Government under fire over panic buying of petrol

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 30 Mar 2012, 14:29

The interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYqxBmtOkvM

Is the man on the right or the man on the left inciting panic?

I'm defending the gov, I must be dreaming, I'll wake up in a minute....

a couple of weks ago, we on here were talking about the possibility of a lorry driver strike, and some were saying "better fill up".

Post by **clv101** » 30 Mar 2012, 14:47

extractorfan wrote:The interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYqxBmtOkvM

Is the man on the right or the man on the left inciting panic?

I'm defending the gov, I must be dreaming, I'll wake up in a minute....

a couple of weks ago, we on here were talking about the possibility of a lorry driver strike, and some were saying "better fill up".

The media are what the media are - their primary motivation is to gain eyeballs. They can only work with what they are fed. Government are directly responsible for the panic by feeding the media the material they did "a bit of extra fuel in a jerry can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take".

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:00

clv101 wrote: "a bit of extra fuel in a jerry can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take".

but it is, isn't it.?

Post by **clv101** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:11

extractorfan wrote:
clv101 wrote: "a bit of extra fuel in a jerry can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take".
but it is, isn't it.?

I know that, you know that - and a politician should know never, ever to say such a thing in a television interview!

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:28

Well its a good job I'm not a politician, there'd be chaos.

Ludwig · Post by **Ludwig** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:38

Part of the issue here is that a jerry can has a capacity of 20 litres, which is twice the legal maximum allowed in a single metal container (http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17548007). So the Government was arguably encouraging people to break the law, for its own political gain.

The issue here isn't how sensible the law is. (It seems sensible enough to me FWIW.) The issue is that once the supposed upholders of the law express contempt for it, the law as a system loses all moral credibility.

(OK, some would argue it did that years ago, with the anti-terror bills, but the point where a Government admits it despises the law is the point of no turning back.)

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:42

This temporary hyseria has taught me that a jerry can holds 20 ltrs, I previously thought that it was a generic term for anything that held fuel.

I am sure that Maude didn't realise this technicality either, he's just a person who's job it is to say things.

He could use this new found ability to stimulate demand in other area's if he was so inclined. On Monday he should accept a back hander off of Toy r Us for saying, at some point in the future our intelligence suggests that there will be a disruption in the supply of childrens toys.

It'll be like another Christmas.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:48

extractorfan wrote:This temporary hysteria has taught me that a jerry can holds 20 ltrs

It ain't necessarily so.

See: http://www.DODGY TAX AVOIDERS.co.uk/Jerry-Can-Litre ... =8-2-fkmr1

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 30 Mar 2012, 15:52

Aurora wrote: It ain't necessarily so.

See: http://www.DODGY TAX AVOIDERS.co.uk/Jerry-Can-Litre ... =8-2-fkmr1

oh for crying out loud!

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 30 Mar 2012, 17:08

Aurora wrote:It gets better ....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog ... etrol-live

As I understand it the activity pictured in the Guardian is illegal. There's a sensibly low limit to how much can be carried in plastic.

hodson2k9 · Post by **hodson2k9** » 30 Mar 2012, 17:22

Ludwig wrote:
extractorfan wrote:
Aurora wrote:sheeple
Are the one's blaming the government for inciting panic whilst sitting in a queue for fuel because they don't have enough to get through the weekend.

We were at the very least 7 days away from a strike and the Government was talking as though the pumps would be empty by midnight. However, once the Government had incited the panic, panic was indeed appropriate; that's how these things work and the Government knew it.

Yes ludwig spot on. Practise run for the real shortages that are to come maybe? Whatever the reason behind it they knew fully well what they was doing.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 30 Mar 2012, 17:42

This seems to be catching on. It's spreading on Facebook, and there's a copy of it outside one of the pubs in Newcastle Emlyn

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 30 Mar 2012, 18:45

JohnB wrote:This seems to be catching on. It's spreading on Facebook, and there's a copy of it outside one of the pubs in Newcastle Emlyn

PEAK BEER! Now I'm really worried.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 30 Mar 2012, 19:34

BBC News - 30/03/12

The rules on fuel tanker drivers' hours have been temporarily relaxed to help the transport of supplies to filling stations.

Under EU rules, drivers are limited to nine hours on the road each day, but this has now been raised to 11 hours.

The new rules will apply until Thursday and have been introduced after requests from the fuel supply industry.

Article continues ...

This is all becoming rather silly.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 30 Mar 2012, 19:47

Aurora wrote:
BBC News - 30/03/12

The rules on fuel tanker drivers' hours have been temporarily relaxed to help the transport of supplies to filling stations.

Under EU rules, drivers are limited to nine hours on the road each day, but this has now been raised to 11 hours.

The new rules will apply until Thursday and have been introduced after requests from the fuel supply industry.

Article continues ...
This is all becoming rather silly.

I thought the threatened strike was over driver's safety and working conditions

.