this isn't looking good for doner car owners.

Let me see...

THere was a job advert for a "Transport Liason Officer" for Cambs council. The role was specifically to provide information and routing for HGVs. Qualifications? A degree. Any degree. No experience of transport necessary.

So that's a yes.

Is a doner car one that's used for delivering take-away meals?

Yup

Shame that though, I like Rover SD1s and I've spoke to FRC a few times about getting another one, he's a good guy and not that expensive really.

Even worse that it might become more prevalent. Neo bros break all their cars down. As does Malbrad, but I'm sure there are loads of secondhand parts places that aren't scrappies, they are enjoying a paying hobby, and just pull what is needed when it is enquired about.

The Government should f*ck off. End of. Fact is that this sort of s**te costs you and me money every day.

As I understand it, yes. Well, not entirely sure about the license, but they would be required to prove they have the required contracts in place to deal with such waste.

Not on my chimney!

In most states, there are ways to legally register almost anything with 4 wheels and an engine for road use. You may have to compromise with limitations such as less than 5,000 miles a year, or only use it one day a week, but the checks on that sort of thing are pretty lax. California is the only exception, but I don't live there so I don't care.

Oh, and I pour used engine oil down the storm drain at the front of my house, too.

Ah, Americans...

My local garage burns used engine oil in a specially designed boiler to heat the workshop in winter.

Batteries (both car and dry cell) are collected by my local council as part of their recycling collection scheme.

Jim

I'm a Brit, actually.

Doki ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

I think you just have a rather restricted grasp of "tax", Doki. Clue: It's one HELLUVA lot more complicated than just income tax and VAT.

The US and UK do have broadly equivalent levels of direct taxation on "Joe Public" - so Dervy's right. (Bear in mind he's married to one of them...)

However, you're also right, because other - indirect - taxation, such as taxation on companies, is lower there.

That is, of course, purely AIUI. IANATM. Thankfully.

I thought we'd cracked 50% now.

I understand that, ta.

Approx 35% of GDP spent on the Govt VS approx 40% of GDP spent on the government sounds good to me. It might not seem like a vast gulf, but it's

5%, and even if the saving isn't direct to your pocket a la income tax or sales tax, it will eventually get to you one way or another. Even if you get half of that 5% in the form of reduced living costs or whatever, it'd be equivalent to 2 and a half pence on Income tax. I understand that you have to pay your own medical insurance if you're earning a decent amount over there, but if I were earning a decent amount over here, I'd be paying for private medical insurance too...

Doki ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Over here, private medical insurance gives you a room to yourself and a little bit more of the medical staff's time and attention.

Over there you have to pay for private medical insurance if you don't want to be left to die like a dog in the street...

Don't believe a word about their "public hospitals"... Not until you've been round some of the less affluent areas (not just inner-city) and seen the collecting tins on petrol station/restaurant/wherever counters for ordinary people who are life-threateningly ill but just can't get any treatment...

And the opportunity of seeing a doctor who gives a f*ck and actually getting some diagnostic tests as opposed to "We'll try whatever's cheapest and work our way up" system the NHS uses...

My understanding of it is that people below a certain income threshold get state provided medical insurance, and above that you're supposed to provide your own. I know that there are a fairly large number of people who either choose not to or cannot afford medical insurance despite being above the threshold, but if you look at overall stats on say, what %age of people diagnosed of cancer actually die of cancer, they still way ahead of us...

That's utter bollocks.

DanTXD ( snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Quite. It's usually the same doctor.

When M-i-L needed a dental op recently, she saw the consultant on the NHS, and was offered the op on the NHS or private - the only difference was the hospital it was done in.

Similar when F-i-L had a brain tumour removed a few years ago. Same doc, same hospital, only diff was the ward his bed was on.

Or the 'la, la, la, I'm not listening'[1] approach they took with my dad.

[1] Terminal pulmonary fibrosis. Finally diagnosed the day before he died, despite a whole wad of evidence pointing to it several months ago.

SteveH ( snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Umm, would that be like the "been growing for 10-15 years" brain tumour F- i-L was diagnosed with by the NHS - several months after a BUPA MOT said he was fine...?