LB Community Forums / General / Current Affairs

Cyclists

Kevsta — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:49:03 GMT

Is it time to start clamping down on their behaviour? They seem to think a red light is merely a suggestion, pedestrian crossings are a nuisance, and to hell with anyone on the road or pavement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8577612.stm

ARE YOU A BIKER OR A DONKEY ??? Ends Wed 17th March

WraithPilot — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:01:40 GMT

DON'T Shoot the messenger, copied from MCN thread in our interests. ;)

ARE YOU A BIKER OR A DONKEY ???

If you aren't a DONKEY add to this thread I DID !!!!

And get any of your Buds online to tell you they did TOO! You might have to Bug them to do them a favour!!!!

The Internet means we have a voice, please use it.

This is a no Brainer. It takes no more than 5mins to do.

Taxed to Death on Fuel ....

Motorcycle tax to ride on our potholed, manhole cover strune speed limit crippled roads is set to increase THIS YEAR. You can sit back and do nothing or you can go to the No10 Petitions Site. Click on Size and scroll down to

stop the increases in motorcycle tax proposed for 2010

It closes next Wednesday, 17th March 2010

At the time of this post 16th there are ONLY 7,550

Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic !!!!!!!!!

That make us look like Donkeys, even if its been dropped to win votes, we need to say to the next Government. DO ONE!

It takes just a moment to do. Please DON'T forget to acknowledge the confirmation email to your email addy.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/list/open?sort=signers

Please add .... I Did before you shoot off.

Boycott the daily morror

ginger — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:23:32 GMT

join this group if your on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=366152934908

and here is what he said eariler
Daily Mirror's security correspondant Chris Huges
had this to say about motorcyclists who took part in the Wootton Bassett run 14th March 2010....

"NOW we've seen it all - hundreds of bikers showing their
"solidarity with frontline troops," by trundling their petrol guzzling and fume spewing steeds through Wootton Bassett.

I think it's great that they raised more than £100,000
by going on their road trip jolly and that the money will go to our forces.

But I wonder if someone - just for a change - could set a trend by doing something they hate doing to raise money for good causes. And something that isn't so public
and... well.... so annoying?

It's amusing that the good people of WB can't possibly object
to having their high street clogged up by hairy biker types because it's all in
a good cause. Mainly because I don't have to live there and put up with the inconvenience.

The rather loose connection between motorbikes and our troops, the organisers tell us, is that many of the bikers know, or
are related to someone serving out in Afghanistan.

One of the organisers of this bike-a-thon to Wiltshire said eagerly: "This is our
way of showing our forces that they are not alone."

Well look one thing they definitively are not, is alone.

They are decidedly accompanied out in Afghanistan - by more than 10,000
Brits and more than 100,000 US troops, not to mention dozens of other countries.

I am not sure about the bike-a-thon to Wootton Bassett.

Why does it always have to be about people's hobbies?

Soldiers, sailors, marines and RAF personnel usually simply do a sponsored run for their charity, usually for miles and carrying some ridiculous weight.

In the summer I told how my mate, writer and top bomb disposal expert Major Chris Hunter was running the marathon in a very heavy bomb suit. Now that's a proper sacrifice for your pals! and it doesn't put anyone out.

But what's next for us civilians? Please ....nothing wacky - like dressing up as a canoe or Donald Duck and running for 100 miles wearing flippers.

Just a thought but I like spending a day fly fishing for trout.

How about a sponsored day's angling - in sunny Wiltshire, near Wootton Bassett. I'll happily pay a fiver towards it!

There are some great chalk streams down there - it's great fun and all in a good cause and er...well loads of members of the Armed Forces are into angling..

What's that? It'd just be a day out for those involved?

My thoughts exactly."

and here is his apoligy

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/observation-post/2010/03/woottonnbikers---a-response.html

Pothole Petition @ No. 10

Nostrils — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:13:53 GMT

Sorry if this has been posted before......

You would all agree that local councils have been "Road Dressing" all the potholes and bad surface areas in favour of doing a proper job and for far too long - If you search the government site, they have a strict criteria and this is now being broken by every single authority.

