I've noticed Tesco have now increased the max fuelling limit on their pay at the pumps system from £60 to £80 lol. I wonder how long it took them to realise that £60 was only getting people 3/4 of a tank

i have a really well paid job,which if the fuel costs go up much more i won't have anymore,and that means no expensive house,cars,luxuries,in fact i think it means dole for me,and if that happens i don't think i would have the get up and go to start again:O

You will mate, believe me, I've been through it

Remember, we (in the UK) regardless of class, location or wealth , are in the top 1% of the world in terms of what we have. Some people don't have water or electricity.

I am more and more grateful about what I have.

i have a really well paid job,which if the fuel costs go up much more i won't have anymore,and that means no expensive house,cars,luxuries,in fact i think it means dole for me,and if that happens i don't think i would have the get up and go to start again:O

Sorry to hear it's so serious for you. Trouble is many people have jobs whch are heavily reliant on fuel. There should definitely be help for all those involved i.e. Transport Companies and Reps etc., If it's your job you should be a priority over 'Joe Public' IMO. Sounds like rationing I know but it may happen sooner than we think.

Sorry to hear it's so serious for you. Trouble is many people have jobs whch are heavily reliant on fuel. There should definitely be help for all those involved i.e. Transport Companies and Reps etc., If it's your job you should be a priority over 'Joe Public' IMO. Sounds like rationing I know but it may happen sooner than we think.

So basically... f*ck the rest of us who don't drive for a living but can't use public transport to get to work? :thumbdwn:

So what about my job? I work in the care industry and if I can't get to work then the likelihood is people will die.

Its all swings and round abouts though.

If you help one then you have to help the others. I wouldnt like to be Mr Brown at this moment in time as petrol, gas and food have gone up so much in the last few months so there is a bigger picture than the drivers of the UK.

I know people need cars for their jobs but plenty of people (my self included) could easily use public transport or even walk/bike to work but choose to drive

I couldn't use public transport as it doesn't really exist in Cornwall, and I couldn't really walk/bike 13miles before a 12hr shift and then 13miles back home.

So what about my job? I work in the care industry and if I can't get to work then the likelihood is people will die.

but youre not getting through 100 litres of fuel a day?

I work in transport and we have nearly 100 HGV's+7.5T+3.5T+cars we get through around 50k litres a week which since last year has added £15k a week to the running costs which means we could employee another 25 workers a year instead we have cut back on staff due to the costs.

I know people need cars for their jobs but plenty of people (my self included) could easily use public transport or even walk/bike to work but choose to drive

I don't think you realise how lucky you are to have a decent public transport system in your city. I was very impressed with the tram system when I went to visit friends in Sheffield. However, in the majority of towns and cities in the UK the public transport system is a farce and we don't have an alternative. Something the politicians in London (who despite having a convenient public transport system get driven around at our expense) don't seem to realise.

I couldn't use public transport as it doesn't really exist in Cornwall, and I couldn't really walk/bike 13miles before a 12hr shift and then 13miles back home.

I know you cant but like i said your one of the few people that genuinely need their cars.

As for the transport in Sheffield, it is a farse as the tram system is great if you live in the city centre which i thankfully dont but its not impossible to get to work and back use the buses just that they arent that regular and go though about 6 different parts of the city before it gets to my area.

The big problem is that we have all got used to cheap personal travel and can't imagine a world where things are different. But things do change, sometimes more quickly than we imagine! All the people who say "I've got to drive so that I can get to work" - this is only the case because people have taken jobs which will in the future be an unsustainable distance from where they live.

As oil gets slowly scarcer things will change, and the clever people will be the ones who see this coming and change their behaviour now while it's relatively easy - and before they are forced to because of fuel becoming harder to get hold of, or not being able to afford it any more.

Public transport - well it's hardly surprising that public transport has become much less convenient than it should be - people would be really up in arms if government was spending even more on it when people aren't currently using it much. But as people start to shift back to public transport again it will start to improve - that's the way these things work.

If we were all to start making a big fuss and have protests telling government that we want more public transport then this would have an effect. But this doesn't happen - instead people protest about the rising cost of fuel which won't do any good at all in the long run.

Firstly government can't magic more oil out of thin air. And just think - if government gives in and reduces fuel duty all that will happen is that people will drive even more and the shortages will get greater. AND then they'll have to raise the taxes from somewhere else. All of this is true whichever party is in power.

But whenever did people think these things through?

The big problem is that we have all got used to cheap personal travel and can't imagine a world where things are different. But things do change, sometimes more quickly than we imagine! All the people who say "I've got to drive so that I can get to work" - this is only the case because people have taken jobs which will in the future be an unsustainable distance from where they live.

As oil gets slowly scarcer things will change, and the clever people will be the ones who see this coming and change their behaviour now while it's relatively easy - and before they are forced to because of fuel becoming harder to get hold of, or not being able to afford it any more.

Public transport - well it's hardly surprising that public transport has become much less convenient than it should be - people would be really up in arms if government was spending even more on it when people aren't currently using it much. But as people start to shift back to public transport again it will start to improve - that's the way these things work.

If we were all to start making a big fuss and have protests telling government that we want more public transport then this would have an effect. But this doesn't happen - instead people protest about the rising cost of fuel which won't do any good at all in the long run.

Firstly government can't magic more oil out of thin air. And just think - if government gives in and reduces fuel duty all that will happen is that people will drive even more and the shortages will get greater. AND then they'll have to raise the taxes from somewhere else. All of this is true whichever party is in power.

But whenever did people think these things through?

I love your post Nickcoll. You indeed grasp the complexity of it all. We have become used to a way of life which cannot possibly be sustained in its present form.

Not too many years ago few had cars. Jobs and shops were local to even the smallest village. I remember it as I am in my late 60s. I wonder, could it possibly come full circle?

The one saving grace of course would be an alternative fuel to oil.

The car, the supermarket and the electronically driven lifestyle we live is great but are we grateful and will it last??