# Sucks to be a motorist



## Goldbug (Sep 23, 2011)

Oil about to trigger the inevitable recession?



> Diesel prices reach eye-watering 150.9p a litre at M6 service station
> It now costs more than £100 to fill up the 70-litre tank in a typical family car
> Osborne rules out fuel duty cuts in budget
> Thousands of campaigners to lobby MPs at Parliament on March 7
> ...


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ecord-high-1-50-litre-pain-way-motorists.html


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I'm sure prices will rise and it will drive people off the road. It makes me laugh that the biggest part of peoples budgets is fuel, and that the price is increasing above peoples salary. I run 3 cars but use the pug on a day to day basis that saves me fuel. I could choose a small eco car and make savings but I refuse to be driven down into something small, and i guess while i have that attitude the govenment will win


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## Goldbug (Sep 23, 2011)

Pretty much and the price of road fuels will not fall back this time the fundamentals are all completely different.

There are going to be some pretty nasty demo's over the tax on fuel in the coming Months, mind you they will be chicken feed opposed to the ones when the welfare state has to be cut back.

Part of the reason road fuel tax is so high is because the welfare state is so generous.


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

Unfortunately it is generous to the wrong people!!


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Goldbug said:


> There are going to be some pretty nasty demo's over the tax on fuel in the coming Months


Not in the UK, I'll bet you.... people are too shy and spineless... or too busy doing other "more important" things...


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## turboyamaha (Nov 18, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Not in the UK, I'll bet you.... people are too shy and spineless... or too busy doing other "more important" things...


Agreed the protests 10 years ago were against the price a fraction of what it is now!!


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

The government are a bit stupid at times. I can see why they are putting tax on fuel as they think it's an easy way to make money.

However if they go too far they will just price people off the road and will lose money.

They need to:

- Sort out the welfare system
- Stop banging on about taxing the rich, who already contribute more than their fare share to the coffers, to win votes,
- Chase those who are rich that don't pay through stupid loopholes, a la footballers who pay 2% tax 
- Cut MP's allowances especially on second homes!
- Stop putting people in charge of depts who have no experience in said dept. For example civillians in charge of MOD, Education Secretary never having been a teacher etc etc

This is only the tip of the iceberg. But it would go a long way to helping out.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ 

1) they are not stupid.

2) Why do you think that the government wants to help the average person?

The UK is going the way that has been planned for a good number of years now... everything is going well and correctly.

It just happens that the plan isn't about making the place better, or the people free to make their own choices and decisions...


:thumb:


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> ^^
> 
> 1) they are not stupid.
> 
> ...


Silly me. I thought that would be classed as stupid by most people


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> Not in the UK, I'll bet you.... people are too shy and spineless... or too busy doing other "more important" things...


Like working? I personally don;t really care about fuel costs, but I can guarantee you I'm not going to make a crap situation worse by spending my time protesting when I could be working.

Until theres a protest that will actually make a difference, whats the point in a small minority protesting?


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

In all fairness the quote is from the Daily Wail so it has to be taken with a pinch of salt as to the extremity, I agree the duty and tax on fuel is ridiculous but where do you think the money will come from if they reduce the duty on fuel? It will get side shifted on to something else.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

vRS Carl said:


> Silly me. I thought that would be classed as stupid by most people


Oh it is... but, what I mean is that it's all part of their plan.... so they are being clever, as their plan is being successful...

wasn't having a go at your post...

:thumb:



vroomtshh said:


> Like working? I personally don;t really care about fuel costs, but I can guarantee you I'm not going to make a crap situation worse by spending my time protesting when I could be working.
> 
> Until theres a protest that will actually make a difference, whats the point in a small minority protesting?


Some people are working, some are doing nothing but lying on a couch collecting money, some don't care enough....

I have my own protest by using the cars as little as possible, if I thought for one minute any sort of protest would work, then I would be all for it...

But since the Terrorism Act of the UK came into force, I don't see me getting involved in any protests... too much to lose.

:thumb:


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> Oh it is... but, what I mean is that it's all part of their plan.... so they are being clever, as their plan is being successful...
> 
> wasn't having a go at your post...
> 
> :thumb:


I know you weren't hence the  smilies :thumb:


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

Does anyone else get really sad at the thought of fuel always increasing in price, yet we can't physically do anything about it?

It's like we're being bullied, helpless, but it's something we NEED.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

dann2707 said:


> Does anyone else get really sad at the thought of fuel always increasing in price, yet we can't physically do anything about it?
> 
> It's like we're being bullied, helpless, but it's something we NEED.


