[Triggaaar]

I received the following email - I do not know if the facts in the email are legit, but the government website and petition is, so I have signed it, and if you care about freedom, you might like to too:

WE ALL NEED to sign the petition by 20th Feb 07
See the link below

"Sarah Kennedy was on about this proposed car tax scheme on the radio, apparently there is only one month left to register your objection to the 'Pay as you go' road tax.

The petition is on the 10 Downing St website but they didn't tell anybody about it. Therefore at the time of Sarah's comments only 250,000 people had signed it so far and 750,000 signatures are required to stop them introducing it.

Once you've given your details (you don't have to give your full address, just house number and postcode will do), they will send you an email with a link in it. Once you click on that link, you'll have signed the petition.

Democracy in action?

The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly bill to use it. The tracking device will cost about £200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month.

On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked. Somebody will know where you are at all times. They will also know how fast you have been going, so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit in time you can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill.

If you care about our freedom and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website (link below) and pass this on to as many people as possible.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

[Steven]

As with all petitions to the PM online, no offence but I won't sign even though I agree with most of them. Why? Its addressed to Tony Its just an attempt to get good PR by reaching out to people. Unless 30million sign them, he won't listen. Bet he doesn't even read any anyway

I'm sorry. I know I could still sign it out of symbolism, but...

I believe this is thread crapping, but like the petition, I reserve the right to free speech

[Triggaaar]

No apology neccesary, you don't have to sign.

If the attempt is good PR, it's a funny method, as I'm just thinking the govt is crazy for coming up with such a daft idea (the tracker, not the petition).

[Alun]

I signed it, but I have noticed that the 'number of signatures' part of the site goes down as well as up

[Steven]

Originally Posted by Triggaaar

If the attempt is good PR, it's a funny method, as I'm just thinking the govt is crazy for coming up with such a daft idea (the tracker, not the petition).

Evidently people like having a voice and being given a platform... even if the govt don't listen to anybody but themselves

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Triggaaar

A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month.

If it cuts down on school runs it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

[Steve.J.Davies]

706 thousand sigs at the mo. Mail your friends !

[stevefish69]

Originally Posted by Triggaaar

you will be tracked. Somebody will know where you are at all times.

Am i the only one in the country who has a conspiracy that they are already tracking our every move via the mobile phone network

I'l start a seperate post on this when i'm less intoxicated

I just signed up 712,287 signed so far.

30K+ miles a year, i can't afford any more tax

[Steve.J.Davies]

Originally Posted by stevefish69

Am i the only one in the country who has a conspiracy that they are already tracking our every move via the mobile phone network

I'l start a seperate post on this when i'm less intoxicated

I just signed up 712,287 signed so far.

30K+ miles a year, i can't afford any more tax

It costs very little now to 'just keep all the data'.

look for Schneier-Surveillance.mp3 on the web.

If your mail can take a 5 meg attachment can send it to you.

and have alook at
http://www.jonhs.net/freemovies/big_...g_business.htm

it is a two hour CNBC program. the ads are still in it but don't skip them without seeing the American Airlines ad. Irony writ large.

[IronGiant]

Originally Posted by Ian J

If it cuts down on school runs it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

In principle I agree completely. But if I collect my 5 year old on foot, my 12 year old will come home to an empty house, because I won't be home in time. I don't want him to feel like a latchkey kid even though legally he is allowed to be home alone.

[Triggaaar]

Originally Posted by stevefish69

Am i the only one in the country who has a conspiracy that they are already tracking our every move via the mobile phone network

No, there are currently 12,448 people who think we are being tracked via the mobile phone network.

I can't believe this is a serious govt idea. What on earth is the point, unless it's to track our every move (rather than a tax). If it was a tax, it's pretty unfriendly to the environment, as those in an efficient car will pay as much as those in a guzzler - a good tax on driving and polluting is fuel tax (doesn't require the cost of the tracker, or the policing of the system), but I guess they could be wanting another stealth tax.

[Nobber22]

Originally Posted by Regmarch

In principle I agree completely. But if I collect my 5 year old on foot, my 12 year old will come home to an empty house, because I won't be home in time. I don't want him to feel like a latchkey kid even though legally he is allowed to be home alone.

Does your 5 year old go to school in Reading??? If you sit your 12 year old down and explain to them why you aren't there and why coming home to an empty house for a few minutes each day isn't the end of the world, he'll understand.