Well that’s the buses down to a Sunday service as of Monday morning until further notice so my income is certainly going to be dented. Minor issue compared to many souls who’ll suffer through all this. Hopefully it is very short term.
The buses in London have been virtually empty along with the streets. It's been really eerie
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First off i am no fan of the tories, in fact i haven't voted for either of the cloned 3 main parties for decades and have given up on politics after the last election.
However i have just a few minutes ago watched the Chancellor announcing the help packages available for businesses employees and yes the self employed, where he is going to get the money from i don't know (spending some of the money saved by even faster extraction from the EU i suspect), but these measures will dispel the nasty tory party accusation May came out with a few years ago once and for all.
I am seriously impressed, and have a sneaky feeling i've just been watching a future prime minister in action.
Job loss for me (unless i fail my HGV medical) is unlikely to happen, i drive a bulk tanker on foodstuffs and our workload, already constant, has seriously taken off, made easier it must be said by how empty the roads are apart from the vicinity of supermarkets, and even emptier come Monday.
Anyone heard about a London total lockdown yet, ie within M25?
Edited by gordonbennet on 20/03/2020 at 19:18
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Future prime minister? A year ago he was tipped by an old lady I know as PM. She has known him well personally since he was a child. Hardly unbiased but I have noticed him since she mentioned him and have been impressed.
Thank goodness we got shot of the hung parliament - whoever won we need the ability to make quick decisions. We just need to watch what is going on under the radar to make sure there isn't a total lack of scrutiny.
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First off i am no fan of the tories, in fact i haven't voted for either of the cloned 3 main parties for decades and have given up on politics after the last election.
However i have just a few minutes ago watched the Chancellor announcing the help packages available for businesses employees and yes the self employed, where he is going to get the money from i don't know (spending some of the money saved by even faster extraction from the EU i suspect), but these measures will dispel the nasty tory party accusation May came out with a few years ago once and for all.
I am seriously impressed, and have a sneaky feeling i've just been watching a future prime minister in action.
Job loss for me (unless i fail my HGV medical) is unlikely to happen, i drive a bulk tanker on foodstuffs and our workload, already constant, has seriously taken off, made easier it must be said by how empty the roads are apart from the vicinity of supermarkets, and even emptier come Monday.
Anyone heard about a London total lockdown yet, ie within M25?
Not a total lock down but all pubs restaurants cafes ect have to close and be takeaway only. Only supermarkets ect to stay open. Noting about a travel ban or anything yet.
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Noting about a travel ban or anything yet.
From what I saw of a couple of filling stations I cycled past today, there will be no fuel for a few days until GB and co get there
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Noting about a travel ban or anything yet.
From what i've been told, watch this space.
Phew, was worried about not getting me early Greggs breakfast special, be about 6.30 ish at Trowell tomorrow, you'll hear my chin hitting the floor from where you are if they're closed :-)
Not on fuel BT, food only, interesting there are fuel shortages though, one might wonder if that's accidental seeing as so few cars on the road, if fuel runs short so will food as lorries don't run on fresh air.
Edited by gordonbennet on 20/03/2020 at 20:02
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Noting about a travel ban or anything yet.
From what i've been told, watch this space.
Phew, was worried about not getting me early Greggs breakfast special, be about 6.30 ish at Trowell tomorrow, you'll hear my chin hitting the floor from where you are if they're closed :-)
Not on fuel BT, food only, interesting there are fuel shortages though, one might wonder if that's accidental seeing as so few cars on the road, if fuel runs short so will food as lorries don't run on fresh air.
At the moment their seems to be a glut of fuel it was 114.7ppl when I filled up 2 weeks ago may have gone down more by now also reports of Costco selling petrol ar 99.9ppl.
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6am, good as gold, Greggs open at Trowel thismorning, presumably other motorway sites too, card payments only which is fair enough....all tables and chairs removed from the services itself, presumably other MSA's where chairs aren't bolted or built in will be the same.
Hopefully Grantham services Greggs will be open tomorrow morn by 7am, that's my planned breakfast halt on tomorrows journey.
I mention Greggs because they are the most reliable provider of a breakfast roll and good coffee at a fair price all year round for us permanently on the road, Leigh Delamare was open at 6am Boxing Day believe it or not, lifesaver when you've had a 4am start Boxing Morning.
Haven't seen any fuel shortages myself, Wooley Edge MSA was around £1.40 for Diesel when i popped in for a comfort stop (Trowell's Latte :-), so a slight reduction from the over £150 being charged at some MSA's recently, £116.7 for Diesel at the local supermarkets here.
Roads were really quiet today, almost all lorries up until about 8am, but coming back this afternoon the lorries had thinned out with a few more cars on the road than i would have expected, tomorrow should be interesting.
Edited by gordonbennet on 21/03/2020 at 15:47
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I don't think we say 'thank you' nearly enough to you and all truck drivers who supply us with the goods we need - food, fuel, just about everything since that thoughtless idiot Beeching in the 1960s, and the government who backed him, made sure that the railways could never again make the contribution to freight that they used to.
I'm sure the fuel tanker drivers are working as hard as you, and with fewer people travelling there can be no excuse for a fuel shortage. There will be some cars out - it's a nice spring day, and as the editor of Autocar said this week 'what better way to self-isolate than being on your own in the car, enjoying the simple pleasure of driving?'
Thank you again.
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Very kind of you to say so Avant, but i'm lucky in seeing my time out at one of the best employers one could have, i still enjoy my job so going to work is no chore, sadly this isn't the case for hundreds of thousands of other lorry drivers who's terms and conditions are little short of appalling in this day and age.
I'm hoping that the shock of what we are about to receive (this situation hasn't started yet) will bring a change in the attitudes of society as a whole, we've lost so much decency and kindness and goodwill which has been replaced by selfish grasping increasingly nasty attitudes.
I have an inkling if the usual suspects use this crisis as an ideal excuse to riot and loot when the weather warms up, stealing from the defenceless as people like that do when there's no one to stop them, they won't be facing a demoralised (by the worse Home Sec ever) and poorly led police service this time around, from what i've been told they'll be facing a rather better armed and encouraged armed forces instead who won't be standing back to let things run their course, this should have been the case in 2011 (if my memory serves) but we had one of the weakest govts/leadership in living history at the time.
Edited by gordonbennet on 21/03/2020 at 16:46
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