Hope this blows over soon

[Leftie]

When I started driving petrol was 5s 5d per gallon ( that's 25p in new money) and we were still looking for ways to save fuel  or money!
I found the best way was a jerrycan, syphon tube and a good selection of Army vehicles in our German workshops !!

I never got used to the taste, but had to grin and bare out of necessity.

[lynxd67]

I was a pump attendant in the evenings to help out financially in the 1960's. After filling up a person's car and they'd left I drained the contents of the hose into a can. At the end of my shift my Mini was nearly full!

[NorwayNick]

he..he i find the fuel drained from our Aircraft fuel tanks runs great in my diesel with a touch of oil  ;D no wonder aircraft fares are on the up.

[termietermite]

Just a brief update.  No sign of an end to the industrial action going on around France.  Yesterday there was "operation escargot" (I'll leave that to your imaginations) by some lorry drivers and young farmers blockaded Total garages.  So the advice remains the same - leave plenty of time for your trip and expect some disruption but - at the moment at least - chances are that you'll all get here.

[Paddy_NL]

- chances are that you'll all get here.

Thanks Termie. We can probably all get there on a full tank of fuel, but will we get back? :-\

[termietermite]

There is plenty of fuel available around here at the moment - although at a price.  When there were problems, the worst that happened here was a restriction on the amount per car (40€).

[Piglet]

- chances are that you'll all get here.

Thanks Termie. We can probably all get there on a full tank of fuel, but will we get back? :-\

TBH getting stuck down there with a good excuse would be fantastic, as long as I can find a broadband connection I can work remotely  ;D

[Andy]

Hi Termie
thanks for the up to date intel, is operation escargot on all types of roads or just the main routes motorways and N roads?
I am planning the D road down from lisuiex (If I dont drive past it) through vimoutiers.

[termietermite]

All Routes Nationales so far.

[Topcatz]

There is plenty of fuel available around here at the moment - although at a price.  When there were problems, the worst that happened here was a restriction on the amount per car (40€).

Hi Termie,

Thanks for the 'on the spot' info re fuel, fishermen, farmers, truckers ..... (oh hell, the whole of the French population! ) and their revolting ways.

Don't seem to get much detail on this side of the channel, so never sure what the effects are, your 'reports' are invaluable.

Seem to recall hearing somewhere that during the worst of the fuel crisis that filling Jerry cans at petrol stations was prohibited, what is the situation now? (we need petrol for the genny and it only has a little tank, so dragging it off to the petrol station every refill is not a realistic option!).

And before anyone suggests the following:
1) Siphoning some out of the car. It's a DIESEL Land Rover and we need PETROL (not that I'm going to rub this point in with one of OUR party who suggested it AND also just happens to own the LR! [it's OK MARTIN, I won't mention your name  >:D]  :-\)
2) Filling the Jerry in the UK. The ferry company (LD Lines) specifically ban cans of fuel (OK, we don't give a toss about their rules, but we will need to refill it during our stay regardless), AND none of us much fancy sharing the LR cab with a stinking 5 Gal tin of petrol for about 6 hours!


TC

[termietermite]

Filling Jerry cans is fine in the Sarthe at the mo', although one or two departements have banned them - but they are further South than here.  When somebody asked at a petrol station which was enforcing this ban how they were supposed to fill their mowers, the reply was "wait until the place closes and use the 24 hour pump and your card!"  One other method people use apparently, is to pop their mowers on a trailer and fill them direct - great fuel saving exercise, non? ::)

Seriously, I think you'll be fine.  More and more stations now accept UK cards (all the Intermarches for instance seem to have converted now) so using 24 hour stations is much easier than it once was.  Certainly the motorway places all take UK non-French cards now.

[LangTall]

Which means they wil prolly also take Dutch cards. ;D

[termietermite]

Which means they wil prolly also take Dutch cards. ;D

Ooops. :-[

[termietermite]

Update : Jerry can ban in Dept. 79 has been lifted, so hopefully all will be fine here also, as we didn't have a ban in the first place.

[Topcatz]

Thanks Termie  :-*

If you're passing our way on BSJ, there's ICE cold beer with your name on it  ;D

Isn't CA (and it's members!) an absolute gold mine of essential info.  :)

TC