Caravan Club Crap

Auchmill · Post by **Auchmill** » 25 Feb 2009, 7:43pm

The head of publications at the Caravan Club magazine has been ranting in the last 2 issues about cyclists. The usual story - no lights, going through red. This month he's rejected any criticisms and for his clincher has gone on about no licence, insurance, road tax etc.

If you would like to put him right he can be reached here: barry.williams@caravanclub.co.uk

Cunobelin · Post by **Cunobelin** » 25 Feb 2009, 9:01pm

I would rather like to actually read what was written before contacting.

Is there any chance of a link or pdf?

Found it:

OH NO, HERE HE
GOES AGAIN…
I KNEW when I wrote them that my
comments about cyclists (January
issue) would raise a few hackles – and
I didn’t even mention the one cycling
towards me as I drove home from work
in the dark, who was on the wrong side
of the road, with no lights. Or the one
who ploughed into the back of my car,
stationary at traffic lights, then rode
off as if nothing had happened. Or the
one just before Christmas who went
through a red light at full pelt at a
pedestrian-controlled crossing,
missing my colleague by inches.
Yes, I do know these idiots are a
minority. Yes, I do know there are
inconsiderate motorists and
caravanners who flout the law too.
Yes, I do know that cyclists are
vulnerable and need to be treated
with care by motorists.
The point is, though, that car
drivers pay heavily to use the roads,
they are identifiable, licensed and
insured. When they misbehave they
can be refused insurance, de-licensed
and banned from the road. Anyway, I
promise not to mention cyclists again,
so no more letters, please. Deal?

Link

kwackers · Post by **kwackers** » 25 Feb 2009, 9:14pm

You've gotta feel sorry for them. Hated by every road user and for the most part a vehicle that has real difficulties overtaking cyclists.

In my experience the anti bicycle rant is usually spouted by someone who knows nothing about cycling, decided they don't like cyclists (usually because they were held up at some point) and then re-spouted the stuff they've read.

A 'discussion' I had with a neighbour a while ago resulted in the following.

His rant on red light jumping - he sees them all the time, but couldn't remember an actual event.

No lights - again, see's them all the time but again couldn't recall one - plus if he see's them...

Tax, gave him a bit of a problem when I pointed out he could if he so wanted buy a car that didn't pay it, plus since his commute was only 4 miles nobody was denying him the use of a bicycle.

Insurance, he didn't know of anyone who'd had a claim against a cyclist and so couldn't actually come up with a good reason as to why it was required.

Riding on pavements, shame his car was parked on the pavement outside his house - think he shot himself in the foot there.

In the end, I couldn't actually find out why he didn't like cyclists, there didn't seem to be any reason.
I'm lately of the opinion that motorists feel guilty in their planet destroying boxes and kick against the very things that makes them feel the most guilt.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » 25 Feb 2009, 9:22pm

His "rant" seems reasonable to me. He's not slagging off every cyclist; just making what appears to be a fair comment about those that bring discredit to our chosen method of transport. The point about licensing/tax seems not to be a request for it, just that there is some redress as those that commit these type of offences can be banned.
What does his previous article say? Maybe there is something there to complain about.

Cunobelin · Post by **Cunobelin** » 25 Feb 2009, 9:26pm

I just mooted "Caravan Tax" to settle another inequaity in taxation!

Dear Sir,

I assume that by "paying heavily" for licensing you are referring to the road fund licence. This is paid as a tax on the pollution of the vehicle. As a "Band A" vehicle all cyclist pay the full rate of zero. They have been assessed, classified and pay by the same rules as other road users.

However I do get the feeling that you would perhaps like this to be reassessed. I would welcome reassessment of this in particular as we could correct all the other inequalities.....

We are in a situation where a vehicle is assessed for its CO2 emissions in a non-towing mode. As the vehicle will increase it emissions when towing - there should be an increase in taxation for the periods when a caravan is being towed. So we could add a "Caravan Tax" as well as the "Bicycle tax"?

