cars, waste of money?

[santaman2000]

...Yep he/she certainly are.
Plus of course the cops in the UK are not armed ...

They weren't armed when I was stationed there. Now-a-days all the pictures of UK cops online or in the news have them carrying semi-auto pistols, side handled batons and/or sub machine guns. I just took it from the news pics that the situation had changed. In any case weapons are still only a small part of the total personal equipment and most other European agencies are definitely armed.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Here, we would be completely stranded without a car for every person. No buses for three miles. Clearly the types can vary - and not many drive luxurious Mercs.

Waste of money? Absolute necessity for rural dwellers

You're right there, I've gone 6 months without a car but it's starting to get difficult now - 7 miles into town and it's real hilly.

 

[demographic]

They weren't armed when I was stationed there. Now-a-days all the pictures of UK cops online or in the news have them carrying semi-auto pistols, side handled batons and/or sub machine guns. I just took it from the news pics that the situation had changed. In any case weapons are still only a small part of the total personal equipment and most other European agencies are definitely armed.

The last (and only) time I saw a copper with a gun was when there was a very high profile case being held and they were acting as security, that was maybe seven or so years ago.
That's in a city of about a hundred thousand and wherever else I have been in the meantime.
There's armed response units for most towns but its very rare indeed to see a copper carrying a gun.

Maybe in central London with the various terrorist scares its different but that's in no way indicative of the rest of the country.

 

[FGYT]

They weren't armed when I was stationed there. Now-a-days all the pictures of UK cops online or in the news have them carrying semi-auto pistols, side handled batons and/or sub machine guns. I just took it from the news pics that the situation had changed. In any case weapons are still only a small part of the total personal equipment and most other European agencies are definitely armed.

yes all areas have armed officers but they arnt the norm but do show up for most things you see on the news

no a Brit copper doesn't have his own car even the traffic guys dont. The beat guys may have one small car for the whole section to share

they dont even have their own desk / computer to do the paperwork just a space and terminal to use while they are on duty after they patrol etc all their stuff is carried on the vests and the traffic car has a std load out as has has an armed response vehicular which all the guns and ammo have to be taken out and signed back into the armory before going home even coppers dont own or carry outside work The next shift will sign out another set of kit and load up etc
(bear in mind the Armed guy will never have fired the weapon hes carrying on duty they practice with other guns and the Duty ones are bore sighted by the armourer)

ATB

Duncan

 

[Rebel]

Being a joiner i have a van but it gets used for everything from work to transporting kids and various boats and carrying all our camping gear for holidays .
It's an 11year old ex police riot van that has just had a shed load of money on it to get i through it's MOT. the running costs are the down side but we would be lost without it , in a couple of weeks we are heading of with the kids camping ( camping gear for 4 + 4 kayaks + a 1800kg rib ) Can't do that with a fiesta !

Craig................

I used to have one of those too. It was a turbo diesel fully kitted out with removable seats and still had some of the police customization installed. It was a great multi-purpose vehicle. I'd take out the seats to use for work and use it for ferrying people around and we'd go camping with it.

I remember pulling up at a few places and they thought it was a police raid.

 

[vizsla]

Ok im slightly going back on my word but i couldnt justify spending £13000 on a new corso to loose yet more money in depreciation so i managed to talk the missis into a used car and best of all she chose a car i quite like myself a toyota rav4, its a few years old so shouldnt loose too much money and its cheaper to run than the merc plus its perfect for trips and putting the dogs in, also handy in the winter.
Iv had a few 4x4s and have driven both style of ravs off road and they are supprisingly good off road.

Hope you like cheers ash

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[British Red]

Good call - my Yota has been stone cold brilliant for reliability. Ten years and 100,000 miles and it has never failed to start, never broken down, never required more than routine servicing, has no rust at all, no mechanical failures and no parts gone beyond routine stuff like bulbs.

Superb vehicles

 

[santaman2000]

Yeah. Despite the recalls I still have loads of faith in Toyota.

 

[vizsla]

Ye my dads had 3 ravs and iv had a hilux and theyv all been great cars, drive great too i think there a bit underestimated by some compared to landrovers

 

[Ex-member EagleOwl]

In a lot of countries a car is a necessity for travel but in Britain there are only really some people who need there own vehicle, like people who live in the countryside, workmen who need a van, disabled people.

Personally can't see any need for a car in Britain outside the areas i mention.

My nearest shops 3 miles away, you know what i do when i need shopping? walk, or get a bus, if you can't get a weeks worth of shopping that far then get 2 or 3 days worth.

Need to get to work, get a bus or train.

Very little need for cars in the UK.

Really winds me up TBH especially those 4 wheel drive users who don't live in the countryside/ need it for a work related purpose.

 

[Ex-member EagleOwl]

Just to add, When i become Prime minister shortly after hell freezes over any vehicle over 50 BHP that is not a tractor willy be destroyed as there isno need at all for it.

 

[cbr6fs]

In a lot of countries a car is a necessity for travel but in Britain there are only really some people who need there own vehicle, like people who live in the countryside, workmen who need a van, disabled people.

Personally can't see any need for a car in Britain outside the areas i mention.

My nearest shops 3 miles away, you know what i do when i need shopping? walk, or get a bus, if you can't get a weeks worth of shopping that far then get 2 or 3 days worth.

Need to get to work, get a bus or train.

Very little need for cars in the UK.

Really winds me up TBH especially those 4 wheel drive users who don't live in the countryside/ need it for a work related purpose.

