Londoners with huge, showy cars.
Discussion
Article in Evening Standard last night written by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
Can we find out where this w
e lives so I can kick her?
Sorry if this is a repost. I sincerely hope something bad happens to her.
Article said.
Beautiful, countrified Richmond is home to many Londoners with huge, showy cars, slowly killing the place they love. I imagine these residents will not be happy this week: the Lib-Dem controlled council is going after them again. First came the hike in residential parking fees for gas guzzlers (owners pay three times as much as those who have small, green cars); now these poor rich folk will have to cough up higher meter charges - only 60p an hour more, but they will still splutter.
Protesting on their behalf, the AA claims these people have larger families and "need bigger cars for everyday life" - and that in the recession they can't sell the offending vehicles. LBC's Nick Ferrari, fan of the hefty automobile, brings up the same excuses: we have many entertaining spats over the subject on his show. It helps that I drive a small car, a Nissan Micra, so he can't get me on hypocrisy. Listeners, though, mostly support him and believe driving fuel-bingeing vehicles is a family's right. But what did big families do until the 4x4 blight arrived on the streets of London? They squeezed into estate cars, or walked, or hopped on to that biggest car of all, the bus.
Other defenders of the urban big beasts fly the flag of liberty, just as smokers did when opposing their ban. True-born Britons must be free to live as they wish and will fight to the death any meddling by the state, they cry. But while there is something poetic about the intensity of feelings aroused here, I doubt there will be road martyrs in Richmond brave enough to go to prison for such "rights".
Then there is the accusation that we who oppose these oversized cars are really expressing ancient class enmity. Perhaps we are. That does not change the facts that gas guzzlers are polluters, anti-social, a road menace and a danger to pedestrians. Go to a car park and these vehicles shamelessly take up two spaces. Before Christmas I kicked one in a fit of rage. In Ealing, little Japanese women trying to manoeuvre the monstrosities drive us nuts.
If I had the power I would impose a seriously punitive tax on such vehicles. But central government is cowardly: the monster cars have been allowed to proliferate with minimal constraints. Only local government can tame these drivers. Well done, Richmond, for leading the way. The rest of London must surely follow.
Can we find out where this w
e lives so I can kick her?Sorry if this is a repost. I sincerely hope something bad happens to her.
Article said.
Beautiful, countrified Richmond is home to many Londoners with huge, showy cars, slowly killing the place they love. I imagine these residents will not be happy this week: the Lib-Dem controlled council is going after them again. First came the hike in residential parking fees for gas guzzlers (owners pay three times as much as those who have small, green cars); now these poor rich folk will have to cough up higher meter charges - only 60p an hour more, but they will still splutter.
Protesting on their behalf, the AA claims these people have larger families and "need bigger cars for everyday life" - and that in the recession they can't sell the offending vehicles. LBC's Nick Ferrari, fan of the hefty automobile, brings up the same excuses: we have many entertaining spats over the subject on his show. It helps that I drive a small car, a Nissan Micra, so he can't get me on hypocrisy. Listeners, though, mostly support him and believe driving fuel-bingeing vehicles is a family's right. But what did big families do until the 4x4 blight arrived on the streets of London? They squeezed into estate cars, or walked, or hopped on to that biggest car of all, the bus.
Other defenders of the urban big beasts fly the flag of liberty, just as smokers did when opposing their ban. True-born Britons must be free to live as they wish and will fight to the death any meddling by the state, they cry. But while there is something poetic about the intensity of feelings aroused here, I doubt there will be road martyrs in Richmond brave enough to go to prison for such "rights".
Then there is the accusation that we who oppose these oversized cars are really expressing ancient class enmity. Perhaps we are. That does not change the facts that gas guzzlers are polluters, anti-social, a road menace and a danger to pedestrians. Go to a car park and these vehicles shamelessly take up two spaces. Before Christmas I kicked one in a fit of rage. In Ealing, little Japanese women trying to manoeuvre the monstrosities drive us nuts.
If I had the power I would impose a seriously punitive tax on such vehicles. But central government is cowardly: the monster cars have been allowed to proliferate with minimal constraints. Only local government can tame these drivers. Well done, Richmond, for leading the way. The rest of London must surely follow.
The Curn said:
Article in Evening Standard last night written by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
Can we find out where this we lives so I can kick her?
