Has anyone noticed petrol prices creeping up again?

Geoffo_M

tomstickland wrote: »

I noticed prices going up from 90p/Litre to 98p/Litre at the local station.
That's Thatcher's legacy.

You must be joking! How?

borosteve_2

TJ27 wrote: »

I worked out that my car was costing me about five to six grand per year to run. So I sold it. A very good (but old) bike was given to me for free and in the last twelve months I've done well over three thousand miles on it. Mainly commuting but also trips to town, shops, pub, etc. I generally use trains if I go anywhere with the kids, which they love. I also use the odd taxi, borrow my dad's car sometimes, etc.

Being as I've saved five or six grand (ish) in one year, I wouldn't think twice about spending a couple of grand on a new bike, which will last me several years. In fact, I did recently buy an £800 bike via a bike to work scheme. So the final cost is actually about £500, spread over 18 months.

QUOTE]

If Alistair Darling sees this statement we'll end up with a pedal tax as well!

dealsearcher

Clearly those posting on here who have got bikes and got rid of their cars don't need a car. So if you are inclined to tell everyone they should use a bike and leave their car at home you should look to yourself first.

Those of us who live in rural areas with the closest decent shop being at least 5 miles away do need at least one car.

This government is also inclined to tell us to leave our cars at home and to get around on foot and by bike. If you look at the demographics of Labour voters they are mostly in urban areas. Conservative voters are mostly in rural areas. Therefore if you are a Labour voter leaving your car at home mostly applies to you.

SingleSue

I am the same as you dealsearcher, my car is an essential and not a luxury..without it, my children would not get to school and we would not be able to go to the supermarket.

I have tried public transport for the school run (should say runs as I do two drop offs in the morning and 2 pick ups in the afternoon) , complete nightmare, more expensive than putting fuel in my car and took 4 times as long...we were all late and it worked out cheaper, easier and faster to take a taxi!

Nearest supermarket to me is over 3 miles away and with no direct bus route, the problem of trying to carry the shopping from the bus stop to my house (not just down the road but over a main road, down a side road, round the corner and up another road!)...and still more expensive than running my car.

My budget is already tight, any increase in fuel prices hits our family hard...something has to give when they do. We don't do non essential journeys now, school holidays are basically stay at home, no days out etc. In fact, I quite like school holidays...my fuel goes further and the saving can mean I can treat them to an ice cream from the ice cream van, on the downside...the beggers eat me out of house and home!

Max_Headroom_3

Having a bike is a great idea, right up until some prat in a car knocks you off of it.

Until they find a way to stop idiots from driving I'll stick with a car, at least I'm on a level playing field when they ram me then (apart from the uber idiots in "offroad" 4x4's of course).

A._Badger

Yes, I must remember to take my bike the next time I need four 70 litre sacks of potting compost!

WhiteThierry

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Having a bike is a great idea, right up until some prat in a car knocks you off of it.

Until they find a way to stop idiots from driving I'll stick with a car, at least I'm on a level playing field when they ram me then (apart from the uber idiots in "offroad" 4x4's of course).

to be fair, anyone who wants a 4x4/suv should be made to watch videos of polar ice caps melting and be hit round the head numerous times with wet dead fish before they can buy them. i'll make an exception for farmers or anyone who actually needs one.

TJ27

A._Badger wrote: »

Yes, I must remember to take my bike the next time I need four 70 litre sacks of potting compost!

Funnily enough, I've just ordered a tonne of topsoil and 40 sq metres of turf for my garden. It's being delivered next week. It took me about ten minutes online. You'll find that most places will deliver stuff these days. While you're trundling your car to the garden centre, I'm sitting in the sun with a beer.

Almost all of my shopping is done via internet now. Tesco deliver weekly and I'm finding that I save loads by using the advice on this site.

You'd be amazed at how much you can carry on a bike though. I like to buy meat, fruit and veg from the market in town. I find that my panniers hold stacks. I bought one of those twelve foot circular swimming pools in B&Q a little while ago and cycled home 4 miles with it.

Put it this way. I have two young kids and a wife who is in a wheelchair. We're lucky enough to be within easy reach of work, shops and public transport but we manage just fine. It might be a bit different if we were in the middle of nowhere I suppose.

Max_Headroom_3

WhiteThierry wrote: »

to be fair, anyone who wants a 4x4/suv should be made to watch videos of polar ice caps melting and be hit round the head numerous times with wet dead fish before they can buy them. i'll make an exception for farmers or anyone who actually needs one.

I hate 4x4's on safety (for other road users) grounds, but I think your wet dead fish punishment would be more suited to those that believe the government hype about cars being "responsible" for melting polar ice caps etc.

It's a ruse to justify continually increasing taxes, that's all.

lostinrates

Very many fewer farmers need 4x4s than have them. most peoplehave tractors now, rather than shires and hand ploughs:) and we all still have legs, even in the countryside

That said, as a rural dweller i feel very reliant on my car. In a way I just don't in cities. DH does hisweekly commute by train to London. My father drives the same route. Because my father has free parking its cheaper for him (petrol) than it is for DH considering both pay to maintin a car anyway. Thats got to be wrong if we re tring to get people off roads on to trains.