Why not sign an official petition aimed at No. 10 started by a Motorcycle Dealership who is concerned about the number of motorcycles coming into his shop to repair damage to bikes by potholes, many of the riders carrying some kind of injury. All our cars are suffering too, so dont read and chat about it, sign the petition and see what No. 10 have to say.....they do sent an email to every petitioner.

Dont forget too, its election year so their response could be unusual

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/potholed/

You know you want to, it is our safety we want to protect.....

Geoff Hoon standing down

7wheel — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:08:48 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8510574.stm

With a name like that, he should be retiring to spend more time on his bike... if he has one. We should start a petition to make him do it, really.

Global warming?

smiled — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:33:14 GMT

Holy sheit 2.41

smiled:).

Florida woman prangs car while shaving her privates

tonyD — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:17:27 GMT

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/09/florida_crash/

Trooper Gary Dunick, who attended the scene, gasped: "If I wasn't there, I wouldn't have believed it. About 10 years ago I stopped a guy in the exact same spot ... who had three or four syringes sticking out of his arm. It was just surreal and I thought, 'Nothing will ever beat this.' Well, this takes it."

In case you're wondering just why Barnes was trimming her hedge, she explained that she was on her way to a rendezvous with her boyfriend and wanted to be "ready for the visit".

Potholed petition

si1000rr — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:26:25 GMT

I'm not sure if anyone has seen this, Doble have created a petition to raise the issue of potholes. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/potholed/

Westminster residents parking

JC1001 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:35:35 GMT

Do worry , its nothing to due with any demo's just something I was told this morning when I renewed my permit.

So if any of you out there are Westminster residents and have a permit for the bike you are now allowed to park in the Solo Motorcycles bays for free !

Source : http://www.westminster.gov.uk/workspace/assets/publications/MC-resperm-refund-FAQs-Jan-2010-1264507338.pdf

Remove helmet at BP?

LegendOfG — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:20:12 GMT

Mornign all,
I had to fill up this morning and stopped at the BP on Kennington Lane on my way to work. [url=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=se11+5rd&sll=51.486878,-0.115834&sspn=0.00157,0.004823&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=London+SE11+5RD,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.486915,-0.118403&spn=0.01256,0.038581&z=15]Clicky[/url]

I've used it loads of times in the past but this is the first time they've asked me to remove my helmet and is apparently a new rule...:angry: Not sure if it's just that one or all BP's. Anyone else find this at other BP's?

G

PS I know this has been flogged to death in the past, but first time I've come across it and just wondering if it's happening more now...

The Sun newspaper petition

Mel — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:38:56 GMT

The Sun newspaper have started a petition in relation to the Jon Venables saga...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2877657/Cover-up-for-a-killer.html

Blackwell Tunnel Closures for the next 5 years :(

Scooterassassin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:49:45 GMT

I don't know if this affects anyone here. When I work in London, it'll affect me :(

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/whereilive/southeast/lewisham/4992080.GREENWICH__Campaign_against_three_year_Blackwall_Tunnel_closure/

[quote]... From this Sunday (Feb 7), the northbound tunnel will be closed five nights a week, Sunday to Thursday, from 9pm to 5am as part of a £70m upgrade by Transport for London (TfL).

It will see new lighting, CCTV and fire detection equipment installed in the tunnel, which carries 50,000 vehicles a day.

Northbound traffic will be diverted through the southbound tunnel during this time under a 20mph speed limit, but the tunnel will be completely closed to southbound vehicles.

This leaves drivers having to travel across one of London’s bridges or through the Rotherhithe or Dartford tunnels...[/quote]

Campaign = Blackwall Tunnel Protest Group! If anyone cares to protest :)

Today-DEMO-No To The Bike Parking Tax

Wiggarella — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:13:44 GMT

Go to their web site to subscribe to text messages to stay up to date with meeting points and destination.... see you all there? :P

Give feedback to TFL about buslanes

Panagiotis — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:41:51 GMT

[url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/finesandregulations/motorcycleinbuslanes/default.aspx]take part in the survey[/url]

;)

ps we want good feedback eh? :D

Well done to the No To Bike Parking guys

stuts — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:07:12 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8518756.stm

Even if nothing comes of it, well done for keeping the pressure on. Serious negative publicity for the tossers at Westminster council. These jumped up little fascists in the councils need taking down a peg or two.