Sorry if this is a repost. I sincerely hope something bad happens to her.
Article said.
Beautiful, countrified Richmond is home to many Londoners with huge, showy cars, slowly killing the place they love. I imagine these residents will not be happy this week: the Lib-Dem controlled council is going after them again. First came the hike in residential parking fees for gas guzzlers (owners pay three times as much as those who have small, green cars); now these poor rich folk will have to cough up higher meter charges - only 60p an hour more, but they will still splutter.
Protesting on their behalf, the AA claims these people have larger families and "need bigger cars for everyday life" - and that in the recession they can't sell the offending vehicles. LBC's Nick Ferrari, fan of the hefty automobile, brings up the same excuses: we have many entertaining spats over the subject on his show. It helps that I drive a small car, a Nissan Micra, so he can't get me on hypocrisy. Listeners, though, mostly support him and believe driving fuel-bingeing vehicles is a family's right. But what did big families do until the 4x4 blight arrived on the streets of London? They squeezed into estate cars, or walked, or hopped on to that biggest car of all, the bus.
Other defenders of the urban big beasts fly the flag of liberty, just as smokers did when opposing their ban. True-born Britons must be free to live as they wish and will fight to the death any meddling by the state, they cry. But while there is something poetic about the intensity of feelings aroused here, I doubt there will be road martyrs in Richmond brave enough to go to prison for such "rights".
Then there is the accusation that we who oppose these oversized cars are really expressing ancient class enmity. Perhaps we are. That does not change the facts that gas guzzlers are polluters, anti-social, a road menace and a danger to pedestrians. Go to a car park and these vehicles shamelessly take up two spaces. Before Christmas I kicked one in a fit of rage. In Ealing, little Japanese women trying to manoeuvre the monstrosities drive us nuts.
If I had the power I would impose a seriously punitive tax on such vehicles. But central government is cowardly: the monster cars have been allowed to proliferate with minimal constraints. Only local government can tame these drivers. Well done, Richmond, for leading the way. The rest of London must surely follow.
I'm tired of all these spineless articles. The authors need to come clean and just say that what they really want are gas chambers to cleanse their country of all the minority groups they dislike so much.Can we find out where this w
e lives so I can kick her?Sorry if this is a repost. I sincerely hope something bad happens to her.
Article said.
Beautiful, countrified Richmond is home to many Londoners with huge, showy cars, slowly killing the place they love. I imagine these residents will not be happy this week: the Lib-Dem controlled council is going after them again. First came the hike in residential parking fees for gas guzzlers (owners pay three times as much as those who have small, green cars); now these poor rich folk will have to cough up higher meter charges - only 60p an hour more, but they will still splutter.
Protesting on their behalf, the AA claims these people have larger families and "need bigger cars for everyday life" - and that in the recession they can't sell the offending vehicles. LBC's Nick Ferrari, fan of the hefty automobile, brings up the same excuses: we have many entertaining spats over the subject on his show. It helps that I drive a small car, a Nissan Micra, so he can't get me on hypocrisy. Listeners, though, mostly support him and believe driving fuel-bingeing vehicles is a family's right. But what did big families do until the 4x4 blight arrived on the streets of London? They squeezed into estate cars, or walked, or hopped on to that biggest car of all, the bus.
Other defenders of the urban big beasts fly the flag of liberty, just as smokers did when opposing their ban. True-born Britons must be free to live as they wish and will fight to the death any meddling by the state, they cry. But while there is something poetic about the intensity of feelings aroused here, I doubt there will be road martyrs in Richmond brave enough to go to prison for such "rights".
Then there is the accusation that we who oppose these oversized cars are really expressing ancient class enmity. Perhaps we are. That does not change the facts that gas guzzlers are polluters, anti-social, a road menace and a danger to pedestrians. Go to a car park and these vehicles shamelessly take up two spaces. Before Christmas I kicked one in a fit of rage. In Ealing, little Japanese women trying to manoeuvre the monstrosities drive us nuts.
If I had the power I would impose a seriously punitive tax on such vehicles. But central government is cowardly: the monster cars have been allowed to proliferate with minimal constraints. Only local government can tame these drivers. Well done, Richmond, for leading the way. The rest of London must surely follow.
Um, isn't he admitting to causing criminal damage there?
