A friend of mine cycled past the Shell garage on Apex Corner and stared disbelievingly at a queue of a hundred cars or more in a mad dash for petrol before any possible petrol shortage. He does the sensible thing - he keeps his car purely for emergencies. The rest of the time he cycles. Cyclists aren’t that bothered by blockades.
I use public transport, having given up on the car and having become too frightened through old age, lack of skill or perhaps just ready cash to buy a motorcycle, but I too recongise the absurdity of drivers panic-buying petrol. After all, what good will that petrol be when food doesn’t get to the supermarkets? Mind you, I try to avoid supermarkets too.
There are three factors behind the planned protest against fuel prices: greed, greed and erm, greed. Greed of the government, with its disgracefully high duty, far higher than just about anywhere else in the world. Greed of the USA, who in their imperialist and Christofascist nation-buggery have managed to sodomise the stability of the world’s biggest oil-producing region. And greed of the drivers. Yes, the drivers. Oh alright, the oil companies.
The USA wasn’t helped by Katrina of course, with so much oil production in the Gulf (the one they didn’t send troops to, oh wait a minute, erm, the one where there aren’t curfews and martial law then, erm… I mean, the one where innocent people aren’t shot, oh forget it, I mean of course the Katrina-ravaged portion of their own land), their own prices haven’t been helped much either.
I do wonder, like my cycle-riding friend did, why the God who supposedly talks to President Bush didn’t see fit to warn him about Katrina? Oh of course, He did, but Bush told Him it was ok, because only blacks who don’t vote for him live in the path of the Biblical Storm.
Stop driving. It’s rubbish. If you live in a village that has poor transport links, I understand. If you live in London, or any major city, I simply don’t. By sitting in your car, you are slowing traffic to a crawl. If you leave your car at home, or better still, sell it and use the money for something better, like, I don’t know, a bicycle or ten, and put the rest into your mortgage, there will be less traffic and the bus will get you where you want quicker.
Cars are stupid. They have trashed the planet, contributing to Force-Daft-Hurricanes like Katrina and they cost you money and cause you grief. Parking tickets. Parking fees. Resident permits. Gatso fines. Petrol. Insurance. Bus lane tickets. Congestion Charging. Some ‘roid-rage-road-rage-rascal ramming your roadster. And then you.
Relax. Take the bus. The cost of a single parking ticket is enough to let you ride on the buses for a whole month. And if you’re really minted, take the tube.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
CrankyOverSeas 09.14.05 at 11:09 pm
Shah
I understand your extreme annoyance at the term ‘Islamofascist’ and therefore your counter use of the term ‘Christofascist’ in describing the current US administration but i think you are wrong. One cannot reasonably argue that Bush’s admin is running the country under ideals of Clerical Fascism. I think it is an enormous stretch to even be able to argue that the country is under a fascistic govt based on any reasonable definition of fascism, but even if one was able to do so, that fact that he is a Christian and (professes) to making descision based on his own morals (that are in turn based on his religious beliefs), is vastly different to making policy and pushing an Agenda under a Religious Christian Doctrine in the name of Christ. As a Christian i am offended by the application of the term….and there ends one bizarre moment of defending Bush
Catnapping 09.15.05 at 4:16 am
Christofascist. BRAVO. an apt term, without a doubt.
The christianist are pushing the fascist agenda in my country. It’s really too bad my ancestors didn’t kill them all as they were coming to shore.
Stef 09.15.05 at 5:14 am
Another spot on post. I haven’t run a car in London for years - for all the reasons you’ve given. It used to be viable but now it’s plain daft.
Having said that the buses in my part of town are jammed full all of the time and it costs a fiver to go anywhere and back by tube. For a vibrant, modern city London really is pain to get around these days, whatever you use…
Shahid 09.15.05 at 8:47 am
- CrankyOverSeas,
If you know me, then you know that I have enormous love and affection for Christianity and Christians. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings. I am trying to highlight the fact that the currency of the term “Islamofascist”, manufactured like a number of anti-Muslim terms by terrorist governments around the world, like the Bushler and the Reich Winger regime and the Sharon regime needs to be countered,
Bush is no more Christian than I am, yet he claims that God told him to invade Iraq. That makes him as much a Christofascist as Bin Laden is an Islamofascist.
I just don’t like these terms to enter mainstream thinking, thus unfairly muddying my religion, the way it has been slandered for centuries, without some kind of defence. All I am doing is holding up a mirror.
I mean no offence to real Christians like yourself. Your type of Christian will always occupy a very, very special place in my heart. You have to remember, I went to a church school, which I loved. I don’t like bastards like Bush hijacking your religion and calling my kind backward and terrorist any more than I like Bin Laden hijacking my religion. In fact, I like Bush less. He has killed more people, including his own. And he goes on holiday while all this happens.
In fairness to you, I don’t think you were defending Bush, you were more likely attacking my use of the “Christofascist”. Fair enough. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Now imagine you were the minority and the mainstream press were using this term and just one lone blogger out in the blogosphere used the term “Islamofascist” and I was you telling this lone blogger that the use of the term was unfair…
Salaam.
-Stef
Buses are always jammed full now and I think that’s an indication of their success too. They have got a lot better in the last couple of years I think, in terms of timings if not comfort. I would like to see more buses on the road and less cars and then, when things have really moved on, bring out a new bus which is a homage to the dearly departed Routemaster, but with 21st century accessibility features and safety standards. Maybe a triple decker, gyroscopically balanced too with compressed air lifts.
Postman 09.15.05 at 11:51 pm
No. The duty on vehicle fuels is one of Europe’s saving graces. It has encouraged the design , manufacture and sale of high efficiency, low emission passenger vehicles. It has encourage the use of public transport. IT has provided Guvmnt with a stable revenue tax which is neutral across all industry sectors. Ut is a tax that cannot be manipulated by lawyers, accountnats etc., … and it is very cheap to collect - and difficult to avoid - IRA / UVF gangstas bleaching red diesel apart - to tune of £3Mn a year in NI according to C & E.
In fact duty has gone down since 2000 portest and gullible brown cave din and has reduced his tax take in that time by £22Bn.
Perol after inflation is accounted for (even using the massively fiddled CLI)is cheaper than it was 4 years ago !
Sane sensible people don’t have a car in cities.
Have just found the magazine “salam” issue 3 an islam style magazine - recommend. http://www.salammagazine.com - v good article on Uzbekistan.