Should the yorkshire ripper ever be freed?

WASP — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:16:13 GMT

[b]So the yorkshire ripper wants to be freed from prison and is asking for his tarriff to be finalised i personally think he should have swung years ago for the crimes he committed...what do you guys think?[/b]
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Yorkshire-Ripper-Woman-Who-Survived-An-Attack-By-Peter-Sutcliffe-Says-He-Should-Never-Be-Let-Out/Article/201003115563357?lpos=UK_News_News_Your_Way_Region_7&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15563357_Yorkshire_Ripper%3A_Woman_Who_Survived_An_Attack_By_Peter_Sutcliffe_Says_He_Should_Never_Be_Let_Out

TROOPS TO PATROL BRITISH STREETS!!!

johnH — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:26:33 GMT

Army may patrol streets to confront terror threat

Long-awaited Green Paper foresees new domestic role for Britain's services, with emphasis on greater co-operation as chiefs face up to budgetary constraints

By Kim Sengupta, Defence Correspondent

Thursday, 4 February 2010

Sir Jock Stirrup, left, and Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth

Britain's armed forces could be used on a regular basis on the streets of Britain to confront the threat of terrorism, under the terms of a strategic defence review announced yesterday.

Two of the six "key questions" to be considered by the SDR will focus on domestic threats which "cannot be separated from international security", according to a Green Paper setting out the grounds for a full scale review to start after the election.

Decisions need to be made on the "balance between focusing on our territory and region and engaging threats at a distance" and "what contribution the armed forces should make in ensuring security and contributing to resilience within the UK".

Related articles
France and Britain: A history of relations
Kim Sengupta: In these tough economic times, it's clear that the defence budget will have to be cut
Leading article: A Green Paper that starts to ask the right questions
Search the news archive for more stories
The paper states: "Stronger, more effective partnership with other Whitehall departments, the intelligence agencies, police forces and others at the national level will become even more important to achieving our security objective."

One proposal due to be considered, according to Whitehall officials, was the formation of a rapid reaction force which could be deployed to counter Mumbai-style terrorist attacks and carry out swift operations outside the country.

On long-term missions overseas the economic circumstances meant that Britain will have to co-operate more closely with international allies like France, said the paper. While the US remained Britain's most important strategic ally, much closer co-operation should take place with other countries.

"In Europe, the return of France to Nato's integrated military structure offers an opportunity for even greater co-operation with a key partner across a range of defence activity" it added.

The main theme of the Paper was "adaptability", imperative due to the varying demands on limited resources. The 52-page document admitted that although commanders on the ground in Afghanistan have shown the ability to adapt rapidly to challenges this had been undermined by the system in London.

"There is a widely held view within defence that our structures and processes have hindered strategic adaptation to evolving challenges and have not been as effective as they should have been in supporting commanders' innovation on the ground."

The Paper made it clear that the SDR will have to carried out against the backdrop of the £178bn deficit in the public finances. Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth, stressed: "The wider financial context means resources across government will be constrained. We should not underestimate the scale of that challenge.

"We cannot proceed with all the activities and programmes we currently aspire to, while simultaneously supporting our current operations and investing in the new capabilities we need."

The SDR, the first one in more than a decade, is supposed to take a "root- and-branch" look at defence policy with the constraint on spending a major factor. The Ministry of Defence has a £35m black hole in its budget.

However, in presenting the Green Paper yesterday Mr Ainsworth stated three times that he did not expect it to be too "radical". He also said that one of the most contentious investment in defence, two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, is likely to go ahead.

Senior officers in the Army, doing the vast bulk of the fighting previously in Iraq, and now in Afghanistan, have forcefully argued in private that the carriers were a luxury in the current economic circumstances and were relics of the cold war in the age of the insurgent.

Mr Ainsworth said yesterday: "The strategic defence review will have to take a pretty radical direction not foreseen by me in order to suggest those capabilities will not be required" he said.

"While of course the whole defence is in the review we understand the commitments we have already made and the likelihood that those will continue to be a requirement in the future."

The Defence Secretary also confirmed that the £20bn updating of the Trident nuclear programme, another source of debate, will also go ahead.

