A year ago, while working for a local organisation and researching the features of their local area, I discovered that I am classified as living in a deprived household. In fact, I grew up in a deprived household! Why? I do not, nor have I ever - nor has my family ever - owned a car. I don't know how to drive one!
I always considered myself somewhat bourgeois for this choice... I'm not sure why but it seemed like one of those half-measure, middle-class efforts towards saving the planet. Certainly, there is a phenomenal effort on the part of the Government to reduce carbon emissions (evidenced by the vast investment in the London to Swansea mainline announced this week), so doesn't it follow that the sacrificing of a car in favour of public transport is the bastion of the socially conscious suburbanite?
Not so much. Not having a car saves me something like £150 per month in tax, insurance, fuel, maintenance etc... Not to mention the cost of soothing my environmental sensibilities by trying to afford a fuel efficient one... No, the sheer cost of a vehicle lists it as an exclusion factor by our government.
So, I'm a deprived citizen of the United Kingdom. But (other than buses filled with idiot chav teenagers), I quite like public transport - it's just fun to sit back and watch the world go by without the stress of worrying about what other drivers are doing around you.
It just seems to be a contradiction for the Government to be pushing for lower carbon emissions while claiming that non-car owners are deprived... Just how much does the automotive industry raise in tax revenue for it to be prioritised like that?
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