Lazy Commuters

[Neil]

I'm no longer interested in any of the politics or arguments on taxation and duty on fuel to be honest.

I know all the arguments as I've argued them myself some time or another.
Most of my life I've moaned about taxes, duty, congestion, road rage, speeding cameras, slow drivers, middle lane hogs, old farts, young farts, BMWs, car tax (VED), pot holes, narrow roads, car parks, parking fines, yellow lines... etc etc blah blah blah blah ad nauseum.

Frankly I'm sick to death of moaning and moaners when it comes to cars.

My perspective nowadays is: There are way too many cars period, the more people who can and do get out of them and find an alternative the better. It's just too easy to take the lazy option.

Society has gained a great deal from the convenience of cars but I feel it has also lost a great deal too.

Fact is: We are too reliant on a finite resource which I believe is as cheap now as it is ever going to be. Cue the exponential rise as it gets harder to extract oil.

Most liquids cost more if you think about it and most of those liquids are essentially from renewable infinite sources. Pop, Juice, beer even some mineral juices etc

And all of that is fine, if the high cost of fuel is simply the market value of the high cost of fuel - so supply and demand, and cost of obtaining, refining and distribution.

But it isn't.

Nor is it high for a green agenda, or to limit the use or ownership of cars.

The price of fuel is so high in the UK, because some time ago, politicians saw the writing on the wall that the UK populace ain't so happy to be taxed particularly highly, directly.

They then sought to gather revenue by indirect means, and chose a few areas where they could do so, reasonably heavily, generating quite a degree of revenue, and have a convenient argument for doing so if challenged.

So, the component of fuel cost that's set by the producers - kind of influenced by normal market factors - reasonably enough - plus their general control of resources to suit their desired production level, to maintain demand for a fairly sort after, and valuble commodity.

The rather more significant cost of fuel that's because of political shenanigans has got nothing to do with the factors you say you're concerned with - in fact, neither aspect to the high cost does.

For that matter (not that I really care, don't smoke, rarely drink) the taxation on booze and fags ain't about their "cost" to society, either. Smokers more than pay their way in terms of the "cost" of them doing so (probably several times over).

For all these commodities that are taxed significantly, to maintain a certain high price has nothing to do with any redeeming, or pious ethics or morals, and all to do with how to extract the most tax, at a level that the tax-paying public will generally tolerate (even if a bit grumbling).

 

[gbsimpsa]

Much of what you say is true Neil, albeit sounding a bit of a government conspiracy.

It is an interesting dillema for any government, in that there are supposedly 40 years of oil reserves left, where will the massive energy revenues come from next?

It wouldn't be popular to tax alternative fledgling (renewable etc) fuels as strongly at this stage without appearing to be anti-green, pro oil etc but they will have to at some point.

 

[PurleySquire]

I tried cycle commuting to central London around 2000, a journey of around 15 miles each way. At that time it was very difficult, there were few places to leave a bike, other than chained to railings and traffic was a nightmare.

I went back to cycle commuting a few years ago and haven't looked back. My journey takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes in the morning and 1 hour 30 minutes in the evening. It is possibly 5 minutes more than by train and 15 minutes more than by car.

I do worry that sooner or later I will fall prey to a numpty driver, but on the whole it has become much easier in the last couple of years and I find myself not riding alone any more.

I am lucky that almost everywhere I work has a casual dress code and the clothes I ride in are my branded work clothes.
In exceptionally wet weather I will wear waterproof clothes and change on arrival.

I have already saved thousands of pounds of money and lost pounds of weight whilst still eating well.

You only have to visit Holland, Germany or Denmark to see how well bikes work as a serious transport solution for people of all social levels. Just as bikes used to be used in the UK till the 1960s.

I have a car and find it convenient for longer journeys and moving things about, but my ride to work, often in the early morning, is the highlight of most days.

 

[hamster]

The one advantage that high fuel prices have is that they can be controlled in times of price spikes. When you see how the US economy got hacked off at the knees by a spike in oil prices it's an advantage. The average American also uses 4x the energy of an average European - mainly due to pathetically insulated homes and 4 litre engines.

I'm still amazed at my neighbours who drive their kids to school because it's (quote) quicker, even though I set off after them and arrive earlier.

