h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh. Well I might believe that could make 10% difference (unless I was someone who went everywhere at full throttle, which I'm not), but never 33%. The car would have to be so far out of tune that if would be running like a dog.

*Nothing to add - but the thread is broken (or has it been blockaded?) so I'm trying to free it up...*

No it's not the thread. It's H2G2 that's broken
Anyway if the thread is broken how can you add an extra posting?

Orinoco: Even 10% is a big lump of cash (£300), but they showed the difference on the car tripmeter thing and it was about 33%. Do invest in Slick50 and check the tyre pressures...it _will_ pay for itself.

Phil: I had to reply to an earlier posting as the &latest=1 bit wasn't working...but it seems a bit better now except that my right hand frame is now empty

I saw the Top Gear program last night, the car they were driving was an 'X' reg Ford Focus. The presenter was extremely sceptical, but the 'expert' proved that by driving "more economically" he actually used 30% less fuel without getting there any slower.

We discussed this afterwards and it led me to thinking.....Just suppose all us motorists decided to cut our fuel use, either by driving more econimically, using more public tranpsort, making fewer unnecessary journeys, car sharing etc. and our overall fuel consumption went down by say 15%, how would the government cope?

According to them if they reduce fuel duty, pensioners will freeze, nurses will be paid less and our children will be un-educated. Reducing our fuel consumption ourselves would have the same effect, i.e. less revenue from fuel tax. Therefore I deduce, that although the Government claim that they want us to use our cars less, in reality, according to their figures, they could not afford it if we did. Going one step futher, is this why we have such an disgracful public transport system? - To ensure we continue to use our cars and pay the tax that by their own admission they cannot do without?

Response to old comment, but hey...

> Try going from Winchester to Chichester ... I doubt whether you could get from one to the other by rail without going through London or Southampton and changing trains at least twice

I just did a search - the next train departs in 9 minutes time - changing once at Fareham, and takes one hour and one minute. The train after that departs in 41 minutes time - that's a direct train, and takes forty nine minutes.

>the next train departs in 9 minutes time .....

Well that's the theory,

I've just read the Top Gear tips from a previous posting. I do all that and get about 45 miles to the gallon. I drive a small car, and the economy of that is reflected in the government charging me less road tax, so I save there too.
Even better would be switching to motorbikes!

I've just read the Top Gear tips from a previous posting. I do all that and get about 45 miles to the gallon. I drive a small car, and the economy of that is reflected in the government charging me less road tax, so I save there too.
Even better would be switching to motorbikes!

hehe - in practice it was probably cancelled due to large quantities of water on the tracks...

There is no need to panic buy fuel say both the government and the protesters. So why did I see so many garage forcourts with queues and pumps locked when I went out this afternoon
Do people really not believe what the government tells them

As a biker I agree - however you get a smaller tank, and when I needed petrol this week all the garages were filled with ignorant, prols panic buying their way to a self satisfied, smug belief that they are really supporting a great consumer crusade.

I repeat what I said last time, shoot the lot or at least sterilise them so they cannot reproduce and infect another generation with their lack of inteligence.

CH

one of the biggest ways to save fuel when driving is to anticipate road conditions, don't leave your braking to the last minute dont rush up to a red traffic light and then blast away just to get to the next hold up before anybody else-pretend you have eggs strapped to your pedals and drive so as not to "brake" (sorry) them.

At least it makes more sense than the one-day pumps boycott...

{not much, though}

Please would all contributors advocating reduction in tax on fuel state their preferred way of paying tax or tell us which services should be cut.

I work in public sector and I can tell you, there is no slack to take up any more.

A good point. I've just got out of the public sector and the difference is amazing. However, there must be some wastage that could have been cut. What about the Dome?

MP's salaries could be brought into line with nurses...

John Prescott could give up some of his cars...

Aren't John Prescott's cars his own? IE - not financed by government(our) money?

I'm pretty sure he must have at least one from the job. And if not the car, he has an official driver.
Going back to a previous posting, a lot of unnecessary money is going to be spent over the next few months on election advertising. Some of that could be cut. What do you do with the flyers and leaflets that come through the door? My guess is that most people throw them away.