Fill your tanks ,French oil strike

[krusty]

French drivers rushed to fill their tanks Sunday after striking workers at oil giant Total raised the threat of petrol shortages as families hit the road for the mid-term school holidays.

[Quillan]

And then on the 1st April town gas will be going up by just over 9%. Happy days.

[Cendrillon]

Just to add to transport problems Lufthansa and German Wings are on strike for four days and the B.A. cabin crew strike ballot closes at 14.30 today.

[8-)]Happy days, stock up with the supplies, batten down the hatches and stay at home.

[:)] One day Spring and Summer will arrive and perhaps everyone will feel happier.[:)]

[Chancer]

I think that there will be enough panic buying and resultant shortages without the irresponsible posting.

You can bet your bottom dollar that price hikes will slip in as a result.

[Gardengirl]

Thanks for the post Krusty. We spent most of yesterday with a group of French friends and none of us knew about a threat of petrol strikes. Our car's a bit low, so will fill up at Carrefour this morning. We were going anyway, after a tip trip, but probably would have left filling up for another week or so. Don't want to be left high and dry just at the moment.

[Bugsy]

Thanks for the heads-up Steve.

I was nearly empty and have just filled up. Long queues even at a small town garage and no cans allowed.

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[krusty]

Sorry , I forgot to provide a link.

here it is

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Chancer"]

I think that there will be enough panic buying and resultant shortages without the irresponsible posting.

[/quote]

I'm not sure whats irresponsible about advising fellow forum users about a potential fuel shortage Chancer.

I, like others were not aware of the problem and living in the sticks, as we do, a lack of fuel could be a major problem.

Panic buying is one thing, ensuring your vehicle has fuel for getting around is quite another.

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[Chancer]

Dont panic people!!!!!!!!!

If only 20% of those that would normally be happy to wait until the end of the month to fill up or to be running around with 1/4 of a tank rush to fill up then shortages will be immediate, just what the syndicalistes want.

Dont forget to empty the shelves of the supermarkets and boulangeries when returning from filling up your cars [6]

By the way Bugsie you would only need to have watched or listened to the odd French news program in the last week to have known well in advance about the threatened raffinerie greve, but as Gardengirl has posted many French people didnt either.

[Weedon]

I was in petrol retailing back in the early 1970's when ration books for fuel were issued but never used....thank god! It was bad enough then as retailers had government rationing imposed on them via the oil companies. People who normally drove 5 miles a week were topping up full tanks. As I tried to separate fighting customers arguing over who was next in the long queues I used to think god help us if there was ever a food shortage.

My tank is now full[:D]

I remember seeing a poster in a shop window (when there was a shortage of something) it said "Panic buyers welcome here". It's an ill wind etc. etc.

[JMB]

OMG I will rush out and fill up. Thats 370lts of sp95 sat around doing nowt.

[Chancer]

I went to the bank today (closed, I should know better by now) and both petrol stations were closed with signs up saying sold out.

Now we are situated centrally between two large towns, 40 kms in each direction yet in 5 years I have only met one person that drives to work in either town, everyone else works within a 5 minute walk or drive of their home so as not to lose one minute of their precious lunch hour.

To put it another way very, very, very, few people around here are reliant on their cars yet panic buying has already resulted in the pumps running dry before any deliveries have even been affected.

I suppose it could be people travelling in from surrounding communes or workers at theAirbus factory a sizeable proportion of which do travel some distance to come to work but not judging by the drivers who were arguing the toss with the beleaguered cashier.

[Gardengirl]

There weren't many cars queuing at Carrefour this morning, everything looked fairly normal. We passed a couple of petrol stations yesterday and nothing was unusual there either. Is it all happening in any particular areas? I'll be listening in to the radio this evening, maybe they'll have something to say about it on the news.

[Dog]

My wifelet remarked today that the price of diesel in Auchan had gone up by 6 cents since last friday - looks like profiteering going on.

[Judith]

I have considerable problems getting hubby to fill up once the tank gets to below half - so that in just such a case, we can always have enough to keep us going until the panic is over.  He says it is better to wait, less time to stand at  the pump etc.  I cannot get him to understand that in France (rural or not) it is always sensible to work on the fact that you cannot guarantee the next fill up will be available. After 5 years here, I thought he would have learnt ......  obviously not.  I filled up last Saturday when the tank was down to between a quarter and half full - no obvious panic, just the usual Saturday afternoon small queue of 1!  Hadn't seen the news - no television!

[Chancer]

I follow your husbands logic and only fill up when running on fumes, with what is remaining in my tank I should last a couple of weeks, however if  there are real shortages, rather than the comportement de panic that they were blaming on the news tonight for the rupture of stocks then I will walk/cycle where possible and not go to the Brico's in Arras or Amiens for materials, that way I can hold out for a month. I have no intention of filling up anything other than an empty tank.

On the news they were interviewing drivers in the queues at the filling stations, I could just about see the petrol guage of one of them and it appeared to be 3/4 full, I reckon they should start fimin just that to put people off panicking.

Interesting that you think that you cannot guurantee when the next fill up will be, I have lived here 5 years and have never known rupture of stocks before today and I am fairly close to the refinery that has been blockaded for 6 days.

[Judith]

I have never forgotten one holiday where we almost ran out in the middle of nowhere (and I mean nowhere) due to his insistence on not filling up.  I do hate having to keep an eye on the needle, just to be sure - and I do far more travelling around than he does, so I do not agree with keeping it low - it is amazing how you have half a tank, then suddenly after two or three shortish shopping trips, suddenly, it's got extremely low.  I did 100 km last week, in 24 hours, only having popped into the shops and gone to see friends about 20 mins drive away, nothing excessive.  And two days later, another 200 under the bonnet - and nothing to show for it distance wise either!

[Gardengirl]

Is there anyone else who's seen problems with petrol stations running out of petrol? Or maybe it's more in the north - I see Chancer is in Picardie, and talks about petrol sold out. People crossing soon would like to know more.

[Cendrillon]

Update:

Lufthansa pilots have called off their strike.

French air traffic controllers are due to strike from Tuesday to Friday affecting Paris Orly and CDG I believe.

It must be the season for striking!

[Chancer]

Gardengirl.

Just watch any of the french news programs and you will see the situation countrywide, for closer to home watch your regional FR3 at midi pile or 19.00.

[Gardengirl]

Thanks Chancer. We've no TV, but I've been listening to French radio. OH has just mentioned we can get a tiny picture on our computer via 3 with SFR on our Neuf system. Don't know how, but I might try it later.

I noticed Carrefour petrol has gone up 2 cents since we filled up yesterday. I couldn't resist going to the Pont du Gard this afternoon as it was so spring-like; it was lovely there, and we sat without coats having a coffee after our walk. Bliss! [:D]

[dragonrouge]

If the Air Traffic Controllers are on strike that must mean that the French Rugby lot will not be able to make Cardiff on Friday night. If they do not turn up can we claim the game please.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="dragonrouge"]If the Air Traffic Controllers are on strike that must mean that the French Rugby lot will not be able to make Cardiff on Friday night. If they do not turn up can we claim the game please.[/quote]

Thats about the only way they'll get a win [Www][:D]

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[cooperlola]

BETTER NEWS

[NickP]

I find it wonderful that the companies complain about the workers going on strike, then immediately put their prices up, I know I'm easily confused, but higher prices never stopped a shortage.  It's about time  Governments stopped this blatant profiteering.