What price would petrol need to be to stop you driving?

[roryer]

I simply love the freedom and enjoyment of waking up one Saturday and deciding to go for a drive in the countryside, have some nice lunch in a country pub and do some sightseeing around.

Me too, I love the freedom of being able to just jump on a train, and cycle around a little kent village, find a nice country pub, drink as much as I like, do a bit of sight-seeing and get the train back home.

 

[Dr. Furface]

No car for me means no golf, so it would have to go up quite a lot - over £5 a litre. I've recently cut my fuel use by playing at courses closer to home more often.

Apart from that me and mrs f generally only use the car to do things that we could do on public transport if we could be arsed, like go shopping and to the cinema, so we could get by without it without too much pain. Frankly, it would save us a hell of a lot of money if we did.

 

[gentlegreen]

Sure. If you must have luxuries it's obviously not an option. However I think you are a keen cyclist; I reckon you would appreciate getting rid of baggage for the added freedom that can be found.

sorry - was being a bit sarcy.

I do hope to do a bit of lightweight camping to balance out the luxury trips.



EDIT :-

Just looked at the sums again.

It could be I really /ought/ to opt for renting cottages and stuff instead.

.

 

[Mitre10]

I simply love the freedom and enjoyment of waking up one Saturday and deciding to go for a drive in the countryside, have some nice lunch in a country pub and do some sightseeing around. That is absolutely priceless IMO and I'd continue doing it regardless of the price of petrol.

Me too, I love the freedom of being able to just jump on a train, and cycle around a little kent village, find a nice country pub, drink as much as I like, do a bit of sight-seeing and get the train back home.

Each to their own then ain't it.

 

[Nigel]

Black Market

Thank God there'res a strong black market developing in buying Diesel & Petrol.
Can still go around driving into liberal lefty do-gooders who piss me off!

 

[T & P]

Me too, I love the freedom of being able to just jump on a train, and cycle around a little kent village, find a nice country pub, drink as much as I like, do a bit of sight-seeing and get the train back home.

Fair enough, though I can assure you that the options for such day trips by public transport are rather limited compared with those taken by car (is the place served by train, where do you hae to go to get said train, do they take bicycles, how many local attractions can I really see on a bicycle, etc etc). For many towns, for many routes or areas, the train/cycle combo just doesn't work.

For some situations at least, the car beats every other form of transport (with the exception of motorcycles) hands down. For that alone I should continue to own a car and continue to use it even the price of fuel trebles in price.

 

[roryer]

No car for me means no golf.

Well I've got to admit that carrying clubs on a bicycle is a bit difficult. I tend to take PT to the closest point I can easily get to from the course, then take a taxi, or get my golf partner to pick me up. (I seem to be a rare breed as a carfree golfer, so its never difficult to car share.)

At my home club I keep my clubs in a locker of course.

I sometimes do cycle with clubs, as I have one of those back pack type club bags, although the clubs stick out a bit its pretty easy really. The real problem is the people in cars that seem to be greatly annoyed by having to overtake leaving the extra few inches of space. I think they are just jealous.

I have done over 5 miles like this, but am not a great fan of doing it, mainly due to the stupid drivers, (another thread), who seem to think that peeping their horns at me and shouting obsenities out of their windows as they pass is somehow acceptable behaviour.

Other car drivers that can't shut the boot due to carrying big loads don't seem to generate such vitirol.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

As long as clients are still prepared to pay for my fuel

No car/van = no work in my world.

 

[MikeMcc]

Already moved so that I'm 1/2 mile from work instead of 10. The cost of running the car was the main reason.

What would piss me off the most is if I couldn't afford to see my kids / grandkids or spend a few weekends going up walking in the Peak District. I don't have many hobbies, but being unable to do the ones I do like will wind me up.

 

[Spymaster]

I use the car for shopping, weekends away and blasting around for fun every now and then. TBH, I've no idea what the current price of petrol is and if I was concerned about the cost I wouldn't have bought a 3.2 litre rocket.

It would obviously be possible to price me off the road but it would take way more than £3/litre and if fuel got that expensive the economy would have collapsed anyway.

The stat's in the OP look like nonsense to me too. I don't think the you'd even get 1 in 3 Urban75 posters wishing for a total ban on vehicles let alone 1 in 3 Londoners.

