| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:The telephone poll | |
| Posted by: | Robin Taylor | |
| Date/Time: | 10/08/10 16:22:00 |
| Thanks for your comments, Parvez. I really don't think there's a lot of point in continuing with these exchanges. There are some people on this thread who, despite ultimately getting their own way with the tram, still feel the need to bludgeon the rest of us into submission for daring to want to see improvements to public transport in the first place. These are the same people who served up the most shocking abuse (against Cllr Wall and others) and yet, because they believe their own malevolent propaganda, have managed to convince themselves that they were on the receiving end of it. They have also, quite comically, managed to persuade themselves that their selfish, self-satisfied campaign to derail the tram was somehow fought in the best traditions of "public spiritedness". It appears that they may be under-employed and can spend all day on here, whereas some of us have more pressing things to deal with. I would, however, like to respond to a couple of misrepresentations: Andy Jones accuses me of "stereotyping" those who oppose the tram, yet then chooses to stereotype me and my personal circumstances (incorrectly, as it happens). I would ask Andy to consider what it is about a journey along the borough's main arterial route that would cause a person to suffer an asthma attack in the first place: it is often not just the type of traffic, but the sheer amount of time taken. A modern, attractive, environmentally friendly tram (such as that which operates on the busy streets of central Croydon) would, in the long run, have cut the need for car usage (and, with it, congestion). Correspondingly, journey times would have fallen. But the opportunity to do something like this has now been shelved for a generation and all because some people who could not see any immediate benefit for themselves were not even willing to listen to those who tried to explain the scheme's merits. We all remember the way SES tried to con the bus-travelling public into thinking the tram would be to their detriment too: that same SES claimed they wanted to see an improved bus service instead of a tram, yet when the Tories got in and started digging up the borough's bus lanes there was not so much as a squeak out of any of the SES smuggies. No doubt they thought Xmas had come early. Regarding the inflammatory personal attacks on Ray Wall, I think I may well help his re-election efforts in 2014. True, the tram he fought for may never have materialised, and his party's view on the issue (and for all I know, his own view) may have changed but at least by fighting on the side of those who use public transport he has shown his worth. One final thought: don't trust anyone who comes on this thread claiming to be an "expert". The fact is that the self-proclaimed "experts" rarely agree with each other on anything - and even those who have genuine expertise are invariably very good at allowing their own personal interests to shade the truth. |