Forum menu
A man who is out of his depth on a wet pavement.
To be fair, he's been shit hot all week on haranguing BBC journalists for not directly describing Hamas as terrorists.
A sitting government publicly telling the 'state broadcaster' how their news should be broadcast. Such a good look if you're trying to avoid the closet fascist tag...
The end of the private car is in sight
For people like you who live in city centres with decent public transport, maybe.
For the rest of us who live in the real world where public transport is virtually non-existent, not a ****ing chance!
The reality for most people is that you NEED a car. Maybe in some future utopia we can all rely on public transport but I’ll just remind you that this government has just given up on building a railway line from Manchester to London as being just too difficult to manage, so I won’t hold my breath for this golden age of car free travel eh?
Sunak visited by brother in laws ship for a photo op
im loving his body language here (hes a scouser from Garston who somehow ended up captain & does not have a high opinion of the government)
Tell someone to * off without actually telling them to * off! 😂
If my previous post comes across as being vaguely supportive of the multinominal fraudster, please be assured that was definitely not the intention...
If my previous post comes across as being vaguely supportive of the multinominal fraudster, please be assured that was definitely not the intention…
It's unpatriotic not to be supportive of the UK government's finest at a time of international turmoil. Suella will be along shortly with her plans for re-education camps.
It’s unpatriotic not to be supportive of the UK government’s finest at a time of international turmoil.
And yet Sunak has been strangely silent on the subject at the top of the news. Why is that I wonder?
PS this is not an attempt to reopen that debate, I just find it odd that our prime minister has had so little to say on the subject. It clearly doesn’t fit with his preposterous ‘every thing is great’ narrative.
For the rest of us who live in the real world where public transport is virtually non-existent, not a ****ing chance!
So you don't have regular public transport to central Manchester?
Meanwhile where I live there is (& I am
not exaggerating) one (1!) bus a week past my house (on a Wednesday lunchtime..)
funnily enough I rely on my car not public transport……
binners
Full MemberThe reality for most people is that you NEED a car. Maybe in some future utopia we can all rely on public transport but I’ll just remind you that this government has just given up on building a railway line from Manchester to London as being just too difficult to manage, so I won’t hold my breath for this golden age of car free travel eh?
The end of the private car isn't going to be traditional public transport, it's going to be the public car. As soon as real autonomous cars come along that's the end of the argument for most people to own their own, it won't even be slow. Not quite there yet but just a matter of time. It'll just be weirdos like me who still want to own an expensive stupid old car instead of just subscribing.
ceepers
Meanwhile where I live there is (& I am not exaggerating) one (1!) bus a week past my house (on a Wednesday lunchtime..) funnily enough I rely on my car not public transport……
One more than we have here. To anywhere...
(admittedly we're a rural village, but do have two large towns less than ten miles away and a decent sized city around 15 miles away - not so isolated as to make public transport difficult and there are two major A roads less than 5 miles from us)
funnily enough I was having a similar discussion earlier today.
it’s not that I don’t want to use public transportation/ car share, it’s that outside the Centre of the big cities, it’s way too consuming of time my life doesn’t allow to use it.
I can either drive to work And back (10mins) , cycle each way (30 mins)” on average
pr catch a bus one way once a week and hitchhike? Back / every other day?!!
until it’s as quick / quicker to use public transport everywhere as it is to use the tube to get around London, people will want / need their own cars to Service their lives / keep all their “balls in the air”
And yet Sunak has been strangely silent on the subject at the top of the news. Why is that I wonder?
Unless you have another subject in mind I don't think that's true at all. In fact not remaining silent might have got him in a spot of bother:
The British government could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza if it does not do more to “restrain” Israel, a senior Conservative MP has warned.
Crispin Blunt, a former chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, has written to Rishi Sunak warning the UK is in “legal peril” on account of his “apparent unqualified support to the policy of the government of Israel”.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, which Mr Blunt co-chairs, has issued a notice of intention to prosecute UK officials and says there is “clear evidence that Israel has committed war crimes”.
To be fair to Rishi Sunak he is caught between a rock in a hard place. He is now in "legal peril" for supporting Israel when there is "clear evidence that Israel has committed war crimes”, and yet if he criticises Israel we all know that he would be accused of anti-semitism.
It's really a no-win situation for him, and as if he didn't have enough to worry about already.
He is probably thinking now that it's proper crap being the leader of the Tory Party.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gaza-war-crimes-uk-rishi-sunak-b2429728.html
Labour: 44% (+2)
Conservative: 28% (-1)
Liberal Democrat: 10% (-1)
That's disappointing, the Labour conference bounce doesn't appear to have been much better than the Tory conference bounce.
I had felt sure that it would be 🫤
Errmmm – private cars are the past not the future<br /><br />
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve been spouting that same, tired old mantra about as long as I’ve been on here, and it’s utterly meaningless, coming as it does from someone with easy access to public transport in a city.
