Ambulance driver bombarded with abuse on petrol station forecourt while filling up

September 27, 2021, 11:18 am | Updated: Sep 27, 2021 11:35 AM

An ambulance driver has revealed the torrent of verbal abuse she suffered at the hands of angry motorists when she finally managed to find a place to fill the vehicle so that the onboard team could respond to calls.

Becky Hough, 24, said she hadn't been able to fill the ambulance for two days and when she finally managed to find a garage that let her fill her supplies, she was subjected to verbal abuse by passing motorists.

She posted on Twitter: "To everyone who panicked and went to refuel their cars when not needed, well done. On duty in an emergency ambulance, low on fuel and struggling to find a place that is not exhausted. ", said. Posted Friday night.

On Sunday he wrote: "FINALLY! A BP workshop that has let us use the reserves. However, while refueling we received verbal abuse from the public passing by, honking the horn and many hand gestures."

One person responded, "What kind of sad and sad person would abuse an ambulance crew? Beyond imaginable."

Another posted: "That's terrible. I'm so sorry, but I thank you and your colleagues. Thank you."

A third said: "What happens to people, emergency services should be a priority in the first place, it's crazy."

The Secretary of the Environment, George Eustice, today asked motorists to stop "buying gasoline in a panic" and return to their normal buying pattern.

Eustice said there was no shortage of fuel and blamed motorists for refueling when it was not necessary because some gas stations run dry.

READ MORE: Army could be dispatched to fix fuel crisis as pump panic buying continues

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"The most important thing is that people buy gasoline as they normally would. There is no shortage. There has been a shortage of drivers of heavy vehicles who bring gasoline to the esplanades, but in reality that is quite limited," he told broadcasters today. .

“The cause of these current problems is that episode of panic and the most important thing is that people start buying gasoline as they normally would.

"There comes a point, as we saw during a previous panic shopping episode during the food pandemic, where things calm down and people get used to it and go back to normal life again.

"The sooner people do it, the better. The only reason we don't have gasoline on the esplanades is that people are buying gasoline they don't need."

Meanwhile, a self-employed electrician said "idiots" panicking for fuel "have just taken food off the table" for his wife and son.

Roland McKibbin, 31, of Beckenham, London, said he was only able to get to one of his jobs on Monday and was forced to cancel the rest.

"I depend on fuel to travel to work, without fuel it means I can't drive, which means I can't get to work with my tools."

"So basically, idiots panic shopping have lost my income and taken food straight off the table for my wife and five-year-old son, because sadly I can't connect people's houses from home.

"I spent about 15 miles of fuel searching, in the end I had to backtrack because I was in smoke."

McKibbin said not being able to travel would cost him "at least £ 200 a day", while he might also have to cancel jobs on Tuesday.

There are also warnings that GPs and other NHS workers You will not be able to go to work due to shortages caused by panic shopping. Schools also warn that teachers cannot go to work and deliveries may not arrive, so students may have to return to learning at home.