Reply to: Anti road building campaigners

[original PM]

Another item for a burgeoning list.

BB could get hold of the wrong end of the stick even if it only had one end!!

A nice turn of phrase.

Albeit completely impossible in our current dimension.

Also anyone ever driven to the south west?

Only 1 road into an out of and if that is screwed then you are screwed.....

[d000hg]

BB could get hold of the wrong end of the stick even if it only had one end!!

A nice turn of phrase.

[shaunbhoy]

This is obviously too hard for you to grasp.

Another item for a burgeoning list.

BB could get hold of the wrong end of the stick even if it only had one end!!

[Doggy Styles]

WRONG! As people get wealthier, they can afford a car. New drivers pass their test every day. You and one or two others confuse wealth with simply meaning those who are already car owners, not new ones.

Obviously that's far too hard for some to grasp.

How much have average wages gone up since the credit crunch? It has been less than inflation for five years running, and only 0.1% above it last year. So how many are buying cars now that wouldn't have then, especially given the soaring insurance costs?

On the other hand, the population has increased by 4 million in 10 years (Trading Economics figures). As there are 30 million motorists in the UK (RAC figures), proportionally that suggests 2 million new motorists.

This is obviously too hard for you to grasp.

[SueEllen]

I thought car usage was falling as more people were WFH, and the current generation is the first one in a several to travel less miles than their parents?

However all this talk of roads and infrastructure is meaningless electioneering to divert focus from the increasing and out of control national debt.

You read the same stuff I have.

Also this road building stuff was first announced a few months ago.

[d000hg]

Wrong on all points.

Car ownership increases as people's wealth increases. For example, young people graduate from driving mum \ dad's car to their own when they can afford the purchase and insurance costs etc or, as household income increases (witness the woman on the news today who stated now both husband and herself were earning, they went out and bought a car which they couldnt afford before) or, household income increases and can support a car for each of husband and wife.

Yep, absolutely no correlation between people's wealth and increased car ownership there.

Perhaps you should try taking your head out of your arse every now and again?

Perhaps you should read what I write before replying. Nobody said there's no correlation, rather that we're already so far along the graph that increased wealth won't lead to many more cars.

And resorting to personal attacks when someone disagrees with you is pretty pathetic. Is the idea of opposing views too hard to grasp?

[ZARDOZ]

I thought car usage was falling as more people were WFH, and the current generation is the first one in a several to travel less miles than their parents?

However all this talk of roads and infrastructure is meaningless electioneering to divert focus from the increasing and out of control national debt.

[BolshieBastard]

I will carry on bringing up fact-based counter-arguments to dumb claims.

At one level, car ownership is related to wealth. BUT the UK passed, many years ago, the point where virtually everyone with a job can afford a car. So now greater wealth only affects how nice the cars are. It's the same as mobile phones.

Wrong on all points.

Car ownership increases as people's wealth increases. For example, young people graduate from driving mum \ dad's car to their own when they can afford the purchase and insurance costs etc or, as household income increases (witness the woman on the news today who stated now both husband and herself were earning, they went out and bought a car which they couldnt afford before) or, household income increases and can support a car for each of husband and wife.

Yep, absolutely no correlation between people's wealth and increased car ownership there.

Perhaps you should try taking your head out of your arse every now and again?

[d000hg]

But you carry on in your own little world, trying to show how clever you are by being obtuse and obstinate.

I will carry on bringing up fact-based counter-arguments to dumb claims.

At one level, car ownership is related to wealth. BUT the UK passed, many years ago, the point where virtually everyone with a job can afford a car. So now greater wealth only affects how nice the cars are. It's the same as mobile phones.

[EternalOptimist]

I think all roads that connect London to the North should be broken up.

Bolks. all roads roam to Leeds

[BolshieBastard]

I think all roads that connect London to the North should be broken up.

I agree. That'll stop all those 'Londoners' coming up here and buying to let or buying second, third or even fourth homes!

[DodgyAgent]

I think all roads that connect London to the North should be broken up.

[BolshieBastard]

My point was that London demonstrably contradicts your argument that road quality isn't related to number of cars.

But thanks for clarifying - you've chosen an argument and now you're going selectively choose only data which supports that argument, to support your argument.

Its patently obvious, due to its density and existing infrastructure, that London is not an ideal place to build new roads. Only someone with half a brain would throw such a major city into the mix when discussing new roads.

London and the sout east is already well served by existing roadways and is not like the rest of the country in dire need for new roads, single carriage way upgrade to dual or motorway widening (either in carriageway or opening the hard shoulder).

But you carry on in your own little world, trying to show how clever you are by being obtuse and obstinate.

[d000hg]

Might be a massive surprise to you but the world doesnt end at the outskirts of London. So your point is?

My point was that London demonstrably contradicts your argument that road quality isn't related to number of cars.

But thanks for clarifying - you've chosen an argument and now you're going selectively choose only data which supports that argument, to support your argument.

[SueEllen]

Truth is I don't know, but this does shed a little light.

I wonder if you are pissed could you use one to get home.