Johnson fined for forgetting his C-charge

[Albus]

Being clobbered with a £60 fine for failing to pay the London congestion charge just before Christmas is no joke. But the news that the self-described "victim" was none other than Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, raised a few smiles yesterday.

The mayor said he forgot his own "wretched" congestion charge when he jumped into his car to drive to Trafalgar Square to light the Hanukah menorah three days before Christmas.

Johnson, who champions cycling for getting around the capital, forgot that driving into the charge zone means you pay a £8 on the day of travel, rising to £10 the day after. Failure to pay results in a fine of £120, to be paid within 30 days but reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks. A lot to take in, after all.

The Conservative mayor confessed to being stung by the system after being challenged by a radio caller who reminded him of a conversation they once had about extending the payment period. "You said yes," chided Sarah. "You would have a month to pay the congestion charge and if even after that you forgot you would have time to pay the penalty."

"I absolutely did say that!" said Johnson. "Do you know, I had totally forgotten that and, speaking as a victim of this wretched system, the other day I drove in to light the Hanukah thing, the Hanukah menorah, and I got done by my own system and I forgot to pay. And then bing! I got the £60 fine. I have just coughed up."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/09/boris-congestion-fine


HA! GOOD! Serves the upper class loaded Tory twit right!

Good old Ken! Got the last laugh in the end!

[truebrit71]

1. "I drove in to light the Hanukah thing"....the Hanukah "thing"?

What a clot this guy is...

[Wabbajack_]

2. congestion charge?

Is that tax the poor off the roads Tory idea?

[LeftishBrit]

3. No, it was introduced by the left-wing former Mayor Ken Livingstone

It's not really 'tax the poor off the roads'. In the UK, especially in London, poor people are much less likely than in America to have cars in the first place, and more likely to rely on public transport. Apart from reducing congestion, one of the purposes of the charge is to raise revenue for public transport in the city.

[Albus]

4. same effect though

[Nihil]

5. No, try reading?

> In the UK, especially in London, poor people are much less likely than
> in America to have cars in the first place, and more likely to rely on
> public transport.

So no, it is not the "same effect though".

:eyes: