Public confidence tipping point

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sTeamTraen
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Public confidence tipping point

Post by sTeamTraen » Mon Sep 20, 2021 11:45 am

I'm not in the UK and so unable to gauge the public mood other than vicariously through social media, but I'm starting to wonder whether there may soon be a flip from the public underestimating the objective seriousness of the situation to them overestimating it.

When the occasional shortages of stuff on shelves started, they probably won't have been as surprising to many people as they would have been 20 years earlier. People are used to occasional just-in-time failures. Go into any Lidl in Germany after 2pm on a Saturday and you'll see the fresh produce running low.

But ISTM that a combination of continuing shortages, rumours about energy prices and CO2 shortages (who knew that you needed CO2 to slaughter pigs?), and the ongoing crisis in the NHS could, if picked up in the media, turn into panic buying overnight. The tipping point is very pointy, as we saw (everywhere) with toilet paper and pasta in March 2020. At that point, the potential shortages become self-fulfilling.

Has everyone here kept their Brexit stockpile up to date?
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lpm
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by lpm » Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:38 pm

In a couple of weeks UC is getting cut by £20 a week. It's good timing. A bunch of people won't be able to afford food, leaving more stocks for the rest of us.
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bob sterman
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by bob sterman » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:10 pm

sTeamTraen wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 11:45 am
(who knew that you needed CO2 to slaughter pigs?)
Arguably there are more humane ways to dispatch pigs. But CO2 may still be needed for the cold chain. And the fizzy drinks to help wash it down.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Woodchopper » Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:12 pm

The thing about toilet paper was that it couldn't easily be substituted for something else, and people suddenly needed more than usual as they stopped using the toilet at work or in pubs etc.

Food is a bit different as its easy to substitute one meal for another and people don't suddenly need to buy more of it at the supermarket (possibly the opposite now that restaurants are open).

But Christmas is on its way, and over that season people do want lots more of specific foods. Watch out for aggressive shopping later in the year.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Fishnut » Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:48 pm

I'm rather out of date as my uncle died a decade ago but he was a slaughterman for 50 years and I semi-regularly went to work with him as a kid during school holidays. I even did one week of my GCSE work experience with him which was mostly sorting out paperwork he'd saved up for me (There was a pile of cattle passports at least an inch thick I had to go through and fill in).

Spoilered for those who don't want details about how pigs are slaughtered and processed
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by dyqik » Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:52 pm

Spoiler:

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by monkey » Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:13 pm

dyqik wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:52 pm
Spoiler:
(Still talking about slaughter)

Spoiler:

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Gfamily » Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:21 pm

Double post
Last edited by Gfamily on Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Gfamily » Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:22 pm

monkey wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:13 pm
dyqik wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:52 pm
Spoiler:
(Still talking about slaughter)

Spoiler:
Also swine
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by dyqik » Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:55 pm

monkey wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:13 pm
dyqik wrote:
Mon Sep 20, 2021 4:52 pm
Spoiler:
(Still talking about slaughter)

Spoiler:
Spoiler:

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Bird on a Fire » Mon Sep 20, 2021 10:08 pm

Nice animals, pigs. About as smart as dogs, with considerable social intelligence.

They get a bit of bad press for being smelly, but at least they aren't producing enough noxious gas to heat the planet by 2.8°C.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by sTeamTraen » Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:06 pm

Tesco warns of panic buying worse than first lockdown because of Brexit HGV driver shortage.

This all sounds a bit self-fulfilling. I like to imagine that if I were Tesco I wouldn't want to do anything that might encourage panic buying. I guess the calculation/hope is that it will put pressure on the government to let furrins drive trucks again.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Woodchopper » Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:17 pm

sTeamTraen wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:06 pm
Tesco warns of panic buying worse than first lockdown because of Brexit HGV driver shortage.

This all sounds a bit self-fulfilling. I like to imagine that if I were Tesco I wouldn't want to do anything that might encourage panic buying. I guess the calculation/hope is that it will put pressure on the government to let furrins drive trucks again.
Perhaps that, or encouraging people to stock up early. Get the turkey in the freezer in October and avoid fighting for one in December.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by dyqik » Thu Sep 23, 2021 3:08 pm

Woodchopper wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:17 pm
sTeamTraen wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:06 pm
Tesco warns of panic buying worse than first lockdown because of Brexit HGV driver shortage.

This all sounds a bit self-fulfilling. I like to imagine that if I were Tesco I wouldn't want to do anything that might encourage panic buying. I guess the calculation/hope is that it will put pressure on the government to let furrins drive trucks again.
Perhaps that, or encouraging people to stock up early. Get the turkey in the freezer in October and avoid fighting for one in December.
Cue a shortage of domestic freezers...

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Hunting Dog » Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:03 am

Woodchopper wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:17 pm
sTeamTraen wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:06 pm
Tesco warns of panic buying worse than first lockdown because of Brexit HGV driver shortage.

