For those of you in Europe

[Masterurethane]

This post is to contain no political opinions, flaming, or influence.

But I'm just reminding everyone to vote, it's important :-)

[Gav]

I'll vote after work. Haven't decided who to vote for yet:

Labour? Nah, they can't be trusted to stick to their guns on Europe.
Tories? You have GOT to be kidding!
UKIP? That's even funnier than me voting the tories.
Greens? I don't like the greens they are too wishy washy. They are like a toothless version of Labour [is that an oxymoron or what?].
SSP? I don't really have the courage to vote for Tommy Sheridan (sorry SSP). To weegie focused and they are all neds.
SNP? Perhaps, but they are turning into a mainstream party with little or no agenda. What's wrong with Scotland's independence, for *$^£ sake that is what the party was founded on.
Other? HA HA HA HA HA HA I had a look at all the llobby groups that call themselves a political party. HA HA HA HA HA HA
Lib Dems? After all that I am left with this lot. Who are so politically correct that they are neutered.

Gah! UK politics is in a dire state.

[Masterurethane]

Agreed.

UKIP are a complete farce, as are the BNP

The tories are in a bit of a laughable state at the moment, labour have been a disappointment, the greens are a bit of a pipedream, and independent candidates, well indeed.

I just voted Lib Dem, I met some representatives for them on Bath on a train a while ago, they seemed nice, which is a bigger reason for voting than I have for any of the others, hehe.

[dunastor]

Originally Posted by Masterurethane

This post is to contain no political opinions, flaming, or influence.

But I'm just reminding everyone to vote, it's important :-)

That "no political opinions" seems to work out just fine..


yay for the Lib Dem..

[Albatros]

Yes it's important, it comes right after the Soccer European Campionship
I'm just kidding...

I will definately vote.

Cheers

[Masterurethane]

Originally Posted by dunastor

That "no political opinions" seems to work out just fine..

Ah


I started out with noble intentions, honest :-)

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Gav

Labour? Nah, they can't be trusted to stick to their guns on Europe.

How can they, they aren't allowed to HAVE guns in the UK, are they?

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

How can they, they aren't allowed to HAVE guns in the UK, are they?

LOL!

I'd be worried if anyone got stuck to their guns...

[Schiavona]

Originally Posted by Gav

LOL!

I'd be worried if anyone got stuck to their guns...

It's that damn Loctite again!

[Louweasel]

I'm going to go home and vote in a minute.
I live in london so I'm going to vote for the mayor as well - out with Red Ken! All those promises and what has he done for public transport? Bugger all. The tube still boasts conditions in the summer that the EU ban for the transportation of cattle...

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Louweasel

I'm going to go home and vote in a minute.
I live in london so I'm going to vote for the mayor as well - out with Red Ken! All those promises and what has he done for public transport? Bugger all. The tube still boasts conditions in the summer that the EU ban for the transportation of cattle...

London has the best transport infrastructure in the country!!!!

Ever since he introduced road tolls the centre of London is has been a pleasure to visit!

You Londoners don't know you're born.

[Masterurethane]

Ah, that is true, whenever I visit london I'm mightily impressed by the transport, tubes are pretty damn good compared to everything else the country has to offer. And the road tax was a good idea too.

However, something does need to be done about the underground, it probably isn't going to last long in its current state. Isn't it made of ancient wiring and in such a mess that if it breaks nobody will actually be able to fix it, becasue noone knows how it works? Or is that just a lie I've been told?

[Louweasel]

Originally Posted by Gav

London has the best transport infrastructure in the country!!!!

Ever since he introduced road tolls the centre of London is has been a pleasure to visit!

You Londoners don't know you're born.

You are right in a way, and that's certainly what I said when I first moved here -in comparison to where I grew up, where if youdidn't drive and your parenst wouldn't give you a lift, you stayed at home, and whereI couldn't get public transport to my boyfriend's house about 10 miles away because there was only one bus a week. And neither town was that small!

It's the principle really - he made promises and claims to have put all this money in but we haven't seen any results. Where has the money gone? And I know expecting a politician to keep a promise is a bit naive, but...

