SE23 Forum

I used to be surprised by neighbours who could not even walk over Horniman Heights and down to the station, and insisted on driving each day.

But I have a neighbour who insists on driving what must be less than 400 yards to Horniman School. He is fit and well.

Is this a record for SE23 or are there even more lazy/selfish/polluting people around.

And suggestions for a witty but apposite comment to him most welcome.

I have a neighbour who drives from his house (near the Wood Vale junction with Melford Road) to the butcher's on Wood Vale - that can't be much further than a couple of hundred yards. I once met him on the way into the butcher's while I was on the way out and he commented that he could have given me a lift.

At least two people in my street drive from the taymount rise area to the tesco garage...and not for petrol

What a disgrace for their health and the environment

But I guess they could drive and stop there on their way to somewhere else? That wouldn't be too disgraceful would it?

I think the planet can cope with the occasional very short journey by car. It uses far less energy than a badly insulated house, planes circling London before landing, or 1001 other environmental crimes. As for the health issue I am not sure that Taymount Rise is always good for your health, my grandfather had angina attacks on a couple of occasions walking up the hill. However, for me it is the only exercise I get.

I believe journeys under a mile use significantly more fuel per mile than longer journeys

Michael two wrongs don't make a right (clearly there must be some guilt here)

Jon - what a fantastic idea, drive to one destination and then go to another one rather than returning home first. Next you will be suggesting car pooling or something more radical.

Anyway I can get my google map out and work out distances and we can think of an appropriate prize. But still waiting for the amusing thing to say to the neigbour rather than you lazy so and so or something along those lines.

Just making the point that sometimes you don't know all the circumstances, and there are circumstances where it wouldn't be a disgrace or lazy or selfish or deliberately polluting to use the car for a short journey.

It would be really embarrassing to present someone who is apparently fit and healthy with their 'lazy/selfish/polluting' award only to find out there were circumstances to justify actions.

Anyway, that's not to say there aren't lazy people. But I wouldn't consider it a disgrace or selfish if somebody cycled to work all week and then did a short journey on a Saturday. I don't think Michael was trying to say that two wrongs make a right - just that everything's relative.

First prize should be an "all you can eat" buffet at the Southern Chicken outlet of your choice.

Plus a taxi to and from the venue

You are confusing laziness with poor diet.

The obvious prize should be a bucket of unleaded, to be collected in person from the centre of Horniman Gardens (which can only be reached on foot). What will the lazy person do with such a dilemma?

In most cases the two go hand in hand.

Complain that it's THE GOVERNMENT'S WAR ON THE MOTORIST!

But we know that is the case!

This reminds me of the scene in LA story where the Steve Martin character drives 5 metres to see his girlfriend.

Pretty shocking behaviour by those concerned! When I were lad, we used to have to walk 5 mile to get to outside khazi....

and I lived in a shoe box and worked 27 hours a day.

You had a shoebox!?

My husband once went on a business trip to Arizona. He doesn't drive. So one night, he walked from his hotel to a resturant for dinner.

On his way (which he said was about a mile) four cars stopped to ask him if his car had broken down and if he needed any help!

At least Americans are friendly.

I remember the first time I went to the States in 2002 a friend lived in New Jersey in "the burbs". We walked to his local bar one night, car park was packed with SUV's. got bladdered, and walked home. All the other bar customers drove

Point is we got picked up by the police because we were walking at midnight. He was suprised to find we were English, suprised we were not falling all over the place having been in the bar all night (good old American lager) and astonished that we had chosen to walk the 800 yards back to my friends house. He then drove us home

Why don't you all give it a rest? If people want to be lazy that's their business not yours. And now I expect there'll be a storm of protest re the environment, carbon footprint etc. but really a bit more tolerance wouldn't go amiss.
Ano no - I'm not adding a daft smiley.
Yours grumpily.