United Kingdom VII: Taking Pride in Your Success

[charlesr]

The last time I looked into this, I read the tax thing keeps getting thrown back because cyclists are against it, for a justifiable reason - because nearly all road tax goes onto road maintenance, required due to how cars wear away roads. Cyclists argue that if they're required to pay tax, they should see equivalent road infrastructure budget expenditure, e.g. if cyclists pay 30% of the road budget, then ~30% of the work on all roads should be to cater specifically to cyclists.

Subjectively, I'm sure if cyclists paid road tax then motorists would hate them, because they'd "take the lane" a lot more.

Cyclists don't pay tax because it's an emissions tax, not a road tax. The cost of roads gets paid from the central coffer, so VAT and income tax etc. So therefore cyclists are actually paying for the roads already, just as much as drivers.

[Neon Ignition]

Here's a question: Is the pingdemic issue genuinely bad or a manufactured one just for people to try and get rid of T&T?
I'm assuming that the overall issue is that because restrictions are gone and less people are working from home it means that the same number of cases as past waves leads to a higher number of people told to isolate but the counter to that is to reduce the numbers isolating and so drive the number of cases up?

[charlesr]

Here's a question: Is the pingdemic issue genuinely bad or a manufactured one just for people to try and get rid of T&T?
I'm assuming that the overall issue is that because restrictions are gone and less people are working from home it means that the same number of cases as past waves leads to a higher number of people told to isolate but the counter to that is to reduce the numbers isolating and so drive the number of cases up?

I don't know anyone personally that got covid in the previous waves. Now I know quite a few. PCR tests have run out at some facilities. Loads of the kids at school have it too which obviously didn't happen before because they were at home.

[CMcK]

I have enjoyed using escooters when I’m in places like Berlin and Madrid but they don’t really make commercial sense outside of large densely populated areas. There needs to be enough users to support the required amount of infrastructure and it’s easier to collect all the scooters if they are all within a reasonably small area. And restrictions to keep them for mainly cycle lane use only is a good idea.
They’re an interesting solution to urban mobility in cities but the law in the UK just hasn’t kept up. Electric cars have too generate a sound for pedestrians to hear up to 18mph after which tyre noise would be enough. Seems like scooters could be the same but do we really want a cacophony of sound as loads of peeps nip around on them?

[MartyG]

Googling it, you'll be able to use them wherever you can use bicycles. !

So not pavements then.

[MartyG]

Cyclists don't pay tax because it's an emissions tax, not a road tax. The cost of roads gets paid from the central coffer, so VAT and income tax etc. So therefore cyclists are actually paying for the roads already, just as much as drivers.

If it was an emmissions tax, motorcyclists wouldn't be paying £85 a year.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jul/22/uk-covid-latest-updates-pingdemic-critical-workers-exempt-self-isolation-rules-boris-johnson?page=with:block-60f952668f0814e7a316f071#block-60f952668f0814e7a316f071

Jeremy Hunt says the Government risks losing public consent over Track and Trace unless vaccinated people can ignore isolating

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jul/22/uk-covid-latest-updates-pingdemic-critical-workers-exempt-self-isolation-rules-boris-johnson?page=with:block-60f941cd8f08bb57f5f7c559#block-60f941cd8f08bb57f5f7c559

Nearly 620,000 people were told to self-isolate over the last 7 days

[wakka]

So not pavements then.

If you have a read back over my post before leaping to correct with me with link-based evidence, you'll see I was talking about parks, where you can ride bicycles - and that I don't think people riding them on pavements is as much of an issue as it is there. Which the recent accident with the little girl would seem to anecdotally show.

I'm well aware that you're not allowed to ride bikes on the pavement, and I wasn't disagreeing with you or correcting you. Just having a conversation.

[MartyG]

I wasn't disgreeing with you either - just confirming you can't ride on the pavement

[wakka]

All good...I am probably just in a grumpy mood, sorry.

[MartyG]

No worries.

I still see adults riding on the pavement - I suppose as kids most of us did on our bikes, so I'm certain a good chunk of people don't realise you can get ticketted for doing so (even kids, albiet unlikely to happen, depends on the local authority and if you bump into the wrong official).

[Dogg Thang]

I’m sure it must happen here but I’ve only ever seen people use them on roads. I can well imagine they play fast and loose when it comes to the rules of the road though.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/22/uk-scientists-back-covid-boosters-as-study-finds-post-jab-falls-in-antibodies]

Scientists have voiced support of third jab boosters for COVID in the Autumn after studies showed that AstraZenica and Pfizer double jab effectiveness dropped after just 6 weeks and in some cases by 50% after 10 weeks.

[Dogg Thang]

Was there ever a firm answer on how protected people who already had covid are? Without a vaccine, I mean.

[MartyG]

There doesn't appear to be any great agreement over it other than "some" - there are big variations from different studies, 5 months plus from a recent study although others have claimed "lifetime" production of antibodies.

I believe the definitive answer is they don't really know for sure.