Reply to: Congestion charge

[Euro-commuter]

If a man finds himself on a bus and is older than 26 years old, he should consider himself a failure in life - M. Thatcher.

That was written for Thatcher by one of her speechwriters but never actually said by her, possibly because she may still have been too smart to come out with something so stupid.

Just a man? Or are women failures by definition?
Finds himself on a bus? My goodness, how did that happen?
Is it OK to find himself on a local train?
Does the airport hotel's courtesy bus count?
What's the real comment here? "Our kind of people" drive cars? Not a test of failure, but a test of belonging to a certain group, Thatcher's Tories' "kind of people".

Short, sharp, stupid. Political speechmaking at its peak.

[Paddy]

I blame the Germans. had they done a better job on our cities in the first half of the 1940's then we too could have rebuilt in such a way to allow for a better public transport system.

Anybody moaning about public transport wants to try the public transport outside the capital. It is much worse.

Southampton City Centre was flattened. Look at it now; a complete mess. Look at the German Cities ; rebuild smart and efficient.

[lukemg]

I have read 20% reduction, but the big advantage is more funds for public transport. Not a bad idea since most people won't stop using their cars until the working public transport system is already in place; even if it does smack a little of being told that you will pay for public transport, whether you use it or not.

Trouble is, good public transport makes sense for everybody, but the cheapskate British don't want to up the money for it. I suspect they bought Thatcher's old snake oil that you could pay less taxes and not lose out by it, and won't give up that idea in the face of the evidence.

Thats right because everyone knows that if we tax and spend more then everything gets better. Oh wait sorry no, that hasn't worked by any significant measure for any of the areas that have had money poured in, although my consultant brother is coining it !

[Jawz]

If a contractor does not have a ferrari by the age of 35 he should consider himself a failure.

Threaded

Tugger lol!

[andy]

If a contractor does not have a ferrari by the age of 35 he should consider himself a failure.

Threaded

[DimPrawn]

Wise words.

If a Contractor finds himself in a Skoda, and it isn't a taxi, he should consider himself a failure.

[NoddY]

If a man finds himself on a bus and is older than 26 years old, he should consider himself a failure in life - M. Thatcher.

[oraclesmith]

Quite right. Much better just to spend billions on a national road charging system...


...which won't work - obviously!!

On the Beeb's website there is an article about road pricing and the petition which says "Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander has reportedly been unhappy that opponents of the scheme have been given such a voice." Well Mr Alexander, that's called democracy. Unbelievable.

[BoredBloke]

I blame the Germans. had they done a better job on our cities in the first half of the 1940's then we too could have rebuilt in such a way to allow for a better public transport system.

Anybody moaning about public transport wants to try the public transport outside the capital. It is much worse.

[scooterscot]

I think it's pretty much one already...

I thought the M25 was a car park...

[DimPrawn]

In theory, these charges are a good idea. Motorists pay for a superb public transport system. Brilliant, where do I sign?

The reality is that none of the money will go on transport of any kind (except maybe MP's travel allowances).

No, all the money collected will go on civil servics non-jobs (50%), public sector pensions (10%), pointless wars (25%), benefits for the terminally unemployable/asylum seekers/other socialist clap-trap (15%).

So you can stick it up your

[Troll]

but the big advantage is more funds for public transport..

|Is that why Tube & Bus fares have risen 200% since London charging came in?

[wonderwaif]

I have read 20% reduction, but the big advantage is more funds for public transport. Not a bad idea since most people won't stop using their cars until the working public transport system is already in place; even if it does smack a little of being told that you will pay for public transport, whether you use it or not.

Trouble is, good public transport makes sense for everybody, but the cheapskate British don't want to up the money for it. I suspect they bought Thatcher's old snake oil that you could pay less taxes and not lose out by it, and won't give up that idea in the face of the evidence.

I believe that it was initially a 20% reduction, but the last figure I heard was that it had fallen back to around 8%.
I think you would find that the cheapskate British public would be delighted to fund a decent public transport system if only Phoney Bliar would use the money he intends to spend on his Police State to fund it, and if El Gordo would stop pissing the rest of the money he extorts out of us up against a wall.

[hyperD]

...make the M25 into a Park and Ride.

I think it's pretty much one already...

[Euro-commuter]

What a complete farce. When this first came out I genuinely believed in it and thought it would work. Whats frustrating is when you hear Kkkkken defending it. i think there has been a 4% reduction in traffic, that is negligible and I'm sure on some routes the congestion is probably worse as they try and avoid CC routes.

I have read 20% reduction, but the big advantage is more funds for public transport. Not a bad idea since most people won't stop using their cars until the working public transport system is already in place; even if it does smack a little of being told that you will pay for public transport, whether you use it or not.

Trouble is, good public transport makes sense for everybody, but the cheapskate British don't want to up the money for it. I suspect they bought Thatcher's old snake oil that you could pay less taxes and not lose out by it, and won't give up that idea in the face of the evidence.