‘Modifications’ banned

[MikeParticipant @mike89748]

The idea that numbskulls in Brussels could dictate what I choose to do to my car quite frankly makes me want to be sick. I hesitate to bring in politics to this forum, but the sooner we are out of this Euro-shambles the better. As far as what I might wish to do to my car is concerned, surely its between me, my insurers, and the MOT engineer, with due respect to the laws of Britain – not the laws as dictated by clueless Euro-politicians.

[Anonymous]

As mentioned Germany has been down this route for a while, Amongst other things you are only allowed to fit tyre makes approved and listed by the vehicle manufacturers.. Also applies to the winter tyres they have to compulsory fit over the winter months. Motorcycle manufacturers don't list winter tyres for their machines so effectively you don't see a bike on the roads for those months no matter how mild it might be.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 11/04/2016 12:21:13:

Why do so many people run down the Daily Mail. Discounting the Sun – which is after all just a comic- the Daily Mail has the country's highest circulation. So something it does must suit the population. Or do those that berate the DM think that the entire population has less sense than them?

I like it by the way!!

My poor old mum believes everything she reads in the Daily Mail and every week my sister and I spend about half an hour each trying to calm her down. The Mail is a jolly good read if you like a good sprinkling of overheated reports about health issues, crime, lefties, bad neighbours, or the misdoings of young people, minority groups, Europe, China, and foreigners. The spoof headline "Rumanian Supermarket Trolleys Cause Cancer" is a parody of the Mail style, but I feel it sums them up quite neatly.

Sam's defence fails if you substitute "Pravda" or Der Sturmer" for the Daily Mail. Thus "Pravda has the country's highest circulation. So something it does must suit the population. Or do those that berate Pravda think that the entire population has less sense than them?" Yes, especially during Stalin's time.

I don't think anyone should be embarrassed by enjoying the Daily Mail provided they read it critically. Many other papers and periodicals have agendas too. If you really want to know what's going on you have to wade through all of them.

Cheers,

Dave

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 11/04/2016 12:21:13:

Why do so many people run down the Daily Mail. Discounting the Sun – which is after all just a comic- the Daily Mail has the country's highest circulation. So something it does must suit the population. Or do those that berate the DM think that the entire population has less sense than them?

I like it by the way!!

Try reading through their list of everything that causes cancer then decide whether to believe their reporting or not.

Russell.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Mike on 11/04/2016 12:40:22:

The idea that numbskulls in Brussels could dictate what I choose to do to my car quite frankly makes me want to be sick. I hesitate to bring in politics to this forum, but the sooner we are out of this Euro-shambles the better. As far as what I might wish to do to my car is concerned, surely its between me, my insurers, and the MOT engineer, with due respect to the laws of Britain – not the laws as dictated by clueless Euro-politicians.

Numskulls in Brussells or in London. What's the difference? You vote for your representative for both.

Russell.

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

Posted by Mike on 11/04/2016 12:40:22:

… clueless Euro-politicians.

IMHO pretty much all politicians are clueless. A tiny proportion of them have any experience of the real world or real people's problems.

The whole EU debate centres around which band of "clueless politicians" should be in charge, or have the sovereignty over our affairs, and the various newspapers have their own favourite band of clueless politicians they can "manage" or more likely "knock" in order to sell more newspapers.

Posted by Sam Longley 1 on 11/04/2016 12:21:13:

Why do so many people run down the Daily Mail.

…because the views it espouses are considered by many to be small minded and parochial perhaps?

It's old but still funny…

The Times:

Read by the people who run the country.

Daily Mirror:

Read by the people who think they run the country.

Guardian:

Read by the people who think they ought to run the country.

Morning Star:

Read by the people who think the country ought to be run by another country.

Daily Mail:

Read by the wives of the people who own the country.

Financial Times:

Read by the people who own the country.

Daily Express:

Read by the people who think that the country ought to be run as it used to be.

Daily Telegraph:

Read by the people who think it still is.

The Sun:

Their readers don't care who runs the country as long as she has big tits.

Jon

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

70 odd years ago my parents taught me to never believe anything I read in the papers. It is still true today.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

There is a real cracker coming up at the moment. Typical as well. £8,000,000 for a leaflet. What a headline.

No mention that there are 26 1/2 million households in the UK or if leaflets should be sent out. I've not read it yet and can imagine what the next one will say.

My son was disgusted by the cost. Probably a typical reaction, something to get excited about. He went very quiet when I asked him how many households there are. Sub 33p including postage is an amazing achievement.

The Beeb reckon £9m and 34p per house – on the web.

