6p off diesel and petrol for next 3 months.....

[Linford]

I don't think Greg's up for that, tbh.

Kaboom-tish

 

[Smurfy]

We've already done this one - in this thread and in many others. The economic cost of motoring is something like three times the amount of tax that motorists pay.

You drive 15,000 miles per year or thereabouts. You generate 15,000 miles per year's worth of CO2, exhaust pollutants, noise pollution and congestion. All of which have a measurable cost to the country - a cost which adds up to rather more than the tax you pay.

The financial cost of everything except congestion (i.e. time wasted) can be calculated pretty much any way you want, to give whatever outcome suits your argument. I rarely drive at peak times, so my contribution to congestion is negligible. Whether CO2 is a pollutant is another issue, and if AGW were a religion (and it could well be) then I would classify myself as an Agnostic. Furthermore, no one is forced to live next to a busy road or motorway, that's their choice if they do.

 

[Smurfy]

What steps have you taken, through choice of vehicle, exploration of car sharing, use of public transport, to minimise the amount of tax (fuel duty, VED, insurance premium tax, etc..) you pay as a result of operating a car in the way you've chosen?

I already do Park and Ride, it would've been park and cycle with a folder, but they wanted so much money to just park I would've never recouped the cost of a decent folder even after a year of doing this. As it is, I spend over 3 hours a day commuting, there's no way I'm going to extend that to 4+ hours by using public transport. As has already been pointed out, choosing often involves stumping up a lot of cash, I'm not in a position to splash huge amounts of cash on the latest Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. Moving house is not an option as my last few jobs have all been fixed term contract, why would anyone go through all the upheaval and expense of moving for another few months of work?

 

[User482]

^^^

Classic cognitive dissonance. When faced with information that challenges your beliefs, reject the information.

 

[Linford]

^^^

Classic cognitive dissonance. When faced with information that challenges your beliefs, reject the information.

You are of course comfortable with your life, and settled where you live. What you propose is that people
adopt a transient lifestyle - which is great provided you don't have kids. A good placeto earn a decent wage isn't neccessarily a good place to live. Canary Wharf and the east end borough's is a classsic example of this.

 

[Smurfy]

Most of it is totally unquantifiable, either financially, or by any other yard-stick.

 

[Linford]

Personal Anecdote top trumps Facts, Data and Research

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Statistics can be manipulated and rarely have a direct correlation to real life.

 

[400bhp]

The financial cost of everything except congestion (i.e. time wasted) can be calculated pretty much any way you want, to give whatever outcome suits your argument. I rarely drive at peak times, so my contribution to congestion is negligible. Whether CO2 is a pollutant is another issue, and if AGW were a religion (and it could well be) then I would classify myself as an Agnostic. Furthermore, no one is forced to live next to a busy road or motorway, that's their choice if they do.

Generally given srw's background the calculations will be pretty sound.

 

[Smurfy]

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Statistics can be manipulated and rarely have a direct correlation to real life.

Agreed, you can set the financial impact of a car driving past a house to anything you want, then publish a high-brow report. Few people will read the details, or request the values used to quantify the impact of one car driving past a house.

 

[400bhp]

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Statistics can be manipulated and rarely have a direct correlation to real life.

Bollox

 

[User482]

You are of course comfortable with your life, and settled where you live.

Absolutely. Last time I changed jobs, I moved house so I could cycle to work, which did mean taking a hit on the quality of accommodation I could afford. I suppose I should have stuck with a long car commute and moaning about it on here.

 

[Linford]

Bollox

Only an accountant would say such a thing

 

[Linford]

Absolutely. Last time I changed jobs, I moved house so I could cycle to work, which did mean taking a hit on the quality of accommodation I could afford. I suppose I should have stuck with a long car commute and moaning about it on here.

You don't live in the Ashton Vale end ofBrizzle any more ?

Were you renting there

 

[400bhp]

Only an accountant would say such a thing

Nah, accountants can't do statistics.

 

[User482]

Stalker alert

Luckily, a stalker with a poor memory.