Bad Bad Bad Even Stupid

[Smeg]

Put road tax onto petrol and then there is no need to have the high costs of advertising and policing tax dodgers!

Not wanting to start an arguement on this topic as well, but it really winds me up when people say that - fine for you maybe, but I currently drive 53miles to work, which is 530miles/week. Now, that's a bit stupid I know, but I'm trying to move but can't find a house I can afford due to the ever increasing house prices.

So, go ahead, stick the extra tax onto fuel and I'll give up my job and claim the dole instead, happy now?

Maybe get the police to have some balls instead - for instance why not prosecute all the people who register their cars to gypsy sites and then never bother to retax them, knowing full well the police don't have the guts to go in there to check up. Or maybe prosecute and fine all the idiots with neon on their cars, or the ones who drive down the middle lane all the time, or... I could go on, but please stop the ideas for making more money out of the legitimate high mileage road users!

Geoff.

PS Coggie2k - don't take offence, I'm still ranting from having an arguement about this with someone at work today!

[Big Jonah]

Who's the real danger here?

I live in Gosport, and if you walk or cycle, you live in constant fear of the 'chavs' in their XR2's doing 50-60 mph down side streets, burberry caps obviously overheating their brains, showing off.

I'm not saying all 17 year old drivers are bad drivers, but I bet the average age of 4x4 drivers is a lot higher, as well as our average number of years driving experience.

As it's been pointed out before, the Surf isn't a hot hatch, and generally are driven slower than most cars.

Tax those that are really dangerous, and not surf drivers.


Rant over...

[rubblebags]

The only difference between the boy racers and Red Ken is that the boy racers will one day grow up. (One hopes).

[kitesurf_phil]

The only difference between the boy racers and Red Ken is that the boy racers will one day grow up. (One hopes).

Nicely put Geoff

[Predictable Bob]

Sorry Peeps but I agree with Red Ken and the Lib Dem tw@t .... I am voluntarily taking my long, wide gas guzzling monster off the road .....

The HPI is OK
The BIMTA is OK
The price is RIGHT

Saturday's the day I collect my Surf !!!!!!!!!!

The grin's starting already ......

[coggie2k]

Geoff,

No offence taken mate. We all have our views of what should happen with regards to all the tax we have to pay. I just thought it may be a better way than we have now as you will always contribute to the road tax. Not that the roads ever see any of our money.

I whole heartedly agree about chasing the Pikey's, we have had three separate groups near me recently and had to watch the local council pay for clean up workers to remove all the sheet (Avid Merrion Stylee). Plus they camped in the local park, kids swings and lots of dog walkers, I took my two dogs out one night after they had left and was met with broken glass and lots of unknown cr@p.

There are surely bigger laws to be upheld. We motorists have been punished enough.

I had the misfortune to go to Wales a few weeks ago for a friends wedding, no offence to the Welsh people I love the place especially the Brecons, but to be travelling on the football weekend, FA cup thingy, and all I could see was speed cameras, every bridge and bush!!!! Come on. Yes speeeding is dangerous, but I would rather see a decent driver speed than most of the idiots I see on the way into work, dithering ono roundabouts, not sure how to indicate in the direction they intend to go, lane hoggers, people deciding that 70 is the limit so they are not going to exceed that in the third lane whilst overtaking mr Juggernought, etc etc.

I agree with the average age of 4x4 drivers, I am 28, hopefully, have grown up, still enjoy a little right foot action, but I need the vehicle for a reason.

Off I go again, sos........When I was young it would never have happened in my day etc etc.

[whitehawk]

I actually found the link on the pocuk site, ans as someone on there said, how are they going to work it, are all 4x4's to be taxed ie Scoobies Volvo XC's etc and the like or just the ones that they don't like.

They were also mentioning the possibility of bringing Ken's London to a standstill with a 4x4 convoy

Like the idea of the London protest. Count me in any day!!

[Darren]

There are lots of people complaining that 4x4's are unnessesary because they are mostly driven on tarmac, unloaded but what about all the cars designed for excessive speed, I sure excessive speed is responsible for more road deaths than 4x4's and I bet most of them don't get on a race track. The prestige arguement is similar, Rangerovers or porsches, similar prestige and price and fuel economy but I bet porsches are involved in more injuries through speed. Don't get me wrong I would love a sports car but if you want so called inefficient/dangerous cars off the road I don't think 4x4's is the place to start. Darren

[Woodie]

Like the idea of the London protest. Count me in any day!!

Remember many years ago when CB radio was illegal?
Up and down the country the 'good buddys' organised a go slow in the city, going round and round the same area slowly was very very effective and totally blocked the city. The government took notice and legalised CB, BUT, they changed the modulation to FM and the frequencys and the power output, to top that every 10 year old in the country got one for christmas and that was basically the end of that. I dont know if theres a moral here but I reckon we should be clear as to the purpose of any blockades done before we start.

[Smeg]

Just finished off the scrap road tax and stick it on fuel arguement with the colleague. She backed down and decided on a rethink when I pointed out how it would seriously affect her cost of living. I love it when people forget that everything they buy had to be transported to the shop by some sort of fuel using vehicle!

Geoff.

PS Of course, if London was to be gridlocked by 4x4's they'd all have to be as muddy as possible to prove that we really do use them!

[Mart]

what really worries me is not that they might tax ours cherrished 4x4 or that they think we are all idiots and plonkers with no personality or driving ability....its the fact that suddenly some people don't like 4x4 vechicles and therefore want to force us into their version of transport.

Just because some people don't like it doesn't mean it should be banned or taxed to abilvion. I'm so sick of the taxes we pay in this country already I don't think I could stomach anymore. I personally don't think any of the car drivers..ferrari porche or whatever should pay anymore more tax. if you can't see around my car or feel intimidated by it back off from my bumper and you'll feel a whole lot better. Half the people moaning said they couldn't see around them, they were parked badly etc etc So what!!! Its a free country deal with it!! And more importantly grow up!!!

Feel much better now...Thanks for your time.

Cheers

[Elvz]

Social engineering and coercive politics are never going to reduce the number of SUV's on the road because an oldish 4x4 is the idea urban car in 2004. In city environments you need something tough, not too new, and preferably cheap to repair too.

The best reasons for owning a 4x4 are all bound up with the sort of urban environment you have in Greater London. In my country the roads are poor because its a third world country and the law there is ineffective because the police are corrupt. In London the roads are poor because you elect scumbags with hidden agendas to public office and your police are lazy, timid, and think they can interpret the law to suit themselves. London already reminds me of Metro Manila, which is probably the worst city in the world, and if the quality of life continues to decline as it has over the decade I've lived here, in a few years more all private vehicles will be either 4x4's or cheap sub-compacts just like Manila now.

A Surf is pretty much the ideal size for city streets; big enough and tough enough to shrug off most RTA's and narrow enough to manage even the narrowest side streets. I've recently given up diesel engines coz they don't have the speed to take advantage of traffic conditions but a V6 should be still able to more than hold it's own in central London traffic.

Driving a Surf means that I dont need to slow down for speed humps, I never give way to buses on principle and I don't have to make allowances for other people's bad driving unless I feel like it.... and yes my daughter gets driven the 22 mile round trip to school in it every day.