Madchester
Manchester has been officially forgiven for Britpop today, when the people of the city threw out the Congestion Charge which would have seen every motorist having to pay £5 to go to work - and which would have started an avalanche of similar schemes across the country. Whilst something needs to be done, charging the average man in the street to dump his car in a world where the car gets you everywhere, the cycle gets you nearly there and on foot gets you mugged; it does perhaps need a better thought out plan than 3 billion pounds of funding to improve one cities public transport infrastructure. Nothing against cyclists (except for those that run red lights, ride on the pavement and overtake without looking over their shoulder) but cycling is not for everyone and I tire of the constant everyone should be doing it attitude. More people, perhaps. Everyone - get real. Unfortunately the same can not be said for the Bristol Bus services or more to the point, those run by First Bus - charging the same amount of money as that proposed Manchester congestion charge to get into town every day. Criminal. If you are a cyclovangelist I will cut you no slack on here - I don't believe in a world populated by pedal cycles and charges that mean only the rich or fit can afford to travel is the future. Present me with a reasoned argument that means that I keep my freedoms and I might listen. But in a country where we are being turned Socialist/Communist (or Socommy (which oddly spell checks as Scummy - which is funny in itself) as I will now refer to it) by the current Government buying into the banks and making sure that everyone on the dole 'works for their benefit (including single parents whose children are older than 1)!?' that's going to be quite a challenge for you. Especially as the current Government and the banks they are now part of are mostly responsible for the cash mess UK. You can prise my petrol driven, V-twin from my cold dead hands. Well you could if you were hard enough, but you're not