I would welcome your comments on how we could reassess this unfair sytem and rectify these inequalities.

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 25 Feb 2009, 9:30pm

kwackers wrote:You've gotta feel sorry for them. Hated by every road user

Hole in one.

Funnily enough, there's no road tax on trailers either - they are treated as part of the towing vehicle.

About 30 years ago, the former West Yorkshire County Council had some proposal for requiring planning permission for anybody storing a caravan within the curtilege of a dwelling in front of the building line (AKA having a caravan in the front garden.) That was a really good wind-up at work for at least a couple of years - I imagine the only place where you would have got more on the hook was in a school staffroom :lol:

Richard Fairhurst · Post by **Richard Fairhurst** » 26 Feb 2009, 12:41am

If it's any consolation, it's not just cyclists he hates. He wrote an equally under-informed rant the other year about diesel taxation on boats. The facts that a) boaters already pay £500 licence fee to use the waterways, b) Boats Can't Actually Go On The Road, seem to have escaped him.

Still, the Caravan Club has always had a bit of the Daily Mail about it. One of their conditions of membership is that your caravan's "appearance and colour are appropriate and do not offend public opinion". I'd like to join just to get thrown out on those grounds.

hubgearfreak · Post by **hubgearfreak** » 26 Feb 2009, 12:55am

Richard Fairhurst wrote: "appearance and colour are appropriate and do not offend public opinion". I'd like to join just to get thrown out on those grounds.

tempting, isn't it?

if you've got 4000 euro spare?

Hector's House · Post by **Hector's House** » 26 Feb 2009, 3:08am

not worth bothering about. As people've said, he's illinformed, and by the sound of it (his articles and comments above), he's pretty darn arrogant - doesn't like to hear other people's opinions, no matter how valid they may be, 'cause he's always right (of course).

he just has no gumption. And you can't sway a man's opinion if he aint got gumption.

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 26 Feb 2009, 10:01am

Richard Fairhurst wrote:One of their conditions of membership is that your caravan's "appearance and colour are appropriate and do not offend public opinion". I'd like to join just to get thrown out on those grounds.

Sir, I very much like the cut of your jib.

MartinC · Post by **MartinC** » 26 Feb 2009, 1:04pm

Maybe the CTC should run a competition to find the best (i.e. the most ill informed, prejudiced, etc.) anti-caravan rant that it's members can come up with, publish it in the magazine and send the editor of the Caravan Club a copy with our compliments.

jan19 · Post by **jan19** » 26 Feb 2009, 1:10pm

Maybe the CTC should run a competition to find the best (i.e. the most ill informed, prejudiced, etc.) anti-caravan rant that it's members can come up with, publish it in the magazine and send the editor of the Caravan Club a copy with our compliments

.

surely a quick Google of caravan + Jeremy Clarkson would come up with something! He likes caravans as much as he likes us.

Jan

ianr1950 · Post by **ianr1950** » 26 Feb 2009, 1:55pm

Richard Fairhurst wrote:If it's any consolation, it's not just cyclists he hates. He wrote an equally under-informed rant the other year about diesel taxation on boats. The facts that a) boaters already pay £500 licence fee to use the waterways, b) Boats Can't Actually Go On The Road, seem to have escaped him.

Still, the Caravan Club has always had a bit of the Daily Mail about it. One of their conditions of membership is that your caravan's "appearance and colour are appropriate and do not offend public opinion". I'd like to join just to get thrown out on those grounds.

Have you tried it.

Nobody checks up on these things.

Is it not a reasonable request that this is so along with the other parts of the caravan code to try and make caravanners aware of their obligations to others.

byegad · Post by **byegad** » 26 Feb 2009, 2:35pm

If they were sensitive to others they'd keep the nasty things off the road.

glueman · Post by **glueman** » 26 Feb 2009, 6:07pm

Richard Fairhurst wrote:Still, the Caravan Club has always had a bit of the Daily Mail about it.

True. Polishing the Spode in your Avon Apocalypse while moaning about the parking angle of the next plot. A little bit of hell in beige.