Is it something you NEED though? They are trying to get everyone to re-evaluate their fuel usage. I don't NEED to drive to work as it's only 8 miles, I could cycle (and probably should tbh).


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

bigmc said:


> Is it something you NEED though? They are trying to get everyone to re-evaluate their fuel usage. I don't NEED to drive to work as it's only 8 miles, I could cycle (and probably should tbh).


I dont NEED fuel. I could pack in work and claim benefits. Single parent with a dog too. I could be raking it in lying on the couch, with no need to use any fuel :thumb:


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

vroomtshh said:


> I dont NEED fuel. I could pack in work and claim benefits. Single parent with a dog too. I could be raking it in lying on the couch, with no need to use any fuel :thumb:


Kind of defeatist argument though. Most people could review their petrol/diesel usage, how many people drop their kids of at school less than half a mile from home, how many people drive for their pint of milk and daily paper similar distances?


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

yip, I gave up driving to work a while ago... I no longer go for many drives/rides just for the sake of it... and any driving I do, is a) for work, so doesn't cost me anything, and b) over long distances, so better mpg! :lol:

:thumb:


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

bigmc said:


> Kind of defeatist argument though. Most people could review their petrol/diesel usage, how many people drop their kids of at school less than half a mile from home, how many people drive for their pint of milk and daily paper similar distances?


Its the only argument I have. I use my car for work. I don't ever really drive anywhere thats less than 10miles away (I take the car to the gym which is 3 miles away but I go on the way home from work)

I get my paper, and the odd bit of shopping at lunchtime when I walk to Tesco.

I do occasionally go out on a Sunday for a drive. But unless fuel becomes completely ridiculous this will continue.

I'm probably in the minority, but I don;t really think fuel costs are particularly bad.
I spend approx 7% of my weekly wage in fuel (used to be less but I changed to petrol from a diesel). That allows me to pay the bills, buy the junk I want etc, so I don;t see it as a huge cost.
I also think fuel costs are pretty much in proportion to everything else we buy (in the time I've been driving)

Its just an easy thing for people to moan about, with no real way to do anything about it.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

vroomtshh said:


> I'm probably in the minority, but I don;t really think fuel costs are particularly bad.
> I spend approx 7% of my weekly wage in fuel (used to be less but I changed to petrol from a diesel). That allows me to pay the bills, buy the junk I want etc, so I don;t see it as a huge cost.
> I also think fuel costs are pretty much in proportion to everything else we buy (in the time I've been driving)
> 
> Its just an easy thing for people to moan about, with no real way to do anything about it.


I agree with all of that tbh, I don't think fuel is too expensive. I too am around 7% of my weekly wage on fuel, the recent increases have made me think more about dusting off the mtb though and seeing how long it would take to cycle to work.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Wooohoooo, less traffic on my daily commute LOL


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I can get the train and bus to work, i live around 14 miles away, I cannot bike as I don't fancy biking down the a1.

If I wanted to get the train I would have to walk 2 miles to the station, catch the train and then catch the bus to work, the trains run hourly and are not all that reliable, it would mean that in order to start work at 9am I would have to leave at 6am, I would then get home around 7pm ..... and it wouldn't be any cheaper. A return train ticket is £5.90 and there is two of us, so thats £11.80 without the bus fare .... a similar journey on a regular clean new train in Malaga cost less than 1 euro .....

So despite fuel getting more expensive its still cheaper and gives me a better quality of life than public transport. I have toyed with the idea of an electric car but at 30k + thats a lot of fuel in my £800 206


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

I'm stuck in a bit of a catch 22 when it comes to fuel prices. I commute in my car from near Winchester to Farnborough three days a week, it's a journey of 45 miles and takes about an hour. With the car I have now which does about 32 mpg I fill up once a week and it costs between £40-45 depending on where I go. 

A couple of my eco conscious friends keep on telling me that I should ditch the car and use public transport. Fair enough, but then it would cost me about £30 per day just in train tickets so I would be doubling my travelling costs and including the time taken travelling to and from train stations it would also double my journey time, and because I'm an art and design student I've sometimes got bulky items that are hard enough to carry from the front door to the car let alone lug onto buses and trains. So basically whichever way I look at it it's gonna cost me quite a bit of money to commute.

