A fuel’s errand

Across Europe truckers have been protesting against the high fuel prices, demanding governments take action to lower the excises. Today their protest coincided with that of the farmers. Both groups organized a large-scale blockade of Brussels, causing massive implications on traffic congestion and the economy as a whole.

Does it strike anyone else as ironic that as the objective of the protests were lowering the fuel prices, farmers drove their gas-guzzling tractors over 70km at less than 30km/h on the highways, causing thousands of commuters to be stuck in traffic for extended periods of time?

A year ago it cost me EUR 30 to fill up my tank. Today it costs me EUR 50. When you get stuck in traffic, that price goes up, as your car consumes more and you’ll have to fill up the tank more often. Do these truckers and farmers not think that the high fuel prices affect everyone, and that their demonstrations hurt us more than the government?

If it’s sympathy they’re after, they won’t find it here. And if it’s lower fuel prices they’re after, it doesn’t help to make their vehicle part of a six-hour traffic blockade. Once again it shows that in times of impecuniousness, good judgment takes a back seat.