Tuesday, February 20, 2007

OFF TOPIC: POLITICS AND STUFF

You know how Jake loves politics? Well, ever ready to follow in the man's footsteps (excerise regime aside) Jake Watch would like to take this opportunity to encourage every UK reader to be all democratic and shit.

Tony Blair (grade A hufter) is trying to make the good citizens of the UK pay per mile for using the roads in a (lame) attempt to cut congestion. The government seems to be oblivious to the fact that people need to use the roads to get to work to earn a living to pay their taxes and aren't just joyriding around at 8.30 in the morning for kicks. And maybe if public transport was more reliable and not full of vomiting tramps people may be encouraged to use it. Anyway I digress, please sign the petition AGAINST this motion before midnight tonight:

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

It's what Jake would want. If he cared about UK road congestion.

A Jake-related update to follow.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yep, signed this the other day even though the govt have said they won't take a blind bit of notice of any of it.

I just want to get an email from Tony Blair.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the inner-city congestion charges *improved* matters in London. And you know it.

I expect an environmentally aware actor would *not* be supporting the cult of the car with no consequences. So I'm in disagreement as what "Jake would want".

JMO.

Jake said...

Jake would want us to exercise our democratic rights, is what I meant.

And I don't live in London so actually I don't know it. I just know I don't want to pay this charge and that's my right - okay?

Anonymous said...

Er, anonymous, this isn't about a congestion charge - this is about having your car tracked at all times in order to calculate your road usage and will no doubt be used to record your whereabouts. I think the latter would be a breach of ones civil liberties wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

This is NOT what I expect from Jake Watch. The environmental situation in the UK is bloody horrendous. Not only is the climate going to pot but the impact on people's health is not very good either. Many many people are using their cars quite indisciminately. I worked in an office with closeby rail and bus links the best in Edinburgh and people would still insist on driving because they couldn't make a bit of an effort. Peopel F***ING DRIVE TO THE GYM! Hello get off your arse and walk and you wouldn't have to go to the gym.

The congestion charge in London which does track cars has improved live enormously for Londoners. My friend said it cut 20 minutes off her journey time from North London. If the sodding parents who inisisted on driving their loved ones (increasing their chances of childhood lukemia at the same time...) stopped another half hour would be off her bus time.

I don't drive won't drive. And it ENGRAGES ME to think of the selfish bastards I live amongst who would rather quander life on our home for their own convenience.

Please do not post stuff like this if you don't want this kind of bile heaped on you.

Anonymous said...

Off topic indeed. Since it is apparent from this site, as well as IHJ, that the vast majority of Jake fans are female, majority between the ages of 14 and 26, and definitely European, if not British, an understanding of all things Brit would be helpful. Therefore,
what is an "arse?"
Congestion fee, interesting?!?
NYC once used fees and penalties to promote a "Don't Block the Box" campaign. I won't even mention what controversy, not to mention hilarity, that brought on.
How can a city be spelled Edinburgh, but pronounced Edinborough, or Edinburah?
Has anyone in Britain heard of the ACLU? Oops, stupid question - American Civil Liberties Union - I get it.
So, I guess JG is an environmentalist who wants us to exercise our democratic rights which infers do what we damn well please?
There a number people in my city of residence who are in favor of everyone going to "pot."
You Brits amaze me - ability to drive to the gym and f**k simultaneously!?!?! If only......
"Sodding parent" - something to do with dirt, or dirty, or back to the earth???
Is Freddy Mercury, rest his soul, still the "real" Queen? Who is this Helen Mirren person? Interloper obviously....
OK. Enough. Seriously, I can understand your furstrations, honestly I can. Thank god I live in a normal, sensible location - New York City!!

KayDee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I am responder 2 - the 4th responder felt the same way as me re. the entitlement-to-drive-a-car with no consequential payments = killing people, causing asthma and melting ice caps.

The London congestion charge shaved 35 minutes off my bus ride from Hackney to Tottenham Ct. Road. Just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

As I have already said, people seem to be missing the point. This isn't a congestion charge and I'd expect people to read what this is all about before jumping on their high horse and slating off the car driver.

Yes, I drive a car and yes I think that more people can get out of their cars and use other methods of getting from A to B but what the government are proposing isn't just about cutting down car emissions. The reason so many people are protesting is

1) because it means EVERYONE who drives would have to pay extra just to drive ANYWHERE and would not make allowances for the type of journey - so someone who could have walked will pay the same as someone who needs to use their car because there are no other direct transport links. Should I really be penalised because I'm driving home late at night rather than walk home alone on my own in the dark for 3 miles because there are no buses or trains that will get me there?

2) cars will have a tracking device on them to monitor car usage so they know what to charge - are you in agreement with this idea? That the govt can track your every move? Very very scary.

Yes there are major congestion and environmental issues around cars, the former especially in cities but taxing and tracking everyone like this is a step too far and I think its perfectly reasonable for Jake Watch to support this if it gathers more signatures on the petition.

Jake said...

Heap your bile here if it makes you happy. Do you know how much electricity your computer uses?

It's your opinion but I don't agree with you. Simple as that.

You can't compare your situation in London to everybody else in the country. Just because you don't need to drive to work doesn't mean everyone else can walk. And since your not even a motorist then you can't really appreciate our disgruntlement about having to pay EVEN more. We already shell out a fortune on road tax, fuel and parking charges without more added on.

And you can whine about the enviromental issues surrounding this all you like but everyone in the UK could cycle everywhere, not own a fridge, not use aerosols, not burn fossils fuels, not fart and it wouldn't make a jack of a difference thanks to countries like the USA, Russia and China populating the atmosphere at a higher rate than the rest of the world combined.

And what do you expect from JW exactly? I don't ever remember this blog consigning itself to an enviromental stance that needed to be upheld? JW has the right to post whatever it wants.

And Jakes drives a fuck-off BMW everywhere for no real reason than to get coffee and pick up cupcakes.

Jake said...

That should be polluting not populating.

Anonymous said...

oh he has to carry Atticus and Boo around as well

Anonymous said...

True! Plus he has to put his bike in his car and then drive to where he wants to go biking.

Anonymous said...

just a test


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