Badabing wrote:

Yeah, I mean who exactly are these people who drive their cars into central
London to do their shopping??

During the week.

Dunno about you, but if I go into central London shopping, I do it at
the weekend.

in article , James Farrar at
wrote on 30/7/03 9:35 PM:

Martin² wrote:
There are a number of people on these newsgroups, myself included, who
simply will not visit a town where cars are discouraged.


You're not missed.


Maybe, maybe not. Apparently inner London shops are demanding reduction in
business rates because of
lack of shoppers and reduced turnover...

Which might just have something to do with the awful state of the
economy at the moment.


Yeah, I mean who exactly are these people who drive their cars into central
London to do their shopping?? I would presume they are people rich enough
not to care about a few quid on top of the extortionate parking fees they
obviously don't mind paying anyway. I don't know anyone rich or stupid
enough to drive into the C zone just to shop.

On the issue of Capita: They want 31 million pounds because the amount of
traffic fell by *one percent* more than expected?? Someone explain that to
me...

In message MPG.1990e1503aa60134989df0@slave, Ade V
writes
It would seem that Ken has had to pay Crapita £31 mill, because the
poor ickle darlings weren't making as much money as they'd hoped for.
Why? Because (a) the in-zone traffic as fallen by 16%, not the 10-15%
forecast, and (b) less penalty fines are being dished out (whether due
to the fundamental honesty of British drivers, or due to Crapita's
legendary incompetence, is not made clear)

Is the difference between 15% and 16% really £31m?
I think your find that Captia can't run a proper service without the
right amount of income. And as part of the deal Captia are going to take
on more staff to check the accuracy of people caught not paying the
charge to stop innocent people being sent demands.
--
CJG

Steve Firth wrote:

PeterE wrote:

And many others who make day-to-day decisions to avoid such places without
it being consciously an issue of principle.

Yep, my attitude has changed immensely since Winchester (LibDem) started
their anti-car campaign.

So stuff 'em I go elsewhere.

Winchester has improved considerably of late.

Glad to see you are contributing to its success.

John B

CJG wrote:
In message , Huge
writes

There are a number of people on these newsgroups, myself included, who
simply will not visit a town where cars are discouraged.


You're not missed.


Pathetic.


Actually to be fair he does have a point that your not missed. If your
too uptight to visit somewhere which is taking a pro-active approach to
an obvious problem. Then its your loss not that town's.

The loss of every customer is a problem for any business, to pretend it
isn't is stupid and short sighted. I'm with Huge on this one, if they
make it hard for me to go there then I go where I'm welcome.

JohnB wrote:

Steve Firth wrote:


PeterE wrote:


And many others who make day-to-day decisions to avoid such places without
it being consciously an issue of principle.

Yep, my attitude has changed immensely since Winchester (LibDem) started
their anti-car campaign.

So stuff 'em I go elsewhere.


Winchester has improved considerably of late.

Glad to see you are contributing to its success.


How is decline an improvment?

NM wrote:

JohnB wrote:

Steve Firth wrote:


PeterE wrote:


And many others who make day-to-day decisions to avoid such places without
it being consciously an issue of principle.

Yep, my attitude has changed immensely since Winchester (LibDem) started
their anti-car campaign.

So stuff 'em I go elsewhere.


Winchester has improved considerably of late.

Glad to see you are contributing to its success.


How is decline an improvment?

What decline?

John B

JohnB wrote:

NM wrote:


JohnB wrote:


Steve Firth wrote:



PeterE wrote:



And many others who make day-to-day decisions to avoid such places without
it being consciously an issue of principle.

Yep, my attitude has changed immensely since Winchester (LibDem) started
their anti-car campaign.

So stuff 'em I go elsewhere.


Winchester has improved considerably of late.

Glad to see you are contributing to its success.


How is decline an improvment?


What decline?



Thus proving just how blinkered you can be, falling retail sales is
reality in many traditional town centres throughout Britain and at the
same time there are booming sales figures for out of town retail parks.

Perhaps it's because of the increase in the number of cyclists shopping
away from home? (drowned by noise from Plummet Airways, Porcine-liner,
Spare Rib passing low overhead).

On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 12:46:03 GMT, NM wrote:



CJG wrote:
In message , Huge
writes

There are a number of people on these newsgroups, myself included, who
simply will not visit a town where cars are discouraged.


You're not missed.


Pathetic.


Actually to be fair he does have a point that your not missed. If your
too uptight to visit somewhere which is taking a pro-active approach to
an obvious problem. Then its your loss not that town's.

The loss of every customer is a problem for any business, to pretend it
isn't is stupid and short sighted. I'm with Huge on this one, if they
make it hard for me to go there then I go where I'm welcome.

But if it's more pleasant to go shopping in a place with good public
transport and fewer cars, then there will be people who go shopping
there who wouldn't otherwise. It will also be a nicer place to work.

Any transport problem is a complex equation, and it's always a mistake
to assume that one's personal take on it is the most important factor.
If you lose one petrolhead and gain two bus bunnies, it's probably
worth doing.

R

NM wrote:

JohnB wrote:

NM wrote:


JohnB wrote:


Steve Firth wrote:



PeterE wrote:



And many others who make day-to-day decisions to avoid such places without
it being consciously an issue of principle.

Yep, my attitude has changed immensely since Winchester (LibDem) started
their anti-car campaign.

So stuff 'em I go elsewhere.


Winchester has improved considerably of late.

Glad to see you are contributing to its success.


How is decline an improvment?


What decline?

falling retail sales is
reality in many traditional town centres throughout Britain and at the
same time there are booming sales figures for out of town retail parks.


And in Winchester, which if I might remind you is the town under discussion?

John B