John

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[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I will cross out the address on mine, write in the senders address and put "return to sender" on it

Then pop it in the box while I'm out with fido

Edited By Ady1 on 11/04/2016 14:35:18

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

The Daily Mail is best, for the cartoons. What else and I am sure that is what puts up the circulation plus one other thing, the crossword on the back page as the only one I can do.

Clive

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Gordon W on 11/04/2016 14:21:35:

70 odd years ago my parents taught me to never believe anything I read in the papers. It is still true today.

I found out for myself as I did read them. A strike that made national news. I could go to work each day and hear what was actually going on. Even why it happened, or made to happen in this case. Then there was the so called earnings of people working on the line at Leyland and other similar places – in your dreams would be the best thing to say about the figures. Since then I treat any news with some caution where ever it comes from.

John

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[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The Daily Mail is very cleverly aimed at women, this is why it is so successful

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

I'd like to modify the attitude of one scooter rider who constantly goes up and down our road seeing how many times per second he can turn his throttle handle through it's full detents!! Why are thes small engined bikes so b****y noisy

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by David Colwill on 11/04/2016 12:37:50:

No doubt the rest of Europe will ignore it, Britain however, will employ 2000 civil servants to enforce it!

David

Fine body of men, when was the last time you had to bribe a British public servant!

Excessive employment of civil servants is a popular misconception. About 400,000 civil service jobs have gone since 1975. These people weren't doing nothing, their work was transferred to the private sector and it is still being paid for by the taxpayer.

Privatisation often worked well, but there are plenty of examples were services were disrupted, standards dropped, and costs increased.

If a real civil servant is giving you a hard time remember they don't make the rules: they are obliged to implement government policy, even if it's stupid.

Regards,

Dave

[JAParticipant @ja]

This is all hysteria. We have been here before. Last time, a few years ago, quite a few organisations spent a lot of money lobbying the EU about this one and winning (except in Germany).

The EU is a pro-active organisation and has to consider serious proposals. For example when the European car manufacturers make a proposal to ban all cars over 10 years old from the roads of Europe so that they can sell more cars the EU has to consider it. If the proposal sneaks in without the lobbying organisations noticing, it would be accepted and that would be the end of historic vehicle use in Europe. Although I do not like the Daily Mail it does do us a service pointing out these stories. It also tends to cry wolf though.

A thought, a few years ago the EU wanted us to stop using no-metric nut and bolts. With this new scare the repair of anything with Whitworth and BSF fittings could have been a modification and thus be banned.

Enough politics?

JA

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

Posted by JA on 11/04/2016 15:10:59:

A thought, a few years ago the EU wanted us to stop using no-metric nut and bolts. With this new scare the repair of anything with Whitworth and BSF fittings could have been a modification and thus be banned.

That might affect the French standard pipe fitting, which curiously is physically the same as BSP albeit designated in metric rather than inches

On the subject of the Daily Mail **LINK**

Edited By Martin 100 on 11/04/2016 15:24:34

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Ed Duffner on 11/04/2016 14:49:34:

I'd like to modify the attitude of one scooter rider who constantly goes up and down our road seeing how many times per second he can turn his throttle handle through it's full detents!! Why are thes small engined bikes so b****y noisy

2 strokes and no legislation to set what the makers have to do. There should be but the manufacturers probably just said no way. That's how it works.

Cat's on diesels are another case. Initially they were uncontrolled and needn't have been. Now just like petrol cars they probably dump the odd quart down the exhaust pipe to get the cat hot and clean it up. They have to because lots of people don't drive their cars hard often enough.

It also works the other way round some times. The industry said we nearly have lean burn sorted – gov said no fit cats.

It might be worth mentioning that cars have been type approved for a long time. It put many models off the road. That along with emission rules. I managed to get an E Type very cheaply following a fuel crisis. The 3.8L model would do 150mph, the V12 nothing like it. My swb 4.2L very close too it until I "decoked" the engine following advice from some one who had worked on Norton works race bikes. Easily after that and no noticeable modifications. Even the carbs and cam were left alone. I did have to use a colour tune to set them up every couple of months to get decent fuel consumption. Why's it gone – wouldn't get through type approval. The whole industry was given a severe shake up most down to a US lawyer who got rather annoyed about some of the characteristics of certain features used on a number of them. This included things like the likelihood of petrol dripping on the exhaust system and certain style of suspension and all sorts of other things.

John

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John

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[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

It's worth pointing out that no EU directive can become UK law unless our politicians agree to it. Trouble is our lot are so spineless they don't seem to just say ' sorry we're not doing that'. Then our civil servants get involved and turn a short simple sensible directive into something silly and bureaucratic.