Need is one thing, i could probably get by with just 1 car, but i choose to own 2 cars as i enjoy racing, working on and driving my second car.

As for a 50bhp limit, i think it's an over-simplistic view point that really offers no solution to anything or anyone and just shows ignorance towards the subject.
Although it'd be cool cause i'd have by far the fastest car on the road then

 

[ged]

Cars are almost without exception a complete waste of money and resources. Trust me, I run more than most, and they have a few lines all to themselves in the accounts, so I know what they cost.

To say that they're essential for people in the countryside is to ignore the fact that people did actually manage to live in the countryside when there really wasn't anything much except countryside to live in, and cars didn't even exist.

Even when cars were just starting to become popular, men and women used to walk from Amelie-les-Bains to the snow hole near my house in France, to collect snow, and to carry it, in sacks on their backs and on little trollies, back to Amelie. There they would sell it to the hotels and other establishments catering for the rich people taking the waters. It's six miles from Amelie to the snow hole, and the climb is from two hundred metres to five hundred metres, and they used to do that two or sometimes three times a day, from when the first snow fell in winter until all the snow was gone in the spring.

People whinging about needing cars in the countryside nowadays are just pussies by comparison with some of their ancestors.

 

[cbr6fs]

Cars are almost without exception a complete waste of money and resources. Trust me, I run more than most, and they have a few lines all to themselves in the accounts, so I know what they cost.

To say that they're essential for people in the countryside is to ignore the fact that people did actually manage to live in the countryside when there really wasn't anything much except countryside to live in, and cars didn't even exist.

Even when cars were just starting to become popular, men and women used to walk from Amelie-les-Bains to the snow hole near my house in France, to collect snow, and to carry it, in sacks on their backs and on little trollies, back to Amelie. There they would sell it to the hotels and other establishments catering for the rich people taking the waters. It's six miles from Amelie to the snow hole, and the climb is from two hundred metres to five hundred metres, and they used to do that two or sometimes three times a day, from when the first snow fell in winter until all the snow was gone in the spring.

People whinging about needing cars in the countryside nowadays are just pussies by comparison with some of their ancestors.

By the same logic though expectations were a LOT less then.

If it wasn't for work i'd have 1 car and only use that on good days and at the track, as it is though i am on a 2 hour response 24 hours a day 7 days a week at a location 35 miles away.
The fact remain i could not get my laptop, tools etc weighing in around 35kg to work within 2 hours if it wasn't for some type of powered transport.

So although i agree that a entire new mindset and life change is needed to get people out their cars, it's over simplistic to the point of being useless to sum up that

People whinging about needing cars in the countryside nowadays are just pussies

 

[santaman2000]

...Really winds me up TBH especially those 4 wheel drive users who don't live in the countryside/ need it for a work related purpose.

Who said "Need" means "work related?" Recreation is just as valid a need as any other. 4 wheelin' is an extremely enjoyable sport. Even when I lived in town I played in the country. I've been on class IV trails so far but hope to eventually make it to the Rubicon Trail (Class X) and I know I'm only daydreaming about The Widowmaker in Utah but who knows; maybe one day.

 

[santaman2000]

...My nearest shops 3 miles away, you know what i do when i need shopping? walk, or get a bus, if you can't get a weeks worth of shopping that far then get 2 or 3 days worth...

Yes but what do you do when your schedule only allows you to get to town (or the shop) every couple of weeks (or sometimes only every month or two) Also if you can only bring home 2 or 3 days worth of shopping it means you have to go to the added expense of extra trips; the inability to buy in bulk for a cheaper price; the inability to stock up while items are on sale to multiply the savings. In other words, shopping every 2 or 3 days adds some of that expense back. Plus it's annoying as heck; I'm a guy; I really don't like doing shopping. Ergo I try to make every trip count.

 

[santaman2000]

...walk, or get a bus...

Train? Bus? I've heard of those. Aren't they those things where you sit in the back and let someone else drive? It'll never catch on. Besides you would have to follow their schedule. Nah. That dog won't hunt.

 

[santaman2000]

...Even when cars were just starting to become popular, men and women used to walk from Amelie-les-Bains to the snow hole near my house in France, to collect snow, and to carry it, in sacks on their backs and on little trollies, back to Amelie. There they would sell it to the hotels and other establishments catering for the rich people taking the waters. It's six miles from Amelie to the snow hole, and the climb is from two hundred metres to five hundred metres, and they used to do that two or sometimes three times a day, from when the first snow fell in winter until all the snow was gone in the spring...pussies by comparison with some of their ancestors.

Lets see. You say its 6 miles from Amelie to the snow hole; that's 12 miles round trip. You also say they made up to 3 trips a day; that makes 36 miles. A standard military forced march is 20 miles a day (a bit more for special forces, maybe up to 30 on occassion) Those must have been some really impressive people.

 

[santaman2000]

Just to add, When i become Prime minister shortly after hell freezes over any vehicle over 50 BHP that is not a tractor willy be destroyed as there isno need at all for it.

That's less than good sized motorcycle.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahaha I love my 200 BHP 4.0L straight six Jeep Wrangler that we can't all fit in. I even drive to the spar some 1.5k away just to drive it. I sit there and warm it up, then run for ten mus or so at the end of every trip, I take it off road I drive it on road with Mt tires on, I could put the trailer on the cycle and peddle to Tesco for the weekly shop, I could. But it wouldn't be as fun baby! Your house isn't a necessity neither is your job or clothes or computer they are just nice to have and fun to use!