Panic at the Pumps in the UK.

Oh this is a complete joke. The Minister who told the UK Population not to panic. Obviously people are going to panic if they are told the opposite of what not to do.

I find it amusing to say the least, watching everyone driving around frantic in their cars looking for petrol to fill up there cars. But on the other hand I find it disgusting, petrol stations are hiking up the prices to make a quick profit.

As for Unite. I do not know wither this is true or not. It comes from the Sun newspaper, So make your own minds up: If it is true then this dude needs to resign from his post or apologise for his comments he posted on facebook:

Unite branch secretary Donald McDougall wrote on Facebook: "If the Army take action in this dispute, they cannot call it 'duty'. Be honest, wear the badge 'scab' with pride."

This guy needs to hang his head in shame for his jibe at those soldiers who are just followinf orders.

The Sun

Originally posted by woodwardjnr
you say it takes a rather moronic individual to believe what the government says. That's why when the government say things like "don't panic". It has the opposite effect.

Are you saying I should rephrase my post to "it takes a rather moronic individual to "listen" to what the government says"? =)

And correct me if i'm wrong, but I am pretty sure at no time did they say "don't panic". In fact what they have said, as you so rightly stated, is cause for all this panic. So, it does take a rather moronic individual to believe what the government said. *smile*

You got my point I think, right?

Edit - Having my tin foil hat on firmly .. I wouldn't be surprised if all of this is some contrived fiasco to bring in a ton of cash pre London 2012. Inflated fuel prices, panic buying.. millions of duty.

T

reply to post by AnonymousFem


I feel the designation bunchkifukkinwankers may just cover it off ;p-)

reply to post by AnonymousFem


And it appears that Unite where the ones to walk away from the discussions. Like everything, this appears to get murkier and murkier the more that you delve into it.

reply to post by CX


This appears to be a serious and pretty damning consequence of the government's handling of this scenario.

I understand that the current system imposed on unions (by government) REQUIRES them to ballot at this stage in negotiations as to whether they MAY use a strike as one possible outcome of the upcoming negotiations (due Monday) , and it ought to remain entirely speculative (for all negotiating parties) as to whether they would have actually carried that out until the negotiations have finished - PLUS they would need to give at least a week's notice. That's the way it's meant to work.

Our government knew all of that - but it appears they wanted to intimidate the unions by 'rushing' them in a PR ambush, in an attempt to turn public opinion, and pile pressure onto the unions ahead of the talks?

Now they have simply shown their lack of wisdom and statesmanship here. Timing and knowing where to pick a fight is everything. Back in 2000, when we got a similar strike, as I recall, the panic buying began nearer or after the announcement of a strike - not before and due to government and PM advice on national media?

In that scenario, surely the pressure and blame was more clearly, or easily, ascribed to or used against the unions?

Now, we have a totally government inflicted (as the unions have NOT actually declared a strike yet) full scale crisis on our hands, supplies draining away all over the place, public disorder, use of police resources, negative impact on other businesses, the economy, and now it appears we have a very serious casualty.

Surely, to use PM speak, "the right thing to do" would have been to assist as best you can with negotiations, and then have ready a concert of measures to put into effect immediately SHOULD THEY BE REQUIRED?

Whatever happened to "walk quietly, carry a big stick"?

I repeat, the union has not yet called a strike, they have simply followed the required protocol to legally obtain backing from their members to do so if they feel it is a necessary option - FOLLOWING negotiations. It sounds normal and routine to me and I am certain I remember instances where the same thing happened and there was no strike (with other unions). It does not rule out a deal at this stage.

What an utter shambles, and the PM was on tape rigt at the heart of this.
Utterly, utterly pathetic.

If it were only a political own goal perhaps it may be forgiveable, now there are real casualties I suspect it won't be.

oh no mass panic :-

An angry motorist is threatening-to use his mobile phone on forecourt

www.thedailymash.co.uk...

The country has ground to a halt.

reply to post by curioustype


The lady in York that injured herself was emptying fuel into containers in her kitchen next to a lit gas cooker. Whilst this a sad tale, it is also a demonstration of remarkable stupidity by the lady involved. Look at the link from the local paper that i used.

Sad tale, hope she recovers but frankly one very stupid lady.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


the government should invade the middle east and take back the oil that they helped discover

reply to post by Flavian


UNITE have not yet called a strike, and even if their last move in ongoing negotiations was to walk away, it is still cavalier of the other parties, some might say wreckless, especially a government with responsibilities for the potection of their citizens, and in the context of the seriousness of this case, to jump the gun on the announcement of a strike - even by implication.

Clearly, it is a serious matter, but one which has undoubtedly been made worse by the actions of the government.

For example, had they waited until after UNITEs decision (Monday), perhaps this poor lady would not have been burned?

The government have jumped the gun, and it appears that may have created at least one serious casualty?

Their desire to throw a bit of weight around in the run up to UNITEs deadline appears to me to have woefully backfired.

Scenario : The british government announces fuel shortages up and down the UK , the media whip it into a frenzy , people panic buy .

priminister " people of britain we have suffered a fuel shortage and look at the panic it has caused. People have clashed in anger over fuel , garages have shut across the country." " We have to face the reality of a real fuel crisis. Something needs to be done"

Lets invade iran !

reply to post by curioustype


Hey, the goverment dropped the ball. I will not be defending them for that. What i was showing was that Unite is not the innocent party it has claimed to be in this. The talks were over raising standards in the industry. Hoyer was one of the main companies involved. They were discussing standards being raised to the levels they use (amongst the highest in the industry with very well paid drivers) and Unite walked away from negotiations.

