Panic buying at petrol stations? Oxford Mail readers have their say

Vehicles were caught in traffic as motorists try to get into the ASDA petrol station in Carterton on Friday.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has tried to dissuade drivers from panic buying petrol and said motorists should ‘carry on as normal’.

We asked Oxford Mail readers on Facebook: “Have you had any problems buying fuel today?”

Read again: Long queues form at petrol stations

CHRISTOPHER DAY: “No, I bought a cheeseburger from the van in our industrial estate with no problems at all. That’s fuel for my bicycle."

MEGHAN MADDALENA: “No because I don’t need to fill up yet.”

MELANIE LOUISE: “Luckily I haven’t needed to get any today but thanks to all the selfish, panic-buying muppets for making it worse for everyone.”

CODY LING: “I think most of Oxford have took the day off to go round buying fuel.”

MELISSA HUCKINS: “Do people ever learn last year, it was loo roll! Now petrol - don’t panic buy.”

GIORGOS KOUTSOGIANNIS: “Funny thing is if they didn’t say anything in the news people wouldn’t panic buy and no one would have a problem.”

LOUISE RIDD: “It’s just all those toilet roll buyers now buy all the bloody fuel.

“Hope some left for delivery and lorry drivers. It’s stupid and some are even filling up fuel cans.”

JADE SIMMS: “Asda Wheatley was ridiculous at 9am this morning - loads of people queuing, beeping at each other!”

MATT BULLOCK: “Yes, I already had a full tank so when I went to panic buy it went all over the floor.”

LOUISE RIDD: “Reduce the limited on how much fuel they can buy. Refuse Jerry cans. My son works in a garage. It’s total madness. He said there is fuel if people are sensible and not panic buy it.”

JENNIFER BONNER: “At 9am our local garage was out of petrol. Had to drive around and eventually got petrol in Wallingford.”

CLAIRE RYMAN: “If people just bought as normal there wouldn’t be a problem, human selfishness is it’s own worst enemy!”

SARAH PITTER: “No diesel at one garage in Witney and queues at others!”

REBECCA KELLOWAY: “I’m in Cornwall and the smaller garages are limiting the amount to £30 and the queue at one of the bigger ones was carnage. We had 20 miles remaining and need to refill.”

KATHERINE NEWMAN-WARREN: “Better tell my husband as he always drives ‘just on empty’.”

MICHELLE BARBER: “Was fine, no queue, went straight to a pump and filled up.”

VANESSA THOMAS: “Well I hope the panic buyers won’t mind missing their hospital appointments if NHS staff can’t get fuel and come to work.”

CATHERINE BERRY: “Vanessa Thomas exactly.”

DANIEL PRICE: “You can tell covid is on the rise again they will do anything to stop people from going anywhere.”

NAOMI CREW: “World’s gone mad!”

KIMBERLEY HERMON: “If we run out of fuel because of everyone panic buying then a lot of people who actually need the fuel - eg taxi drivers, carers, HGV drivers, couriers, NHS staff, emergency vehicles, schools etc will not be able to do their jobs. And let’s face it, I can guarantee a lot of people who are in queues are in fact panic buying because as stated above in the comments, they are driving around trying to find somewhere to buy fuel.”

DANIEL PRICE: “Buy a Tesla instead.”

JASON ADAMS: “I don’t need it I’ve got pedal power.”

KIMBERLEY BOYD: “I bet all the people panic buying aren’t even the people that need the petrol!”

MARGARET ARTHURS: “Like lambs to the slaughter - if the media print rubbish people think it’s the truth and panic.”

GLENN FORD: “Yes, none at nearest station, l don’t panic buy it’s always on red.”

PRZEMEK TABOR: “Are we upgrading from toilet roll panic buying to fuel panic buying? Some people need serious help! Panic buy creates shortage! Nothing else!”

PAUL SCRIVER: “Just remember that the emergency services also use the same pumps as you to fill up, so if you all panic buy don’t go moaning when you call the emergency services and they don’t turn up.”

WILLIAM O’DONNELL: “None whatsoever - it was busy initially.”

STEPHANIE HICKS: “Tesco in Bicester queuing out of the station.”