Unless you’re suggesting a reverse Pol Pot solution and force all rural communities to live in ghettos in big cities, then please, be quiet.
I can, and do, use public transport, as I have a bus pass. However, it doesn’t get me free transport on national coaches, nor does it get me free transportation on the railway network, and neither are convenient for travel after certain times, for example, if I want to go to a concert in London or Bristol. Most concerts finish around 11.00pm, the last train east from Bristol is 10.32pm, with at least a 30 minute walk from the nearest venue. In London, the last train to Bristol, which I need to catch, is 11.32pm, and the average tube journey, from somewhere like The Roundhouse, is 35-40 minutes. The Pixies gig I went to at The Roundhouse was still going when I left at 10.50, having had to get the security people to pull me over the barrier so I could get out along the front of the stage, and I managed to get on board the last train home at 11.28pm; four minutes before it left. The next train would be seven hours later, and require me to fork out another £100 for a ticket.
That’s the convenience of public transport in my world, not your fantasy land.
Oh, and if I want to go to Bristol to just wander around the docks and just have a day exploring, there’s no bus directly from Chippenham to Bristol, which is roughly a forty-five, fifty minute drive, I have to catch a bus to Bath, then catch another to Bristol, which takes two hours. To travel thirty miles!
For the rest of us who live in the real world where public transport is virtually non-existent, not a ****ing chance!
We are currently at the start of a transition I think, with semi autonomous EV's and Hybrids...
The real future of 'personal' transport will be fully autonomous taxis, for want of a better phrase. You schedule one to turn up at your location, and can order a small/large/disabled acess vehicle for example a bit like you call an Uber.
Said car turns up, takes you to where you are going and then goes off to the next customer, unless it needs recharging or cleaning or servicing, in which case it will head back to a depot for the work to be done.
Probably won't be government/public funded though... more likely a colab between Amazon and Uber or something similar.
Sunak visited by brother in laws ship for a photo op
Is it just me or are his shoes about 4 sizes too big? Rishi, I mean, not the chap with the chunky safety boots.
If you exclude his ankle and kneecap, his feet are near as dammit as long as his shins 😀
Ahh, is it a notorious photoshop that I'm oblivious to? Or has he gone full Tom Cruise?
That’s disappointing, the Labour conference bounce doesn’t appear to have been much better than the Tory conference bounce.
Yep, even trying to be as objective as I can (as someone who detests tories) the Labour conference was a way better conference than the tory conference to the average voter. The question is though how many average voters look at anything coming out of any conference? From the polls after conferences it looks like not many, which is somewhat understandable.
Labour conference was a real non event IMO. No debate just refusal to commit to any policies. I'm not surprised there was no bounce - there was nothing there to be enthused about
For the general public do not forget the malignin fluence of the right wing press.
The end of the private car is in sight.
Or the death of rural communities.
Or just perhaps a solution like mattyfez suggests?
Its obvious the age of the motor car is coming to an end - the question is do we plan for the transition or do we let circumstances dictate?
With Labour that far ahead the conference needed bounce would have needed dyed kn the wool Tories to get excited about it, they didnt. It did what it needed to do at this stage, not screw up. For the politicaly active on here the average punter doesnt care about policy detail, its all about tone and how they are feeling. At the moment its about 13 years of Tory misrule, no money in peoples pockets and the tiny billionaire popping up to say he we change it all. The crux of the next election is whether people buy into Rishi's fever dream, polling suggests they dont. Its Starmers election to lose, his best strategy has been to purge the noises off and left wing head bangers whilst allowing the gibernment (typo but im leaving that in) to keep screwing up.
Labours conference was overshadowed by the hamas attack, normally the rw press would give it some front page negative coverage, they didn't even get that!
Anyway its by-elections week , I expect some nonsense from Sunak, what do we think it will be, blocking the mid beds meat tax or legislating to prevent ULEZ expansion to Tamworth?
Unless you’re suggesting a reverse Pol Pot solution and force all rural communities to live in ghettos in big cities, then please, be quiet.
Do get a grip.
Its obvious the age of the motor car is coming to an end
Really? It may look obvious to you from your city centre ivory tower, you’d get laughed out of town if you suggested it in a place like, where the car is literally the only game in town if you want to get from A to B
If I want to go from where I live, into Manchester City centre there’s on bus an hour, if it actually turns up. If I want to go anywhere else other than moan Hester city centre, using public transport, forget it. I get in my car. Full stop. There are no other realistic alternatives. As is the reality for millions and millions of people
You really are completely detached from reality
Any political party would have to be insane to stand on such a ludicrous platform
Really? It may look obvious from a city centre ivory tower, you’d get laughed out of town if you suggested it in a place like I live in , where the car is literally the only game in town if you want to get from A to B
As many people have said now...I think he's referring to car sharing taking over. If fully autonomous becomes a reality then far fewer cars will need to be made as they will be able to operate at much higher utilisation (although reduction would be limited to whatever is required for rush hour). I don't buy into this being a reason not to invest in automotive though. There are plenty of good companies in the UK with skin in the autonomous game, investing in this will produce high quality jobs. Whether or not fully autonomous will ever happen is maybe a separate discussion.