Conservative defence spokesman, Liam Fox, questioned how much Britain could afford to rely on European allies such as France. "We also agree that France and the United States are likely to be our main strategic partners" he said. "For us there are two tests; do they invest in defence? And do they fight? Sadly, too few Europeans pass that test."

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, Nick Harvey, said the omission of Trident from the review had left the Green paper "unbalanced". He continued: "Surely the manner, the scale and the timing of any replacement of Trident has cost implications for the entirety of the rest of the defence budget."

The Military Balance, an annual assessment of international defence published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies yesterday showed that China and India significantly raised their defence spending in 2009.

India raised its defence budget by 21 per cent following the Mumbai attack the previous year, while China raised its spending in the field by 15 per cent.

Quote

''Britain's armed forces could be used on a regular basis on the streets of Britain to confront the threat of terrorism, under the terms of a strategic defence review announced yesterday.''

hmmmmmmm could i possibly be wrong in thinking by britian they mean england and by terrorism they include those of us who actually love our country and our folk? :crazy:

Do you have a loan with Welcome Finance?

powerpuffgirl — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:14:25 GMT

Particularly if it is secured or you pay "Payment Protection Insurance".

bomb in northern ireland

stevewright — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:51:00 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8529884.stm

:crying:

If you were John Terry...

bricking it — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:15:19 GMT

Would you have said 'no thanks love' to save your career?

[IMG]http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd345/brickingit1/terry.jpg[/IMG]

But I aint John Terry. Come here, frenchie :D

Name your fantasy mistress/mr mistress :cool:

Mods: I think this is in the right section (Current Affairs) :P

Fuel Surcharge petition

andrew&7 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:28:53 GMT

If you haven't seen it already, there's a petition being formed to make the government remove the 2% tax surcharge they added to fuel while the 15% VAT rate was in force. Since the VAT has gone back up, they haven't removed the surcharge.

[url]http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/DutyReduction/[/url]

The press can use your photos if they like . . .

Steve... — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:45:47 GMT

Pretty much . . . anything not clearly marked with a copyright notice will be fair game to be used by anybody else, regardless of the fact it it not public property.

http://copyrightaction.com/forum/uk-gov-nationalises-orphans-and-bans-non-consensual-photography-in-public

And no more photography in public if somebody might object . . . utter madness. Who are these clowns and what ever happened to common sense ? Oh yes . . . New labour . . . complete &^%^$$£^s.

Greece in Crisis - thats a greek word you know

Panagiotis — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:08:15 GMT

interesting read from the independent

[quote][b]John Lichfield /The Independent[/b][hr] Daddy, Daddy, who are the "financial markets" who are bullying the Greeks and the euro? Well, son, they are hedge funds, pension funds and the trading arms of the big banks.

But Daddy aren't those the same banks which the world's governments have just spent billions of euros, pounds and dollars to rescue from the consequences of their own greed and stupidity?

Er, yes son. And, Daddy, aren't those banks now betting those same billions to try to make money from the fact that some of the governments are over the heads in debt? Er, yes son.

And these countries, including Greece, would not have been so deeply in the red if they had not given all those billions to the banks who are now attacking them? Or if the world economy had not been dumped off a cliff by all that bank-inspired debt and bank-led speculation in bad debts?

Well, son, yes, that's partly true but some countries, especially Greece, have been living beyond their public means for years. In Greece, for instance, lawyers, doctors, restaurant owners and wealthy ship-owners, pay virtually no income tax but expect to live in a properly functioning, modern state.

OK, Daddy, I understand that. It's very naughty of them. But isn't this still a case of the banks biting the hand that fed them?

Er, no, son, it's worse that that. It's like the banks complaining that governments are naked after taking their clothes. But the markets (i.e. banks) don't think that way. If they smell blood, they pile in like hyenas after a limping zebra. It's called a market opportunity.

But why did they suddenly go after the poor Greeks, Daddy? Haven't their olives been stuffed for years? Yes, son, but the markets noticed two things. First, that a new Greek government had confessed that the country's budget deficit last year was 12.7 per cent of GDP – double the number the previous government had thought of. It probably wasn't that high actually. The new government in Athens reckoned that it would be a good wheeze to inflate the number so that they could gain credit for bringing it down rapidly in 2010. It is called a mythical Greek figure. Mythical or not, it was enough for the markets to smell blood – or money.

