Comments on: Life in the Fast Lane: The Johnson Guide to Cars http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/ Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:46:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: raincoaster http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17677 raincoaster Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:31:53 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17677 Yes, and have you SEEN how they drive in Manila? Boris, it looks like this book has become quite shockingly influential, quite shockingly quickly. Look, <a href="http://wcbstv.com/worldwire/Vatican-RoadRage/resources_news_html" rel="nofollow">the Vatican itself has put the emergency brake on</a>. <blockquote>The Vatican on Tuesday issued a set of ``Ten Commandments'' for drivers, telling motorists not to kill, not to drink and drive, and to help fellow travelers in case of accidents. An unusual document from the Vatican's office for migrants and itinerant people also warned that cars can be ``an occasion of sin'' particularly when they are used for dangerous passing or for prostitution. It warned about the effects of road rage, saying driving can bring out ``primitive'' behavior in motorists, including ``impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code.'' It urged motorists to obey traffic regulations, drive with a moral sense, and to pray when behind the wheel. Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the office, told a news conference that the Vatican felt it necessary to address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving had become such a big part of contemporary life. He noted that the Bible was full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus and that his office is tasked with dealing with all ``itinerant'' people including refugees, prostitutes, truck drivers and the homeless... The ``Drivers' Ten Commandments,'' as listed by the document, are: 1. You shall not kill. 2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm. 3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events. 4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents. 5. <b>Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.</b> 6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so. 7. Support the families of accident victims. 8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness. 9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party. 10. Feel responsible toward others.</blockquote> Yes, and have you SEEN how they drive in Manila?

Boris, it looks like this book has become quite shockingly influential, quite shockingly quickly. Look, the Vatican itself has put the emergency brake on.

The Vatican on Tuesday issued a set of “Ten Commandments” for drivers, telling motorists not to kill, not to drink and drive, and to help fellow travelers in case of accidents.

An unusual document from the Vatican’s office for migrants and itinerant people also warned that cars can be “an occasion of sin” particularly when they are used for dangerous passing or for prostitution.

It warned about the effects of road rage, saying driving can bring out “primitive” behavior in motorists, including “impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of responsibility or deliberate infringement of the highway code.”

It urged motorists to obey traffic regulations, drive with a moral sense, and to pray when behind the wheel.

Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the office, told a news conference that the Vatican felt it necessary to address the pastoral needs of motorists because driving had become such a big part of contemporary life.

He noted that the Bible was full of people on the move, including Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus and that his office is tasked with dealing with all “itinerant” people including refugees, prostitutes, truck drivers and the homeless…

The “Drivers’ Ten Commandments,” as listed by the document, are:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

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]]> By: Andrew Milner http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17676 Andrew Milner Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:34:46 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17676 We all have our motoring anecdotes, and I'm glad I got my UK rally driving experience in the 1960's. Some of us have watched the sun rise over a Welsh or Scottish hillside, casting long shadows over their terminally wrecked rally car. But we all strive for confidence, enlightenment and maturity in our own ways. Sublimating through the steering wheel may not be the preferred method, but it is one that cannot be totally ignored. And top speed is not the overriding issue. Try driving a 4x4 from Vientiane to Luang Prabang (Laos) or a passenger car on bald tyres through the mountains from Bagan to Taunggyi (Myanmar--Burma in BBC speak) and you'll start to grasp my drift. You seldom get out of third gear, and those mud covered roads with an unfenced sheer drop keep you on your toes. Persecution of the motorist has to be high on your "Reasons to Emigrate" list. There's a big wide world outside Britain, and in Asia at least, English gentleman is flavour of the month. We all have our motoring anecdotes, and I’m glad I got my UK rally driving experience in the 1960′s. Some of us have watched the sun rise over a Welsh or Scottish hillside, casting long shadows over their terminally wrecked rally car. But we all strive for confidence, enlightenment and maturity in our own ways. Sublimating through the steering wheel may not be the preferred method, but it is one that cannot be totally ignored. And top speed is not the overriding issue. Try driving a 4×4 from Vientiane to Luang Prabang (Laos) or a passenger car on bald tyres through the mountains from Bagan to Taunggyi (Myanmar–Burma in BBC speak) and you’ll start to grasp my drift. You seldom get out of third gear, and those mud covered roads with an unfenced sheer drop keep you on your toes.
Persecution of the motorist has to be high on your “Reasons to Emigrate” list. There’s a big wide world outside Britain, and in Asia at least, English gentleman is flavour of the month.

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]]> By: Chris http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17675 Chris Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:40:11 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17675 Ive never been so bored in my life. I randomly stumbled on your website, clicked the first article I saw, and ended up here. What a waste of 10 minutes. Please stop writing. Ive never been so bored in my life. I randomly stumbled on your website, clicked the first article I saw, and ended up here. What a waste of 10 minutes. Please stop writing.

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]]> By: Ken Stevens http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17674 Ken Stevens Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:07:00 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17674 "I merely point out that driving and telephoning is not fundamentally different from using your free hand to pick your nose" Whilst sharing your contempt for Elf 'n' Safety Commissars, along with parking Gauleiters, taxation-by-speed-camera, etc, I have to disagree with you re drivers using mobiles, even if hands free. Pick nose, eat chocolate (though not at same time)as much as you like as far as I'm concerned but, from personal observation, there are too many people who are patently unable to hold a conversation and drive at the same time. This phenomenon also applies to pedestrians but at least it doesn't hurt so much when they crash into you. I have several times been behind someone on a free-flowing motorway as they steadily lost speed and/or wandered across lanes. No different in principle, I suppose, to those who are similarly unable to converse with a passenger without gesticulating and looking at them. ... And as for those TV folk who will do a piece to camera whilst driving along @#*!!!. Whichever way, it is driving without due care and attention -- from a pragmatic rather than a zealous standpoint. “I merely point out that driving and telephoning is not fundamentally different from using your free hand to pick your nose”

