Be Excellent To Each Other

Fucking hell. The cheap (136.9) Shell near work was dry yesterday, and this morning there were long queues at the expensive one (140.9*) near home, which already had half its pumps empty.

Fucking fucking idiots - both cars are getting low now.

* This one is run by a bunch of cynical customer-abusing bastards - they regularly put the price up for the weekend, but it went up 1p the day of the budget, another the day after and a third when the tanker strike panic started. Cunts. The cheap one on the other hand hasn't gone up at all.

I'm not convinced that the length of time you've had your licence has a noticeable difference to insurance premium. NCD and location seem to be the main factors (after the type of car, obviously, and a Focus is a pretty left-field choice so might be significantly cheaper to insure by default compared to the usual barry-wagons.)

The biggest thing that shafts you up the arse is your postcode. Which I found out when my insurance premiums doubled after moving house.

MOT for the Ka booked in. Somewhere in Bradford, on the advice of a colleague. Should be fun, first thing in the morning with my sense of direction. Lots of queues at the petrol stations around here, apparently, but I can walk to work and back, as can MrsA, so that's good. I'm more worried about it messing up our Occado deliveries.

The government has advised motorists to refill tanks when half-empty ahead of a possible fuel drivers' strike.

Energy Minister Ed Davey clarified advice after government calls to "top up" tanks were blamed for some panic-buying at petrol stations.

Labour leader Ed Miliband called for an apology, saying the prime minister was "presiding over a shambles on petrol".

The biggest thing that shafts you up the arse is your postcode. Which I found out when my insurance premiums doubled after moving house.

The biggest thing that shafts you up the arse is your postcode.

96.9 for unleaded, 99.9 for diesel.

Postcodes cover a pretty big area, so I certainly hope it is the biggest thing that's shafted you up the arse.

Dorset Police have asked all petrol stations in the county to shut due to the "irresponsible" actions of motorists panic buying fuel amid fears of strikes.

In a statement given on Thursday afternoon, the force said it was advising members of the public not to panic buy fuel following reports of traffic congestion at petrol stations around the county.

Chief Inspector Nick Maton said: "There is no disruption to the fuel supply in the UK and members of the public should not panic buy.

“The actions of some motorists in queuing irresponsibly at petrol stations is causing danger to other road users.

“Police are taking action, requesting petrol stations to close temporarily in order to keep traffic flowing.

He added: “Once the queues have dispersed, the petrol stations may re-open for short periods.”

Sales of petrol and diesel increased dramatically yesterday as motorists flocked to garages to fill up following controversial advice from the government ahead of a possible strike by fuel tanker drivers.

Petrol sales shot up by 81% and diesel by 43%, according to the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents around 5,500 garages across the UK.

A spokesman blamed advice from the government on keeping tanks topped up, including the much-criticised call by Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude to fill up jerry cans.

"This is exactly what we didn't want - people panic buying. Deliveries are still being made to garages and we are advising people to continue with their normal buying habits."

While Jon Hall, chief fire officer for both Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and Gloucestershire Trading Standards, said filling cans with petrol was extremely dangerous and presented a major hazard to firefighters.

"I am really concerned about the prospect of householders stockpiling petrol at home in anticipation of a possible tanker drivers' strike," he said.

The last fuel protest in '99* was over the cost going above 80p/l wasn't it?

*subs please check

It was.

I also remember fuel being under a quid a litre when I moved into my current flat. That was only 3 years ago or so.

Nah. Are you sure?

I have very dim memories of helping at my uncle's garage, as a young child. Petrol was in gallons, 2 or 4 star, 4 star cost exactly £2. Only one customer bought petrol the day I was there. I can only assume that was hyper expensive for the time.

1985 at a guess

Possibly even before that. Was there a fuel crisis in 1979/80? I'd have been 4.

The last fuel protest in '99* was over the cost going above 80p/l wasn't it?

*subs please check

Must have been 2000 as I was in Majorca with girlfriend of the time and it rained for a bit so we were sat in our apartment playing gin rummy most of the day, dressed in beach wear. I've a photo somewhere.

2009 - 89.9p!

EDIT: the red (!) light flickers on and off intermittendly, but I suspect this is due to the car thinking it wants a service. When the handbrake is on, it is steady. I've dropped the car off now (bloke seemed really nice, garage looked OK) so I'll know at 9am.

Try checking the brake fluid to make sure there's enough in there. On some cars a lower than normal fluid level will bring on the (!)

Was a queue at my local Tesco about twenty minutes ago, but they seemed to have plenty of petrol. A pox on people that don't use "pay at pump" when they don't want anything from the shop. Yes, we're watching you.

Excellent, thanks! Will my new best mate sort that in the garage?

Should do yeah, although if he's the untrustworthy type (hope not) and that is the problem, he might try telling you that the brake pads are low (which is also a possible cause, so if he does say that, don't just dismiss it as bollocks ) or some other failure in the braking system.

My Celica used to do it frequently, topping up the brake fluid level used to sort it, but ultimately the cause came down to the guy who fitted my (now defunct) gauges being an idiot and leaving a loose wire behind the dash that was bouncing around causing a short.

Woman suffers 40% burns when petrol ignited as she was transferring it to containers in her kitchen, North Yorkshire fire and rescue service says. More details soon ...