Sunday 6 September 2009

Tax Dodgers have stolen the A4 Portway!

Look at this! This is what the view from the suspension bridge was like at lunchtime!

The A4 Portway is again closed to road-tax payers!

This time, its runners, out there, blocking the Portway as they run along. If they can afford iPods and high-end trainers, they can afford to pay an annual runner tax. And a bridge fee.

This is because the Cumberland Basin bridge is closed to tax-payers, who are being forced to divert over the suspension bridge, and pay for the privilege of being late.
The runners should pay to cross the Cumberland Basin bridge, and that money should be given as rebates to cars crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Better yet, open up the bridge for free crossing -just as tax dodging walkers, runners and bicycles get.
The worst part? A lot of todays runners aren't even running. They are walking. Why close the Portway for walkers?

We should write a letter to evening post about this, but as we suspect our fellow-traveller, local ABD representative Bob Bull will have printed off his set letter on the topic, there is no need.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm an avid follower of this blog, but this to me is low, i'm sorry.

Appears to me you weren't even on the actual Portway, oh the inconvenience!

Let us runners run.

SteveL said...

That's the whole point Luke. I was prevented from driving round Bristol on a Sunday morning by these runners, none of whom had a tax disk on.

alice said...

Tax disc on the shoes please, not just the runner. Each pair of shoes needs a different tax disc. That's the way it is for cars, should be the same for runners. And bikes, and horses, and childrens scooters, and zimmer frames. Anyone on crutches needs to pay double naturally.

Chris Hutt said...

I thought Bob Bull was Bristol Traffic by another name.

Dru Marland said...

let's not forget the noise pollution aspect of this event. Normally I enjoy sitting at Peregrine Point, lulled by the drowsy hum of traffic. On Sunday I had to endure the sound of birds making funny screechy noises. Very unhygienic, birds. Very worrying.

SteveL said...

@Chris. Bob Bull is Bristol Traffic by another name -he just doesn't know it.

SteveL said...

@Dru -there were rock climbers out on the gorge who were able to communicate by talking to each other, rather than by using rope tugs to signal "climb when ready". Sunday may have been an opportunity to climb on the gorge without any traffic, but it stops them learning that invaluable skill they will need on any other day of the year. And like you say, that traffic hum is soothing, whereas birds, they are noisy.