Road pricing bill before Commons

[Churchill]

On the odd occasion when I drive in, I pull into the car park and spend about five minutes waiting for the shaking to stop before I can get out.

You're a flake so you're probably best not driving. You'd only feck it for the rest of us.

[BoredBloke]

"I haven't arrived late to work on one single occasion since I started this contract last November. I'm certainly not stressed when I get to work. Quite the contrary. I've had an hour to read the paper on the train, followed by a fifteen minute stroll from the station to work breathing fresh air and listening to the birdies tweeting (or the rain falling on my umbrella if you prefer - either is quite pleasant)."

But your journey is completely different to mine. Cycle and train and walk. Not walk, bus, walk, train, walk, bus, walk. That is the point. For you and your journey it is ok and given the same journey I might consider it also. But for me AND the journey I had to make it was not an option. Too many stages where the whole thing could and probably would fall down.

If I had a job in Rochdale I would use public transport. If I had a job in Manchester city centre I would probably use public transport. But you cannot seriously be suggesting that walk, bus, walk, train, walk, bus, walk = 2hours is a viable journey. I also suspect that many on here would also consider public transport IF the journey was viable in terms of ease of the journey, time taken and price. The fact that for many public transport fails this test does not make everybody a bad person simply because they decide to drive themselves.

[dang65]

But anyway, I'm not lecturing people about the environment. I'm just saying that by using your own personal vehicle to get you around everywhere you are causing congestion and noise and danger and damage to the roads. For that you have to pay. I have to pay too when I use my car. I'm not telling people not to use their cars, just to stop complaining about being made to pay for the privilege.

I don't know how many times I've said that now.

You have now changed your tune. Instead of spewing out a diatribe of anti car nonsense that had the gall to criticise drivers you are now backtracking big time I quote your words:

"I'm not really clear why 1.8m blinkered idiots going onto a website and clicking a button should have earned any sort right to force the other 60 million of us to put up with their noise, smell, speed, psychopathic behaviour, obesity and general destruction of the countryside and clogging of towns."

Your basic assumption that people drive unnecessarily (to you maybe though the sheer righteous arrogance of your presumptions is staggering in its stupidity and naivety) has been blown out of the water. So by neatly ignoring those who have challenged your basic assumptions you do not appear to appreciate how hard it now is for anyone to take you seriously

Sorry, I'm really not clear as to how I've backtracked? In the original quote I made the point a bit more forcefully, but that's all. It's the same sentiment, and what I said is completely true.

And how has my "assumption" that people drive unnecessarily been "blown out of the water"? Most people have admitted they drive unnecessarily. All they've said is that it's more convenient. Convenience isn't necessity.

[dang65]

Have i made my point yet ??

Statistics = meaningless mumbo jumbo

Oh yeah, I think we all know that.

Still, more than 50 times as many casualties on the roads as on trains... you know, at some point you're probably going to find that hard to justify really.

[Ardesco]

Sorry, I'm really not clear as to how I've backtracked? In the original quote I made the point a bit more forcefully, but that's all. It's the same sentiment, and what I said is completely true.

And how has my "assumption" that people drive unnecessarily been "blown out of the water"? Most people have admitted they drive unnecessarily. All they've said is that it's more convenient. Convenience isn't necessity.

By using your argument you are a souless repribate for using the bus/train because you don't have to. It may take you 5 hours each way on your bike but that is perfectly acceptible and you should be charged more for using a system that puts noisy and polluting dangerous trains and busses on our roads/railways. Not to mention th damage the trains do to the tracks and the busses do to the roads.

Lets face it, your trips on public transport are an unneccisary luxery that you don't need to take and you should be taxed accordingly for it. Use a push bike to get to work FFS!!!

[BoredBloke]

"Most people have admitted they drive unnecessarily."

I missed that bit - Although quite often I do get in my car and drive it endlessly around the block simply for no reason whatsoever. After all that diesel stuff is dirt cheap.

"Lets face it, your trips on public transport are an unneccisary luxery that you don't need to take and you should be taxed accordingly for it. Use a push bike to get to work FFS!!!"

Exactly - people should only work at places which is within walking distance. Anything else is a luxury

[Ardesco]

Oh yeah, I think we all know that.

Still, more than 50 times as many casualties on the roads as on trains... you know, at some point you're probably going to find that hard to justify really.

If you compare the numbers on trains on the railways to the numbers of cars on the roads i'm sure you will find that there are more than 50 times as many cars. How do you justify the use of dangerous trains now ?

[BoredBloke]

If you are looking for stats and transport, isn't flying statistically the safest form of transport. But since the trains and busses are not owned by the state, then I suppose you can lump BA and EasyJet into the public transport pool. On that basis I'm quite happy to use public transport.

[dang65]

If you compare the numbers on trains on the railways to the numbers of cars on the roads i'm sure you will find that there are more than 50 times as many cars. How do you justify the use of dangerous trains now ?

You're just being silly now. One half full train would easily replace 50 cars on the road.

A couple of times a year someone organises a "Bike To Work Day". I've heard cyclists suggest that one of these days we organise a "Drive To Work Day" where all cyclists get in their cars instead. Maybe include train and bus users too. Not sure if many of us would get past the end of the road before giving up, but it could be quite funny to see.

[BoredBloke]

From what I've heard, most train journeys in rush hour times are running at near their capacity. How are you expecting to put more people on these already full trains. We can't start riding on the roof as bridges and the like prevent this.