The idiocy (and selfishness) of panic buying

[BlueHammer85]

if I try a few garages at midnight... will I have any joy ?

 

[bluevillain]

Filled up next to work this morning with diesel at Tesco(Horwich). No queue no rationing.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

if I try a few garages at midnight... will I have any joy ?

I thought you'd be after petrol, not joy.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

 

[meltonblue]

Then most western governments must be inept as they are in the same position. The Road Haulage Association has estimated that up to 20,000 HGV drivers from the EU left during the Brexit process, but we have a shortage in this country of circa 100,000 drivers. Poland currently has a shortage of 123,000 lorry drivers, Germany around 60,000, France 40,000, Spain and Italy, 15,000 each, USA 100,000, China 4m.

They’re in the same position in terms of shortage of numbers, they’re not in terms of the impacts being felt from it though, in part due to other factors in the supply chain caused by brexit.

 

[BerkshireBlue]

Been widely reported recently via Road Haulage Association, relevant trade press etc. Not my fault the facts don't suit your narrative

funded by the tories no doubt. Funny isn't it that these figures just turn up. I bet Germany and Poland haven't lost 15,000 drivers just because of Brexit though have they, in fact they've probably gained drivers because of it. Plus those conutries they have no visible effects unlike the UK. If it looks like Brexit, smells like Brexit, tastes like Brexit then it's Brexit causing the issue. Every company has said Brexit is the issue

 

[Mike N]

I understand you now, you are a follower of Corbyn and Rayner!

Oh dear.

 

[kaz7]

I am buying paracetamol as i use it every day , couldnt get that for love or money during covid panic buying , cant actually stockpile it as there are maximum amounts of it available from one outlet and i am not trawlling the town to get loads of it from lots of places

 

[fulabeer]

Media broadcast a fact and it causes numpties to top up their tanks.

They haven’t scaremongered. They reported a truth.

It shows that people are selfish, scared and don’t believe a word of what is being said by anyone.

But they didn't report the truth.
They lead with "FUEL CRISIS!" headlines.
Only when you read the full articles did they state that only some BP garages would be affected for around two weeks.
What the political minded press did was to try and blame the government for the lack of drivers due to brexit.
They will use any stick to beat the opposition. They knew what they were doing and went with it anyway.

The simple truth is "some" drivers have returned home. Yet this hasn't stopped Europe having their own driver shortages.
This has been caused mainly by two factors.

1: No exams being done during the lockdowns. Meaning a shortage of new drivers. Drivers die or retire meaning a fresh supply is always needed.
2: As the economy recovers and people go back to work, demand has risen meaning more drivers than normal are required.

The effects of Covid will be long lived, with driver shortages just being one of them. Brexit will not have helped, but as a nation we need to just get on with it and stop relying on other countries to help us out.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

They’re in the same position in terms of shortage of numbers, they’re not in terms of the impacts being felt from it though, in part due to other factors in the supply chain caused by brexit.

Looks like you are quite right, a total balls up entirely of our own making.

https://www.ft.com/content/0231f4b2-a6e3-4e08-bbbc-ff0a6b791262