 

[Rumble]

I grew up in a village 22 miles from aberdeen, where I went to school and my dad worked. Our commute was about 30 min and we drove, of course we could have taken one of the 2 buses a day, sat on them for an hour and a half and got in to town for half 9, if they ran on time. Same could be said for dozens of towns and villages around the city. Public transport just isn't a viable al alternative to driving.

The way the OP is written makes me think the poster is coming from the perspective of someone with very limited experience of the realities of living anywhere but a city-centre.

 

[gbsimpsa]

The way the OP is written makes me think the poster is coming from the perspective of someone with very limited experience of the realities of living anywhere but a city-centre.

Rumble, You can make assumptions as you wish, I was simply re-posting a news article that surprised me. FYI I've never lived or worked in a city centre.

Never until now have I had the luxury of living a reasonable enough distance to where I work to be able to commute by bike.

My first job for 3 years I had to catch 6 buses a day. I felt lucky to have a bus pass at the cost of £3.5k a year to cover it. Took 2.5 hrs each way.

Second job for 5 years was 30 miles down the M4, so I car shared with 6 different people over the years. No alternative.

Third Job, Nightmare commute from Chippenham to Bath, for two years to ease the pain I car shared, Train was a possibility but would have been quite painful either end.

Fourth Job, Cross Country; Chippenham to Oxford, a killer of a commute. Couldn't afford to move closer than Swindon which was still a nightmare but I found someone nearby on the internet who worked close and we set up a car share succesfully for 3 years.

My current job is a 27 mile round trip on A-roads and I cycle in fair weather and generally car share in foul weather.



Without prejudice, I posted this news article originally as I was frankly amazed that there appear to be so many people fortunate enough to live so close to their places of work and still chose to drive 2 tonnes of metal by themselves such a short distance.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I tried cycle commuting to central London around 2000, a journey of around 15 miles each way. At that time it was very difficult, there were few places to leave a bike, other than chained to railings and traffic was a nightmare.

I went back to cycle commuting a few years ago and haven't looked back. My journey takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes in the morning and 1 hour 30 minutes in the evening. It is possibly 5 minutes more than by train and 15 minutes more than by car.

I do worry that sooner or later I will fall prey to a numpty driver, but on the whole it has become much easier in the last couple of years and I find myself not riding alone any more.

I am lucky that almost everywhere I work has a casual dress code and the clothes I ride in are my branded work clothes.
In exceptionally wet weather I will wear waterproof clothes and change on arrival.

I have already saved thousands of pounds of money and lost pounds of weight whilst still eating well.

You only have to visit Holland, Germany or Denmark to see how well bikes work as a serious transport solution for people of all social levels. Just as bikes used to be used in the UK till the 1960s.

I have a car and find it convenient for longer journeys and moving things about, but my ride to work, often in the early morning, is the highlight of most days.

Great post.

When I was not actually riding for a living, I was also commuting by bike across London every day. It was the best part of every day. Invigorating and life affirming.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I grew up in a village 22 miles from aberdeen, where I went to school and my dad worked. Our commute was about 30 min and we drove, of course we could have taken one of the 2 buses a day, sat on them for an hour and a half and got in to town for half 9, if they ran on time. Same could be said for dozens of towns and villages around the city. Public transport just isn't a viable al alternative to driving.

The way the OP is written makes me think the poster is coming from the perspective of someone with very limited experience of the realities of living anywhere but a city-centre.

Go back and read the OP again then, it does not indicate that at all!

 

[Supratada]

For all these commodities that are taxed significantly, to maintain a certain high price has nothing to do with any redeeming, or pious ethics or morals, and all to do with how to extract the most tax, at a level that the tax-paying public will generally tolerate (even if a bit grumbling).

I'm usually the first one to poo-poo a good conspiracy theory, but I can't help thinking that all this media talk about binge drinking and the perils of alcohol, the middle class wine drinkers, the long term health effects etc etc is just a way of softening us up so that we accept an upcoming, gradual but ultimately huge taxation of alcohol to take the place of tobacco, as more and more people either give up smoking or don't start in the first place.

 

[Rumble]

Go back and read the OP again then, it does not indicate that at all!

What I meant, a tried to illustrate with my own example, is that just because a commute is 30 min or less, it doesn't mean there is always a viable alternative to using ve car. I've read the article and as a piece of research it's lacking enough detail to come to the conclusion that 'petrol is still too cheap'.