And the second thing that the markets noticed, Daddy? I was coming to that, son. They noticed that Greece no longer had a currency of its own. It was a member of the euro. It could not devalue or print money. Worse, under the rules of the euro, the European Central Bank could not intervene to help a member state in difficulties. It was as if Greece – and other euro countries with big debts, like Spain, Portugal and Italy – had no central bank to help them through a crisis.

So what did the "financial markets" do, Daddy? They started a gambling game in which they bet on a possible Greek "default": that Greece would go bankrupt and not be able to pay its debts. By doing so, they made it more likely that Greece would go bankrupt by increasing the cost to Athens of rolling over (ie finding new takers for) its €300bn in accumulated debts. In other words, it was, for "the markets", a one-way, no-lose bet – unless the EU intervened.

So what happened, Daddy? The EU made a statement last Thursday that it would stand shoulder to shoulder with Greece ... but not yet. If the markets continued to bet on Greek default, the EU leaders said, they would lose because the other euro members would find some way of bending their collective rules to give Greece money. In return, Greece had to agree to painful changes to reduce its budget deficit by at least four per cent this year.

But, Daddy, that will be quite easy for the Greeks because the 12.7 per cent figure for 2009 was exaggerated in the first place. Er, yes, son, but "the markets" chose to accept that figure so they are now stuck with it. We are talking about "market reality" which is not the same thing as real reality.

And, in fact, the new Greek government is taking, by Greek standards, very tough measures, including a plan to make lawyers and doctors and restaurant-owners pay some income tax.

But Daddy, why did the EU not just give the Greeks the money and tell the markets to ... Shh, son, no rude words. That's where we come to another kind of reality – "political reality". The other EU governments, especially the stern Germans, wanted to make sure that Athens would start to take its medicine before they gave them any sweeties. Remember Aesop's fable about the ants and the grasshoppers, son? Well Aesop was an ancient Greek but, according to the Germans, the modern Greeks are grasshoppers.

Is that all, Daddy? No, son. The "crisis" was pushing down the value of the euro against the dollar, which was something the Germans and others rather liked because it would help their economies. Like the sinner who wanted to be good but not yet, they wanted the Greek crisis to end but not immediately.

Isn't that a dangerous game, Daddy? Yes, son.

So what happened? It's still a bit unclear. The "markets" – thousands of people playing poker at the same time – are still trying to see how best to make money from the new situation. Should they carry on betting on Greek default? Or should they now bet on everything being OK?

Is this a sensible way to run the world, Daddy? No, son, but consider this. The crisis has scared the Greeks. They may now finally put their house in order which will, in the long run, be good for the Greeks.

The crisis, which is a Greek word, son, has also scared the EU, even the stern Germans. The original rules of the euro – good rules for good times but bad rules for bad times – will probably be changed. Something will be done to permit the EU to help struggling states, so that, in future, the markets will not smell blood and worsen the problems of stragglers.

So good can come from bad? What do you call that, Daddy? A "paradox", son. Is that also a Greek word? Yes, son, now go to bed.[/quote]

Drink driving a golf buggy...

bluelagos — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:50:35 GMT

The Welsh player who got done...seems a bit harsh, I mean you couldn't exactly kill anyone with a golf buggy.

Suppose he might have caused an accident, but then so could half the population (myself included) who've ever stumbled and zigzaged down a road half pssed on a Saturday night.

So a bit harsh or he deserves a driving ban?

FIFA 2010

derbyjozef — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:55:10 GMT

Hey guys..Is anybody interesting for that..Well I am a big fan of football and eagerly waiting for that..Please share that as per your thoughts which team is going to win this time??I think that team is BRAZIL.

Russian farmer convicted of planting landmines in field

Hanna — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:13:25 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8512173.stm

He wanted to protect his potatos.

Another British company.....Cadbury

Mel — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:09:18 GMT

Looks as though american company Kraft is about to get to a british company thats been around 160 years. American chocolate is horrible, hope they dont change the recipes. YOU CANT MESS WITH CREME EGG!

