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1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 4:27 pm
by mike1864
The current petrol price increases and (possible
) shortages take me back to the Oil Crisis of 1973.
To reduce the long forecourt queues caused by constant topping up, some stations imposed a £1.50 minimum sale.
At 34p per gallon, this equated to 4.4 gallons. This made it exciting to time my fillings, given that my 1956 Series II had (and still has!) only a 5 gallon tank.
I remember filling up near Muswell Hill, and just getting this 4.4 gallons in (including filler pipe!).
Seeing my pump's display, an irate Jaguar driver behind me shouted through his window: "It's selfish people like you that are creating all this queuing".
I replied "I arrived here with 5 pints left in my tank. How much is in
your tank? And my mpg is around 40. What do you get?"
He wound his window up.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:00 pm
by les
I think I’ve still got my petrol coupon book from that time.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:26 pm
by mike1864
les wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:00 pm
I think I’ve still got my petrol coupon book from that time.
Me too. Though a 10 minute search just now, through a 10" pile of papers couldn't locate it.
IIRC, they were issued, but the system was never invoked. So all examples will be unused.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:31 pm
by Mr Spigot
I always thought it made far more sense to impose a minimum amount to put in, rather than limit it to some small maximum. That stops some people joining queues every day and putting in a few pounds worth, instead of filling up when they need it.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:34 pm
by les
Yes, never used.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 5:38 pm
by simmitc
I can remember them being issued but never used. I can recall rumours that they were the ones used in the second world war and had been kept in storage, but I do not know whether that was true. Using a 2-stroke mix for the outboard motor on the boat mean that we were paying 37p per gallon. Today, 3 pence difference sounds like nothing, but it was very significant back then, especially when it came out of pocket money.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 6:26 pm
by mike1864
There were some strange anomalies, certainly around Muswell Hill. Some garages applied the aforementioned
minimum sale of £1.50, to discourage topping up.
Others applied a £1.50
maximum, as a form of rationing.
So I had to chose the right station, depending on whether I thought there were six pints left in my tank, or three pints.
For the younger members, a pint was 0.568 litre
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 10:24 pm
by michael4
The coupons were brown I seem to remember.
There is a problem looming.
In those far off days one would stand behind one's car in the petrol queue with the engine off and gently push it towards the garage saving precious fuel. Try doing that with a modern vehicle however modest.
Somewhere I have a picture of my mate and I pushing my Wolseley 6/80 onto the forecourt of a Blue Star garage somewhere (King's Road?). It was not the most frugal of vehicles...
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2026 10:42 pm
by svenedin
Are we back to the days of siphoning petrol? Perhaps I should get a locking petrol cap.
Stephen
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 7:19 am
by moggiethouable
It made me think.
I have a bus pass now and a good bus service if push comes to shove.
I was informed the other day if I use the bus before 9.30 a.m. I am charged an extra 20p per journey
This apparently is to dissuade old codgers from slowing down the workers dashing to their place of employ.
Surely that is ageist.
The buses are Chinese built electrics, so no diesel issues there.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:31 am
by Chief
moggiethouable wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2026 7:19 am
I am charged an extra 20p per journey
Extra? I take it then this isn't a senior citizen free pass with free journeys?
I wondered, back when Joe Biden was trying to become president, the first time round, and there was all the talk of his potentially dying in office, and should he be president at that age etc. etc. etc. why all the media outlets, both here and abroad, were jumping on this as a story, yet none of them were saying "hang on, isn't this a bit ageist of us?. After all, other younger presidents have died in office and age doesn't equal incompetence" - it made me wonder just how ageist our Society actually is.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 11:47 am
by Bill_qaz
Chief wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:31 am
moggiethouable wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2026 7:19 am
I am charged an extra 20p per journey
Extra? I take it then this isn't a senior citizen free pass with free journeys?
Where you can travel using your bus pass
You can travel anywhere in England on local buses during off-peak hours.
You're lucky it's 20p
I had the insult of being called for jury duty, you cannot park near court, so used park & ride. The time you had to arrive was before my bus pass was valid so had to pay full fare
The faff to claim reimbursement was so long winded it wasn't worth the bother
You not too old for jury but can't use your bus pass to get there.
You have to pay congestion charge to drive into the city, exorbitant parking charge and a long walk to the court.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 1:05 pm
by Chief
Ah, the confusion lay in that my Mothers' bus pass is free travel anytime, but only for this county, so I didn't know of (and she didn't know of) the one you're describing.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 3:18 pm
by les
- IMG_4006.jpeg (1.28 MiB) Viewed 53069 times
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 4:50 pm
by mike1864
I've given up looking for my Ration Book. But I'm sure it was red/orange lettering on a cream background. Probably different to Les's, due to my SII then being 803cc.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 5:10 pm
by les
Yes the books could have varied depend on capacity. Whilst looking I came across some old receipts from ‘73 one being for a Mini gearbox probably an ‘s’ . The price £47.50p and a clutch plate —— £2.50 ! but bearing in mind when I came out of my apprenticeship the wage was £21 a week, which was considered good, it doesn’t make those prices look as cheap as it seems looking at them now !
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 5:41 pm
by mike1864
I see that petrol had gone up by a factor of only 17 in the past 53 years; well behind typical wages (*30?).
Over the same period, pub beer prices have gone up by 60. Ditto houses.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2026 7:38 pm
by Bill_qaz
Chief wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2026 1:05 pm
Ah, the confusion lay in that my Mothers' bus pass is free travel anytime, but only for this county, so I didn't know of (and she didn't know of) the one you're describing.
In England, older person’s bus passes provide free travel on local buses during off-peak hours: Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 11:00 pm, and all day on weekends and public holidays. While these are the national minimum standard, some local councils may offer wider access, such as earlier travel in specific regions.
Maybe her area is less restricted
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2026 5:01 pm
by geoberni
Chief wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2026 1:05 pm
Ah, the confusion lay in that my Mothers' bus pass is free travel anytime, but only for this county, so I didn't know of (and she didn't know of) the one you're describing.
I think the confusion is at your end....
This is the small print on the rear of my Leicestershire bus pass.
- 20260315_165120.jpg (1 MiB) Viewed 52948 times
.
I've used it in several countries and cities in England.
I have read, only today on a farcebook group about Transport, that on London buses a non TfL card doesn't work at the card reader.
For technical reasons it has to be show to the driver who can override the 'computer says no' issue.
Re: 1973 again?
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2026 6:04 pm
by Bill_qaz
I think you meant counties not countries
Back of my pass only states "term and conditions apply"
It doesn't say what they are