Re: Price of petrol

[philby@ix.netcom.com (Phil Coppin)]

Michael Burton,
Hey mate, just take two Valium and have a good nights rest.....
As an ex-pat Londoner living in Chicago I understand your frustration 
but, however, a different perspective for you would be to compare the 
population/traffic density of the U.K. vs U.S. I grew up in the U.K. in 
an era when you maybe knew 1 or 2 people that had cars...now every 
family has at least one car, even in London. In the U.K. cars are no 
longer just a means of transportation, they have become statements of 
consumerism!

In the U.K. you have around one fifth of the U.S. population living in 
an area slightly larger than the state of Illinois! I get back to the 
U.K. around 3 or 4 times a year and the amount of traffic is a constant 
source of amazement. Friends of mine in the U.K. are loathe to part 
with the price of an annual or monthly commuter ticket but will happily 
get up early and drive in to work in an overpriced and overtaxed 
vehicle (road and petrol taxes). Just to compare the price of a gallon 
of motor oil in the U.K. vs the U.S. gives me the heaves. Another thing 
I notice is that they will drive very short distances to shopping and 
the pub when before people used to walk.  

Anyway, don't take it too personally, the tax load is just the U.K. 
governments way of making up for the colossal cock-up they made when 
they gave Dr. Beeching the axe to wield in the early 60's - :-)
Now there are not enough rail lines and too many cars!

The U.S. isn't any better...In the 1950's nasty General Motors 
basically bribed the City of Los Angeles to rip out the trolley/small 
rail services and replace them with "sensitively price" G.M. buses. Now 
look at the mess. Big cities here are now seriously looking at small 
rail networks/trolley systems - go figure!

Sorry about the BW and lack of Audi content. 

Phil C.
96 A4q 2.8 slushbox (its the wifes but I love it)
88 Supra Turbo 5spd w.mods (300+hp)