Oh, and its still bike related see below pic.... :w00t:

Motorbike roadtax up... Maybe

Yamrider — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:55:50 GMT

Saw this on another forum; thought I'd spread the word...

[i]Angered that under the Chancellor’s recent pre-budget report, road tax rates for motorcycles are set to increase this year, the British Motorcyclists Federation have set up a petition on the No 10 website asking the Prime Minister to intervene and stop the increases[/i]

[b]Petition here.....[/b] http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/motorcycleved/

A sorry state of affairs...

Toby-1-kenobi — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:13:15 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8470804.stm

Oh boy did this NOT come as a surprise.
Sorry to rub it in folks, but someone needed to say it... I TOLD YOU SO!

To all those doubters and arm chair moaners who complained everytime this topic was raised.... start emptying your wallets... Westminster Council now has you by the goolies and there's nothing you can do about it.

RIP OFF BRITAIN IS BACK and your apathy welcomed it with open arms!

What's next... Bike Congestion Charging.
Nationwide Road Use Charging

If this is the kind of Britain you want and can afford... sit back, relax and take it like a loser.

If not... maybe now is the time to start motivating yourself towards fighting these money grabbing bastards for a change...

Sincerely, Stokes (yeah, the gobby big mouth who was right about the scum in Westminster council!)

So you see...

Toby-1-kenobi — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:52:22 GMT

I guess the really honest, upright and reliable Councils can be trausted when given the powers to introduce parking charge systems can't they.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8490074.stm

35 years of screwing us over...

So.. anyone questions about whether they're likely to screw us over regarding Motorbike Parking ... nope? Still trust them fundamentally to do right by us?

[b]THIS IS WHY PEOPLE WHO THINK GET INVOLVED AND PROTEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[/b]
Have a nice day :)

Westminster Council first the Bike and now they're gunning for cars too

jonnyp42 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:18:05 GMT

Westminster to ban free parking in the evening

Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter
20.01.10

Free evening parking would be scrapped across much of the West End in plans being considered by a London council.

The move, which has outraged motorist and tourism groups, would extend parking meter charges and single yellow line penalties until midnight from Monday to Saturday in Westminster's central controlled zones. Currently, there is free parking in those spaces from 6.30pm on such days.

Theatres, restaurants and late-opening shops fear they would be hit by the changes as customers would stay away. Motoring groups claim the council has designed the move to raise money they have lost from drivers during the recession.

Westminster council is also considering raising parking charges with a doubling of rates suggested for St John's Wood from £1.10 per hour to £2.20.

Central zones currently charge £4.40 per hour but this could rise to £5. The F zone south of Marylebone Road is marked as a potential target as well as all other zones except B and C, which are north of Marylebone Road.

Residents with parking permits would be exempt from the new enforcement structure, which was discussed at a council Cabinet meeting on Monday.

The option to raise meter charges was said not to go “above inflation”. But although residents would be exempt from the longer charging hours, the price of their permit could still rise above inflation.

A council report last month said that parking charges needed to go up for “harmonisation” purposes so they are on a par with those in neighbouring Camden that charges £4.80 per hour.

It is understood that council chiefs were asked to find “additional income” from parking and noted it was “earmarked to contribute to” £14 million of savings.

Richard Pulford, chairman of the Society of London Theatre, said: “The proposition is ridiculous and would be gravely damaging. We have a lot of people who come into the West End from out of town by car because they often cannot get back on public transport. To add parking to their cost would be extraordinary. It would be a huge blow to the night-time economy.”

Paul Pearson, a campaigner who runs the penaltychargenotice.co.uk website said: “I think it's disgusting, it's just for revenue-raising, pure and simple.”

Cllr Danny Chalkley, Westminster council's cabinet member for city management, said: "As one of the most congested boroughs in the UK there is a huge amount of pressure on Westminster's parking network.

"We have a challenging role in striking a balance between the many competing needs and demands for our kerbside space in order to keep the city moving.

"At the start of the new decade and with the London Olympics just two years away, now is a sensible time to re-examine parking policies in parts of central London.

"It's important to stress though that no decisions have been taken yet as to any potential changes to parking in Westminster."

So, what IS the truth re: global warming?

