Grumpy Old Man

Do you ever listen to our politicians, their advisors or so called experts telling us what’s best for us and do you ask yourself “Are these people serious?” (or “Are these people mad?”) This page might be for you. Just click on the titles below to read our observations on some of the challenges facing the modern motorist.

The other day I was called upon to admire a friend’s latest acquisition. I found myself looking at a smallish, nondescript people carrier from a mass-market manufacturer, the only talking point being the amount of kit that was attached to it. This man had picked up the options brochure and had some sort of brain explosion. I sat in the plasticky leather driving seat staring with incredulity at this pointless plethora of gadgets and gizmos sprouting from every surface.

“Er.. what did this set you back then?”

“Twenty eight grand!” he announced proudly.

Jesus ... click here to read more

So, you’ve decided to buy a new car. You’ve read the road tests, you’ve assessed your requirements, you’ve studied the alternatives, you’ve even scraped the cash together, and after careful consideration, you’ve made your decision. You have of course taken all the relevant factors into account, performance, fuel consumption, maintenance costs, the size of your garage, how will it improve your success with girls.. etc. etc.

And now you’re ready to take the plunge.

Just one more hurdle to navigate around – the Options List!

So, (just for a change,) ... click here to read more

'Abroad' used to be different didn't it? No I'm not pining for the past here, I mean different as in not the same as it is at home. Of course, if you go far enough it still is different, but I tend to get seriously bored after a couple of hours in a plane, so most of my holidays tend to be in Europe.

Also, I can never understand why people would want to go to somewhere like Mexico for a seaside holiday. If all you want is sunshine and concrete why not go to Spain? Nothing wrong with Spain of course, it's just a pity that they've buggered up most of the coast.

Anyway, I can ... click here to read more

Does traffic congestion get you down? A study by the Road Users Alliance has revealed (surprise, surprise!) that Britain has more cars per motoring mile than any other country in the EU.

Is this because we have more cars than they do? No, it's because we have fewer roads.

The UK motorway network is now considered to be the worst in Europe and the study lists our roads as being on a par with Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary. And since half the population of Eastern Europe is moving to Britain, I'd say things are going to get worse before they get better.

So what are ... click here to read more