I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license". Now, this might not have bothered me so much in the past, but since I've been subscribing to URC and have taken part in various heated debates on who "owns" (ie pays for) the public highway, I have found this small but significant detail really anoying.
So far, I haven't had the gall to correct any of the salesmen I have spoken to, but that's only because I need them on my side for the time being.
d.
1. Obviously, I would rather spend the money on a fleet of HPVs - I'm sure I could get enough different bikes, trikes and other forms of pedal-powered transport to suit my various needs on the same budget that would buy a small family hatchback, but alas I don't think I could persuade my wife of the merits of that policy. :-(
"davek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license".
It was once just that, and the term has stuck in the minds of certain folk. A lot of them will probably still refer to the V5C as the "Log Book", which is also an obsolete term which is still used in common parlance.
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license". Now, this might not have bothered me so much in the past, but since I've been subscribing to URC and have taken part in various heated debates on who "owns" (ie pays for) the public highway, I have found this small but significant detail really anoying.
So far, I haven't had the gall to correct any of the salesmen I have spoken to, but that's only because I need them on my side for the time being.
You need them on your side? Surely the other way around, it's they who need you to fund their Christmas cheer? They are there to bend over backwards for you, assuming they want your business that is.
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license".
[..] What annoys me more is the notice in our Post Office that refers to 'Road Tax'. As the people who issue V.E.D. disks, I'd expect them to know what they're called.
It was once just that, and the term has stuck in the minds of certain folk.
Yes, until about 1930-something? It has been something other than a "road fund license" longer than it ever was that. Has it really "stuck in the minds" of people who weren't even born when it changed?
You need them on your side? Surely the other way around, it's they who need you to fund their Christmas cheer? They are there to bend over backwards for you, assuming they want your business that is.
Fair point. I'll try to remember that. I can safely say that the two local Toyota dealers don't seem interested in my money, the [censored]. I was seriously looking at the Prius, too, which would have got their kids some nice Christmas presents, but their failure to take me seriously as a potential customer means I have crossed them off the list. Shame, cos the Prius is a jolly nice car to drive.
"John Mallard" <not_me@all> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
davek said:
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license".
[..] What annoys me more is the notice in our Post Office that refers to 'Road Tax'. As the people who issue V.E.D. disks,
Or "Vehicle Licence" as it is correctly termed ;-)
Quoted message said:
I'd expect them to know what they're called.
I'm sure they do, but as it is more generally known as, and understood as, "Road Tax", they probably decided to dumb down so as not to confuse the punters.
their failure to take me seriously as a potential customer means I have crossed them off the list.
A word of advice... You want to buy a car. Do not try to reform/educate car salespeople, do not try to make this into a moral crusade (only dealing with "nice" people). If you want a Prius, go and buy a Prius; you only have to deal with the sales morons briefly; the enjoyment of the car will last many years.
If the salespeople are treating you discourteously, ask to speak to their manager.
On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 20:20:33 +0000, davek <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Matt B said:
It was once just that, and the term has stuck in the minds of certain folk.
Yes, until about 1930-something? It has been something other than a "road fund license" longer than it ever was that. Has it really "stuck in the minds" of people who weren't even born when it changed?
Yes, just like people still think in inches, despite the fact they've not been taught in school for 30 years either. People generally don't need to know the official name of something, they just use what other people do.
On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:24:54 +0000, davek <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license".
Most people I know just call it "Car Tax". It may not be technically correct, but it's more accurate in terms of its usage.
Quoted message said:
1. Obviously, I would rather spend the money on a fleet of HPVs - I'm sure I could get enough different bikes, trikes and other forms of pedal-powered transport to suit my various needs on the same budget that
Serious: How many (and what) different types do you need?
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Stuart Millington ALL HTML e-mail rejected - - [email hidden] http://w3.z-add.co.uk/ -
Yes, just like people still think in inches, despite the fact they've not been taught in school for 30 years either. People generally don't
s/30/20/ - They taught both when I was at school, then stopped a few years afterwards IIRC.