Whilst sharing your contempt for Elf ‘n’ Safety Commissars, along with parking Gauleiters, taxation-by-speed-camera, etc, I have to disagree with you re drivers using mobiles, even if hands free. Pick nose, eat chocolate (though not at same time)as much as you like as far as I’m concerned but, from personal observation, there are too many people who are patently unable to hold a conversation and drive at the same time. This phenomenon also applies to pedestrians but at least it doesn’t hurt so much when they crash into you. I have several times been behind someone on a free-flowing motorway as they steadily lost speed and/or wandered across lanes. No different in principle, I suppose, to those who are similarly unable to converse with a passenger without gesticulating and looking at them. … And as for those TV folk who will do a piece to camera whilst driving along @#*!!!. Whichever way, it is driving without due care and attention — from a pragmatic rather than a zealous standpoint.

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]]> By: Steven_L http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17673 Steven_L Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:01:42 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17673 <<i>'When seeing you Boris and now this dreadful ploy of self exploitation for money. I remember why I never want to vote Tory.' (Vote Freedom)<<i> I just clicked on the hyperlink of your name. You don't vote Tory because you support the BNP by the look of it. As you can obviously string a sentence together you can't give me the excuse of being as thick as two short planks. Judging by the broken legs you are wishing on people who have never done you any harm your motives become more apparent. <<i>'Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering' (Yoda, in Star Wars Episode I)<<i> Perhaps you should ask yourself what are you afraid of? < ‘When seeing you Boris and now this dreadful ploy of self exploitation for money. I remember why I never want to vote Tory.’ (Vote Freedom)<

I just clicked on the hyperlink of your name. You don’t vote Tory because you support the BNP by the look of it. As you can obviously string a sentence together you can’t give me the excuse of being as thick as two short planks. Judging by the broken legs you are wishing on people who have never done you any harm your motives become more apparent.

< ‘Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering’ (Yoda, in Star Wars Episode I)<

Perhaps you should ask yourself what are you afraid of?

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]]> By: Steven_L http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17672 Steven_L Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:49:13 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17672 <<i>'Inside that happy brown plastic cabin ... there took place all manner of brawls, romance, heartbreak and general growing-up.' (Boris)<<i> I wonder if Gordon Brown has any happy memories of the back seat? < ‘Inside that happy brown plastic cabin … there took place all manner of brawls, romance, heartbreak and general growing-up.’ (Boris)<

I wonder if Gordon Brown has any happy memories of the back seat?

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]]> By: AP http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17671 AP Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:47:28 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17671 I dunno VF ... that Schickelgruber was an outright winner in the Polish Grand Prix, and a world record holder in the Berlin to Paris road race but, after an impressive start, he didn't do so well on the North Africa Coast Endurance Race, despite excellent team backing, and his performance on the Berlin to Moscow Winter Rally was that of a real looser. I dunno VF … that Schickelgruber was an outright winner in the Polish Grand Prix, and a world record holder in the Berlin to Paris road race but, after an impressive start, he didn’t do so well on the North Africa Coast Endurance Race, despite excellent team backing, and his performance on the Berlin to Moscow Winter Rally was that of a real looser.

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]]> By: Steve http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17670 Steve Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:30:44 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17670 An excellent and entertaining story as always Boris. But of course cars may have become safer for the people inside them, which by the law of balancing wotsits makes drivers take more risks, and makes them more dangerous for the people outside them. Try listing the safety features, and ask how many of them are designed to protect the people outside! Airbags on the outside I say. Crumple zones which crumple under the weight of a pedestrian. With a feature which stops the car dead in its tracks if it hits something. Say yay for the people outside. An excellent and entertaining story as always Boris. But of course cars may have become safer for the people inside them, which by the law of balancing wotsits makes drivers take more risks, and makes them more dangerous for the people outside them. Try listing the safety features, and ask how many of them are designed to protect the people outside! Airbags on the outside I say. Crumple zones which crumple under the weight of a pedestrian. With a feature which stops the car dead in its tracks if it hits something. Say yay for the people outside.

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]]> By: Vote Freedom http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17669 Vote Freedom Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:54:21 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17669 I am all for winning and losing and the removal of the non competative sports teaching we have now. But the German was always a smug barsteward and actually won by default. Any formula 1 driver could have won with the car and support he got. Lets not forget the amount of times he had top dog orders with in his own team.. and actually only had four other competing drivers who could have beat him. He won due to the cars performance reliabilty so should be praising the mechanics and not him. I am all for winning and losing and the removal of the non competative sports teaching we have now. But the German was always a smug barsteward and actually won by default. Any formula 1 driver could have won with the car and support he got. Lets not forget the amount of times he had top dog orders with in his own team.. and actually only had four other competing drivers who could have beat him. He won due to the cars performance reliabilty so should be praising the mechanics and not him.

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]]> By: Steven_L http://www.boris-johnson.com/2007/06/04/life-in-the-fast-lane-the-johnson-guide-to-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-17668 Steven_L Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:00:55 +0000 http://80.82.117.242/?p=357#comment-17668 <<i>'When I became a motoring correspondent it wasn't just because ... I wanted an endless series of beautiful machines for the weekend'<<i> Yeah right, pull the other one Boris! I'll quite happily sit and blabber on about why MP's should have weblogs, it's all rot though, the real reason I think they should is so I can write things on them. < ‘When I became a motoring correspondent it wasn’t just because … I wanted an endless series of beautiful machines for the weekend’<

Yeah right, pull the other one Boris! I’ll quite happily sit and blabber on about why MP’s should have weblogs, it’s all rot though, the real reason I think they should is so I can write things on them.

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