Aimee Walker
An ambulance driver is facing a backlash after she slammed ‘panic buyers’ for forcing her to work a 999 shift with low fuel.
Becky Hough, from Basingstoke, claims she was verbally abused by motorists when filling the vehicle up after two days of responding to calls fearing she would run out of fuel.
The 24-year-old took to Twitter to air her frustrations.
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She said: “To everyone that panicked and went to fuel their cars when it wasn’t needed, well done.
“On-shift on an emergency ambulance, low on fuel and struggling to find somewhere that isn’t sold out.”
She went on to explain the abuse she has received, writing: “Finally! A BP garage that has let us use the reserves.
“However, whilst fuelling we received verbal abuse from the public driving past, horns being honked and many hand gestures.”
Users on Twitter were quick to question the emergency care assistant.
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One wrote: “I’m not in any way disputing what you are saying. But in 35 years of driving, I’ve never seen an ambulance, police car, or fire engine filling up at a petrol station.”
Another added: “That vehicle must get about 500 miles on a full tank, how do you even get close to running out of fuel?”
Hough explained it was because of the demand on the ambulance service, saying they are stretched ‘far and wide’.
She said: “We could be the closest ambulance to a call, yet still be 30+ miles away.
“We start every shift with a full tank of fuel. Yesterday we averaged 300 miles in a 12-hour shift.”
It comes as the Petrol Retailers Association has warned that two-thirds of 5,500 independent outlets are out of fuel after a shortage of HGV drivers has triggered panic buying.
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