Why I Got Out of My Girlfriend’s Car to Direct Traffic

I don’t how we’ll refer to events like these in the future, since they don’t yet have a collective name that I’m aware of. For now, let’s call them Panic Buying Days, and I’m mostly referring to events that have occurred since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The first Panic Buying Day, or days, saw toilet rolls being bought in bulk, beyond reasonable need, even if we factor in having spare rolls. Of course, it wasn’t just toilet roll; supermarket shelves were emptied, some aisles had been cleared out completely.

And now this, the second Panic Buying Day. This time, it’s fuel. Petrol and Diesel. I first heard rumours on Friday, saw articles on Facebook on Saturday morning. I don’t have a car, but my girlfriend does, and because she drives a lot, like a lot of people, she needed fuel.

We knew we’d have to queue, and we knew we’d have to queue for a while. Other people were aware of this, but I obviously cannot speak for an entire nation of people.

As we sat waiting in the queue, I looked behind me. There was a bus stuck in the traffic. I might have been one of a small number of people to consider the folks on that bus; being stuck in traffic on a bus, or waiting at a stop for a bus stuck in traffic tends to have a lasting effect, even when you are somewhat used to it.

What really annoyed me was that there was enough road room to navigate, so there could still be a flow of traffic, albeit a slower flow. What annoyed me more was that I was sitting there, doing nothing.

It started with me removing my seatbelt. I voiced the idea to my gf, who wanted me to stay put. But, to cut a long story a little shorter, I got out of the car and attempted to help, started to generate some movement. I stayed there for a couple of hours.

It wasn’t a bad experience, in fact, I rather enjoyed it. But I cannot say it was easy or effortless, because it wasn’t.

If no-one does anything, nothing gets done.

For the most part, people were nice and understanding. Some were surprised when I said I didn’t work at the petrol station, some figured it out for themselves. Some recognised that I was trying to help, and acted in a way that supported that. Some had very little fuel, because they’d used what they had to get to the petrol station, knowing they’d have to sit in the queue. There was a guy who, when I told him he couldn’t cut the queue, asked me what authority I had. I told him I have none. He asked me where my car was. I told him I don’t have one. What I was relying on in this interaction was a shared understanding that what was happening around us required patience.

We forget, I think, that each and every one of us is a part of this – I don’t know what term to use. Society? (Margaret Thatcher famously said there is no society). Community? General public? Everyday folk? Whatever we are, we all contribute. If you are in that queue yourself, you have no right at all to comment on others in that queue. You chose to be here at this time too.

There isn’t a fuel shortage, and a lot of people seem to be aware of that. And to be fair, my decision to try and help out was not only random, but also built from feelings that came from different places. It had nothing to do with me personally needing fuel.

You might find yourself wondering why I bothered, a question I indeed hear from my family when I tell them about yet another one of my idealistic endeavours. I could have gone home, and I’m still not 100% sure why I didn’t just do that. I had no authority, but there was also no-one else. And I kept thinking about that bus. I’d also glimpsed a car on the railway tracks, and as I suspected, he had to hurry to ask the driver in front to move forward, before the barriers came down. I was concerned that someone was going to get hurt. I suppose I was having a lot of thoughts.

The petrol station I helped had three staff members, one of whom appeared a bit later. Two were on the tills, which was needed given the number of sales they had to process. They didn’t have time to direct traffic, and to be fair, it isn’t their job. And it is never going to be the fault of the staff on the shop floor if they are understaffed.

Maybe I just didn’t want to sit there and complain. A while ago I saw a comment online somewhere… I can’t remember what event was being discussed, and someone said look for the helpers. I wanted to be part of the solution; I wanted to help.

It’s so easy to complain. It’s much harder to help.

I left when my gf physically came to retrieve me. I had a few missed calls, and some messages I hadn’t answered (directing traffic is not a good time to be on the phone), but she understood it was just something I needed to do. The petrol station staff were very nice, and they gave me a bottle of Coke. There was also a lady who really appreciated what I was doing, and gave me me ten pound note as a thank you. I didn’t really know what to say, but I did give her a hug.

As for the folks who demonstrated some impressive levels of audacity, I’m actually not going to write about them. Because they went home and didn’t pay it any mind.