Drago's murder deathkill slaughter massacre panic petrol buying watch!!!

[Profpointy]

The reason why petrol stations are closing has nothing to do with the demand for fuel. Like alcohol, pubs have closed for other reasons than demand. Fuel and alcohol are still highly desirable.
However, in the case of pubs they have closed by the dozen every day as a direct result of folk being able to buy inexpensive booze from Bargain Booze and the like as well as Supermarkets COVID hasn`t done them any favours either!
In relation to petrol stations, the tax paid on fuel is such that the only way they can make money is from selling food, drinks and all those rubbish gifts and gadgets they have. Unfortunately for them people can also buy that kind of stuff for a fraction of the cost from the same supermarkets where the cheap fuel can be had.
This would happen under whatever political party was running the country because fuel prices and taxes will not come down!

The tax paid on fuel has little bearing surely as it's passed on to the end-customer and the end-customer-price is dictated by supply and demand. If they took off all tax the profit or lack of it would arguably not change that much

This was the argument used by the haulage industry - seemingly thinking they'd have more money if fuel were cheaper without considering the obvious point that their competitors were all paying the same tax on fuel

 

[classic33]

Beer in short supply by mid December due to Co2 shortages.

Should we move Christmas forward a week or two?

 

[Profpointy]

Have you been panic buying San Miguel?

My God, is there such a shortage of beer that people are buying San Miguel instead?

 

[theclaud]

What of the Chelsea tractor phenomenon?

I prefer the traditional CC term 'W*nkpanzer'.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I prefer the traditional CC term 'W*nkpanzer'.

Is that the new Volkswagen?

 

[Drago]

I prefer the traditional CC term 'W*nkpanzer'.

It's interesting how only people who can't afford one themselves refer to then thus.

 

[FishFright]

It's interesting how only people who can't afford one themselves refer to then thus.

Also those who can afford much better.

 

[Dogtrousers]

What of the Chelsea tractor phenomenon?

I reckon it is prevalent in London and surrounding areas, but only occurs in isolated pockets elsewhere.

That's what I meant by Londoners being welded to their cars, although as I said, it's a matter of degree.

That kind of depends where you live. Round my way it's mainly transit vans and (probably uninsured) beaten up Toyotas blocking up the roads. But in leafy Hampstead I'm sure it's an issue.

 

[Dogtrousers]

As to why it's more of a problem in London and the SE, I'm going to hazard a guess, without actually bothering to look up any figures. So I'm probably wrong. But hey, who cares.

I'm going to guess that there are lots of cars get relatively low use in London - short trips mainly, often left idle for long periods. More so than elsewhere, where trips will be longer and more frequent - maybe due to relatively poorer public transport elsewhere.

I'm also going to guess that there is a relatively low petrol-station: car ratio in London. Think of a small to medium sized market town, it may have two stations. I'm guessing that there aren't two petrol stations to every small-town's worth of people in London.

Now if all those low-use cars suddenly get topped up that will suck dry the available stations more quickly than in a small town with its two stations.

Of course my guesses could be entirely wrong. My perspective is skewed by my own experience. I own a car and don't often drive it. I also know quite a few people are the same. But obviously we don't represent the whole of London.

 

[StuAff]

As to why it's more of a problem in London and the SE, I'm going to hazard a guess, without actually bothering to look up any figures. So I'm probably wrong. But hey, who cares.

I'm going to guess that there are lots of cars get relatively low use in London - short trips mainly, often left idle for long periods. More so than elsewhere, where trips will be longer and more frequent - maybe due to relatively poorer public transport elsewhere.

I'm also going to guess that there is a relatively low petrol-station: car ratio in London. Think of a small to medium sized market town, it may have two stations. I'm guessing that there aren't two petrol stations to every small-town's worth of people in London.

Now if all those low-use cars suddenly get topped up that will suck dry the available stations more quickly than in a small town with its two stations.

Of course my guesses could be entirely wrong. My perspective is skewed by my own experience. I own a car and don't often drive it. I also know quite a few people are the same. But obviously we don't represent the whole of London.

There are a lot fewer petrol stations than there used to be. I live on one of the main roads through Pompey, so a fairly high traffic area. Twenty-odd years ago there were three petrol stations in a mile long stretch. Now there's one, right opposite. Next nearest is a Shell a mile and a half north. The one opposite has been dry most of the past week, or manic. Ditto with the Shell when I've passed it. There was another station a mile west- gone. On the whole of Portsea Island, there are 12 petrol stations, plus another five in the city limits. For 150,000 residents, many with multiple gas-guzzling ****mobiles that they must use for even short journeys (next door neighbours a case in point- they drive an SUV to the nearest McDonalds, under a mile away). Few stations and lots of twattery= this situation.

 

[johnblack]

I'm told things are largely normal here in Poshshire. Even the local chipwrapper has stopped the alarmist rhetoric and moved on.

I could only get premium unleaded last night, admittedly it was the only place I tried.

I tried two places on Saturday evening, one was shut and one only had diesel.

I had to drive to Nottingham last night, every station I went past was shut.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Your mention of “ Premium Unleaded” has got me pondering on what will be the differentiator when Electric Vehicle charging stations become more prevalent. Perhaps they could take a leaf out of the Hi Fi book and offer “ 100% oxygen free cables” for a smoother running Motor, or “ These aren’t just any electrons, these are Marks and Spencer electrons “ with Waitrose offering “ Duchy Original Organic currents “

 

[Brandane]

Car use falling in London, growing across the UK, especially in the North East.

That must be as a result of the popularity of the North Coast 500 route then?
I'm assuming when you refer to the north east of the UK, you mean Inverness, Thurso; perhaps Aberdeen?

 

[JBGooner]

An hour and a half to fill up on the North Circular. Seemed a pretty small queue when I joined it 🤷 A few people tried to cut into the front of the queue and all but one were persuaded to think again. The one car that didn't was a brand new BMW driven by a couple of tinkers who on being stopped by a girl from filling up was charmingly told "I won't hit a girl but oil jost keek the sheet out of your boyfriend."
Mind you most of the others seemed pretty thick, filling up cans and big water bottles and spending as long in the shop as they did filling with petrol. Geezer filling up next to me only put 30 litres into his 43 litre tank Prius.

 

[Dogtrousers]

There are a lot fewer petrol stations than there used to be.

Probably part of the problem.
No one wants to be sitting on unsold stock, be it widgets or fuel. So the system has been tightened to be able to accommodate normal demand, with little slack. As soon as that gets exceeded, stocks go low. As stocks go low, people have an incentive to fill up, which drives stocks lower.

Personally I don't feel the meeja is uniquely to blame, nor do I think the fillers-up are morons (or at least no more moronic, on average, than usual). Just a system where a nudge in the wrong direction generates a bigger nudge. Positive feedback.