In message , Roland
Perry writes

In message , at 17:00:20 on Tue, 30 Aug
2005, Paul Terry remarked:

Is the MOT a "tax", though?

I wouldn't have said so. It is, however an expense that can be set
against tax under certain circumstances (returning to the context of
the original point, once again).

The *original* point was the cost of motoring vs public transport.

So neither the American who mentioned US vehicle inspections, or I who
mentioned MOTs, were right to think that these are related to the cost
of motoring?

Forgive me if I choose no longer to participate in this mind-numbing
pedantry, which appears to have lost the whole thrust of the point and
which has totally ignored what I wrote about the reasons for increased
use of public transport in London.

--
Paul Terry