The AA Complaining Again

[TheDoctor]

And it's delightful to see you again too, Crankers.
I'm not actually a doctor, any more than you are a part of a chainset.
I've not spent long on the dole over the years. I've been made redundant twice - the first time I spent nine months temping, the second time I got another job within a fortnight.
I've driven 70 miles a day to work. I didn't like it, so I don't intend to do it again. This limits my choice of jobs, granted, but I've managed so far.Having a cheerful and positive attitude helps. Perhaps you could give it a go?

 

[Brandane]

No one is disputing that there are people who cannot cycle because they have a disability of one form or another. It is the extension from this to the concept that driving is essential for everyone where it breaks down.

I don't think I, or anyone else in this thread, has stated or even inferred that driving is essential for EVERYONE. IF I lived within say 15 miles of my work, and had a pleasant and SAFE route to cycle in order to get there, then I would jump at the chance to commute by bicycle. I have put forward my case giving my reasons for why I personally need to use my car for commuting to work (on the occassions that the agency offers me a shift!). Your reply to that post was quite flippant and dismissive, as was your suggestion to Col that he should spend 4 hours a day commuting by bike on top of working a 12 hour shift (IIRC).

For the umpteenth time; I do not agree with the lazy use of cars, but I can appreciate why they are useful in circumstances where cycling is quite frankly a non starter.

 

[fozy tornip]

So now I have the huge cost of fuel each month which is currently costing me about £170 a month, gulp, this is JUST fuel, but there is no alternative.

Except that if four people currently driving much the same commute route in single occupant vehicles chose instead to organise themselves sufficient to share cars, they could reduce their individual monthly fuel cost from £170, say, to £42.50. And three fewer cars on the road at peak times.
Everyone's a winner baby, that's no lie. (Yes, no lie.)

 

[Crankarm]

Deliberate attack on another poster that has very little to do with the thread and then describes the target of his rant as a troll. Takes one to know one I suppose.

Your words not mine. In fact your blinkered views and that of other trolls are typical of the type of posts that made me tire of this forum and give it up. Cycling is just one option. Great if it works for you. But not everyone has this option, a large number of people don't for all sorts of reasons. To suggest that some how commuters who have no option but to drive have made a bad or wrong decision because their circumstances wouldn't be suited to cycling and by extension fantical evangelical cyclists claim an illusory moral high ground, smacks of fascism. We have some thing called freedom of choice still in the UK. If people want to drive as opposed to need to drive then so be it. They are not inferior to you or any less informed. They just choose not to cycle for ALL sorts of reasons. The car, motor vehicle, has brought modern society tremendous benefits and vastly improved the quality of peoples' lives in the opportunities they can pursue and the lifestyle they can adopt. Yes there are major issues with congestion and the standard of driving and cycling but these are different issues. Currently we all have to share the same strips of tarmac. It would help if SOME had a more tolerant attitude to fellow road users what ever their choice of means of conveyance.

 

[mcshroom]

Will the bike physically not make it along the route any more? If not it is a choice.

Considering I've been commuting to work just about every working day for the last two years occasional cyclist might be a bit of a stretch, but I do ride for commuting/leisure rather than club riding/racing etc, so I suppose that might be a classification.

I seem to remember you were concerned about the speeds of vehicles on rural commuting roads, funnily enough mine are NSL rural roads too, except we get large numbers of blind summits added for a bit of spice. I started cycling in my previous job when I lived in Reading, so I fail to see what location has to do with things but whatever you like.

 

[TheDoctor]

Are you going to give up on CC again then, Crankers?
I bet you're just saying that to make me happy.
You tease, you!!

 

[TheDoctor]

And (for the benefit of latecomers) can i say again that petrol going up by 5p still doesn't constitute the End Of The World. Not even if you live in Cambridge.

 

[Brandane]

You know what? I can't be arsed with this any more.

What happened to this?

 

[TheDoctor]

I was provoked

I Crankers really. No, really, I do. I'm in bed with him right now.

 

[Crankarm]

Except that if four people currently driving much the same commute route in single occupant vehicles chose instead to organise themselves sufficient to share cars, they could reduce their individual monthly fuel cost from £170, say, to £42.50. And three fewer cars on the road at peak times.
Everyone's a winner baby, that's no lie. (Yes, no lie.)

