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Petrol/Diesel spills

There were puddles of fuel on the road surface along almost my entire commute today, which made cycling a rather nervy experience :eek: I tried a different route for the journey back home but that wasn't much better.

So I was wondering if the experts on here can think of any particular reason why it should have been so bad. The only thing I could come up with is that it's something to do with cars being driven this week after being left in the cold for the the festive break :huh:
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Comments

  • vikingaero
    vikingaero Posts: 10,920 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Rather than pools and pools of fuel, it's more likely to be a puddle with a few drops of oil in it giving rise to the oily sheen which floats on the surface and edge.
    The man without a signature.
  • mikey72
    mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite
    Everyone brimming their tanks before the petrol/vat price rise.
    Then it slopping out as they drive away.
  • boyse7en
    boyse7en Posts: 883 Forumite
    Brimmed diesel tanks from people /lorries who filled up before the VAT rise. Similar situation here, with every sharp corner or junction a potential minefield on my motorcycle commute this morning.
  • I think Mikey and boyse7en have hit the nail squarely on the head there!
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    There were puddles of fuel on the road surface along almost my entire commute today, which made cycling a rather nervy experience :eek: I tried a different route for the journey back home but that wasn't much better.

    So I was wondering if the experts on here can think of any particular reason why it should have been so bad. The only thing I could come up with is that it's something to do with cars being driven this week after being left in the cold for the the festive break :huh:

    People brimming their cars to overflowing to try and beat the VAT and duty rise.
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    boyse7en wrote: »
    Brimmed diesel tanks from people /lorries who filled up before the VAT rise. Similar situation here, with every sharp corner or junction a potential minefield on my motorcycle commute this morning.

    Won't be the lorries. They can reclaim the VAT and the prices on fuelcards doesn't change as fast as retail pump prices. In addition, the guy doing the filling up usually isn't the one paying for it so they don't care.
  • seems silly to fill your car to the brim for the VAT rise it just makes it heavier and means it will use more fuel so it would probably cost you more money
  • This reminds me of when I went to an Asda fuel station last November. Pulled up at the pump and there was loads of diesel all over the ground. Who ever had filled up must of fell asleep as they were filling up by the look of it. The middle aged ladies in the booth didn't seem to care less about getting it cleaned up.
  • marlot
    marlot Posts: 4,976 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The pump didn't cut off for me at a shell station recently and I must have spilled a litre before I realised. Told the counter staff but they didn't seem terribly worried!
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    edited 6 January 2011 at 9:29AM
    I've always been told it's fuel sloshing out of trucks after filling up, and to be fair ive seen some of them actually pull the hose out of the tank with it still pouring..... There are certain traffic islands around here (near petrol stations) that are simply lethal because of the constant problem of diesel fuel on the surface.

    However now with fuel prices on the rise, there has been an increase in fuel theft from from vehicles.... They drill holes in your fuel tank and drain off the fuel, then bung the holes up and come back a few days later for some more, while your left thinking your car is being really uneconomical!!!
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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