> Yet repeated attempts by authorities to spread calm and urge against panic buying have had the opposite effect.
I think it's the government... but a reasonably functional supply chain won't let this happen. Most people do not panic by news; but they'll panic buy when they find out that some stations have run out of fuel.
Was told by someone in the UK trucking industry this is mindless panic as some people have moved from HGV fuel trucks to regular as the salaries on regular trucking caught up with fuel trucks (and fuel trucks are far more dangerous so people just jumped ship).
One particular agency that has a big market share in the industry seems to be the issue (he said). Seems like they lost tons of drivers and havent raised salaries to meet lowered interest from truckers who can now make the same money from not carrying what’s effectively a mobile bomb.
> Mr Madderson said a government media leak on BP’s earlier decision to restrict fuel deliveries to about 100 of its 1,200 stations had been largely responsible for the mayhem.
> “That leak to a broadcaster has brought about the quite catastrophic situation we’re now in, where there is panic buying,” he said.
the UK has ~8500 petrol stations... around 1% had a shortage before the media amplified everything
Same what happened with toilet paper last year in Germany. I never felt such a panic. This is a taste of what collapse will feel like. Only that there will be nothing to panic buy again, the week after.