On the face of it this approach seems like hitting the jack pot but in reality it is a fallacy. Forget the means of conveyance, now think about the type of work you do, the hours and place your employer requires you to work, the number of colleagues at your work, the numbers with similar hours to you and similar domestic obligations, that live in a similar area and you will quickly see that your idea becomes more and more difficult to implement. Perhaps it works well in heavily State controlled society along the communist model but in reality unless the whole community where you live works for the same employer and there are only 2 shifts - day and night, then it would be pretty hard to get to work. In cities I guess it must be easier but then again the cycling facilities might be better and public transport will certainly be better than in rural areas where the car is more often than not the only option as there is simply no PT and cycling is not an option as the roads are too dangerous or the distance is too far to do on a regular basis without being totally shagged at the end of each day and having a miserable life. Nice one for effort though.

 

[fozy tornip]

Tell you what, pm me your postcode or home village and the postcode of your place of work and the hours you work, and I'll have a stab at finding your some car share buddies.

 

[Red Light]

Good post.

I used to cycle everywhere, until I was knocked off for the 2nd time 14 months ago. So I drive everywhere now. No more road cycling, I would love to incorporate the cycle way along the GBW into my commute but sadly there are busy roads I would have to ride either end to access it and this is not going to happen. So now I have the huge cost of fuel each month which is currently costing me about £170 a month, gulp, this is JUST fuel, but there is no alternative. Great if you have an easy ride to work, myself and the thousands of other car drivers who have no other option but to drive, are happy for you as it means one less car making up the traffic, but please don't bleat, it doesn't do your cause or crusade any good. In fact it is this type of fanatical rub your face in it evangelism that is pretty unattractive.

Of course, if the price of petrol were to rise further you might find there are less cars on the roads and the ones that are are driving more slowly so you could get back to cycling and save the money again.

And if its costing you £170/month in fuel, its probably costing you at least that much again in other car related costs.

 

[mcshroom]

Your words not mine. In fact your blinkered views and that of other trolls are typical of the type of posts that made me tire of this forum and give it up. Cycling is just one option. Great if it works for you. But not everyone has this option, a large number of people don't for all sorts of reasons. To suggest that some how commuters who have no option but to drive have made a bad or wrong decision because their circumstances wouldn't be suited to cycling and by extension fantical evangelical cyclists claim an illusory moral high ground, smacks of fascism. We have some thing called freedom of choice still in the UK. If people want to drive as opposed to need to drive then so be it. They are not inferior to you or any less informed. They just choose not to cycle for ALL sorts of reasons. The car, motor vehicle, has brought modern society tremendous benefits and vastly improved the quality of peoples' lives in the opportunities they can pursue and the lifestyle they can adopt. Yes there are major issues with congestion and the standard of driving and cycling but these are different issues. Currently we all have to share the same strips of tarmac. It would help if SOME had a more tolerant attitude to fellow road users what ever their choice of means of conveyance.

I haven't said that choosing to drive is any worse/better or anything else (not that you require an invitation but feel free to check). I choose to drive when I feel it is the most appropriate option. What I realise though is, even if it may be the best choice in a certain situation, it is still a choice. Why choosing to drive would make you any more or less intelligent I have no idea.

What I don't do is demand the government should change national taxation policy to suit my choices, but rather I make my choices knowing what the situation is. As I have said previously I'd prefer to pay less for fuel, just as I would for food, beer, rent and everything else, but I do realise that taxation policy is wider than changing something just because I like it. I entered this thread to add a couple of facts about the relative prices of fuel in Europe and the actual percentage tax take on fuel to counter a couple myths that were being repeated.

It would definitely help if many more people on all forms of transport were more courteous to each other while using the road system. So we agree on that front

I am of course now a troll (does that mean I get green frizzy hair?) so I suppose I'd better go and find a bridge to sit under. I choose Santon Bridge as it has a nice pub next door

 

[theclaud]

On the face of it this approach seems like hitting the jack pot but in reality it is a fallacy. Forget the means of conveyance, now think about the type of work you do, the hours and place your employer requires you to work, the number of colleagues at your work, the numbers with similar hours to you and similar domestic obligations, that live in a similar area and you will quickly see that your idea becomes more and more difficult to implement. Perhaps it works well in heavily State controlled society along the communist model but in reality unless the whole community where you live works for the same employer and there are only 2 shifts - day and night, then it would be pretty hard to get to work.

Trifling problems compared to the one outlined by Adrian above...

 

[Brandane]

Tell you what, pm me your postcode or home village and the postcode of your place of work and the hours you work, and I'll have a stab at finding your some car share buddies.

My post code is KA30***. I don't have a fixed place of work as I do agency shifts as an HGV driver. I don't know what hours (if any) I will be working for the rest of this week. However if the agency calls me at 7am, and asks me to be in Glasgow (30 miles away) for a shift starting at 8am, I will let you know. The shift will finish sometime between 4pm and 10pm.. Now can you find me some car share buddies?