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Stuart Millington ALL HTML e-mail rejected - - [email hidden] http://w3.z-add.co.uk/ -
Yes, just like people still think in inches, despite the fact they've not been taught in school for 30 years either. People generally don't
s/30/20/ - They taught both when I was at school, then stopped a few years afterwards IIRC.
They never taught 'em when I was in School, which gives up an upper limit of 27 for my schools, but yeah I sorta expected there would be regional differences the "national curriculum" wasn't quite so national then...
"John Mallard" <not_me@all> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
davek said:
I need to buy a new car[1] asap so have been spending much time recently going round dealerships and looking at brochures. In my research I have noted that car dealers universally refer to VED as "road fund license".
[..] What annoys me more is the notice in our Post Office that refers to 'Road Tax'. As the people who issue V.E.D. disks,
Or "Vehicle Licence" as it is correctly termed ;-)
Quoted message said:
I'd expect them to know what they're called.
I'm sure they do, but as it is more generally known as, and understood as, "Road Tax", they probably decided to dumb down so as not to confuse the punters.
Isn't the thing you stick in the windscreen to prove you have paid universally known as a tax disc?
The PO in question probably can't spell vehicle :-)
-- Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"
Serious: How many (and what) different types do you need?
Duh! "As many as possible" and "All of them" in that order!
;-)
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Stuart Millington ALL HTML e-mail rejected - - [email hidden] http://w3.z-add.co.uk/ -
On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 23:24:07 +0000, Stuart Millington <[email hidden]> wrote:
(inches)
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
s/30/20/ - They taught both when I was at school, then stopped a few years afterwards IIRC.
They never taught 'em when I was in School, which gives up an upper limit of 27 for my schools, but yeah I sorta expected there would be regional differences the "national curriculum" wasn't quite so national then...
Excluding specialised uses in the Uni. days (where most things were measured in pints!) they were still teaching them in schools and colleges in 1988 around here. TBH, IMO, they should still be teaching both.
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Stuart Millington ALL HTML e-mail rejected - - [email hidden] http://w3.z-add.co.uk/ -
On Tue, 08 Nov 2005 23:24:07 +0000, Stuart Millington <[email hidden]> wrote:
(inches)
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
s/30/20/ - They taught both when I was at school, then stopped a few years afterwards IIRC.
They never taught 'em when I was in School, which gives up an upper limit of 27 for my schools, but yeah I sorta expected there would be regional differences the "national curriculum" wasn't quite so national then...
Excluding specialised uses in the Uni. days (where most things were measured in pints!) they were still teaching them in schools and colleges in 1988 around here. TBH, IMO, they should still be teaching both.
In Oz, when they introduced metrification in the early '70s they banned imperial stuff - you could no longer sell inch rulers, for example. All the road signs were changed, shop signs had to be in kg, cm, etc. Most people under their mid 40's only really know metric units, but having lived here in the UK for 20 years the expression "It's absolutely k's to Sydney" sounds a bit silly to my ears ;-)
I think they've relaxed the rules a bit recently, though. Oddly, most people seem know their height in feet and inches, 5'11" is a lit easier to visualise than 180 cm. The nice thing about going back to Oz is that distances are covered quickly - road signes are read by the mind in miles, and the "miles" go past PDQ seeing as they're only a paltry 60% of a proper British one ;-)
their failure to take me seriously as a potential customer means I have crossed them off the list.
A word of advice... You want to buy a car. Do not try to reform/educate car salespeople, do not try to make this into a moral crusade (only dealing with "nice" people). If you want a Prius, go and buy a Prius; you only have to deal with the sales morons briefly; the enjoyment of the car will last many years.
On the other hand, these are the people he'll presumably be going to for servicing and maintenance of the car once he's bought it. If they're being useless and unhelpful when he's potentially going to spend lots of money there, how much more so will they be if, for instance, an important part fails and needs replacing?
-- Carol "This might as well say "bing tiddle tiddle bong". It's complete gibberish!" - Rodney McKay, Stargate Atlantis
