AA who say they have had more callouts recently for empty tanks where people have tried to run on vapour because of the cost of fuel.

It's either a weapons grade c*ck up by the Government, or cynical manouvering pre Union/Bosses fight. I heard it said that it was mainly a Health & Safety Issue they were aggreived about, but haven't heard any details to be able to make a judgement. However since the Conservatives espouse a free market economy, tanker drivers are fully at liberty to seek what they consider the market rate for their services, it's not a Social Service, they can't have it both ways.

 

[markjay]

Local Shell out of petrol, some Diesel though. The queue was not long but the scenes nasty - one car went over the kerb with two wheels to jump the queue and get to the pump, though no one companied because in his haste the driver landed in front of an empty pump. Then another driver drove in very aggressively. All in the space of two minutes... I left.

During the last fuel shortage, in 2000, I managed to get petrol regularly off the 24x7 Esso station near me by driving up at 3am - queues were reasonably short at that time of day (night, rather).

Might have to do the same trick again though I would much rather stick to my usual V-Power....

Was surprised to see V-Power out of stock though - I wonder how many people filled-up with V-Power simply for lack of cheaper alternative?

Anyway... I think that the government did want to create some concern among motorists to bolster their opposition to Labour (who they claim is in bed with the unions - and it has been announced today by Ed Miliband that Unite boss Len McCluskey is in fact his most frequent dinner guest...), but what started at a slight nudge very quickly got out of control and turned into a massive landslide...

 

[Coggers]

All this at the same time as they announce a huge reduction in armed service pensions! Army, Navy and the other ones (RAF i think they call themselves) are risking their lives, fighting fires during strikes and delivering fuel whilst everyone else moans about their jobs!

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

DON'T PANIC........ Drivers union have stated "There are no plans to strike over the Easter holiday" STV 1800hrs news.

 

[Sun-Zoom-Spark]

The point I was making is that fuel duty is static, irrespective of the retail price.

True.

The whole situation seems a bit fishy to me though. It could just be that I'm a cynical person, but the majority of the general public have been whipped up into a frenzy over the threat of strike action. The fuel companies, and the government, will obviously benefit from that.

The fuel companies, and those who own franchised forecourts, are renowned for being a little greedy. Take the rural fuel tax subsidy for example. The government pledges a 5p tax discount for the highlands and islands. When that discount came in, the local forecourts upped their prices to pocket the discount themselves!

 

[markjay]

True.

The whole situation seems a bit fishy to me though. It could just be that I'm a cynical person, but the majority of the general public have been whipped up into a frenzy over the threat of strike action. The fuel companies, and the government, will obviously benefit from that.

The fuel companies, and those who own franchised forecourts, are renowned for being a little greedy. Take the rural fuel tax subsidy for example. The government pledges a 5p tax discount for the highlands and islands. When that discount came in, the local forecourts upped their prices to pocket the discount themselves!

I think they all loose out, financially anyway... people are actually driving less. My driving times through London halved over the past two days, much less cars around that usual. They will have a massive income now and massive shortfall later... but as said overall they would have lost out because less mileage means less income. And once fuel is plenty again, drivers are unlikely to drive aimlessly around the block just to make up for lost miles...

 

[Bellow]

To twist Unite's arm - perhaps again, by creating a fuel shortage they hope to alienate the public against the unions. But the strike isn't really a government issue, is it... it's private sector (albeit a vital industry), so not directly the government's problem.

.

A Tory government always views unions as its problem.

 

[DSLiverpool]

Depends who you listen to. What I'm hearing is that this is a massive own goal for the government, coming hard on the heels of Pastygate and the other (perceived) anomalies in the Budget. The general perception seems to be that they've simply poured oil on troubled waters...

In this case, the thing they seem to be moaning about is... the government. If this was a (mis)calculated move then it has backfired spectacularly.

Economy Q1 2012 heading for a negative, a few words from Maud and the public spend like no tomorrow on a high tax generating product - no own goal here just a calculated risk from Cameron that fuel hurt is better for the country than recession double dip - think about it - there is a higher thought pattern going on here.

 

[Bellow]

Not everyone is panic buying. Plenty will be buying just because they would have anyway. The forecourts are always busy - whether there's talk of strikes or not.

For what it is worth:

There is practically no Diesel left in Brizzle area. The people that I have seen queuing are in the whole old people/pensioners....more than likley the people who will need it least of all.

But please, no more posts saying who can and cannot purchase fuel. The idea that some are more deserving than others is ridiculous, especially the assertion that OAPs should be denied.
Right now I have relatives visiting their native Scotland (from Vancouver). The older of the two is 88 years old and this is probably his very last trip here (they return in 2 weeks to Canada). His Althziemers has reached a stage where he scarcely remembers the previous 10 seconds. Despite that, in the moment, he is very much aware and can enjoy life as it is in that instant. The idea that those with their lives ahead of them should have priority in getting fuel over him is reprehensible. The thought that he should be confined to indoors unable to buy fuel and travel at this time of his life exhibits a very warped set of priorities. Some here would rather he was denied the only pleasures available to him so they can have the fuel. For what? To hear their sub 20 mpg V8s roar? For some recreational pursuit that can easily wait a few weeks?
No one has that right over another.

 

[grober]

What it does emphasise is present-day society's dependence on the motor car [ real or imagined] We are "hooked on hydrocarbons" whether we like it or not, and as in any addiction we can't bear to do without. The mere threat of being deprived of our HC "FIX" and all hell breaks loose. Rather worrying and definitely re-enforces-- if it were necessary? -- successive governments' perception [of whatever political hue] that we will pay " the man" almost anything tax wise to get it.

 

[neilrr]

Could the Tanker drivers of 2012 be the Tory's Miners of the 80's?

No. Fuel delivery is a viable business with a long term future.

 

[Benzmanc]

Asda on way home was closed. Went around corner to morrisons, around 3 cars per pump. Took 5 mins to fill up then off home. Don't know what all the fuss is about

 

[Harrythedog]

No. Fuel delivery is a viable business with a long term future.

As was/is coal

 

[st4]

As was/is coal

Not really, otherwise we'd still be mining it the way we used to.

 

[Harrythedog]

Not really, otherwise we'd still be mining it the way we used to.

Don't kid yourself, there's plenty still underground

 

[neilrr]

Could the Tanker drivers of 2012 be the Tory's Miners of the 80's?

No. Fuel delivery is a viable business with a long term future.

As was/is coal

You see, that's the thing that's always baffled me.

Capital has no conscience and, just as water will always seek the lowest point, money will always move to a place where more can be made.

If these mines were a viable business why didn't someone step in to take advantage of the opportunity?

 

[Harrythedog]

You see, that's the thing that's always baffled me.

Capital has no conscience and, just as water will always seek the lowest point, money will always move to a place where more can be made.

If these mines were a viable business why didn't someone step in to take advantage of the opportunity?

Some companies have albeit on a small scale but a lot of the large pits were deliberately flooded to make it nigh on impossible for them to be opened again

 

[Dieselman]

Some companies have albeit on a small scale but a lot of the large pits were deliberately flooded to make it nigh on impossible for them to be opened again

Not so. Mines naturally flood which costs a lot to keep at bay.

Richard Budge has a proper go at mining coal with UK coal, but even that couldn't make money.