Bloody cyclists!

[original PM]

nope and to be honest have not had chance to watch the video!

I suppose though this sort of behaviour and general attitude towards other people happens all the time - it just becomes really noticable when one of the dicks is on a bike and the other is in a 3 ton van.

either way I always try to give cyclists room - although the other day I was in two lanes of traffic saw a cyclist coming up the middle so moved over a bit to let him past and nearly took out a cyclist on the inside!

Ho hum

[Mich the Tester]

nope and to be honest have not had chance to watch the video!

I suppose though this sort of behaviour and general attitude towards other people happens all the time - it just becomes really noticable when one of the dicks is on a bike and the other is in a 3 ton van.

either way I always try to give cyclists room - although the other day I was in two lanes of traffic saw a cyclist coming up the middle so moved over a bit to let him past and nearly took out a cyclist on the inside!

Ho hum

Well everyone makes mistakes, and that's perhaps what kicks off some people's road rage. That's why I wonder whether some tests might regrettably be necessary in future; if you can't deal with the fact that someone else isn't perfect then driving's going to be pretty stressful.

Maybe car designs can be adapted to reduce aggressive behaviour; I've seen concept cars that are supposed to help keep the driver in a docile mood and perhaps those concepts have a future.

[DaveB]

Deliberately blocking up a public highway is illegal remember - and that is exactly what you are doing if you insist on blocking the traffic.

Just saying like

Also do cyclist actually pay road tax?

Seriously? Thats the best you can come up with?

The road is not being blocked, traffic is still moving. No different to slow moving lorry, milk float, street sweeper etc. Riding in London it's usually the traffic that holds up the cyclists since the average traffic speed is around 13 mph and most bikes can do at at least 16 without effort.

Nobody pays road tax. Car owners pay Vehicle Excise Duty, a tax on vehicles based on their emissions.

[original PM]

Seriously? Thats the best you can come up with?

The road is not being blocked, traffic is still moving. No different to slow moving lorry, milk float, street sweeper etc. Riding in London it's usually the traffic that holds up the cyclists since the average traffic speed is around 13 mph and most bikes can do at at least 16 without effort.

Nobody pays road tax. Car owners pay Vehicle Excise Duty, a tax on vehicles based on their emissions.

Yeah I know just trolling!

I love this car tax is not car tax it is emmisions tax - it was always a fooking tax for using the road the name was changed when the greenies started making a noise and there was a realisation that changing the name meant you could drastically up the price without any form of justification.

[Mich the Tester]

Car owners pay Vehicle Excise Duty, a tax on vehicles based on their emissions.

I'll avoid eating sprouts the night before cycling then. Wouldn't want to encourage Hector.

[DaveB]

Yeah I know just trolling!

I love this car tax is not car tax it is emmisions tax - it was always a fooking tax for using the road the name was changed when the greenies started making a noise and there was a realisation that changing the name meant you could drastically up the price without any form of justification.

Nope, it was always a tax on the vehicles (Vehicle Excise Duty). Introduced in 1888, up until 1937 the money raised was ring fenced for road building and maintenance but after that it became part of general taxation. In any case, the costs of roads has been paid for largely out of general taxation since the beginning since the VED never raised enough to pay for it in it's own right.

What changed was that the tax moved from being based on engine size to emissions as a response to the green lobby.

[original PM]

In fact for those who care this linky gives details of the history of road tax

[lilelvis2000]

Deliberately blocking up a public highway is illegal remember - and that is exactly what you are doing if you insist on blocking the traffic.

Just saying like

Also do cyclist actually pay road tax?

They may have, prior to Winston Churchill abolishing "Road Tax" and replaced with Vehicle Duty. Roads are paid through general revenues now.

[NickFitz]

Also do cyclist actually pay road tax?

Road tax was abolished in 1937.

If you nonetheless think that being taxed for owning a car somehow gives you extra rights over the Queen's Highway: I pay Vehicle Excise Duty on two motorised vehicles, neither of which I am using when cycling; so I'm entitled to twice as much road as many drivers, if that's the way such matters are going to be decided.

[original PM]

Road tax was abolished in 1937.

If you nonetheless think that being taxed for owning a car somehow gives you extra rights over the Queen's Highway: I pay Vehicle Excise Duty on two motorised vehicles, neither of which I am using when cycling; so I'm entitled to twice as much road as many drivers, if that's the way such matters are going to be decided.

They will be decided by me in my 4x4 and you on your 2x1 playing chicken

probably



(note I do not have a 4x4!)