Fuelling my anger
Yesterday evening, on the way back from half an hour in Brent Cross (I know, it has to be a record) with my mum, I decided to stop at a Tesco petrol station, but the queue was so long I couldn’t be bothered to wait. This morning, en route to the supermarket I went to our local petrol station. The tank was less than a quarter full and I usually wait until levels are this low before filling up. The sign outside said SORRY OUT OF PETROL. I didn’t bother trying anywhere else. If we run out, it will be because of government scaremongering and greedy people and panic. If we run out I will walk or take public transport or use a Boris bike if convenient. Greed has never been attractive. This always happens when some government minister scares us, and hey, guess what, it’s the Easter holidays, people will be driving all over the place, but it’s best to make them buy when they really don’t need to, it looks good after all. And hey, guess what, the tanker drivers are not really going to strike, not yet anyway. In all the years we have been warned of tanker workers going on strike, I have never, personally, known anyone run out of petrol for any reason other than stupidity. If people only filled up when they really needed to, there would be enough to go around, but because we live in a first come, first served society, where look after thyself comes well before look after those who really need looking after, there is an imbalance thanks to fear and greed. It’s a government ploy, bet fuel prices go up soon, bet the panic buying of fuel in the past days will have an effect on economic growth, which the Tories will no doubt bask in having achieved. Stop being greedy, buy when you need to, not because you can or because you are scared or too bloody lazy to walk or tube or bus it, think of others as well as yourself, think of those who really need it.
The next thing to worry about, as 5th April approaches (wonder if the date has been set to coincide with the new tax year for a reason?) is the hose pipe ban in some areas. I’ve seen the posters, warning us that we are IN DROUGHT. Ok, so maybe we can do without hose pipes and baths (I prefer showers, always have, I’ve never found it appealing to lie in my own dirty water) until the reservoir levels rise, but drought? Really? Oh come on. According to my online dictionary drought means ‘A long period of abnormally low rainfall, especially one that adversely affects growing or living conditions.’ I agree that we haven’t had much rain and the farmers may well be worried, but my living conditions are fine thank you very much. There’s still water from my tap, lots of water, I can shower anytime I want, I can flush the toilet and use a watering can as many times as I want and it looks like it might just rain, so who needs to use a watering can anyway? Can we stop making everyone panic and start making everyone just a little more sensible, perhaps even responsible? Fuel shortage, water shortage, what next? Hot pasty shortage?
Shelley Silas - writing about writing and other stuff 
Yes, I agree with what you said about the Government creating a crisis where there isn’t one and that it will provide them with an apparent boost in the economy and tax revenue. But, you spoke as I would have spoken when I lived in London. There are many forms of transport available to terminally idle people in the capital. I can remember taking the Tube for journeys that were easily walkable. I now live in a rural area and a car becomes a necessity as public transport is extremely limited during the week and non-existant at weekends.
Panic buying in cities actually causes shortages in the country as fuel supplies are diverted to petrol stations which have been sucked dry by the worried middle classes responding to a Government-led crisis.
In this country we waste water; everyone wastes water and it is much easier to economise on water than it is on fuel. I think we should all limit the amount of water we use. Just because the water is still coming out of the tap it doesn’t mean to say that we shouldn’t cut back or re-use water on the garden that has previously been used in the house and it isn’t necessary, for example, to clean a car every week. Unfortunately, our houses are not built to manage grey water supplies and are not likely to be for the foreseeable future.
We are in a drought in the parts of the country where a lot of our food is grown. If we continue to waste water (and fuel) we will all find an increase in our food bills by next winter.
Thanks for this. Yes us city types do use a lot of fuel when we don’t need to, I totally agree, and we have great (mostly) public transport, and we all need to use less of everything. I get constantly annoyed at the amount of city dwellers who have cars more suited to the countryside, they are fuel eating monsters and we should ban them from the city. I spend a lot of time shouting at people in those cars. Water needs to also be used more carefully, but we live in a society of excess and greed. Every home should have a water meter for a start.
Yes – nothing like a water meter to concentrate the mind!
I suppose it has all gone too far to reign in profligate waste of resources and no amount of legislation will ever outlaw the morons!
We ARE NOT all in it together.
Sorry – I meant rein!