There will probably be far more to it than that but the point is that Unite have not portrayed that on any of the media coverage i have seen. Actually, they have done the opposite and not claimed any responsibility whatsoever.

So really, government AND Unite messed up big time and now we have the usual panic situation. The only time we do not panic as a nation is when something serious is actually happening - silly situations like this though and we run around flapping.

As to the lady in York, who would even think that emptying fuel containers inside is a good idea? Particularly next to a lit gas cooker? I feel sorry for her but at the end of the day, that is the sort of stupidity that could have occurred with or without these petrol strikes. In actual fact, we do not even know if what she was doing was the result of the fuel crisis. It may well be but equally it could be something like she was transferring fuel for her lawn mower - the point being that until more facts come out we do not know it was related to this crisis.

reply to post by Flavian


The question I am asking is whether this poor lady would have ever done this, or been in this situation had the government not at the highest level implied, emphasised or pre-empted a decision by the union to begin a strike (at least a week after Monday) in the national media on Wednesday?

Had the government simply waited for the union to make their decision, before saying anything in the press other than "carry on as normal" and "we have plans in place to deal with all scenarios" to the public, a lot less of this would have happened, AND they would be on the upper moral ground the instant the strike began?

They would also have had a better chance of starting any strike period (or it's run up) with a nation full of normally filled petrol stations (from which to begin rationing etc.) unlike now.

Apparently the fire brigade could be going on strike in 2 weeks time.

David Cameron has advised the public to set fire to their homes tonight as a precaution.

Looks like this woman jumped the gun a bit.

reply to post by curioustype


Honestly, we just do not know yet. I live 10 mins walk from her - people were chatting about it in the shops this morning. At this stage, there is no further info than what the local press have reported (much more detail than national press). These types of accidents happen though with or without fuel strikes.

The saddest part for me is that her daughter called emergency services and they were there in a couple of minutes (down road from fire station) so to me that says her daughter witnessed the whole thing - that must have been traumatic.

reply to post by Flavian


Indeed, we know little yet of the exact context or abilities of this casualty.

I accept that it could well be that UNITE will join the ranks of government, [the media?*] and the employers in creating this situation.

However, UNITE were NOT the ones on the television and radio being quoted several times an hour, days ahead of the actual deadline, highlighting an issue most people would never have heard about until Monday's decision came a little closer.

At this point, on Friday, when UNITE have NOT yet declared whether a strike is to go ahead - or when - why oh why are we in this mess?

And why shouldn't we ask why our government weren't doing EVERYTHING in their powers to maintain calm, and keep supplies and levels at petrol stations as close to normal as possible in the run up to a possible supply problem, rather than triggering panic buying and putting the nation through such strain days or weeks away from such an issue?

reply to post by curioustype


Don't disagree, like i said previously i certainly won't be trying to defend the way has government has handled this - a total c*** up from start to finish.

reply to post by Flavian


It is just heartbreaking.

I just find it incredibly hard to think that anyone would be doing this outside of the current 'petrol crisis' scenario.

Not only that, it is the fact that this has highlighted the fact that some members of our community COULD find themselves in such situations due to this scenario. That possibility is now painfully clear.

reply to post by Flavian


Well, I just went to the BBC website - I note that you don't see ANY news of the fuel panic on their main (world) news page, but on their UK sub-page there is now news on this accident:

Link to source: BBC news website

The woman, who is in her 40s, suffered 40% burns in the accident on Moorgate in the Acomb area on Thursday evening.

She has been taken to the burns unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

A fire service spokesman said: "Her daughter asked her mum for petrol because she had run out. The cooker was on and the fumes ignited."

Station manager Lee Smith, whose Acomb crew attended the fire, said: "The people were cooking their tea and dispensing petrol from a container to a glass jug.

"The vapour then ignited, the jug was then spilt which obviously ignited as well and the person involved in the decanting was consumed by the flames.

Her condition is not known but a North Yorkshire Fire Service spokesman described the burns as severe.

Would her daughter normally ask her mum for petrol when she runs out?
Would they normally store it at home or even handle it outside a petrol station?
I very much doubt it?

My thoughts go out to her and her family.

Originally posted by Brad-H
I'm sorry but I find this mass panic thing absolutely hilarious. Where I live, fuel shortages are a daily occurrence, we all live with it and carry on. Some people are just not well equipped for, ahem, "a crisis?" Its really funny watching how the large majority of the first-world population deal with petty things...epic fail.

edit on 29-3-2012 by Brad-H because: (no reason given)

edit on 29-3-2012 by Brad-H because: (no reason given)

Im finding funny too, living in the UK OPPOSITE a BP station its great watching the people argue as someone else ducks in before them, ( we love to wait in the UK), there have been numerous tooting's beepings, effings and blindings all because some MP opened their mouth and put their foot in it.
The have been police called to some stations but here its just been slanging matches with 'I'm the bigger dog' nonsense.
I for one went out and filled my Jerry cans BEFORE all this kicked off and I'm glad I did, I usually prepare for TSHTF anyway and this is a prime example and this 'strike' is only a rumor can you imagine the frenzy of there being a REAL emergency..
We are so screwed up we cant even handle a rumor...