Torrential rain here @Fairygirl. I’ve got your seeds ready but I won’t put them out for the postman today in this weather, the quicker the poor bloke gets back to his van the better.  Should be better tomorrow. Enjoy your walk.Â
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.Â
Persuaded OH to walk to the post office to save petrol. The heavens have opened -twice. He's going to be steaming literally and metaphorically when he gets back😤
Our nearest box is 3 to 4 miles away (round trip) so need to choose a dry day for that but our postman will take anything I leave out for him,  parcels as well. I suppose it’s a country thing. I know they will do that if you pay, but ours just takes them.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.Â
Everything went Just In Time - that's fine, as it keep stock costs down. The problem is that JIT works with fine tuned delivery and usage stats. So if either fluctuate, you end up with a problem as we've seen. Now we end up with a perfect storm as the change in the delivery (shortage of drivers) - and double change in usage (people going back to work after Covid work from home) and panic buying. - cause major problems. Throw in social media and the '...I've just seen a fuel delivery at...' messages flying around, and the delivery structure goes into continuous meltdown. A downward spiral it can't get out of without intervention.
The other issue here is that fuel tankers need an additional hazardous materials endorsement on an HGV licence - as well as being trained on how to fill the tanker in the first place.
I just wonder why now? The situation was fine just last week.
 The shortage of HGV drivers must have been building up for the last few years surely so it can't be that.
I did read an article recently that implied that the Road Haulage Association were to blame as they have deliberately stirred things up. Their members want cheaper overseas drivers apparently asap so a bit of blackmail going on somewhere?
I saw a report on BBC News that someone in government leaked a bit of a report from BP detailing the current situation with energy stocks and supplies and high-lighting that while supplies were good the shortage of qualified fuel delivery drivers MAY lead to problems in the future if not resolved.
Some idiot MP, MP's staff or civil servant sells that tip to a tabloid and bingo, panic buying.
Cheers for that @Lyn. You can let me know if you want any of the Morning Glories I mentioned to Philippa Had a lovely walk thanks. We've had the worst of the rain overnight and early morning. Plenty the day and night before too, so that's given everything a good watering. It's not quite so windy either Â
I believe @Obelixx is right - apparently there was a 'leak', and all the idiots started behaving in their usual dumb fashion. Someone had a knife pulled on them too. Humans are beyond hideous Â
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They're talking about it on the radio again just now. Hell mend 'em @Lyn if they dissolve.... Of course - you can imagine what happens if any member of staff challenges themÂ
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It doesn't have to be a leak or anything like that. It just comes down to simple reporting doesn't it? There wasn't a shortage of loo rolls either, but if you place a camera in a SM and show empty pasta shelves and say that - then people will go and buy pasta. That's the market - that was what was funny about that pub sign and shortage of beer.
As soon as BP closed a couple of garages (or whoever/whatever it was) due to delivery issues rather than shortages and that hit the news feeds - people, on the back of the energy price hike news - put 2+2 together and came up with a number that made them think there 'may' be shortages and they may be left without transport. So went to fill up. Then you get a cycle - shortage of drivers anyway, excess use of fuel - empty garages. And you can't break that cycle unless you change one of those two parameters.
Again, this could have been foreseen when the gov changed the work from home rules - as now people 'have' to go to work if the employer dictates - so they need fuel. So, for people who don't need to travel to work and can work from home - stop going into work again until the driver shortage can be resolved. Lessen the usage. People who just bought because they joined the panic, won't need to refill anyway again now for a while.
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Enjoy your walk.Â
 The shortage of HGV drivers must have been building up for the last few years surely so it can't be that.
I did read an article recently that implied that the Road Haulage Association were to blame as they have deliberately stirred things up. Their members want cheaper overseas drivers apparently asap so a bit of blackmail going on somewhere?
Some idiot MP, MP's staff or civil servant sells that tip to a tabloid and bingo, panic buying.
Had a lovely walk thanks. We've had the worst of the rain overnight and early morning. Plenty the day and night before too, so that's given everything a good watering. It's not quite so windy either Â
I believe @Obelixx is right - apparently there was a 'leak', and all the idiots started behaving in their usual dumb fashion.
Someone had a knife pulled on them too. Humans are beyond hideous Â
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hell mend 'em @Lyn if they dissolve....
Of course - you can imagine what happens if any member of staff challenges themÂ
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...