wheels

recently I've been sorting out my car troubles. I needed a new tax disc, which meant fruitlessly trying to get one from the DVLA website, but apparently the database wasn't updated. Then trying a phone line which was always engaged. Then trying a post office, then trying a post office which was further away but actually did tax discs.

Then being told that although my MOT was valid now, it ran out the day before my next tax disc would start, so they wouldn't give me a tax disc until I got a new MOT. basically they assume that if they let me buy a tax disc when I want to then I won't bother to get an MOT and I'll drive around in a dangerous car and with invalid insurance. I wasn't pleased.

My car passed the MOT second time, just needed numberplates and a windscreen wiper. Then I could get my tax disc and now I'm all set. Being slightly wiser I got a six month tax disc so next time my MOT and my tax disc renewal won't coincide. Car expenditure this month - approx 165 quid, plus petrol

It makes me wonder about road charging. Why not just tax petrol more and scrap the tax disc / tollroads / other daft ideas? Drive more miles? = use more petrol and pay more tax.Have a big gas-guzzling SUV? = use more petrol and pay more tax. Have a firm of container lorries which transport heavy goods across the country? = pay lots of tax, or get a better business model which might involve sending goods by rail instead. I wonder if my MP is reading this?

Fruit & veg today? - onions, 'shrooms, capsicum and runner beans in my risotto
Exercise today? - none