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Jerry Cans


cooperlola
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A friend has just told me that in Dept. 17 at the moment, you cannot legally fill a jerry can at a petrol station, because of the fuel shortages.  How widespread is this?  Anybody know how I'd find out which departments might have done a similar thing?

How do Charentais buy fuel for their mowers etc at present?

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We were only allowed up to 40 euro at Leclerc last week (don't know if it's still in force) and there was a sign saying no cans.  Easy enough to get round though - the chap in front had his mower with him on a trailer and just filled it direct!

AGD

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[quote user="cooperlola"]A friend has just told me that in Dept. 17 at the moment, you cannot legally fill a jerry can at a petrol station, because of the fuel shortages.[/quote]Pretty hard to enforce at a 24 hour unmanned petrol pump [:-))] [:D]

 

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[quote user="ErnieY"]

[quote user="cooperlola"]A friend has just told me that in Dept. 17 at the moment, you cannot legally fill a jerry can at a petrol station, because of the fuel shortages.[/quote]Pretty hard to enforce at a 24 hour unmanned petrol pump [:-))] [:D]

 

[/quote]

 

Are you suggesting that the good folk down here in 17 would do something naughty!!

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That's why I want to know.  No problems round here at present, but I have a few hundred people preparing to come over here from the UK next week (can't imagine why[;-)]), who don't have French debit cards, who are concerned that they won't be able to get petrol for their generators.  Fridges are a must have for camping at LM, don't you know?
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As far as Deux Sèvres is concerned, the prefecture issued 'un arreté' last week, forbidding the use of jerricans. I assume that in those departments where there are notices at the pumps, their prefectures have done the same.
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There has been a ban on filling cans with petrol here (31) for some time, long before the current shortage. A customer in front of me was stopped when he tried to fill a can and was shown the appropriate notice forbidding it. He asked how he was supposed to get fuel for his lawnmower and was told to do what everybody else does - wait till the cash desk is closed and use his card in the machine.

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They did a similar thing about a week ago in the Aude.

Apparently it's always been illegal but tolerated. Insurance-wise there's an issue with having a can in your boot, which could conceivably endanger police, medical staff etc in the event of an accident. Or so the station attendant - who was told by police - told me.

I suppose you could park around the corner and fill up, I mean if your car isn't in sight...??

I don't blame the authorities though, you should have seen all the idiots cramming the stations during the invisible fuel shortage, they were actually blocking roundabouts. Old ladies - who do about one mile a week - were filling up their 60mpg Citroens and then getting the jerry cans out.

I actually needed fuel, which was annoying!

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[quote user="Bones"]

Apparently it's always been illegal but tolerated. Insurance-wise there's an issue with having a can in your boot, which could conceivably endanger police, medical staff etc in the event of an accident. Or so the station attendant - who was told by police - told me.

[/quote]

So how the flick is anyone supposed to get fuel for their chainsaw, mower, strimmer etc. home? 

I don't think the question was about the legaility of petrol cans in cars - just that some stations may have been banning them in case of panic buying.

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I'm sure that you're allowed to carry a jerrycan of up to 5l of fuel home (for dépannage immédiat) but not to carry it around permanently in the car. And you're allowed to stock up to 20l at home in suitable container/jerrycan.

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Any further info on the general use of jerry cans?

 

I fairly regularly fill up a 20l bidon (originally contained fuel for a wee heater, sold in supermarkets etc) with petrol for the mowers, strimmer, chainsaw etc. No-one has ever said anything to me about it.

 

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I believe that the maximum allowed in a car is 5l in a jerricane.  I do the same as you, as do many French, and regularly fill a 20l can for lawnmowers etc.  Never had a funny look from an ordinary motorist or pump attendant yet (except the time I forgot the cans and left a 5l and 20l standing at the pumps when I drove off) but if the gendarmes were around I might leave the big jerry in the boot to fill it.

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