I knew something funny was going on.. let me explain. Shortly after I bought the fletchmobile I drove into work and on my return journey I was in the charging zone hours.. I forgot to pay the £8 and subsequently expected a £60 fine (it won’t surprise you to learn I’ve forgotten before).

Since at that time the car was new to me, the logbook was still in the process of being signed over into my name and I was aware that a fine might go to the old address so I called up TFL and gave them my registration. They assured me there was nothing on the system and the lady said I must have been lucky – there was no recent record of my car or any outstanding fines. I wasn’t convinced.

Anyhow, time went on, the V5 came back with my name on it and I never saw a fine.

A few months later in June after a run of good-memory – paying charges whenever required – I forgot again and I never saw a fine for it. Was my car congestion-charge proof?!

Well aparently not becuase yesterday they sent me a £180 fine for non-payment of the charge from the 23 June 2008.. (it’s now the 15th August 2008!) It breaks down like this:

23rd June 2008 – Should pay £8
25th June 2008 – No payment made recieved £60 fine.
7th July 2008 – 14 days later.. fine increased to £120
4th August – 28 days later.. fine increased to £180

The letter I received yesterday – 14th August 2008 – is dated the 8th August and gives me 14 days to pay or go to court!

So two questions remain..

1) What will TFL do about it when I ring them up?
2) Is there another £180 fine waiting in the system somewhere from the first instance?

EDIT

TFL tell me there is only one fine on the system: this one. So I did “get away” with it the first time? Few more questions now:

3) Who’s stealing my post? TFL assure me they sent out the two messages
4) Will my letter of appeal citing “late representation” get the fine knocked back to £60?

Here he is on Sky news a few seconds ago looking disheveled and shambolic, excellent!

EDIT
Quote from Aaron Ross, fervent Livingstone supporter: “I think we may be in for a rough ride, but at least I can go and buy a 750i Sport now“

Porsche have launched a website to go with their legal challenge on the CO2 charge

Get your names down!

Livingstone can fuck-off!

It goes like this. If you drive a car that emits >225gCO2 KM^-1 you will have to pay £25 to drive in Central London between 7AM and 6PM.

There is no residents discount! So, if you live central like I do and on a whim you decide to take a drive to the seaside it will cost you £25 to drive two miles to the A2 and head for Brighton. Thanks Ken.

Obvious cars that are going to get hit are big fast porsches, range rovers and beamers.. but some less obvious cars are the 2.0L Jag XType and the 2.0L Renault Espace people carrier?!

The 635CSi that I’ve been eyeing up the last few weeks will also be charged because it’s pre-2001 and over 3.0L. Thanks again Kenny. Aparantly the amount of CO2 I’ve saved by recycling a 20 year old car rather than buying a new one doesn’t count.

Where are all these £25′s going to go? I bet it’s not going to improve the oyster card system or make more trains run on time.

The fact is that nothing is better than a car for getting you somewhere. You get in, drive to your destination and get out. Compare this with public transport: I get the train to work everyday – ten minute walk to the station, 15 minutes to waterloo on the tube (this morning it took 50 minutes) then a 35 minute train overland (this morning I even got a seat!) followed by another ten minute walk to my workplace.

At each stage I must produce my oyster card and most mornings I get spot checked by over zealous ticket inspectors at places I couldn’t even be without having a valid card. Each time you show your card it’s another small and infuriating delay coupled with the accusation that you’re a fare-dodging pikey. Seriously I could rant all week about the fucking trains :)

I already drive mainly outside of the times anyway, like weekends and evenings so it’s not going to make any difference to the car I buy – I just think that it’s going to cost most people a load more money and no-one will see any benefit.

Oh and another thing, I’m voting for Boris.