Moneysaving- dont buy a 4x4 in london!

gromituk

I "ticketed" two vanity-plated Chelsea tractors in my road yesterday - it was most satisfying!

gromituk

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Because [Ken's] up for Election in less than 2 years time. And like every other elected policitian, he will say just about anything that he thinks will win him votes.

I share your healthy skepticism about politicians! However, I do have a soft spot for Ken Livingstone, because he is actually brave enough to call a spade a spade and do bold things, rather than simply pu$$y-footing around trying not to upset all the focus groups. Can you imagine the government or the Tories introducing the congestion charge or mandating renewable energy use in commercial buildings?

The time to congratulate him on his green policies is when he's actually put them into place.

Many of these policies he has, already.

[Edit: Jeez, this idiotic nanny filter we have on here...!]

lynzpower

Personally, I think Ken is doing a sterling job as best as he can. I temped at the GLA for a while in the transport team and I can tell you this, its the local authorities refusing to comply with his green agenda, not him not putting things out there. I worked on the congestion charging prelude for a bit, and good god, no LA wanted them, they were ALL against them, despite excellent evidence on air quality and the like.

At the end of the day ALL politicians want to be relected- local councillors included , it doesnt mean they come out with anything useful during thier time does it?
Now dont get me started on my MP.... :mad:

Lillibet_2

Altarf wrote:

Being able to drive down speed calmed roads at a safe and legal speed without destroying your car.

Speed humps have been installed in the roads surrounding me that cannot be driven over in a normal car at more than 10mph, despite the fact that it is a 30mph limit and is safe to travel at that speed (open wide road, no parked cars, not near any schools, etc). So I have to drive at 10mph, but the lorry in front can do 40mph? Great job council on persuading me that my next car will be a 4x4.

Wanting to drive at more than 10mph is not a valid reason for a 4x4 in London. Pleanty of others manager to get over speed humps in normal cars. If it is a 30mph & lorries are doing 40mph then I would be contacting the local council about getting speed camers too! Speed limits are the MAXIMUM you can safely drive your car at in optimum conditions, in anythind less you should reducde your speed accordngley. If speed humps aren't optimum conditions for you then reduce your speed. Simple.

Altarf

Lillibet wrote:

Wanting to drive at more than 10mph is not a valid reason for a 4x4 in London. Pleanty of others manager to get over speed humps in normal cars. If it is a 30mph & lorries are doing 40mph then I would be contacting the local council about getting speed camers too! Speed limits are the MAXIMUM you can safely drive your car at in optimum conditions, in anythind less you should reducde your speed accordngley. If speed humps aren't optimum conditions for you then reduce your speed. Simple.

If you got off your high horse and re-read my post I was very clear in pointing out that I had no intention of breaking the speed limit, and in fact was trying to drive at a lower safe limit. However because of people like you who seem happy to damage themselves or their cars, I have to decelerate from that safe limit at each speedbump to 10mph and accelerate until I get to the next, causing more pollution. But hey ho speedbumps are great aren't they, even though white van man in front can roar over them with impunity at any speed

And no the speedbumps at 10mph are not my optimum speed, hence the intention to buy a 4x4 so I can carry on at a safe speed appropriate to the surroundings (to repeat, a speed lower than the speed limit and a speed appropriate to the road, conditions, time of day etc).

gromituk

Getting a Chelsea tractor in order to negotiate suburban speed humps fills me with mirth, especially when you see that the vehicles most gingerly driven over such traffic calming measures are the tractors themselves!

Sybarite

Altarf wrote:

'the intention to buy a 4x4 so I can carry on at a safe speed appropriate to the surroundings'

Are you really, truly serious?

4x4s are not renowned for their safety, despite the marketing. If you happen to hit anybody, that high bonnet tends to cause a lot of upper body injuries to adults or head injuries to children.

Even if you don't give a monkey's about the C02 emissions - it's not money saving is it? More expensive fuel, tyres, tax - and if the road tax on energy inefficient vehicles rises, as it's inevitably set to, the resale value is going to take a nosedive.

Your wallet, but carrot and stick taxation is going to start targeting 4x4s much more aggressively.

My only other input is a comment made by my sister on seeing a high spec Range Rover and its driver parked on double yellows. She narrowed her eyes and said in a quiet little voice 'with a car that big you know he's hung like a sparrow'

Altarf

Sybarite wrote:

4x4s are not renowned for their safety, despite the marketing. If you happen to hit anybody, that high bonnet tends to cause a lot of upper body injuries to adults or head injuries to children.

I agree, which is why it so stupid of councils to encourage their use by installing car unfriendly / 4x4 friendly speedhumps.

Sybarite wrote:

Even if you don't give a monkey's about the C02 emissions - it's not money saving is it? More expensive fuel, tyres, tax - and if the road tax on energy inefficient vehicles rises, as it's inevitably set to, the resale value is going to take a nosedive.

The additional cost is negligible, and if it means a more comfortable drive..

Sybarite wrote:

Your wallet, but carrot and stick taxation is going to start targeting 4x4s much more aggressively.

The trouble is they have difficulty targeting 4x4 specifically and are just going on the high emission cars. Pick the right 4x4 and you can dodge the problems.

Sybarite wrote:

My only other input is a comment made by my sister on seeing a high spec Range Rover and its driver parked on double yellows. She narrowed her eyes and said in a quiet little voice 'with a car that big you know he's hung like a sparrow'

Sticks & stones.

Sybarite

Hey 'hung like a sparrow' was the polite version .

Well, if the social conscience and increased cost of getting from A to B arguments against purchasing what's now vilified as an antisocial vehicle can't sway you and road bumps and your comfort are what you regard as the the most important issues, then you should probably go and get one.

But you know the tax increase is coming....it'll be on engine size once Ken has taken the initial flack from an increased congestion charge for 4x4s and it's regarded as acceptable.

Sybarite

I feel something similar when I see a Chelsea Tractor having to drive past those precious unoccupied parking spaces in London into which they know they cannot possibly fit.

I've also noticed that some of the larger beasts exceed the length of the white lines of the parking bay - and seem to be ticketed for parking outside the designated space as a result.

I will confess to feeling a twinge of schaudenfraude.