And does anyone else hate the term "Gas Guzzlers"?
Do the extra charges specifically apply to 4x4's then? If so, it's a bit daft. The VR4 I was looking at got 21mpg on a good day, a Lexus RX400h gets 34mpg. But I can guess which one would get all the hate...
Thinking about it, I don't think I've ever had any problems with 4x4 drivers giving me cause to think they are a "menace" to other road users either. Indeed hatchbacks and steboxes seem to cause me far more issues on the road with their complete disregard for anybody else. I'd imagine someone in a £500 Granada would be far less worried about pranging it than someone in a £40k+ Rangie. At least I would be.
And does anyone else hate the term "Gas Guzzlers"?
Do the extra charges specifically apply to 4x4's then? If so, it's a bit daft. The VR4 I was looking at got 21mpg on a good day, a Lexus RX400h gets 34mpg. But I can guess which one would get all the hate...
Thinking about it, I don't think I've ever had any problems with 4x4 drivers giving me cause to think they are a "menace" to other road users either. Indeed hatchbacks and s
teboxes seem to cause me far more issues on the road with their complete disregard for anybody else. I'd imagine someone in a £500 Granada would be far less worried about pranging it than someone in a £40k+ Rangie. At least I would be.yup... these are the typ eof people that just read the so called 'facts' from survery the government and have no real world experience. they take up 2 spaces in car parks because the car parks are so damn small that you cant actually fit them!!! i know if i had a family id want to transport them in the safest way... why go in in a small car when you can protect them in a large one?? argh these people need to get a life!!
I live in London, but then you might have guessed that already. My council is already dressing up their revenue raising in the name of greenism by making parking permits more expensive for cars that emit more CO2. Well, I don't know about yours, but my car doesn't emit any CO2 when it is parked so I'm confused. My fleet includes an XC90. Why? because I regularly have to move a sh.it load of stuff between a business in London and a fledgling new business on the other side of the country, as well as family and 3 dogs. Last week I moved a 6'6" mattress and a 5' long wooden chest in it at the same time. Not much else I can think of with the carrying capacity like that. Except for a van. Which is larger and more polluting. And uses more fuel. I get 32mpg out of the XC90 and that's without hanging around. If you choose to live in a small box and drive a small car, that's up to you. I like to do things on a grander scale, so what am I supposed to do? Last time I looked it was still (almost) a free country.
I live in Acton, where many of these "little Japanese ladies" live, as many do not have the big 4x4s, and consequently do not drive me nuts. Often it is little ladies of a different minority group (still from Asia, so this may have caused some confusion with the "journalist") driving micras that think they are 14 feet wide that take this honour.
There are many larger cars, and I do not have a problem with them; the problem arises when the person in control of the vehicle cannot drive it properly.
Admitting to criminal damage in a newspaper should see her cautioned as a minimum too
There are many larger cars, and I do not have a problem with them; the problem arises when the person in control of the vehicle cannot drive it properly.
Admitting to criminal damage in a newspaper should see her cautioned as a minimum too
Im currently shopping for a 4x4, not because i dont give 2 flying sts about killing the planet ( i really dont give 2 flying sts 
) but because i want to be able to go greenlaning.
try doing that in a micra
with all the scameras about etc, i just want to have fun without loosing my licence..
but being england, bet fun will be against the law soon aswell.
hmph
ts about killing the planet ( i really dont give 2 flying sts ) but because i want to be able to go greenlaning.try doing that in a micra
with all the scameras about etc, i just want to have fun without loosing my licence..
but being england, bet fun will be against the law soon aswell.
hmph
SystemParanoia said:
Im currently shopping for a 4x4, not because i dont give 2 flying sts about killing the planet ( i really dont give 2 flying sts ) but because i want to be able to go greenlaning.
try doing that in a micra
with all the scameras about etc, i just want to have fun without loosing my licence..
but being england, bet fun will be against the law soon aswell.
hmph
My previous car was a supercharged S2000.ts about killing the planet ( i really dont give 2 flying sts ) but because i want to be able to go greenlaning.try doing that in a micra
with all the scameras about etc, i just want to have fun without loosing my licence..
but being england, bet fun will be against the law soon aswell.
hmph
I got the Hilux, for similar reasons.
Highly recomended.
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