by Rodge » Tue Feb 22, 2005 8:44 pm
Trying to catch up here.
Firstly Richard, thanks for your views. Although the British Empire has made some major mistakes I do agree we haven't cocked up everything! I still cannot say we were as successful as the Romans or Greeks!
Secondly Richard we have to stop agreeing like this. It's too worrying!!![:]:-)[/:]
In terms of Privitisation of the US Rail Service Marty, DO whatever you can to stop it. If we are any example it can only lead to disaster.
Fuel: This could be where I get preachy and may annoy a few, so I apologise in advance. $1.74 per gallon!! That really makes my blood boil. No wonder there are so many SUV's in the US and the country is the biggest polluters in the world. That is approx the equivalent to £0.28 per UK Litre? We are paying on average £0.85/litre ($4.83 per gallon!!)
A flight to the US now, can cost as little as £350. Thats about 4 weeks fuel use in my car! It is so cheap because flight fuel is not taxed, in fact it is subsidised. Why??? It is a luxury item. I live in the country and have to use my car and hence have to pay the inflated tax on petrol, and yet a holiday to America is surely a luxury and so why is it not taxed like road fuel? If it was a flight to America would cost a further £400 on average. Also the environmental impact per person for a flight across the atlantic is the equivalent to an entire years impact of one persons car AND home use!! I understand the paradox of values but this is taking the piss. I really do not begrudge people flights aboard for holidays, but why can't it be taxed more, it may make people think longer and harder.....I shall end here before I really sound like some Greenpeace activist!!
One final point for Meg, the eye scan and finger printing is not part of some airport security. It is purely so that 'Big Brother' can be watching you. If they bring that to the UK then that will be the last time I ever fly. (I have similar feelings about the proposed ID cards)
Also Gwennie, I still think it is a major infringement of your person, but surely you were patted down by a woman? In the UK those kind of 'searches can only be carried out by a same sex person? It does amaze me, with all the technology that we have at our finger tips that there is not a more 'appropriate' way of checking a person for concealed items?
Post Edited (02-22-05 19:50)
My fine is over £700 !! (",)