From: office@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk   
      
   On 01 Oct 2021, Cheetah99218 wrote   
      
   > On Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:16:10 +0100, HVS   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 30 Sep 2021, Michael Trew wrote   
   >>> On 9/29/2021 10:06 AM, Howard wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>> I've read a bunch of articles blaming "panic buyers" for the   
   >>>> gasoline shortages in the UK following stations not receiving   
   >>>> deliveries. That's basically BS, isn't it? It sounds like it's   
   >>>> basically conflating anger over closures with panic buying,   
   >>>> when they're two very different things.   
   >>>   
   >>> (Snip)   
   >>>   
   >>>> But it's almost impossible for almost everyone to radically   
   >>>> change total gasoline purchases without driving a whole lot   
   >>>> more. People rarely have any significant gas storage capacity   
   >>>> -- at most they might top off the tank of a car they don't   
   >>>> drive very often. But otherwise, if you burn ten gallons a week   
   >>>> of gas, you won't be buying significantly more than that.   
   >>>> There's no way to fit 30 gallons in a 10 gallon tank.   
   >>>   
   >>> As I see it, and what happened in the US, many more people   
   >>> bought fuel than normally would in that time period, also in   
   >>> larger quantities than normal.  I saw videos of people in the US   
   >>> filling 55 gallon drums and more with fuel.  IMHO, the pumps   
   >>> should shut off after a "reasonable" amount of fuel, maybe 30   
   >>> gallons.  Much more than that is excessive for a fuel trip.   
   >>   
   >> To stop people adding to the length of the queue by topping up   
   >> with small "just in case" amounts, wouldn't it be more efficient   
   >> to set a minimum purchase, rather than a maximum?   
   >>   
   >> "You want to top up when your 40-litre tank[1] is still half   
   >> full?  Sorry, you need to buy at least 30 litres, so come back   
   >> when you're down to a quarter of a tank or less."   
   >>   
   >> [1] That's the size of the tank in my Honda Jazz.   
   >   
   > The way I heard it is that there is no shortage of gas but a   
   > shortage of truck drivers to drive the trucks to the gas stations.   
      
   Yup, that is indeed the case.  But for the consumer -- and the length   
   of the queues -- it really doesn't matter if the refineries are full   
   or not.  If the fuel isn't reaching the petrol stations, it may as   
   well be on the moon.   
      
      
   Cheers,   
   Harvey   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)