A very balenced article.

Pretty lengthy article but made some interesting, valid points - particularly the amount hireboats (not to mention share boats) use the system and services.

It does seem increasingly like some kind of penalty charge against ccers.

Not well balanced at all, biased press release from NBTA. Just because kris agrees doesn't make it unbiased. A fair article would present both sides of the story - what about everyone making a more equal overall contribution to CRT?

One of those quoted is talking bollocks for a start,
"Newell thinks the policy seems illogical in its basic principle: “It’s like saying; if you park your car on the road and not in the driveway, you use the road more, so you have to pay more road tax.”"

That's comparing apples with oranges, boats are "parked on the road" if they aren't in a non NAA marina.

There's also a whinge about the low paid/on benefits, well you can claim Universal Credit.

There's a whine about not being able to travel, a bit rich from boats who stay in London and don't travel anywhere else.

Try telling the residents in urban areas such as Oxford, Brighton and many London Boroughs where you need to PURCHASE a permit to park outside your house, or as close as you can get.

It is not just canals that suffer from squatting for free. It is in today's news that there are over 650 various caravans, motor homes and vans parked around parkland in Bristol housing over 800 people, without water locally, or sewage disposal. CaRT have difficulties in controlling squatters, and obviously a  left leaning council has let a minor problem escalate into a semi crisis. 
Lack of housing is a real problem that has been ignored by successive governments for over 30 years, and in fact compounded by the lack of joined up thinking between national and local government. Legislation to pass on the responsibility to private landlords but to retain control does not have the desired effect, probably the opposite where smaller landlords are selling up. Coupled with the fecklessness of many people, particularly younger people who have got used to being coddled by government and not expected to work for a living, and also of course, the elephant in the room, uncontrolled immigration.
There is a gap between so called continuous cruisers and leisure boaters who live ashore and pay council taxes for facilities that C.C.ers take for granted, and from experience seem to take little pride into respectable use of them.

Read the article jim, before frothing at the mouth so much.

I never thought I'd see a supposed socialist include the term 'freeloader' within a post, used in a negative manner vs. 'those who pay their fair share'.

We live and learn, I guess.

I find women wearing dungarees very terrible.

I don't know what is happening in all this but am fairly confident there is a woman or women wearing dungarees.

It might be my 7th sense.

Its definitely not that.

Its a dungarees thing.

I admit I have not got another bird after reproducing with the woman but the idea I might be a misogynist is a bit far fetched.

I would have good reason to hold this view as from the age of 11 I have only had females in all of the households I have lived in but I don't hate women.

I do find women wearing dungarees very hard to deal with and this includes one of my sisters.



As my childless friend pointed out 'you can not beat a good woman' my retort was 'yes but she might beat you'.