This all sounds a bit self-fulfilling. I like to imagine that if I were Tesco I wouldn't want to do anything that might encourage panic buying. I guess the calculation/hope is that it will put pressure on the government to let furrins drive trucks again.
Perhaps that, or encouraging people to stock up early. Get the turkey in the freezer in October and avoid fighting for one in December.
I would have stockpiled the freezer if it weren't for the threat of power-cuts...

My Brexit stockpile is declining. Our Tesco home delivery that was meant to come this week didn't, at all, technical fault at store apparently. The two nearest petrol stations to me are completely out of fuel this morning. Still at least there's shops close enough that I can walk to them to look at the empty shelves, the fuel issue will be a bit of a git for those not near shops/work!

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by lpm » Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:15 am

It's pretty obvious the more govt ministers say no need to panic buy, the more people panic buy.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Woodchopper » Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:20 am

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whom he met this week in New York, asked him for an "emergency" agreement to supply a food product that is lacking in Britain.

Bolsonaro, speaking on his weekly webcast to supporters, did not name the product, but said he had passed Johnson's request to his agriculture minister, Tereza Cristina.

"He wants an emergency agreement with us to import some kind of food that is lacking in England," he said.

The British Embassy in Brazil disputed Bolsonaro's account, saying that what the Brazilian president said was not its recollection of the facts.
https://www.reuters.com/world/bolsonaro ... 021-09-23/

If the report is true, its possible that the food being sought is turkey for Christmas.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Brightonian » Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am

As soon as there's the slightest hint of any disruption to petrol supplies then **** WHUMPPP!!! *** massive queues at petrol stations.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by TopBadger » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:11 pm

Brightonian wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am
As soon as there's the slightest hint of any disruption to petrol supplies then **** WHUMPPP!!! *** massive queues at petrol stations.
Just heard on the radio that Grant Shapps is considering bringing in the Army to shore up petrol supply deliveries... two thoughts...

a) nothing like having to bring in the Army to boost confidence
b) how big does he think the Army is and how many HGV qualified drivers does he think the Army has?
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by plodder » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:19 pm

Brightonian wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am
As soon as there's the slightest hint of any disruption to petrol supplies then **** WHUMPPP!!! *** massive queues at petrol stations.
I am currently sat in a mile long traffic jam due to people queueing for the garage. People are definitely queueing for the garage.

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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by lpm » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:52 pm

Yep. A queue for a petrol station blocking the road cost me 4 minutes earlier.

Prophecies are clever in the way they become self-fulfilling. Even without any tanker shortages, people queuing to fill up on the same day will drain the petrol station's tanks, close the station, lead to extra queuing at the next one, causing more people to join the queue...
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by lpm » Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:10 pm

Lol. Lorry drivers are queuing for fuel. Soon they might not be able to get fuel. I'm not sure if this makes the impact of not enough lorry drivers better or worse.

Problem with this forum is there's too many escapees sitting in Spain or Italy or US or Australia, with their food and electricity and petrol. Smug bastards. Still, we're the ones with the best rat recipes.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by Lew Dolby » Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:14 pm

TopBadger wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:11 pm
Brightonian wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am
As soon as there's the slightest hint of any disruption to petrol supplies then **** WHUMPPP!!! *** massive queues at petrol stations.
Just heard on the radio that Grant Shapps is considering bringing in the Army to shore up petrol supply deliveries... two thoughts...

a) nothing like having to bring in the Army to boost confidence
b) how big does he think the Army is and how many HGV qualified drivers does he think the Army has?
And how many would be trained / qualified to deliver bulk fuels ??
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by shpalman » Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:16 pm

lpm wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:10 pm
Lol. Lorry drivers are queuing for fuel. Soon they might not be able to get fuel. I'm not sure if this makes the impact of not enough lorry drivers better or worse.

Problem with this forum is there's too many escapees sitting in Spain or Italy or US or Australia, with their food and electricity and petrol. Smug bastards. Still, we're the ones with the best rat recipes.
Yep.

Haha.

Although I still haven't finished the petrol I bought in Austria a month ago, where it's like €1.33/l.
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Re: Public confidence tipping point

Post by science_fox » Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:17 pm

Lew Dolby wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:14 pm
TopBadger wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:11 pm
Brightonian wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am
As soon as there's the slightest hint of any disruption to petrol supplies then **** WHUMPPP!!! *** massive queues at petrol stations.
Just heard on the radio that Grant Shapps is considering bringing in the Army to shore up petrol supply deliveries... two thoughts...

a) nothing like having to bring in the Army to boost confidence
b) how big does he think the Army is and how many HGV qualified drivers does he think the Army has?
And how many would be trained / qualified to deliver bulk fuels ??
Some - tanks run about 3mpg, so the army needs a lot of fuel. Whether that's some on a national scale I've no idea.
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