Stripled — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:35 GMT

Check this out -: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100020126/climategate-goes-serial-now-the-russians-confirm-that-uk-climate-scientists-manipulated-data-to-exaggerate-global-

Sorry you'll have to copy/paste unless someone far cleverer than I changes it to a link.

I mean Global Warming - what exactly is the truth? Are we to believe the profits of doom or the ' it's a cyclical phenomena' school?

Why do I get the feeling we're all being bulldozed for other's political advancement?

And as for that advert recently shown on TV where the small child is given nightmares about drowning puppies 'cos we 'adults' leave a light on? WTF is that all about? Surely scaremongering and influencing children who have no ability to decide otherwise?

Then we have the rent a violent crowd mob demonstrating and Oxfam shipping 2 tons of ice to Copenhagen to make melting ice statues of Massai warriors - what's the carbon footprint ( however that's calculated ) of getting that there?.

Any rational, well informed scientists with no personal agenda's free to advise on this forum?

madness

blackbirdxx — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:28:47 GMT

took this from the bird site had to show you all

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100128/tuk-stunned-driver-fined-for-blowing-his-45dbed5.html

:w00t:

where are gordon brown, david miliband and human rights organizations

bbsmonk — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:08:19 GMT

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8479115.stm]'Chemical Ali' executed in Iraq after Halabja ruling [/url]
not many people have protested as they did last time over akhal sheike

Haitian Earthquake Disaster

Jay — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:46:16 GMT

This is absolutely awful, the scale of destruction is probably unseen. 10 million people without water, electricity, failing sanitation, medical support, etc. [b]50,000 reported dead[/b] so far, but I'm sure it'll be much higher.....

But what's incredible is how quickly the international community has come together. The Americans immediately put up $100m and ~5,700 troops and marines, an aircraft carrier, etc, the Chinese, Taiwan, EU, Britain and other Southern American countries have all sent over specialist Search & Rescue teams. It's fantastic that even when the developed world thinks it's having a hard time, that it can come together and help those with nothing and in need or something... Britain donated £6.5m in cash. I have no idea how we can afford that, but it's wonderful all the same.

I've made a donation to DEC, who co-ordinate a lot of fund-raising for disasters. There's other charities like Unicef looking after children who've been made orphans or are otherwise in dire need. Please give anything that you can, we have such privledged lives here in the UK and take so much for granted. It's only at times like this that we can really see how lucky we are...

I've been to the island myself before and it was poor then, let alone now :(

Charities/Commissions you can donate to:

[b]Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)[/b]
http://www.dec.org.uk

[b]Unicef - Supporting the children[/b]
http://www.unicef.org.uk/give/index.asp?page=33&google=haiti_jan10&gclid=CN6xlba2pJ8CFUgTzAodLG7t7Q

[b]Oxfam[/b]
[url]https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/haiti-earthquake/index.php[/url]

News:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2010/haiti_earthquake/default.stm

Photos:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/earthquake_in_haiti.html

Has LB become too political?

driesie — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:23:39 GMT

Personally, I enjoy visiting LB less these days. This is because it has become more and more political and, often reads like a right wing political message board. I log in and expect another post that will make my blood boil, and particularly as an "immigrant" or "foreigner" I feel less welcome than I used to.

I realise that some of the views I find offencive are only supported by a minority, but this small minority is maybe ruining it for the rest.

I don't mind political debates, and I think everybody has the right to their own view, but I don't think online forums are the right medium to discuss these, and more importantly, I don't think LB is the right place.

I know LB always had some banter, some of that turning political, but not to the extend it has now and they usually started of with a discussion about bikes. I would prefer if non-bike political issues weren't discussed here.

Recently, I started removing LB stickers and wouldn't wear merchandising anymore. Simply because I'm afraid somebody will associate me with some of the offencive views raised on here. I also stopped telling people about LB.

I personally think that's a shame, and would be interested to know if I'm in a minority to think so or if others feel the same about this.

