Why I’m smug about being a non-driver

I do not agree that taxpayers should be funding your subsidised travels. The railways get roughly 50% of their funding from the taxpayers. This should be cut to zero. Perhaps then we’d see a little less smugness from non car users

Linda,
Try to use your brain and think before you speak out – likewise the 14 agrees: forget the “smug” non-drivers and for a second consider the people who cannot drive due to age, disability, financial hardship, illness and so on. Remembering that at any moment YOU could become one of them, perhaps through crashing your car or being crashed into by another motorist, or maybe through some terribly illness that I would not wish on anyone such as a stroke, tell me why such unfortunate people should be ripped off by high fares because of YOUR selfish attitude. Bear in mind too that most people in the position I describe are tax payers like you too.

Quite apart from the above also try to think about the fact that non-drivers through choice, smug or not, also pay the taxes to which you refer as if only you pay them.

“”or maybe through some terribly illness that I would not wish on anyone such as a stroke, tell me why such unfortunate people should be ripped off by high fares””

So you view paying the true cost of the service as ‘ripped off’. Its not being ripped off, its paying what it costs. People already feel they’re ripped off by fares when in fact they’re still not paying what the service they use actually costs, they’re still being subsidised.

I also feel the taxpayer should seek better value for money in its subsidy of public transport. Its an unprofitable business and wouldnt exist but for the taxpayer’s help, already this Government is cutting the Government subsidy and passengers will be forced to pay closer to the true cost of their journeys, just like drivers. In terms of Dave’s argument about disability, my mother is disabled and car is her only viable means of transport, even if the disabled person cannot drive you can get financial help, motability car for someone to drive you to where you need to go in it. The elderly receive bus passes anyway (something i do not think should be cut).In most cases people who have severe disability need a car (even if its not them driving it), not a bus. Because getting on and off of trains, catching taxi’s, walking places etc isnt possible for them. I think there should be some sort of system for fuel duty rebate for disabled drivers, Bus operators get a rebate, and Trains pay hardly anything and still cant turn a profit. Planes pay no Fuel Duty or VAT on fuel either.

The Government raises money (5p i think) per each mile travelled by car, but it loses 6p a mile travelled by Bus and a shocking 21p a mile travelled by Train. The car is the most economic form of travel when all costs are taken into account, proving personal transport is still more economically efficient than trains and buses. We obviously need trains and buses in society, not everybody can drive a car but we need to look for better value for money in the system. I dont think any form of Transport should be a rip off, transport is the most important part of any economy’s bloodline and is vital.

I’m not a smug non-driver, – I can’t drive. I just don’t have an aptitude for it. After 50 lessons I I was getting nowhere, and anyway I can’t afford to have more lessons and run a car, even if I did pass. I’m sick of how there is a mindset in society that everyone must drive, and it is getting very difficult to find a job where they accept non-drivers. I would say the smugness lies on the driver’s side.

Patrick
Given the number of votes cast on this subject, I’m not surprised that you’re back-pedalling from your original “smugness” comments –
Its disappointing that you appear to be denigrating the very system of voting that Which? themselves have introduced. I believe vote is worth a thousand words.
I take it that your words about personal comments were directed at the individual who attacked Linda about being exiled to Skye. I too thought this below the belt.

Consumer Focus has recently produced a report entitled Rural consumers in the UK [http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/files/2011/05/rural_consumers_in_the_UK.pdf]. I’d urge you to read this and start campaigning more for the rights of rural dwellers.

Todays announcement in a government commissioned report urges a substantial reduction in tax payer subidies to the railways. That’s great news for the majority of voters on this page and will hopefully eliminate the smugness felt by a few.

Hello Richard
We are a family run small business located in the Lake District National Park and offer complimentary web access to our customers.
We’ve been contacted by a couple of our customers who read your threat to block our IP address.. We can confirm that a number of our rurally based customers have been iincensed by comments on this page. They have therefore encouraged others via our notice board, to support them with votes and comments. Consequently its no surprise to us that quite a few comments have come from this IP.
We contemplated using your Contact Us Form but quickly realised that you require personal information over an insecure connection.
We hope this is helpfull
Best Wishes
Jim