Edited By duncan webster on 11/04/2016 15:38:03

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by duncan webster on 11/04/2016 15:37:42:

It's worth pointing out that no EU directive can become UK law unless our politicians agree to it.

No, the UK has a say in the writing of directives and votes on the European enactment of a directive but once a directive is issued it must be incorporated into UK law. To quote from Leeds University's law department website:

"Directives: These are requirements that member states change their national laws within a stated period of time in order to give effect to the directive. in the UK. Directives can be implemented either by statute or by delegated legisiation under the European Communities Act 1972."

Russell.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

There is always a certain amount of the red herrings about as well Duncan. Working time directive for instance. I had to sign a piece of paper withdrawing my rights to that. Pointless the company doing this really and all it means in most cases is that I couldn't be forced to work more hours. Not so for true HGV drivers and rightly so.

Sending people on step ladder usage courses – just makes companies whiter than white if some one falls off one and sues.

Certain other types of training – allows companies to claim a better qualified work force. The need to be sure they need to know what ever it is they are doing.

Not in the Euro – first time because of the risk of having to join the snake and maintain the value of the GBP. 2nd time probably because we have finished up being too expensive at the levels the exchange rate was then. I should check that but believe the rates suggested that at the time.

A lot of the working place directives are needed really. I have worked on some aspects of that were the company was well aware that they were harming people. Asbestos is an excellent example of that especially the blue stuff but lets call the white st danio, should do for a while. There are others,

It's all life really.

They never managed to interfere with the British Banger. I mean sausage is an essential source of nourishment for many people even with the junk that's often in them, no way should they have more than 80% meat in them. Actually I think it was less than that. we sometimes buy cheap sausage from Liddl.

John

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[VicParticipant @vic]

If the EU promised to ban chavs putting drainpipe exhausts on cars and limit the noise from motor cycles I'd probably vote for the UK to stay in the EU!

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Apparently, French insurance – If you fit a tow bar to your car, and someone drives into the back of you, then it is your fault because you have modified the car (Fitted a tow bar) !!
BobH

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Russel, as you say, it must be incorporated into UK law, but until out politicians nod their heads it isn't, so we can still say 'no we're not doing that'. What would the commission then do? They haven't got a police force, so all they can do is take us to the european court and fine us. then we say 'well we're not paying', or 'take it out of what we gave you last year'. Are they going to throw us out? I think not as we are a major nett contributor. If we stop agreeing to all this twaddle they will eventually get the message if only to not look stupid. When they concentrate on free trade and leave individual countries to sort out MOT etc we will be a lot better off

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

2 strokes and no legislation to set what the makers have to do. There should be but the manufacturers probably just said no way. That's how it works.

What a load of tosh ! Sorry to be blunt, but that statement beggars belief.

Vehicle rules & regulations are regularly updated ( a new set come in next year, which will end the life of some models) & manufacturers have to comply if they wish to sell – light motorcycles & scooters are no different to any other vehicle (from electrically assisted bicycles upwards) in this regard and have been for decades.

As supplied, all motorcycles have to meet (increasingly stringent) noise legislation – the "problem" is that anyone can sell an un-approved "not for road use" noise box to the young and gullible, knowing full well that there is insufficient roads policing to apprehend the users of these illegally modified vehicles. And should the antisocial barstewards actually be apprehended, there is no comeback on the sellers of the non-compliant parts who hide behind the "we sell these bits for show bikes only" excuse.

Nigel B

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by Jon Gibbs on 11/04/2016 11:33:09:

Of course our own domestic politicians, the folks the DM would have solely in charge one presumes, would be completely immune from coming up with such ludicrous policies

Building Regulations Part P?

Jon

I believe that the Building regulations are an excellent set of documents. It is only wallies who get the hump about having to comply that do not like them. If I were going to purchase a home I would like to know that t was built to a certain standard & not some cobble up by some know all DIY muppet. I would also like to know that I was not living in a tinderbox that might burn or electrocute my kids. I know accidents still happen but not through fault of the building regs. They have improved standards over the years

As for car standards I some how have sympathy with the legislative. I would feel a lot safer knowing the idiots who mess with cars & bikes to the detriment of safety are curtailed. Of course there are bits that seem over the top but usually these are sorted over time. The change in law will not upset me.

One contributor said it was between him the MOT centre & the insurance co- Well sorry friend -I have no confidence in your insurance company to protect my grandchild

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 11/04/2016 20:37:46

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