Safe Speed Forums

Casual observation might also deduce then that the indigenous population feels they are displaced from public transport by immigrants?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I don't want my (once) beautiful country inundated with immigrants.

But, that's life - we don't always get what we want.

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I don't recall anyone saying that congestion was caused by immigration. I believe immigration is another factor which contributes to congestion.

Similarly, artificial deliberate congestion measures contribute to congestion (obviously).

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

UK congestion, right...... Well, apart from the "rush to the S.E." following the accession to the E.U. in 1974 when the Commonwealth trade and American trade stopped.................... and the real cause of the S.E. BOOM! during the Thatcher years.

Being a frequent visitor to Europe I notice that they heavily use their rivers and canals for bulk and other regular shipments between Switzerland and Rotterdam and all points in between. The French do the same with the Canal du Midi.
No doubt this traffic reduces enormously their road traffic as one barge carries the equivelent of many truckloads of goods.

Well of course they can do this can't they, because THEY have BIG rivers to transport them on...... and WE don't!





What the Feck!..................We're a ruddy Island for Gods sake! Isn't coastal shipping viable for some loads? We've still got enough Ports!

Instead they're proposing overnight 80 ton Lorries........... and wanting to build more motorways (at whose expense?).

One question......Which member of the House of Lords has an interest in the haulage industry then?


And they STILL blame Joe Bloggs for daring to drive to work in his car!...............

Really shouldn't dignify this kind of prejudice with a polite response, but perhaps you should try getting up at about 3am in London and getting on a bus. There will be a lot of immigrants on it. Why? Because they are going to work, at an hour when most of the white natives are still snoozing away. I don't want my beautiful country full of bigots, but it seems that I am losing that battle.

Good point. It's open to debate, so why not start here? I propose for starters that all private car journeys under 2 miles are unnecessary, except where the driver is physically unable to walk, cycle or go by public transport, or is required as a basic necessity of his or her employment or trade to carry equipment which cannot be be transported in those ways. That is a hell of a lot fewer journeys, and less of the congestion that Safespeeders appear to be worried about.

What about if there is a time constraint?

For example a while back, our cat escaped into the outhouse and started rolling around in cement dust, if we'd let him lick that off it would have killed him. It was 3:55 on a Sunday and I was immediately dispatched to the local Tesco to go and buy some cat shampoo. Are you suggesting I should have cycled?

Having said that, we always drive to Tesco anyway, even with two bikes we wouldn't be able to safely transport a weeks worth of shopping home.

Also, you'd be amazed at the list of things you aren't allowed to take onto a bus or train. A lead acid battery is one example. Guess how I found that one out?

And here we go again. Anyone who voices an opinion not in favour of immigrants is automatically labelled 'prejudiced' or 'a bigot'...

I suggest you look those words up in a dictionary before you throw them around...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Interesting example. I was proposing a starting point for debate, and am prepared to compromise. I should have included medical and possibly veterinary emergencies (a very small percentage of short-distance journeys, I suspect.) I don't have a cat - why do they need special shampoo? But more interestingly, you haven't addressed how you would have dealt with the situation if you simply didn't have a car in the first place. A week's worth of shopping for two is quite easy to transport in a bicycle trailer, as it happens, and is possible on the bus. Is Tesco your only shopping option? Any local butchers, bakers, or greengrocers needing your custom? Don't forget that taking the car to the supermarket might in itself prompt you to buy more stuff...

Let's call a spade a spade. You employed a stereotype about immigrants with your comment about benefit offices. I was pointing out in response that most immigrants are interested in work, and are here primarily for that purpose. You are prepared to make derogatory comments about a large, diverse and commonly vilified group based on generalisation, ignorance, and popular prejudice. My vocabulary is adequate, thank you, and if that is not bigotry then no such thing exists.

PS to Lum: I was once turned away from the bus carrying an unopened tin of paint. Annoying, and very silly. I put it in a bag and got on the next bus...

There's hundreds of things that would reduce the congestion problem. But none of them will work until everyone (particularly government) stops seeing the motorists as evil people who must be stopped. Growth in car use is actually called progress.

Similarly motorists have to recognise that there's a place for public transport and cycling.

It's not an either/or. It's attitude.

So a few things on my list:

School buses - definitly. The change in the roads when the schools are off is dramatic. But the service provided has to be a GOOD reliable service that people want to use. Once the service exists then work can start on converting people.

Roads - without a doubt more road building but we should also look at causes. EG why are we expanding Heathrow when the roads are already full AND a third of the people landing then take another domestic flight. Build airports where the people are!

Tolls - remove all tolls. Anyone seen the queues at the Dartford toll booths?

Public transport. A drastic improvement in the rail network. Let's be honest, trains are crap, dirty, overcrowded, late and overpriced. And they never run at the times you want them.

Heavy goods - again, improve rail cargo & make it cheaper for companies to use than road.

Fine contractors for not manning roadworks 24/7 when on a A or M road.

Ban traffic lights on roundabouts. Either or. Ban pedestrian crossings within 200yds of lights.

Road engineering - start designing roads to get traffic through as safely and fast as possible. Get out of the "we must slow cars down" syndrome.

Ban road furniture that reduces road capacity.

Allow left on red turning.

I don't believe home working is a starter. It's cheaper for companies anyway so if it suited the business it would be done already.

And yes - more emphasis on the 2M illegal drivers out there.

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Wake me up when the revolution starts
STOP the Toll Tax http://www.traveltax.org.uk

There will always be examples of when it is appropriate to use cars for short journies. I accept that. Will you also accept however, that there are some people too lazy to make journies that could easily be made by foot or by bike? It's a free country, and people can drive to the chip shop located literally 2 minutes walk away(I saw it) if they like, but that it's somewhat humourous that those same people complain about the cost of motoring and congestion?

Yeah I agree it's much easier to shop in a car at the supermarket, but I do it on my way home from work, which saves time, money, and congestion. Job done.

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In a former life I was Capri2.8

You might possibly be right - as you are undoubtedly aware, it would be difficult to measure - but the fact remains that population increase is bound to lead to more congestion.

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Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

Not necessarily, you need to get out of you single track thought patterns!

There's lots of ideas here (and more that are not ) about how to reduce congestion despite there being more people.

Home working would be a good idea. So, why has it not been implemented yet?

Because managers do not want to manage they want to control. They can't stand the thought that if you work from home they can't stand behind you, breathing down your neck, watching your every moment at work.

If you are at home, my God! You might get up and stretch your legs! You might get a glass of water! Heavens! You might enjoy your work! And that would never do!

I had an idiot boss who resented staff leaving the premises at lunchtime and also resented them taking their holidays. He actually tried to stop someone going on a holiday they'd booked and told him about two months before! He told them they could not go the evening before. They told him where to go, needless to say.

But with fools like that in charge is it any wonder that home/teleworking has not really caught on in the UK?

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www.thatsnews.org.uk / www.thatsnews.blogspot.com / http://thatsmotoring.blogspot.com/

Well, that and many people don't like being locked up on their own with nobody to talk to, or indeed be around their partner and children all day.

I'd do it every now and again, but I wouldn't like to do it all the time.

But for some people it fits in with their lifestyle. Several years ago I worked from home. Rather than encouraging me to be lazy, I found I was actually doing more than my paid hours.

In the USA many call centre staff are not in a call centre. They have their call centre equipment unit in their home. All they need is broadband and away they go.

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www.thatsnews.org.uk / www.thatsnews.blogspot.com / http://thatsmotoring.blogspot.com/

oooh, you prejudiced bigot!

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Oh! And that makes it OK then? Well in that case, let's open the doors even wider and see how many more we can cram in...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus