Re: AlfaBill returns, The State of the (Car)Nation, and will the 156 ever be a classic...

["Ian Preece" <ian_preece@domain.elided>]

Welcome back AlfaBill, glad you had a good time in the country I call home.

You are quite correct. The British (you even have to think about who you are
describing now, as the Welsh and Scots got their own elected assembly!!)
motorists are being hammered by the current government on many fronts. The
taxation on petrol makes up about 70% of the price, the car tax is set to be
changed, favouring small engined cars, and penalising large ones, we pay
through the nose for new cars when our EEC 'partners' get a better deal, and
to cap it all, the government has announced plans for a reduction of the
speed limit on RURAL road to 50mph, and 20mph in URBAN areas, even though we
have the lowest death rate of speed related accidents in Europe. The
government is also trying to impose a tax on work place parking spaces -
unbelievable! Public transport is a joke, the railways a shambles and
getting a coherent transport policy that will persuade people off the roads,
not threaten them, doesn't seem possible. My own home town of Salisbury, a
medieval city not far from Stonehenge, is currently facing draconian
measures to 'ease' the city's traffic problems, which I admit are pressing.

Their solution. Cut by a half the long term city parking spaces, double the
rates on the remaining ones. Provide out of town 'park & ride' on each major
artery into the area. So what am I going to do? Drive 5 miles to park my car
to return 4 miles to do my shopping, to go back and drive another 5 miles
home? Sorry, but the people who dream up these ideas must be suffering from
dementure (for which I apologise to those with dementure for suggesting they
may act like local politicians).

We had a fine country once, we were respected as a nation and proud to be
British. In Mr Blairs 'Cool Britannia it seems more important to be PC than
actually get things sorted out.........

Sorry about the rant, but I just had to get that off my chest, it's getting
very difficult to enjoy your Alfa under these increasingly difficult
pressures.


Here's my token Alfa content:

Check out this link, it's all about whether the 156 will be a future
classic. Ed McDonoughs comments are interesting. I respect his knowledge,
but think he may be wrong here!

http://www.classiccarsworld.co.uk/articles/FutureClassics/futureindex.htm


I'm off for a lay down...........

Ciao,

Ian

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