EDIT: Having just read Steve's post, I agree that my quality of life is definitely better by using my car. When I'm in my car I have my own space, I am in control of my own destiny, on public transport I am not and I hate that. Plus public transport in this country is known unreliable and this can make using it a very un-relaxing experience. I try to avoid public transport at all cost as not only do I hate with a passion but on the odd occasion I've had no choice but to use it it has made me very late.

Here's my story. Last November I went on a trip to Paris with my College and we all had to meet up at St.Pancras to catch the Eurostar, because the trip was 3 days it would have cost a fortune to park in London so me and a couple of others decided to get the train from Farnborough together. Now the train arrived 10 minutes late, fair enough, but due to a couple of unforeseen stoppages en-route we arrived at Waterloo with about 15 minutes to go before check in closed when we should have arrived with nearly an hour to spare. At this point we decided to play it safe and got a cab to St.Pancras and arrived with barely seconds to spare, one of my friends is a smoker so she needed a *** (mainly to calm her nerves) and we then had to literally sprint through St.Pancras station.

But it could have been worse, Some of the others had arrived at waterloo with about 45 minutes to spare and decided to get the tube, but unforunately one of the lines on the route from Waterloo to St.Pancras wasn't running so they had to take a pretty sizeable diversion. Just as the people who'd made it on time were walking along the platform to board the train my tutors phone went. It was one of the other tutors saying that he along with several of the students were running through the streets of London and could we hold the train as they didn't know if they were going to make it in time. With barely seconds to go before the train left they could be seen sprinting along the platform waving frantically to stop it leaving. Honestly it was just such a palava and the only time I've ever felt the need to turn to alcohol.


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## *Das* (Aug 9, 2010)

Over 2billion less LT's sold last year due to the high prices, is it any wonder were still in recession? I know I use my car to go to and from work and very little else, no more going for a drive just for the hell of it.


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## dann2707 (Mar 25, 2011)

bigmc said:


> Is it something you NEED though? They are trying to get everyone to re-evaluate their fuel usage. I don't NEED to drive to work as it's only 8 miles, I could cycle (and probably should tbh).


I knew this was coming.

I do NEED it, I need to get to uni 30 miles there and 30 miles back.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

I find fuel costs me about the same as 25 years ago when i first drove. Back then £10 of 4star would get me approx 100 miles.
Now £10 of diesel gets me approx 100 miles. 
This is a mix of obviously diesel getting more mpg and also my driving style shall we say being a little calmer than when i was 17!!


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## greenwagon (Dec 31, 2008)

I'm running at about 8% of my wages with 2 cars I now pay over £40 a month more then 2 years ago 
I live out in the wilds and public transport is not an option 
In rural Cumbria we are hit so hard now with fuel costs and it is the major grumble with people where I live 
I suppose I could get a couple of economic small cars but that's no fun in life is it?


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## *Das* (Aug 9, 2010)

Darlofan said:


> I find fuel costs me about the same as 25 years ago when i first drove. Back then £10 of 4star would get me approx 100 miles.
> Now £10 of diesel gets me approx 100 miles.
> This is a mix of obviously diesel getting more mpg and *also my driving style shall we say being a little calmer than when i was 17!!*


LoL, I remember it being like that too. Mind you I did tend to drive with my foot welded to to floor back then too.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

DasArab said:


> LoL, I remember it being like that too. Mind you I did tend to drive with my foot welded to to floor back then too.


I think the main thing is I don't have a hoard of women to impress now:lol:


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Simple lets all move to the US 50 pence a ltr Chevy for me, i forgot they have no jobs ethier


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## johanr77 (Aug 4, 2011)

It's all fairly relative if fuel heads up by 10p a litre it costs me an extra £5.50 per tank fill or £16.50 a month, buy a couple of less dvds a month I save that cash and the wife is happy. It is because of me buying two less dvds a month that HMV are going to the wall though. Being serious though that is what is happening people are spending less of their income on the high street because the cost of living is increasing so it should hardly be a surprise a recession is threatening again if people are starting to hang on to their cash in fear of losing their job or because heaps of people are banging on about the economy being in the crapper.


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## rich-hill (May 13, 2008)

When I learnt to drive petrol was around 4-5p more expensive than deisel Now at my local station petrol is 12p cheaper than diesel 

So what has changed? It all comes from a barrel of oil and I assume it's turned into its respective fuel the same way now as 10 years ago. So why the change? Seems like a supply and demand thing really, someone is making more money.

I have heard of people saying they are saving money by changing from a petrol car, to then find out they have bought a new derv, but had to pay an extra £5000 for it. That doesn't seem like money saving to me, £5000 is a lot of petrol


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