Road Tax Complaint

[tdr1nka]

OK let's get something straight. I am well aware that there is no such thing as "road tax" and that the proper terminology is VED. BUT if you are going to be pedantic about it, then so be it. I'm pretty sure if you were to go into a post office or a police station and ask about VED, they'd probably think you were talking about some kind of sexual infection or explosive device. In fact I actually feel like I'm being told off by the classroom geek.

Wafflycat was pointing out the fact, that some or most drivers wrongly believe they are paying 'road tax'.

Shouts of pedant abound and back 'atcha EMD, I think you don't like being 'told off'(or whatever your subconscious has understood Wafflycats post to mean)by a woman.
(I'm not the pedant spotter,
I'm the pedant spotters son,
And I'm only spotting pedants
Till the pedant spotter comes.)

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Unfortunately the real message from this is that VED is still not high enough to make him consider getting rid of some of his cars.

He's got enough cash whatever the charge!! Pity he couldn't pass some of it over to me!


"The thing is, using the term 'road tax' helps perpetuate the myth that somehow, it's motorists that pay for the roads"

I completely understand what you are saying, but if after over half a decade people still refer to it as road tax, I think that a few people in lycra are never going to change people's minds (as when people still talk about rate, council tax etc.)

 

[Eat MY Dust]

think you don't like being 'told off'(or whatever your subconscious has understood Wafflycats post to mean)by a woman.

That line is so off the mark I'm almost speachless. I only mentioned "pedantic" as I can't imagine ever winning an argument with a cager with the line "well actually it's VED, not road tax"

 

[tdr1nka]

Forgive me EMD, I missed out the .

 

[wafflycat]

Yeah, but was he thinking to himself "classroom geek"?

Actually, it was a 'she'

 

[davidwalton]

That line is so off the mark I'm almost speachless. I only mentioned "pedantic" as I can't imagine ever winning an argument with a cager with the line "well actually it's VED, not road tax"

Try the line that the more efficient cars pay ZERO VED, and cycles are even more efficient than them. If your boss, or any other 'cager' has even a few cells working in their brain, they should realise just how stupid their no cyclists pays tax stance is.

 

[tdr1nka]

I only mentioned "pedantic" as I can't imagine ever winning an argument with a cager with the line "well actually it's VED, not road tax"

The simple fact that the majority of motorists are so unaware of what they pay for and why is as much an ignorant excuse to further their complaints and excuses for losing any sense of decency and civic feeling the moment they get behind the wheel.

It may be padantic but this is what we as cyclists contend with daily when we come into contact with ignorant drivers. It might be a small detail but if drivers want to remain ignorant and still complain then I don't see them as brilliant candidates for driving a car.

 

[davidwalton]

Last time a driver started swearing at me about him paying road tax, I tried to explain as simply as I could, and he just sat there dribbling at me, with a vacant look in his eyes.

I think it's far better to not bother pointing that out, and just say that VED is based on emissions and bikes don't have any of those. At least the knuckle-draggers understand that.

Yes, but I wasn't talking about the lowest life forms. I was expecting at least Nursery standard education and understanding

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Try the line that the more efficient cars pay ZERO VED, and cycles are even more efficient than them. If your boss, or any other 'cager' has even a few cells working in their brain, they should realise just how stupid their no cyclists pays tax stance is.

I think you may be getting a tad excited. I posted this in cake stop as my boss was complaining how much his (and his family's) cars were costing in "VED" (happy now?) he did so jokingly as he knows that I think that he (and his family) are "mad", seeing as they all live within a 3 mile radius of work but drive Bentley's, Porsche's and Jag XK's!! If he had been having a go I would have posted it this in Soapbox.

I know you don't actually know my boss. But he came to Britain from Iraq 20 odd years ago and couldn't even speak English. He is now worth several million pounds, so making remarks about having "even a few cells working in their brain" does apear to be a bit harsh.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

It may be padantic but this is what we as cyclists contend with daily when we come into contact with ignorant drivers.

lol, I can just imagine having an argument at the side of the road with the comeback "it's not lycra, it's spandex"

 

[davidwalton]

I think you may be getting a tad excited. I posted this in cake stop as my boss was complaining how much his (and his family's) cars were costing in "VED" (happy now?) he did so jokingly as he knows that I think that he (and his family) are "mad", seeing as they all live within a 3 mile radius of work but drive Bentley's, Porsche's and Jag XK's!! If he had been having a go I would have posted it this in Soapbox.

I know you don't actually know my boss. But he came to Britain from Iraq 20 odd years ago and couldn't even speak English. He is now worth several million pounds, so making remarks about having "even a few cells working in their brain" does apear to be a bit harsh.

Honestly, I am not at all exited

Anyone who has the attitude that their rights are greater than any others is in my mind, just not a valid human. There are a lot of highly educated people with zero common sense, just like there are some really stupid people that are extremely lucky and end up rich.

A car driver being ignorant about the understanding of VED, etc, is not something that is going to get you much of an argument, unless you think cyclists should also pay VED. Not therefore worth a SoapBox entry.

Please note, you were the one mentioning Road Tax, and the discussion went on from that. I slap my wrist for reading what you wrote

 

[Eat MY Dust]

What do you call the VED "certificate" that car owners are obliged to put on their windscreens?

I bet you call them "tax discs"!!!

 

[Maz]

I call them 'tax discs', too.
It shows that you've paid your road tax, oops, I mean VED.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Can I add that my boss was not at any point making out he was more important than a mere cyclist, and that I do think that cyclists should pay VED (which would come to nothing)

 

[tdr1nka]

Vehicle Excise Duty is a tax, just not a 'road' tax, although you need it to be on the 'road'.

A tax disc is simply a 'disk' that shows you have paid the tax.
Again nuffink to do with roads as I see it.