Price of petrol WTF

Kopite · August 8, 2005

pull the ECU fuse? that'd do it wouldn't it?

tbourner · August 8, 2005

hmmm good point, can we do that?

"My car doesn't seem to be starting, it just stopped, almost exactly the same time as these other 327 modified LOUD gas-guzzling but perfectly road legal cars!"

Just as the tow truck finally comes round to rip my front bumper off - "Ooh hang on what's this my ECU fuse seems to be loose in the fuse box - that can't be right!"

GeordieSteve · August 8, 2005

Needs to be nation wide to make the biggest hit. Sure if the word was spread then most towns could come to a hault at rush hour

RedM · August 8, 2005

I'd be up for a go-slow too. Start on M25 at rush hour on a Monday and work our way through to central London. A few blockades at strategic junctions and the press will be out in force trying to find out why London has seized up.

Ideally it should be the first Monday that all the schoolkids go back.

tbourner · August 8, 2005

It'll be like organising a meet though, people won't be able to get time off etc.

Kopite · August 8, 2005

nationwide stomach bug?

RedM · August 8, 2005

If one really wants to be off work there are ways and means. I'd say that if people don't protest they don't have any right to moan about petrol prices.

GeordieSteve · August 8, 2005

It'll be like organising a meet though, people won't be able to get time off etc.

Hows about "sorry boss but the traffic was a nightmare!"

RedM · August 8, 2005

..or "sorry boss, I was just exercising my right to peaceful protest to ensure that I can continue to afford to travel to work"?

AJI · August 9, 2005

If one really wants to be off work there are ways and means. I'd say that if people don't protest they don't have any right to moan about petrol prices.

Very good point RedM - if people don't want to do anything themselves with regards to protesting then they really don't have the right to be complaining about fuel prices !!

Otherwise it is the government who will always be laughing at us as we pay through our noses; and as they get chaufer driven around not having to spend a single penny on their own fuel.

Scoboblio · August 9, 2005

Personally I think it's a great idea, in order to get any sort of a reaction this protest is going to have to;

A: Be a complete pain in the a**e for everyone

B: Have the public's support

C: Be organised

D: Not interfere with the operation of the emergency services (could be tricky)

It's certainly time we did something big to draw attention to this, we've all seen before how people are willing to put in the effort if it's a cause they agree with - any very few people are going to disagree with this one!

Kip · August 9, 2005

Hi guys, am now back from my hols.

I have been catching up on the latest regarding 'Petrol prices, WTF'.

All makes realy interesting reading, we all apear to be singing from the same hymn sheet, however -

If I may - I have recently been involved with lobbying the government with regards to their 'going ahead' with cutting grants and funding for this countries exporters in favour of grants and funding for 'Inward Investors' (forign companies to come to this country and set up in direct competition with our guys-???) the fact that the exporters of this country contribute 60+ % of this countries wealth would apear to be of no consiquence to Gordon or Tony what so ever. After finnally sitting with the All Party Parliamentary Export Group and getting absolutely nowhere, because they are unable to listen to reason and sense, but hey, that is the remit of a Labour government, they will tell you what and when you will do it, spend and tax as much as they can and leave it for the next government to sort out when it all goes pear shaped, All Labour policies are short term and for that reason they can't afford to listen to reason and us.

So in short no matter how much ranting, protesting, blockading, going slow, writing to MP's etc. we do it aint going to change a thing I'm affraid.

As I have said for the past 18 months I have been involved with all that at quite a high level and got nowhere.

Cos they need the tax money to pay for their very ill advised spending sprees and jobs for the boys, which they do to make them look good in the short term.

The economics of this country should be as simple as running a house, if one has it one can spend it, if one hasnt one shouldnt, however labour seem to want to borrow, borrow, borrow and spend, spend, spend, which I am affraid leaves us pay for it through taxation - and for years to come no matter who gets in to government next.

Sorry to have gone a wee bit off topic......but the point is we can bring the fact that we are not happy with fuel prices and the tax on fuel to the governments attention and if they do listen - which is highly unlikely - and lets say they do bring the tax on fuel down a couple of % what will they tax to compensate for it?

I'ts a no win situation, better they freeze it than bring it down.

I suppose they could have a chat with OPEC, but hey, they do own the world!!

So do we really think they will listen to a jumped up little tw*t like Blair?

Here endeth my rant.... thanks for reading.

raymanuk · August 9, 2005

Needs to be nation wide to make the biggest hit. Sure if the word was spread then most towns could come to a hault at rush hour

Agree

We could do a go slow in

Manchester

Liverpool

leeds

Newcastle

London

Guildfor

Some examples...

Kopite · August 9, 2005

Waiting for someone to say that we couldn't do a go-slow in Liverpool because people would get their wheels nicked!

raymanuk · August 9, 2005

I think if we organise this correctly, invovle other car groups as well as protestor groups we can show this country that we are not taking it any more.

I agree MR.B but we have to start educating the nation. Everyone always takes the easy way out in this country but I say no more let us Lead by example, create public awareness of our cause rather than give up. I can't stand the way this country is turning out. We are constantly being ripped off. Shit we pay tax on everything and it certainly ain't voluntry!!!!! Its taken before we even get paid!!!!