 

[Knut]

Well I like to drive so i'd pay anything.

(I do take public transport when I can though)


My carbon footprint is probably the size of Hawaii because of so much flying.


Sorry.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

My tipping point came before I even learned to drive. Why pay to learn to drive? That costs more than buses or bikes. Then I would have to buy a car, pay for insurance and parking. Woha, screw that, I live in London.

 

[roryer]

It would obviously be possible to price me off the road but it would take way more than £3/litre and if fuel got that expensive the economy would have collapsed anyway.

Indeed you are right, the big economic collapse is beginning already, and in 2009 when we will see oil break US$200 it will really start to hit the fan. About time for a transition, and if anything all the polls seem to show that people are now fully aware of the problem and realise something should be done.

Its a huge change from even just a few years ago, suggesting that people would have to give up their cars, or fly less, was considered heresy, or certainly idiocy. Even someone who is proud of their 3.2litre car, still shows a good understanding that there will need to be huge changes to our way of lives in the near future.

The debate, if there is one at all, is not whether we will change, it is a question only of how and when.

I would like to see us as a whole soceity begin to plan and transition towards for a low energy future.

Others prefer to carry on as we are, and just wait until we have no choice and go for the complete society breakdown option.

 

[rich!]

My tipping point came before I even learned to drive. Why pay to learn to drive?

My sixth form, most of the kids who lived out of N'ham learn to drive so they could sit in gridlock every morning. I took the bus - time was my own. Never really looked back...

 

[gentlegreen]

My tipping point came before I even learned to drive. Why pay to learn to drive? That costs more than buses or bikes. Then I would have to buy a car, pay for insurance and parking. Woha, screw that, I live in London.

I taught myself to drive in half an hour (you could still do that iback then) - mind you, that was after 7 years' practice on motorcycles .... (in reality mostly small ones).

It's the tax and insurance that's killing me - £500 for 1,000 miles a year - mind you I get to have access to the car all year for the price of 2 weeks' hire...

 

[coccinelle]

My car's 11 years old (from new) and it has only done 20,000 miles. I got a long (but really nice) lecture from the AA man who had to come out to charge up my battery because I hadn't used the car for about 2 months because I haven't been out of town.

Though I understand the effect it has on haulage prices, I'm quite interested in the rising price of fuel and what effect it is having on casual motoring.

I don't really check fuel prices. I just get £20 quids' worth and, when that's gone, another £20 quid.

 

[Mitre10]

I taught myself to drive in half an hour (you could still do that iback then) - mind you, that was after 7 years' practice on motorcycles .... (in reality mostly small ones).

It's the tax and insurance that's killing me - £500 for 1,000 miles a year - mind you I get to have access to the car all year for the price of 2 weeks' hire...

Not being funny but do you have any no claims bonus or anything, that seems very expensive for (what I'm sure you've said before) is a bit of an old nail of a car, especially if you have specified limited miles at 1K?

IS it fully comprehensive? If so, why? If its a banger then TPFT will do.

 

[zenie]

My tipping point came before I even learned to drive. Why pay to learn to drive? That costs more than buses or bikes. Then I would have to buy a car, pay for insurance and parking. Woha, screw that, I live in London.

If you look at it that way then I agree it is expensive but driving is a life skill IMO.

It's so much easier to go abroad and hire a car when you're on holiday or rent a van if you need to move or collect furniture etc etc

 

[gentlegreen]

Not being funny but do you have any no claims bonus or anything, that seems very expensive for (what I'm sure you've said before) is a bit of an old nail of a car, especially if you have specified limited miles at 1K?

IS it fully comprehensive? If so, why? If its a banger then TPFT will do.

I think it's because it's an old banger and my holidays are so important I have fully comp (with loan car I think ...), and RAC cover.

I'm paying the lowest I could find through confused.com or the rival site .. It's from IBuyEco - though the carbon offset is ony £5 of it.

I'm 48, it's a 1.9 litre non-turbo diesel, I have about 5 years' no claim bonus and low mileage.

 

[Mitre10]

I think it's because it's an old banger and my holidays are so important I have fully comp (with loan car I think ...), and RAC cover.

I'm paying the lowest I could find through confused.com or the rival site .. It's from IBuyEco - though the carbon offset is ony £5 of it.

I'm 48, it's a 1.9 litre non-turbo diesel, I have about 5 years' no claim bonus and low mileage.