A British Citizen was executed today in China

bbsmonk — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:15:00 GMT

Akmal Shaikh was convicted of carrying up to 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of heroin and executed according to Chinese laws. British government condemned the execution, and Gordon was "appalled and disappointed".

just a few days ago miliband brothers and Gordon blamed china for their sabotaging role in Copenhagen and upset Chinese a lot. that definately put a nail in the coffin of mr. shaikh.

ed miliband points the finger at china

Poor kids sleeping rough in Calais

itsthemechanic — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:17:34 GMT

Look at this sob story in the Independent today:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sleeping-rough-at-12-ndash-the-boys-who-dreamt-of-britain-1812264.html

Queue "sound of world's smallest violin".... in D-minor.

FTA: "Dozens of children – sent from Afghanistan by their parents in the hope of finding a better life in Britain – are sleeping rough on the streets of Calais following the demolition of the town's last remaining asylum camp, an investigation by The Independent has found."

It's pretty simple, really. If you are trying to go to a country, make sure you have the right clearances (passports, visas) to enter. Unless you do, please keep your d!ck at home. But don't turn up without papers and then bitch when you cannot get into the country of your choice, and bitch some more the country in which you are currently (also illegally) isn't providing you with a room and ham and cheese sandwiches and won't tolerate you building makeshift jungle camps in their local recreational woods.

Politicians are retards, leaving these poor fools in limbo like this. I'm a humanist though, I'd show others the same basic kindness you shown me. Nobody should have to live like this. I'd say give these people a warm bed in a heated room, a shower, and a few baguettes, but make sure it is somewhere fenced in, where they will be put on a queue for the next plane to Afghanistan.

If they have something to offer to the UK, or they want to study there like they say, they should just get a visa at the UK Embassy in Kabul, and arrive like everybody else by flying into Heathrow, instead of throwing their money at people traffickers. Surely if they have "tens of thousands of dollars" that's enough for room and board and tuition at a UK school?

- Stefan

Swiss Police.....at it again.... thankfully, its not after me this time

kml_uk — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:11:22 GMT

Having had a run in with the swiss polizei this summer, they're doing nothing to convince me to go back to there any time soon....And I thought the £650 I paid for being 10mph over the limit was insane!

£180,000 for 30mph.....!!!

I don't care how rich you are it's a lot of money, especially if his "worth" is all in illiquid assets like land or buildings?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8446545.stm

Switzerland millionaire hit by record speed fine

The tycoon was reportedly driving a Ferrari 57km/h (35mph) over the limit

A Swiss millionaire has been handed down a record speeding fine of $290,000 (£180,000) by a court.

The man was reportedly caught driving a red Ferrari Testarossa at 137km/h (85mph) through a village.

The penalty was calculated based on the unnamed motorist's wealth - assessed by the court as $22.7m (£14.1m) - and because he was a repeat offender.

It is more than double Switzerland's previous record speeding fine - handed to a Porsche driver in Zurich in 2008.

In the latest case, the motorist was clocked speeding 57km/h (35mph) faster than the limit, according to a statement on the website of the cantonal court in St Gallen, in eastern Switzerland.

"The accused ignored elementary traffic rules with a powerful vehicle out of a pure desire for speed," the court said in its judgement.

Swiss media reported that the man owns a villa with five luxury cars, including the Ferrari.

London Congestion Charging - A Public Consultation

spook — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 09:46:44 GMT

Happy new year to all.

Logged onto my computer for the first time in a few days and saw this email. Not sure how many of you on here might get one so I'm posting the detail for all now. They are after feedback and as it is something that will effect all of us I thought you might be interested. Did a search and couldn't see anything similar from anybody else. Its from the ABD.

"Mayor Boris Johnson has recently published his "Transport Strategy" document which will determine policies and plans in London for the next few years. The proposals do not rule out more congestion charging in London, and indeed there is a consultation response question that asks whether you support "fair demand management" - a euphemism for road charging. Although he is still supporting removal of the Western Extension of the Congestion Charge, there is also a question on that issue included in the general public consultation on this document. You need to respond to these questions if you oppose road pricing in London.

Please go to this web page for more information and a link to the on-line consultation: http://mts.tfl.gov.uk/default.aspx . It will only take a couple of minutes to respond, but you must submit your comments before Jan 12th so don't delay.

For more background information on the whole Transport Strategy, we have published a newsletter which covers it in more depth which can be obtained from this web page: www.freedomfordrivers.org/Newsletters.htm (click on Issue No. 16 - it is a pdf document).

ABD - The Voice of the Driver"