Imagine if we had to go pay our taxes every month but we turn up and say well I am not paying road tax as the conditions of the roads I drive are terrible. We would do that in a restaurant. Sory the meal was poor and I could not eat it. I am not paying for that or I will pay half only.

or whatever - just an example.

I bet they would soon hurry up and fix stuff if we paid all our taxes like that...... Sorry started going off into one again

Any way I reckon we can start showing as a large unit accross the whole country that we have had enough of how this country is being run!!! Regardless of whether you are a supra driver or a micra driver we should unite for the cause.

Protests on a large scale like that may not get us anywhere quickly but hey lets see if we can make the news too.

We all know the only way of making this useless excuse of a government iact quickly is by causing deaths. We are not like that so we will have to do it in a sensible manner. We can't sink to the levels of the bombers and morons of this world but we can protest in a legal way

Can we all decide on what we would like to do and then start organising it with other clubs etc and spread the word.

A comittee needs to be started or summit...

Cheers,

Soop Dogg · August 9, 2005

Agree

We could do a go slow in
Manchester
Liverpool
leeds
Newcastle
London
Guildfor

Some examples...

Guildford???

AJI · August 9, 2005

Mr B : do you think that a media campain to let the public know how the government works would be a good idea ?

What about if everyone wrote to the likes of 'Watchdog' or some other TV station like 'ITV's Trevor McDonnald Tonight' show; which states the public's disgust with how this government treats the motorist?

I've written to my local MP a few times and also to other government emails... all I get is the usual response stating that "its not our fault... blame OPEC" type of replies.

The government spin doctors at the moment seem to control the media in that they say its the fluctuation of oil prices which are why we have high petrol prices.

Until a mass media TV station reports on the fact that we have really stupid levels of tax currently on fuel and challenges the government over why they have let it rise to such stupid levels, then the public opinion is going to be persuaded by the bullshyte from the likes of these spin doctors.

And its only when there is STRONG public pressure will the government do something about it. Still, in the form of protests looks like the real effective way. Block London so that they can't get the food deliveries into the house of commons.... they'd soon do something about it then... the bunch of fat barstewards.

On a side note : has everyone noticed how the slightest excuse these days is a reason for OPEC to increase their sale price on fuel? Yesterday they announced another possible terroist alert which by some amazing chance has caused oil barrel prices to rise again !!?!

(my daily rant over - don't know how many times I've ranted in this thread but this government really pi$$es me off)

raymanuk · August 9, 2005

Guildford???

A lot of the residence of guildford travel to london and a lot of people use the A3 to get into London. Block it on the M25 and the guildford area - this should cause traffic to slow...

There is a method to my madness - lol

Kip · August 9, 2005

AJI, in response to your response.

With regards to letting the public know, I would suggest they already do know how this government work yet do nothing about it as we are unable to do anything about it.

The issue which I have written about previously has had media coverage from the Times to the Television, yet how many people have heard it. ALL of the association which I work for members totalling some 400 companies were asked to lobby their MP's to date I think a dozen or so have actually done something, the rest are now starting to listen - albeit too late because the decision has now been made - and are now starting to complain because they are likely to lose business.

Apathy is what we will have to overcome with the public, because they think and have been brainwashed to think there is nothing can be done about the or any governmental issues.

If a blockade or such like were to go ahead, the police would have 'new powers' to deal with the situation.

Yes that would get media attention and yes Blair would respond, but he would also respond by turning it to his advantage - guarantee he would condemn it as some sort of urban terrorist action and get the majority to back his way of thinking.

As previously stated, they could bring fuel taxes down quite easily, but we would pay for it in other taxes.

We have to pay for this governments bad management someway and taxes are it.

In fairness this is a matter for the Chancellor (Gordon Brown) and MP's are relitivly powerless.

Has anyone targeted the Lords yet, if not give it a bash...accross all parties, obviously not the 'Greenies' or the Lib Dems.

Is there an All Party Parliamentary Group watching over the Fuel Issues and OPEC? They are the guys that can at least enquire why the taxes are so high and they will get answers and possibly some sort of action.

It's a very long and convoluted road though, full of obstacles and beurocracy.

And beleive me VERY, VERY frustrating - ever tried bashing your head against a brick wall even though one knows the outcome?

There would need to be an Alliance or officaial committee of some sort with some pretty hardball playing members on the committee.

Clarkson would be an ideal Chairman, he has an awfull lot of followers, and likes to have a dig whenever possible.

Other forms of motoring magazine editors on some sort of lobbying committee??

Just thoughts that arent too radical yet may get a result...........

Kopite · August 9, 2005

A lot of the residence of guildford travel to london and a lot of people use the A3 to get into London. Block it on the M25 and the guildford area - this should cause traffic to slow...
There is a method to my madness - lol

also, isn't Top Gear based in Guilford? sure they'd be up for it

tbourner · August 9, 2005

Like I said on page 2 there are 2 ways to go about it:

How can we sort it out though?

Talking rationally - petitions and reasoned arguments?
Taking action - roadblocks and protests?

Number 1 won't work because they won't listen, and number 2 won't work because they won't care!!

We could always ask them to swap the tax to cigarettes and alcohol!! Tax underage pregnancy and reduce long term unemployment benefits? Why tax vehicles it's something that people HAVE to use EVERY DAY in these modern times!!

Kip · August 9, 2005