The other odd thing is that I was in a car with four colleagues the other day and theywere all saying how they thought the congestion charge hasn't made any difference. I think it's made a slight difference but not as much as I'd hoped. [For the uninitiated, a few months ago the mayor of London introduced a system whereby if you drive into a defined area of central London within the hours of 7am and 6.30pm you have to pay a toll of a fiver ($9.13 at today's rate). There are no barriers at the edge of the zone; you pay by phone, on the interweb, or certain places like newsagents and large carparks have a machine. Cameras catch your numberplate; that's how they police it.]

On the one hand, it is true that the Thameslink trains I use to go to work in the morning are frequent and clean. On the other, they are overcrowded and I kid you not they are late more often than not (I made a count over a couple of months). and fifteen minutes is annoying if you are stuck on the platform waiting when you need to be at work.
It is true that the Tube is far-reaching with many stops, frequent, easy to use and fast. On the other hand it is expensive (much more so than other european cities) and anyone who's been on it in high summer knows the what I'm talking about when I say that it's probably illegal under theGeneva Convention!

[Louweasel]

Originally Posted by Masterurethane

Ah, that is true, whenever I visit london I'm mightily impressed by the transport, tubes are pretty damn good compared to everything else the country has to offer. And the road tax was a good idea too.

However, something does need to be done about the underground, it probably isn't going to last long in its current state. Isn't it made of ancient wiring and in such a mess that if it breaks nobody will actually be able to fix it, becasue noone knows how it works? Or is that just a lie I've been told?

Road tax - you mean the (official name) road fund licence that any car owner whose car is in use must pay, and diplay a disc showing it in the windscreen? Don't you have that? Or are you talking about the London congestion charge?

Think that might be an inflated rumour about the tube wiring though. I know we English areeccentric but we're not quite that bad! A lot ofthe tracks are getting old and need some attention, but of course when sections of the line are closed for "engineering works" it causes chaos! You can't win I suppose...

I'm not sure I like the line about tubes being good compared toeverything else the country has to offer! If the tube was the best thing about the UK, I think I'd go home and cry! And emigrate...

[veeco]

So how did the European elections go in England? France is set for this sunday.

[Gav]

We won't know until Monday as we the results are not allowed to be published until then. Turn out in Scotland has been poor. Some estimates have put it at less than 20%.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Louweasel

I'm not sure I like the line about tubes being good compared toeverything else the country has to offer! If the tube was the best thing about the UK, I think I'd go home and cry! And emigrate...

The tube really is a good way to get across London. I never understand why Londoners complain about it so much. If you want to try a similair system try the Glasgow underground [aka The ClockWork Orange] to see what I am getting at. Also, in London, the bus are frequent [even late at night] and you never pay more than a £1 single [at least in central London. Now that the congestion charge is in place the Buses even run relatively to time. Both forms of transport are relatively clean. Contrast all of that with public transport out in the sticks.

Admittedly the tube can get quite hot but, considering that that most journey's are not that long, is that really so difficult to deal with?

For all of his faults, at least Ken, said up front that he would be introducing an unpopular charge on people [the congestion charge] and carried it through. I admire him for that. Other political party representatives may say one thing and you can almost guarentee that they will do another. It also takes time for big changes to come about. I hope that if Ken gets back in [and I do hope he does and not that Tory plonker] that he is allowed to continue to improve transport in the city.

[Masterurethane]

Yeah, sorry, I was talking about the congestion charge, but I was being lazy and just called it road tax. I have to admit, London seemed a nicer place since they introduced this, maybe it doesn't make that much difference for a motorist, but as a pedestrian I certainly noticed it. I also like what they've done to trafalgar square recently.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Louweasel

[For the uninitiated, a few months ago the mayor of London introduced a system whereby if you drive into a defined area of central London within the hours of 7am and 6.30pm you have to pay a toll of a fiver ($9.13 at today's rate). There are no barriers at the edge of the zone; you pay by phone, on the interweb, or certain places like newsagents and large carparks have a machine. Cameras catch your numberplate; that's how they police it.]

Sounds like you need these:


http://www.jammersstore.com/anti_photo.htm

[dunastor]

Some state & local law enforcement may ban devices, which obscures license plates. Buyer is responsible to know laws pertaining to the protector use.

just like the radars for the detection of speed cameras...