The 2000 Fuel Crisis

[mercrocker]

Funny enough, I hadn't thought about this at all until this very morning during a conversation at the barber's.   He was running a pair of '58 Buicks at the time and had them both practically dry before he could get fuelled up again.   I was only commuting about 3 miles each way and didn't really notice - also I had my customary fleet of 4 or so cars and at least one of them was always a quarter-full.   I was long-distancing to Nottingham at weekends to see my daughter from down south so had already bought a 2.0i twink Granny which was one of the most economical things I have ever owned on a long run - something like 38mpg.   Possibly because it wasn't old and fucked....

[The Moog]

I had the pleasure of looking for a University house in Portsmouth when it was on.

 

I drove down from London in my mums 1992 120,000 Cav 1.6 L ex plod mobile to have a look around. The way back was a challenge about nursing it home without having to stop at the massive fuel queues we saw. I think it must have been on fumes when I handed back the keys. 

[lanciamatt]

I can remember it well, I had a lancia dedra at the time and it said in fuel cap unleaded only, so I did what any normal person would do and ignored it. Ran well on LRP

[omegod]

I worked for the NHS at the time and had the magic letter so could go to to specific stations much to everyone else's disgust, family got sorted though  

[Tamworthbay]

Bloke in Derby did similar - also a Taxi Driver.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1220240.stm

1/2 mike from my sister, apparently you could smell it for days. It took some clearing up I think.

[michael t]

I was only 5 when this happened so don't remember any of it, scoured YouTube and found these...

 

 

 

[DodgeRover]

I had the pleasure of looking for a University house in Portsmouth when it was on.

 

I drove down from London in my mums 1992 120,000 Cav 1.6 L ex plod mobile to have a look around. The way back was a challenge about nursing it home without having to stop at the massive fuel queues we saw. I think it must have been on fumes when I handed back the keys.

My wife was at Portsmouth Uni then - what course did you do?

 

We went back for a nostalgic look at the place she lived and the kebab shop - kens kebabs maybe? Apparently the kebab place was still exactly the same....

[The Moog]

My wife was at Portsmouth Uni then - what course did you do?

 

We went back for a nostalgic look at the place she lived and the kebab shop - kens kebabs maybe? Apparently the kebab place was still exactly the same....

 

Did business studies from 2000 - 2005 including a year in Canada as uni swap and also year in industry. Had the pleasure of find a home day - your missus might remember them! very interesting times 

[Wack]

I'm a fat bastard now. Where did I go wrong?!

I blame sky TV Xbox and McDonald's

 

Kids in the 70s had none of that

 

I was stressed back then, light haulage , most places I could do the round trip on one tank so as long as there was fuel locally I was ok

 

Trips to Scotland had me stressed though, one of the reasons I'd never buy an electric car, range anxiety

 

I remember reading about a taxi driver in Burnley,Blackburn,Bolton one of those who filled 3 wheelie bins up with diesel , caused the whole street to be evacuated when they melted and diesel flooded the gardens

[mrbenn]

I was only 5 when this happened so don't remember any of it, scoured YouTube and found these...

 

 

 

 

Well found! Some great cars on that footage.

 

Main thing I remember is how quiet the roads were. I wasn't commuting by car at that point so was ok. A trip to the Lake District shortly after was in jeopardy but fortunately all was pretty much normal by then.

[Rod/b]

I must be going fucking senile but I can’t remember this at all.

[hennabm]

I was out in Germany when this happened.

Watching Tony Bliar come on and say that the Army would be used to transport fuel just had the lads around me in fits of laughter as they hardly had enough bowsers to go round themselves, let alone sending them back to the UK to help....

 

I was running a 1.4 Tipo and an Audi 100 Avant 2.2 at the time, so didn't have to queue at all for petrol when back in the UK. LRP will do nicely sir.....

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...I remember reading about a taxi driver in Burnley,Blackburn,Bolton one of those who filled 3 wheelie bins up with diesel , caused the whole street to be evacuated when they melted and diesel flooded the gardens

I remember that one! Thought it was petrol rather than diesel?

[Snipes]

Wasn't there talk of having Army doodes drive the tankers (ie the usual lorries, not their own)?

[Guest Hooli]

I must be going fucking senile but I can’t remember this at all.

 

Wasn't there parts of the country much less affected? Maybe you were in one of them if my memory isn't making things up.

[forddeliveryboy]

It's when the idea of running diesel cars on planet oils finally reached Britain,

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jan/20/oil.business

 

At first the state slapped fines and imposed duty on those who'd shown some initiative, the duties paid often rolled in as cheques made out for 53p with the postage short by 1p, so HMG/C&E relinquished and set out the 2499l annual limit for private use we still have today.

 

Plenty wrecked their engines because they were greedy and couldn't be arsed to do a little research, or couldn't manage to distinguish between dry and wet oil or clean and dirty. I remember seeing used manky oil on ebay up at around 70ppl at the height of the veg-mania in the late 2000s, people seemed to lose their minds.