| Author | Message | ||
     Buellshyter |
From Breitbart.com Ewan McGregor said he is sick of Britain's "ludicrous nanny state" rules, which he said might force him to quit the country, in an interview to be published Tuesday. Health and safety regulations were becoming "insane", the 36-year-old film star told the weekly Radio Times magazine. The Scottish actor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the most recent Star Wars trilogy, blasted the rise of security cameras and London's congestion charge, which forces drivers to pay to enter the city centre. McGregor recently completed a 15,000-mile (24,000-kilometre) motorcycle adventure, riding the length of Africa with best friend and fellow actor Charley Boorman. "Our trip opened my eyes to how insane the rules are in Britain -- CCTV cameras everywhere, congestion charge -- a ludicrous nanny state. "If anything drives me out of the country it will be that -- not tax, I don't earn enough." When Daniel Craig was unveiled as the new James Bond actor in October 2005, he was forced to wear a life jacket as he sped through London on a boat up the River Thames. It was somewhat out of keeping for the daredevil fictional British spy, in a press call stunt widely acknowledged as having backfired. "It's not his fault. He's doing what he's told," McGregor groaned. "Today, health and safety are out of control. In Africa, garage attendants smoked as they filled the bikes. I took great pleasure in that." McGregor has starred in "Trainspotting" (1996), "A Life Less Ordinary" (1997), "Rogue Trader" (1999), "Moulin Rouge!", "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and "Miss Potter" (2006). He made the first of three outings as Kenobi in 1999 in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". McGregor and Boorman rode from John O'Groats, Britain's most northerly settlement, to Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of South Africa, for a BBC television series. The Scot said he was touched by the kindness offered to him in Africa. "People are nice to us because we're travellers, and the most generous and happiest are often those who have the least, whereas in Britain we're devastatingly depressed, yet have so much," McGregor said. Boorman added: "We never got fed up with each other, but sometimes I couldn't stand the smell after a few days without a shower." } | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I think anywhere you park the bike more than a week, you would get tired of the place. The Man is always keeping ya down. (has been for decades ) | ||
| Rocketman |
Every road in the UK is under strict scrutiny these days, and it's my belief it's only going to get worse. Rocket | ||
| Steveshakeshaft |
It is an interesting perspective that at the moment the UK is experiencing both record immigration AND record emigration. It appears that the image folks have of the UK from outside is somewhat at odds with the views held by many of us already here. | ||
| Rocketman |
Here we go. It's just a matter of time............ http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI d=17025 Rocket | ||
| Diablobrian |
They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, or was it over the septic tank? I used to look at the UK cycle scene with the 2 stroke sport bikes and Access to GP, WSB IOM and BSB as a greener pasture in many ways, but it is looking more and more like a place I want to avoid. No offense intended to the residents of the UK, Its your (by turns) fascist/socialist policy makers that are ruining your country. Come to think of it that sounds a lot like home, except things are too spread out for them to implement the sweeping changes that have been laid on you guys. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
http://members.aol.com/redbarche/ANiceMorningDrive .html | ||
| Rocketman |
Just to put this into perspective. The UK isn't (significantly) any less of a place because of these Orwellian regulations. It's still a beautiful country. You just have to be a little more careful when you're out riding. There are still many thousands of open road miles to be travelled, where you are never going to get hassle from anyone, whether you exceed the speed limit or not, or cross a double white line or not. Like I've said for years. Speed limits on the open road serve no purpose other than to act as a guideline. If no one is looking you're always going to travel at somewhere around the required legal safe speed limit anyway. Likewise, when someone breaks the legal speed limit, they're only going to do so when they believe they can get away with it. So why bother having a speed limit. Better that we regulate ourselves, as that's pretty much what we do anyway. People tend to drive the open road at a speed that's comfortable. Usually that's a sensible pace for whatever conditions. Someone driving faster than that pace is always going to do so if the long arm of the law isn't watching, no matter what speed limit is in force. My experience tells me, the biker will follow their own pace, overtaking and speeding where favoured, if it's a suitable environment to do so. Posting a speed limit won't change anything. So how do we campaign for less Orwellian tactics? By