Cycling UK Forum

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Bonefishblues wrote:What are your thoughts on the propensity of those vehicles not to be owned & funded by the drivers themselves, nor insured by them, nor indeed fuelled by them? What effect do you think that might have?

I've been offered a company car twice. On both occasions, there was a choice. If my memory serves me, it was between a Ford Mondeo, a Vauxhall Cavalier, an Audi something, and another one that I can't remember. My wife spent a while running fleet car programmes at her previous job, and I asked her about it this evening. She says it was always the go-getters in sales, with an ego the size of Kent who picked the BMW or the Audi.

People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept. Or is it that it would reflect badly on you, if it were true?

I could afford a 'nice'* car but could not thoyle it, I bought one for a few hundred, it gets me from a to a just as well
Much prefer cycling

* nice - a modern vehicle with all sorts of features one does not need, like air-Con that has to be maintained even if not used, how perverse is that? I just open the window. By hand
It is much better to have an old vehicle and get it repaired instead of scrapping it, slow down the chain of people upgrading their vehicles

Bonefishblues wrote:

Cunobelin wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:I'd like to agree with you, but I'm afraid that if it's flawed it's flawed, much as I would like it to support that proposition, with which I personally am in agreement.

...or is it flawed?

Could be simply the size of the cohort?

If only two BMW drivers were interviewed, on a smoked / vaped and one didn't that would be 50%.

The survey is not flawed as it is 100% accurate.

Well it would be if we could be sure that the survey method was reliable, yes. Then as you rightly say, we'd have to turn our attention to the way in which it had been used.

As I indicated in a reply to ano above, we must be careful to apply the same scrutiny to everything we forward to support or challenge something.

Nope..... The thing to do is treat others like adults.

Rather than perform. critical review of the research methodology of any article before posting... post it and assume that most others on here can form an opinion of their own.

londoncommuter0000 wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:What are your thoughts on the propensity of those vehicles not to be owned & funded by the drivers themselves, nor insured by them, nor indeed fuelled by them? What effect do you think that might have?

I've been offered a company car twice. On both occasions, there was a choice. If my memory serves me, it was between a Ford Mondeo, a Vauxhall Cavalier, an Audi something, and another one that I can't remember. My wife spent a while running fleet car programmes at her previous job, and I asked her about it this evening. She says it was always the go-getters in sales, with an ego the size of Kent who picked the BMW or the Audi.

People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept. Or is it that it would reflect badly on you, if it were true?

Part of the "image" and one fuelled buy the industries.

I remember a from a few years ago whose "sales incentive" for each quarter was a Skoda.

The salesman with the least sakes had their BMW replaced by a Skoda for the next quarter as an incentive to improve.

There is a whole psychology and hierarchy for company cars, it has been known for companies to use it for recruiting with the full knowledge that the car will be important enough to rank along with salary and conditions when choosing a job

londoncommuter0000 wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure about this. What sort of personality would you attribute to someone who buys:
small cars, big cars, estates, convertibles, sports cars, blue cars, second hand cars?

I must have a very complex or multiple personality. I've had a BMW, Audi, Astra, Focus, Avensis, polo, skoda, Passat, estate cars, saloons, hatchbacks. Currently VW golf.

I was never a salesman (only a boring civil servant) and never bought new.

Oldjohnw wrote:I must have a very complex or multiple personality. I've had a BMW, Audi, Astra, Focus, Avensis, polo, skoda, Passat, estate cars, saloons, hatchbacks. Currently VW golf.

I was never a salesman (only a boring civil servant) and never bought new.

No, the real clue to your personality is in buying second hand.

As someone else who has often bought second hand its always been about finding the right car at the right price rather than bothering with the make.

When I've bought new they've invariably been small cars. (Fiesta's, Mini's etc)

I buy second hand (in latter years nearly new ie under a year or so) because I resent wasting the initial depreciation. I have mainly chosen the actual car because that is what I wanted/needed(eg estate car)/could afford. I like reliable and economical and have tended towards German. I am interested in the make because (heresy alert!) I like cars although I am no boy racer or petrol head.

My car is unused most of the week since I retired.

As this discussion is in Campaigning and Public Policy, can I ask what we are pushing for? A ban on Beemers? A public shaming of BMW drivers?

thirdcrank wrote:As this discussion is in Campaigning and Public Policy, can I ask what we are pushing for? A ban on Beemers? A public shaming of BMW drivers?

I would imagine new BM's and other luxury cars are the cars most likely to have anti-collision devices.

Perhaps we should campaign for more of them?
A car that is physically incapable of running over someone would reign in even the most unpleasant driver.

thirdcrank wrote:As this discussion is in Campaigning and Public Policy, can I ask what we are pushing for? A ban on Beemers? A public shaming of BMW drivers?

If BMW drivers had the ability to feel 'shame', this thread probably wouldn't even exist.

De Sisti wrote:

londoncommuter0000 wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:People's personality affects their choice of car. I really don't see why that's so hard to accept.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure about this. What sort of personality would you attribute to someone who buys:
small cars, big cars, estates, convertibles, sports cars, blue cars, second hand cars?

Well, since few of us buy several cars at once, I would hypothesise that the make of car you bought at any particular point in your life, reflected your personality and priorities at that point.

The problem with this thread was, in my view, the original newspaper report. Describing the case as "BMW driver" was unnecessary, unhelpful and prejudicial.

Oldjohnw wrote:The problem with this thread was, in my view, the original newspaper report. Describing the case as "BMW driver" was unnecessary, unhelpful and prejudicial.

The (excessive, puerile and wholly unnecessary) censorship on this forum makes it impossible for me to tell you what I think BMW drivers are.

Suffice to say that I don't believe that the headline was in error.