Sounds like you are still paying a fair old chunk for what you use though, especially if its generally only for a couple of weeks a year.

Have you looked at something like this? https://www.tempcover.com/

Am sure you can find somewhere else to donate the carbon offset.

ETA: If you have full RAC with that don't pay twice in the insurance for a loan car as it will already be in the RAC cover.

 

[Poot]

If I couldn't afford to drive I'd need to re-think my whole lifestyle and probably give up work. I can't do the flit from nursery to work on the bus, so I couldn't work the necessary hours to make the childcare affordable.

Vicious circle, innit.

Also, work expect me to be able to drive and are always asking me to 'pop' to places for meetings or to deliver stuff. I don't think they'd have employed me in the first place if I didn't have a car (I claim mileage back).

 

[rubbershoes]

I dont really notice the price of petrol

I can claim it all back from work. Every penny.

Not just mileage incurred on business but everything. All petrol. all parking, all servicing, repairs, tax etc

Its a perk of being semi self-employed

I get tax relief on the car loan as well

so im the idiot driving the big thirsty car

 

[gentlegreen]

Sounds like you are still paying a fair old chunk for what you use though, especially if its generally only for a couple of weeks a year.

Have you looked at something like this? https://www.tempcover.com/

Am sure you can find somewhere else to donate the carbon offset.

ETA: If you have full RAC with that don't pay twice in the insurance for a loan car as it will already be in the RAC cover.

My problem with temporary insurance is I have nowhere to put the car to comply with SORN. By the same token is it legal to have an uninsured car if it's parked on a public road ?.

I think it's more a case of getting things even if you don't ask for them - this year my insurance is no lower than last year but I'm getting free legal cover ... apparently I accidentally talked the renewal down by 30 quid ..

Hopefully when I get my SAGA membership my insurance will go down ...

 

[Poot]

I dont really notice the price of petrol

I can claim it all back from work. Every penny.

Not just mileage incurred on business but everything. All petrol. all parking, all servicing, repairs, tax etc

Its a perk of being semi self-employed

I get tax relief on the car loan as well

so im the idiot driving the big thirsty car

Bus! Bus! You drive a bus, remember?

And that's not tax relief, that's fares!

 

[Mitre10]

Don't think you are allowed to have a SORN car parked on the road so I see your problem.

Just sounded like this eco- insurance was expensive, I pay less than that for what some call a sports car, fully comp, 12K miles/year. For the record, am 34 with 6 yrs NCB - I am with esure.

I'd have a look around other insurance cos, you can always go with others and offset elsewhere.

ETA: am sure you've already looked around but it does seem your insurance co is taking the piss for a 1K/year policy, it must be almost the worth of the car?

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I paid just under 6 quid to fill my tank yesterday. Used to be less but the currency exchange made it more expensive.

Hired a car in Germany a couple of months ago and that cost nearly 70 quid for four days...

 

[gentlegreen]

Don't think you are allowed to have a SORN car parked on the road so I see your problem.

Just sounded like this eco- insurance was expensive, I pay less than that for what some call a sports car, fully comp, 12K miles/year. For the record, am 34 with 6 yrs NCB - I am with esure.

I'd have a look around other insurance cos, you can always go with others and offset elsewhere.

ETA: am sure you've already looked around but it does seem your insurance co is taking the piss for a 1K/year policy, it must be almost the worth of the car?

Esure is cheaper because they won't give me breakdown cover as the car is over 13 years old.

I may also be being penalised for keeping the car on the road in one of the less salubrious parts of town

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

If you look at it that way then I agree it is expensive but driving is a life skill IMO.

It's so much easier to go abroad and hire a car when you're on holiday or rent a van if you need to move or collect furniture etc etc

Well I can't drive and it's never really caused me any bother whatsoever with holidays or moving furniture.
Probably would come in handy for some things but it's never really cropped up in my life as of yet.

 

[stavros]

I haven't driven for two and a half years due to epilepsy, and thus I've designed my life such that I don't need to. I suspect that as the long term trend in price will continue upwards, more people may start to do this, which can only be a plus for society.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I paid just under 6 quid to fill my tank yesterday. Used to be less but the currency exchange made it more expensive.

Hired a car in Germany a couple of months ago and that cost nearly 70 quid for four days...