The Sky's The Limit

The Gammons that infest the BBC News Have-Your-Say section are not happy.

They are using phrases like "Nanny State".

They are blaming the EU.

This is why.

Here it is in diagram form:

All new cars sold in Europe in 3 years time will have speed limiting devices fitted by law.

 

However, I don't think they should be called "limiters" - because you can still go faster - I don't think Gammons are good at reading articles.  Which is why I expect no abuse from this one (plus nobody usually reads my stuff anyway)

The Department of Transport here has stated that we will also have this rule irrespective of Brexit - not that the EU have ever forced a law on the UK (but Gammons loudly ignore that fact)

My main concern with this technology is the bit in the article where they say:

Under the new rules, cars will also be fitted with compulsory data recorders, or "black boxes"

Now we are getting into dodgy territory.

Pre-2022 cars will be more attractive for this reason.

And what do you do when your speed limit signs get dirty?

Not a problem in Notts. or Norfolk.

A Sign That Someone is Cleaning Up

A jolly decent chap that Liam Wildish.  A window cleaner who also does roadsigns free of charge.

Now the cynic will say, "What's in it for him?"

Well, perhaps he's just a nice person - like blood donors or anybody who likes cats.

Although he has just effectively had a very good advert for his business on the BBC News website.  I would certainly consider employing him if I needed some windows cleaning in his bit of Nottinghamshire.

Thing is - he isn't the first.

He might be the second - it depends on whether or not Jacob Conneely was the first.

This is him:

And here's his very-similar-to-Liam's story in the Eastern Daily Press.

 

He's making Norfolk a safer place to drive - which should mean less stories for my Blog - especially when compounded by a certain Duke has handing back his licence.

 

I can live with that.

Don't Mention The War

That phrase was famously said by a silly man with a silly moustache.

Here he is not mentioning the war:

 Here's another silly moustache:

Remember that when Charlie Chaplin and Oliver Hardy sported this style, they were meant to look silly.  This house I took a photo of  several years ago seems to carry off the Hitler look quite well.

Now the real Hitler, in the penultimate picture here, is modelling the Volkswagen Beetle.

If the Beetle was so good though, why were Nazis always photographed hailing taxis?

People who don't like the Beetle are always quick to make the famous association with Adolf - something Volkswagen themselves would probably not be wanting to remind people of.

Shame their boss managed to do just that.  The BBC story is here.  He appears to have used a play-on-words with the phrase "Arbeit Macht Frei" - meaning "Work sets you free" - as emblazoned on the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Oops.

We'd just forgotten about the link with the Nazis.

Now wasn't there something about Diesel?

Dirty Air

A very interesting article about something I'm not interested in.

ie F1.

I found it today linked from the BBC News site.

It looks at the science behind making overtaking more possible and therefore the racing more exciting by the 2021 Season.

It makes a lot of sense. Although making the cars squarer would have the same result:

The BTCC is much more exciting.

 

But it doesn't matter how exciting the F1 Racing becomes - I'll still not be watching.

 

It isn't very accessible.  It is too expensive to visit actual races.  It was taken off free-to-view TV in the UK and in many other countries.

 

Basically, they don't care about the fans.

 

Unless you count the ones in the wind-tunnels.

Opportunity Knocks for Vauxhall

Here's a story for the Brexiteers to cling on to.

 

It involves the tranquil Mediterranean fishing village of Ellesmere Port (pronounced L.S.Meer Portay)

 

Actually it's pronounced as it's spelled - only with a Scouse accent.

 

I drive past it every day on my way to work.

It's where a lot of Vauxhall/Opel Astras are built.

 

And will hopefully continue to be built after Brexit.  The boss of PSA who own the Vauxhall and Opel brands is reported as stating in this Autocar article, that Brexit may be a good opportunity for Vauxhall.

 

He may be right.

 

A British-badged vehicle built on this side of any tariffs that may be imposed could be a winner.

 

He is quoted thusly, "I am not facing Brexit always on the dark side of this outcome: there may be for the Vauxhall brand an opportunity for us. We are managing our marketing communications in the UK in a way that is very supportive of a British brand in the UK."

If his English is a little stunted, it is infinitely better than my Portuguese (his nationality) and my French which is presumably the language he spends a lot of time talking in.  This is him, Carlos Tavares:

He was almost certainly correct with,

"We prepare for the two outcomes and will deal with them when it comes up. Most probably there’s going to be a delay, which gives us a little more visibility for 2019."

Although the quote that I, as a devout Remoaner, mostly picked up on was,

"We can go on the dark side and say ‘perhaps we have to shut down plants’, and if we have to make difficult decisions we will."

Vauxhall/Opel only assemble Astras and Vivaro vans in the UK which they also assemble in Poland and France respectively so what about the Opel-badged vehicles?  And the rest of the Vauxhall range?

Nissan has already part-blamed Brexit from stopping the X-Trail in Sunderland while Honda is refusing to blame it for shutting it's Swindon factory but I think that has more to do with the fact that their customer-base is old people.

For the sake of the local economy and people I know who work there, I hope that Vauxhall Ellesmere Port goes on to thrive.

And I mean that most sincerely, folks, I really do.