miles to gallon

[Shutpa]

I see joe-90! I've got it. You are saying that we have enough people already and we dont need any more, ie we are now at the stage beyond which no more can be absorbed - a sort of saturation point. What a wonderful hypothesis. Certainly it is worthy of further investigation and debate. What a clever person you are! Has the theory never crossed your mind before?

 

[joe-90]

There is little point in bringing in more people (other than to depress wage rises). Bringing in people to work on a minimum wage means that these people pay little tax and are more inclined to claim benefits such as working tax credits throughout their working lives. Not only that, they will all be claiming pensions once they retire that have to be paid even though it will far exceed the money they've paid in.

 

[tim west]

there won't be any pensions by then.

 

[joe-90]

There will for those that can't afford to live. Starvation is the alternative.

 

[Shutpa]

You're getting a lot of miles to the gallon out of this one joe-90!

 

[Space cat]

I know this thread was originally about fuel consumption and has drifted into congestion but here goes anyway --

There's a very simple reason why there are more cars on the road than ever before and it's not because there are more people in our overpopulated little corner of Europe. It's because more of the people who were here already can afford cars.

Car ownership is rising faster here in Newcastle than anywhere else but it's got nothing to do with immigrants. It's students. When I was a student back in the seventies very few of us could afford a car. Some had old bangers but the rest of us aspired to own a moped!

That's because we had grants. Sure, it was free money but there wasn't a lot of it! Today's students get loans instead - and maybe they have richer parents too. Furthermore, the price of cars has come right down on the Mars Bar index. Quite a few houses around here are rented out to students. You can spot them easily because there's half a dozen cars parked outside!

There are a lot more students too. Newcastle University had 5000 when I was there. Last time I looked it was 13000 and that was a few years back. Then there's the University of Northumbria (formerly known as Newcastle Polytechnic). I haven't the slightest idea how many students they've got.

I've got nothing against students - I used to be one remember. Osborne road is a much brighter place these days. I'm not denying them an education (even if it's media studies ) or somewhere to live - or a car. I just wanted to set the record straight.

 

[joe-90]

How do you work out that one and a half million migrants don't add to the total number of cars? Maths not your strong point?

 

[nickso]

How do you work out that one and a half million migrants don't add to the total number of cars? Maths not your strong point?

this from the man who cant work out basic percentages.

 

[Softus]

Cars are getting cheaper.

The first car I ever bought cost £600, secondhand.

The most recent car I bought cost £415, secondhand, and is approximately four million times as sophisticated [as my very first one]; also faster, bigger, safer, and comfier.

It will also last many years longer, and at the end of its life will hardly have rusted.

This is why there are so many cars on the road - they're affordable, and they last effectively for ever.

 

[joe-90]

Softus. Does a million and a half migrants add to road congestion?

 

[Softus]

Hm, let's see.

How many of those are living in the manner of the workers at Atherstone-on-Stour? I'm pretty sure they don't own cars, but I could be wrong.

How many are cleaners in London hotels and hospitals? I'm pretty sure that they couldn't drive to work, but I could be wrong.

How many are employed by companies to do skilled jobs (e.g. plumbing, sparking), and are provided with vehicles to do that work? If what you've said before is correct, then those are jobs that a UK citizen would have done anyway, so I'm pretty sure that those migrants don't add to the congestion, but I could be wrong.

So, you're quite right; I suspect that one guy, out of that million-and-a-half, happens to be driving a car, on a road, in traffic, in the rush hour, somewhere in the country.

It's lucky that you're the one who doesn't see things in black and white terms.

 

[joe-90]

You are always wrong. Softus.

 

[Zampa]

Though it pains me, I'm with Joe on this. Whilst I agree that this thread is in danger of going off topic, I do think that Joe has a point. At last estimate there could be anything up to 1.5 million immigrants in recent years (don't quote me on figures - I don't watch much news). There's got to be a sizeable chunk of those that have a car - that's gotta make a difference. When a car park is full they put a sign out to say so - we seem to have lost the sign.
Back onto topic, I've said it before and I'll say it again.... scrapping road tax and putting it on fuel is the way to go. http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=321120#321120[/QUOTE]

WHta worries me is the recent findings of a report that stated the population is due to rise by 10 million over the next 25 years 7 million of which is expected to be 'non british' visible minorites

Still lets just 'do a livingston' and pretend that wont pose any type of problem whatsoever and continue with the thread eh...

I cant see why or how immigrants are sposed to cause the problem all by themselves and most of them only drive late at night in mini cabs anyway...we are all part of it. When we sit in a raffic jam its just as much our fault as the bloke in front and the woman behind (sorry feminists...no slur intended)

I think they should raise the driving age to 21 (including immigrants joe so dont start!!)..it would have a two fold benefit

1..it would help keep the traffic down

2..the road traffic deaths would drop because the idiots wouldnt be driving
everywhere to fast too recklesly

Make that three fold...our insurance wouldnt be so say having to compensate for the ****z