One of the things I noticed today driving round were the queues for petrol at our few petrol stations in the area. One had a sign up all day saying 'No fuel, shop open' so no queue there. Another, the one in Kingskerswell heading into Torquay had a sign up saying 'No Petrol' but the queue hid the sign. Only when the poor motorist had queued for god knows how long and turned onto the forecourt, having clogged up our bus stop in the meanwhile, did they see the sign. Diesel by the litre but no petrol. Then word must have gone round that the petrol station up at Waterside had fuel and a queue formed as if by magic. That queue also managed to clog up the nearby bus stop but the motorists did eventually move onto the pavement so traffic could flow once again.
Travel By Bus!
For all the shortage of fuel I haven't noticed a lack of cars on the road, though one of our drivers did get on the radio and announce that a hold up at Shiphay Lane was due to a stationary car in the outside lane at the traffic lights that appeared to have run out of petrol.
There are moments when I am glad I don't own a car, like when I think of car tax, insurance, mot, repairs, the cost of replacing it, parking, petrol at £6 a gallon, buggering up the atmosphere with greenhouse gas, etc, etc, etc
5 comments:
how long have you been car free?
pretty good green credentials, public transport provider and no personal car. What happens when you are first one out of the garage though?
10 years now, I recently hired a car for a brief trip up to Manchester ( family reasons, I not a masocist) and am still in debt (petrol). I am never first bus out of the garage due to the fact that I only work a middle rota but if I had to it is only a 30 minute walk to work.
This is the second time today I have heard of service stations running out of petrol over that way. I can't remember where the other place was. Do you know why they ran out? Tanker drivers on strike? - Dave
Devon and Cornwall has no petrol due to industrial action, or something. There should have been some more deliveries at midnight. Not sure if those got through.
I visited Torquay at the weekend. I am also car-free, though I wish I drove (First Bus out of Exeter broke down...must have ran out of diesel, again)
And then you have the Station down the road from me (literally down the road, 100 yards away) On the national papers and news. £1.99 a litre of diesel and petrol . Although they lowered it to under 1.30p this morning, but still quite expensive.
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