Do we live in a nanny state

[russelldust]

I feel that red tape and pettiness is trickling down into my every day life far more than it really should.

 

I've always felt that the State should be as small as possible and should only be there to protect the extremely vulnerable...

 

... but to my mind it seems we pay more and more tax and get less and less for it. Do you think this is true?

 

A couple of examples:

 

I live in the congestion charging zone.

For a year I could not apply for a 'discount' because the computer system didn't recognise that I lived in the zone (a look in any A-Z and the fact that if I walked in any direction from my flat I have to cross a big © kind of made it obvious).

 

Eventually I managed to get a discount, but had to pay £10 for the privilige.

 

Apparently I get a 90% discount on the £5 daily charge- i.e. 50p per day.

 

However, I can only buy 5 days worth of CC tokens (and these have to be consecutive). Therefore if I want to just use my car once it costs £2.50 (50% discount).

 

If I move my car from one parking bay to another during the day I have to pay the charge (there are lots of mobile cameras).

 

I have to pay £95 p.a. for a parking permit.

There are no residents' parking bays within five minutes walk of my flat so I have to park it further away.

 

It has been broken into twice.

 

It has been towed twice.

One time was when it was parked in a valid residents' parking bay which they decided to suspend whilst I was on holiday. My car was taken into the pound. No-one notified me so I thought it had been stolen- £350 to get it back

 

I got a ticket last week for 'meter feeding'

I had parked my car on a meter outside the flat and was going up and down putting stuff in the car as I was going away for the weekend. I only paid for half an hour and as it wasn't long enough put in for another half an hour (the restriction was '2 hours' on the sign)...

 

Came back and there was a ticket- apparently if I had moved my car twelve feet to one of the empty bays either side then I would not have caused an offence...

 

I tell you if I wasn't such a restrained person I would have tied the traffic warden to my car and dragged him round the block a few times.

 

 

Anyway rant over.

There are many more examples

What do you think?

[Louise]

move

 

[Aaron]

QUOTE (russelldust @ May 26 2004, 15:39)

I feel that red tape and pettiness is trickling down into my every day life far more than it really should. I've always felt that the State should be as small as possible and should only be there to protect the extremely vulnerable... ... but to my mind it seems we pay more and more tax and get less and less for it. Do you think this is true? A couple of examples: I live in the congestion charging zone. For a year I could not apply for a 'discount' because the computer system didn't recognise that I lived in the zone (a look in any A-Z and the fact that if I walked in any direction from my flat I have to cross a big © kind of made it obvious). Eventually I managed to get a discount, but had to pay £10 for the privilige. Apparently I get a 90% discount on the £5 daily charge- i.e. 50p per day. However, I can only buy 5 days worth of CC tokens (and these have to be consecutive). Therefore if I want to just use my car once it costs £2.50 (50% discount). If I move my car from one parking bay to another during the day I have to pay the charge (there are lots of mobile cameras). I have to pay £95 p.a. for a parking permit. There are no residents' parking bays within five minutes walk of my flat so I have to park it further away. It has been broken into twice. It has been towed twice. One time was when it was parked in a valid residents' parking bay which they decided to suspend whilst I was on holiday. My car was taken into the pound. No-one notified me so I thought it had been stolen- £350 to get it back I got a ticket last week for 'meter feeding' I had parked my car on a meter outside the flat and was going up and down putting stuff in the car as I was going away for the weekend. I only paid for half an hour and as it wasn't long enough put in for another half an hour (the restriction was '2 hours' on the sign)... Came back and there was a ticket- apparently if I had moved my car twelve feet to one of the empty bays either side then I would not have caused an offence... I tell you if I wasn't such a restrained person I would have tied the traffic warden to my car and dragged him round the block a few times. Anyway rant over. There are many more examples What do you think?

Traffic Wardens in London are on commision! Bastards!

[russelldust]

QUOTE (Louise @ May 26 2004, 15:41)

move

Am- just had an offer accepted on a three bed place in stoke newington...

 

and no parking restrictions

Get in!

[Louise]

do it