It's started.

Panic buying of petrol/diesel in the area I live, at any rate. One petrol
station had run out, queues at three others before I got to fill the bike up.
I was running on fumes, so had no choice. The bint in front of me got out of
her Galaxy, stuck in 10 euros worth of diesel to top up her motor and then paid
and left. Was it really worth it, FFS?

 

What a fucking annoying thing to do, dummies.

 

The garages should apply a minimum charge - say €10 for a bike and €40
for a car. The pump doesn't get started unless that amount is
deposited in cash or by card. This system is universal in British
Columbia, except the deposit required is the maximum you want to pay.

 

We found one that had run out but another a bit further on with no
queues or restrictions. Made it to Rocamadour no problem.

 

I never saw a pump that took cash, across 47 states.

I did see a few where you had to go in and do a withold against the
card, of whatever amount you chose, but they only processed the amount
that you pumped. Eg

Me "Please allow me to take up to $50 <hands over card>",
Cashier "<swipes card><hands card back> there you go sir",
Me <pumps $45><leaves forecourt knowing only $45 will be billed>.

 

No, refunded or credited back to your card.

Nor have I. In BC if you're paying by cash you have to give them your
deposit over the counter. Never actually saw that happen, mind -
everyone I saw used a card.

 

Nor I.

Exactly so.

 

I'm in Chantilly right now, having trundled from Blighty down the
autoroute. Every services on the way seemed normal, and the one we
stopped at was fine.

Off the autoroute, though, and into Senlis and the local filling station
did seem to be extra-busy.

Just clocked the TV it does look like people are starting to
panic.

I can easily get home on what I've got in the car (and probably all the
way out again). I've got a gallon of diesel in the back of the car and
if any Frog runs out between now and when I leave, it'll be his for 50
euros.

Supply and demand, mon vieux, supply and demand.

 

Our local garage had a minimum charge during the petrol shortages in the
late 70's / early 80's. Stopped people topping up with small quantities
very effectively.

 

Yeah.... noticed that on my last trip, hundreds of fucking petrol
stations, none of them manned.

Unlike like France, the auto pumps didn't recognise my credit card,
the company corporate credit card or my debit card.

On returning the hire car to Bolognaise Airport I had to top it off to
avoid getting ripped off.

I had a €50 note left in the wallet, I necked the Alfa with Diesel and
it came to summat like €48.60. Result.

 

If only others would follow suit.

 

learnt the (almost) hard way on my first trip to Austria, that included
dipping into Italy as we went over the Timmelsjoch pass. This was 1999
before the euro arrived. We passed loads of petrol station in Italy but no
joy unless you had some lire. I had francs & schillings. Rather nervous
ride from Brunico to the Austrian border, discovering the CBR600 has quite
a range on the orange light. Arrived at the border about 7pm to find 2
stations of the 24/7 variety, complete with mini-supermarkets. Same
cultural differecne remains today: Austrian petrol stations are very much
like UK ones and the ones close to borders get a lot of cross border trade
due to a big price differential.

So, since that time, if I'm riding/driving in Italy I always ensure I have
small denomination notes on me for the cash pumps.

 

It's still fine down here chez BRC. Filled up yesterday and saw no
signs of queues at any of the dozen or so filling stations we went
pasr. Brought a spare 50 litres in the boot just in case, but seems
unlikely to be needed.

 

If your not part of the solution...

 

On 16/10/2010 18:53, Mark Olson wrote:

Unless, of course, one has the temerity to proffer a non-US credit card
and/or lack a valid US zipcode.

 

IIRC, a couple of garages did that - and then set the minimum to more
than a full tank of petrol for my CG.

--
Veggie Dave
http://www.iq18films.co.uk

"To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim
that Jesus was not born of a virgin." Cardinal Bellarmine

 

But think about where I brought it from...

 

I knew I'd seen one in the last couple of weeks, but I had to go
foraging to figure out where.
It was an ARCO station. They take bills, but don't give change.

 

Harumph. Turnabout 'n all that. Yurop is littered with automated
stations that only accept Yurpean cards.

 

Most ATMs are operated by banks, which are affiliated to Mastercard and/or
VISA. This covers most debit cards issued worldwide.

The petrol pump networks will be operated by a third party who aren't going
to pay a syndication fee for access to the global authentication servers,
just to keep the 0.00000000001% of non-EU customers happy.