That or other solutions which may appear. Its not the status quo ( so all the whataboutery of " only one bus a fortnight where I live" is irrelevant) - its a change coming. autonomous cars, better public transport, better urban planning, changes to working patterns etc etc
Already a large part of the population are priced out of owning a (legal) car despite the massive subsidy to car drivers. Car driving is only going to get more expensive and also the greenhouse gasses produced need to be addressed. Congestion is only going to get worse.
Its really simple - we either have the change forced upon us or we plan for and adapt to it. The change is coming in the next generation or two.
Are those suggesting autonomous cars aware of who will be using them?
The Great British Public.
The first weekend they are in use will have most of them covered/filled with all manner of bodily fluids/stomach & colon contents. Handy if you are the person using that ‘service’. Less handy if you are the person discovering it on the next go.
That or vandalised to oblivion
Why do you think there would be a big bounce after Labour conference.. it was overshadowed and most people have decided the current government are hopelesss (that's a polite mimmum description), and have moved vote already
If I want to go from where I live, into Manchester City centre there’s on bus an hour, if it actually turns up
Oh, does the tram not run from Bury anymore?
autonomous cars, better public transport, better urban planning, changes to working patterns etc etc
Also car clubs. Our car does 4k miles/yr. It's used once a week at most, and spends most its time taking up space. I'd happily chop it in for one of those car club setups, if they were more flexible around weekend rates and one-way hire. I'm sure we'll get there at some point.
its a change coming. autonomous cars, better public transport, better urban planning, changes to working patterns etc etc
That change, if it ever gets to exist in anywhere else other than your head, will take decades!
We all want the change (well… a lot of people don’t, actually) but it will take huge investment and take years
Anyway… why on earth are you rattling on and on about this on a thread that’s (apparently) about a man, presently running the country, who travels everywhere by private jet and helicopter FFS!!
There’s none of the change that you want coming from him, that’s for sure!
I mentioned it in response to another post about Starmers conference speech. Just a throwaway line to point out that once again Starmer is looking backwards and pleasing lobby interests not looking forward and leading the country into the future
That change, if it ever gets to exist in anywhere else other than your head, will take decades!
We all want the change (well… a lot of people don’t, actually) but it will take huge investment and take years
correct. I never said it wouldn't
I mentioned it in response to another post about Starmers conference speech. Just a throwaway line to point out that once again Starmer is looking backwards and pleasing
lobby intereststhe majority of voters who actually live in the real world, not looking forward and leading the country into the future
FTFY
Oh, does the tram not run from Bury anymore?
It does. I can get into Manchester easily, like I already said. If I'm going to Manchester I always use the bus or tram or I ride in. You'd have to be mental to drive.
But let me give you an example of the reality of trying to go anywhere else other than Manchester City Centre from where I live
I was working in Burnley a few years ago, at Turf Moor. A town (and hardly a small one) 14 miles away. I would ride in a couple of times a week, drive the rest of the time. My car was in for a service, the weather forecast was absolutely grim (the ride is over high and exposed roads), so I thought I'd use public transport
On looking into it, the only way I could do it was to get a bus or bus/tram into Manchester, then get a bus or train from Manchester back out to Burnley. On a good day, if everything was on time and actually turned up, I'd be looking at a 1 hr 45 min journey time each way, in the real world; probably over 2 hours+. To travel 14 miles in each direction, but would become 30+ miles on public transport. The drive took 20 minutes. If I rode: 1 hr 15 (1500ft+ of climbing)
That is the brutal reality of the public transport options available to millions and millions of people in this country, who unlike TJ don't live in their countries capital city
How do you fix that? Autonomous cars on the way out? Get real! Not around here they're not. You'd be totally ****ed without one. Thats the reality.
Anyway.... this thread is meant to be about our diminutive, multimillionaire PM, whos solution to personal transport issues is to jump in his helicopter 🙄
It does. I can get into Manchester easily, like I already said.
What you actually said was:
For the rest of us who live in the real world where public transport is virtually non-existent, not a ****ing chance!
You then complained that there was an hourly, unreliable bus to Manchester. Now you're saying that you can get there easily. It's almost as though you're making stuff up to prove a point.
If Tories are hated so much then I think there's a fair discussion to be made about why it's such a misguided idea for Starmer to indulge in Conservatism.
In a Sunak thread.
Entirety contextual.
The trap has always been making debate about personality rather than policy.
Oh forget it. Whats the point? The usual suspects derail yet another thread 🙄
First you made up a story about your public transport, now you're flouncing when it's called out. Not very edifying, is it?