Is there actually a petrol crisis or has it all been caused by panic buying due to sections of the media making people nervous?
It’s just like the toilet rolls and pasta disappearing from our shelves at the start of the lockdowns.
It’s the fear of missing out. People see news reports of empty shelves or queues at the petrol pumps and they get in a panic.
I personally just decided not to go anywhere. I wanted to leave petrol in my tank to use in an emergency and, I decided that there were people who actually needed petrol for their jobs and of course that’s not to mention the emergency services.
I most definitely, however, understand the worry for people who need fuel urgently, but they wouldn’t be having this stress and panic if people who didn’t have to go anywhere just stayed at home for a week or so.
There are always the selfish few who just want to stockpile the toilet rolls or make sure their tank is full up to the brim. I remember a very poignant picture during the first lockdown of an old man in a supermarket aisle with his little basket, looking at empty shelves.
At times like these it’s always the more needy who miss out.
Everything is in chaos though, isn’t it?
The pandemic and Brexit seem to have widened the gap between rich and poor in so many ways.
People who were struggling before are in real trouble now, and as the cost of living rises and the cold weather approaches, energy prices are going up and things seem to be going from bad to worse.
I hope that Covid stays away and we all get boosters soon because I don’t think people could deal with another lockdown.
Another stress for people is the fact that most of us are struggling to see a GP.
Am I missing something here? In almost every other profession we are back to as near to normal as we can be. We can go to the dentist, we can have our hair done, we can go to the pub… But we can’t see a GP.
We have all read about the number of undiagnosed cancers that have slipped through the net in the last couple of years as people have not been checked and surely this will be getting worse and worse.
We all know that when we visit the GP for one thing, that we often add “by the way is this anything to worry about?” when we are just about to leave.
Many people don’t want to bother GPs about a niggle, or they are just embarrassed, but when they have them face to face they pluck up the courage. I think it’s appalling that doctors aren’t seeing us. Doctors know that we will be much more open to discussions when we are with them in their surgery, rather than on a quick phone call.
And what about a doctor’s instinct when he sees that a person “just doesn’t look right”? Again, the people who will suffer will be the vulnerable who don’t have anyone to plead their case or demand an appointment for them.
Of course, as I said, maybe I’m missing something. Maybe there are reasons for GPs to be shut in their consulting rooms doing phone calls. Or maybe your surgery is up and running normally, please let me know.
At ours though it’s even hard to get a phone call, let alone a face-to-face appointment.
Gordon was on hold at 8am in the queue on the phone to our surgery and a message came up saying capacity had been reached, phone back another day.
Luckily he wasn’t phoning about anything urgent, but that’s a scary message to hear.
I promise next week to not be all about doom and gloom but it’s a pretty tough time for so many people right now, and if you are struggling remember that “this too shall pass”.
We have got through things before and we will again.
Just to cheer us all up, Tatler magazine has told us what’s got snob value and what is “common” or is “so last year”.
The list is surprising.
Prosecco is deemed common, as are cockapoo dogs.
However, crocs are making a comeback. Those plastic shoes which are perfect for the garden, or the beach, are apparently the height of fashion.
So, my advice is get yourself a pair of crocs and walk everywhere.
You wont get sore feet, you will be incredibly fashionable and you won’t need any petrol!
Here’s to a week of better news.
Yvie x