giving us the freedom of the open road in exchange for strict self control within the urban districts. Treating the motorist as a tax collecting machine won't change a thing where safety is concerned. Safety comes from within each and everyone of us. Unfortunately, as human beings, some of us will be injured, or die, because we were out on the road. Such won't ever change, but it's not really a peoples government that uses safety as an excuse to fleece the population. The only way to achieve safer roads is to teach people how to use them properly, and that includes at high speed. Do you know that no one is taught how to drive on a Motorway in the UK, other than from reading a code book about what's required of you when doing so, yet the moment you pass your riding or driving test you are free to drive any Motorway in the land despite having never being trained how to do so, never mind having never driven or ridden on one. Statistically Motorways are the safest roads in the UK. But people are killed on Motorways nearly every single day, yet the statistics won't show the alarming death rate correctly simply because millions of people drive and ride the Motorways everyday. Three bikers die this year on one of the UK's most popular biking roads, and the local authority steps in and 'double white lines' the entire twenty mile stretch of B class country road. Safety isn't the issue. Ridding the community of the regular biker gathering is the real agenda. But hey, that's another draconian story! Rocket | ||
| Spiderman |
I learned quite a few things about England in my visit to London and one of them may be the casue of the "Nanny state". I never got a renatl car so I can not comment on the driving/parking. But I visted a lot of sites and pubs, along with a tone of walking and public transport. One thing I noticed were CCTV signs everywhere! Even on garbage trucks. No smoking in any building,this included pubs and the like. Which I know if I were still smoking I would be pissed! I didn;t really notice the traffic cams, the one that will get you ticketed, but then again I wasn't driving. But when I was in a cab in London, holy hell was there a tone of traffic! I like Liverpool more than London. It gave you a big city feel with out the big city taste LOL and I didn't notice as many CCTY signs as London. Now for what I learned that may be leading to the "Nannyfication". The UK does not havea written constitution. Some may have know this (outside of the UK that is) but it was shock when I took the Parliment tour. But I was just visiting too, which means I do not get to experience the UK on a day to day, month to month basis. So my opinions are just that opinions... But I will leave with this. I really enjoyed Britian, a lot of history, the people I met were friendly, except a few cabbies. And I got to see all the Beatles stuff I came to see  | ||
| Blake |
Interesting. It is the "United Kingdom". They let you in!? | ||
| Blake |
Just heard on the news that some police in American towns are loaning radar guns to citizens so they can document speeders in their neighborhood. No stops or citations/ticketing, just recording and documenting. Speeding through a residential neighborhood is a very bad/serious thing. I like Sean's (Rocketman's) idea of strict compliance in populated areas leading to more open limitations out on the wide open motorways. Most speed traps in America are setup on the highways/motorways. | ||
| Spiderman |
They let you in!? Don't know weather to laugh or be insulted... | ||
| Hootowl |
Ewan also did an around the world trip. Pretty good film. http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Long_Way_Round/700416 66?trkid=189530&strkid=96863686_0_0 imdb.com generally has better descriptions, but I couldn't find it there. | ||
| Oldog |
Just heard on the news that some police in American towns are loaning radar guns to citizens so they can document speeders in their neighborhood. No stops or citations/ticketing, just recording and documenting. Ever Read 1984? .. chilling  speeding in residential areas IS bad though.} | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Flippin nanny state, they just put a HUGE log/ tree barrier to my favorite off road playground.. Signs and barricades all over the place. Apparently somebody didnt like me riding my orange bike loud and muddy out on the trails.  | ||
| Blake |
Tony, You should know by now that when I mean to insult someone, there'll be little doubt.  | ||
| Sanchez |
Long Way Round is amazing. I can't recommend the DVDs highly enough. It's strange to see Ewan and Charlie on day 10 of their trip (the longest I've ever spent on a bike) and realize they still have 110 more days ahead of them. Has the Africa trip been released? Or just filmed? I'll buy it the day it comes out. | ||
| Rocketman |
The book and DVD and something else are out on special offer in the UK. http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=allprod ucts&searchstring=long+way+down&page=search&pa=sea rch&go.x=20&go.y=10 Tomorrow sees the first episode of Long Way Down screened on TV in the UK. Better still, the duos riding popularity sees it on BBC 1 prime time Sunday eve. That's gotta be great. Rocket |
