Heathrow Express

he shouldn't smoke in the company van either

 

Really? Check out the law regarding that one and I think you'll find
you're wrong.

 

I've been told I can do whatever I want within reason. They even asked
if I wanted them to arrange one way car hire for me and I decided that
telling them hire cars were the devils spawn because you can't smoke
in them was a waste of time.

stinky bait.

The Tenere has had three trips to Europe this year and it only broke
down twice on one of them.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Andy Bonwick

I used to always use it when I travelled through Heathrow. It only let
me down once when, on returning, I got to the (strangely quiet) platform
to be told that all services were cancelled due to engineering works.
There was a 2pt sign in the ticket hall telling you that.

The major downside is that it comes into Paddington, and the Circle Line
is regularly fucked.

Other than that, it's OK.

 

None but I have to play to the crowd and encourage people to think
I've got a collection of either unreliable or unrideable bikes.

 

There's that parking but it's often full IME (park at heathrow most
weeks)

Better parking for T1-T3; head towards T1. Go into the short stay car
park, ride straight out (you can go past barriers without any trouble).
Bike park immediately on your left (5m after barrier).

I agree. Plus there's a bus stop for the sofitel opposite so I get to
expose myself as I change out of bike gear into a suit.

 

If work are paying I'd just drive there and stick the car in the long
stay.

 

Does it relate to anyone else using it?

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Yes.

If you're the sole user (usually this is defined as 'do you pay company
car tax on it?'), then smoking is allowed.

Although many companies have their own internal rules on this.

 

It certainly does. I can smoke in the van because I'm the only user of
it and I don't carry passengers.

 

I'll probably use the train just to see if it's worth the effort for
future use.

Next question: how much for a cab between St Pancras and Paddington at
7pm on a Friday? I know it's not really a massive distance but if the
traffic is heavy it could take ages so I'm wondering if it's worth it
to avoid the Circle line.

 

It was about a tenner in 2008.

 

Makes sense. I wasn't aware that tax was payable on vans, though.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

That's useful to know, as T1 parking often gets full, as you say. Ta.

 

You only pay tax on a company van if you use it for private as well as
business use. I pay no tax on my van so the paying tax isn't a factor
in whether or not it's legal to smoke in it.

It's simply down to the fact that the van was given to me as my own
personal vehicle so I'm legally allowed to smoke in it as long as I
don't carry passengers and nobody else is expected to drive it. I
treat the smoking in vehicle laws in much the same way that I treat
traffic regulations in that I ignore them if they don't fit in with
what I want to do.

 

Well I never.

We had noticed

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:49:36 +0100, Paul Corfield

snip>

I'll let you know how I got on when I get home.

In the end I decided that getting to Paddington can't possibly be
worse than driving to Heathrow so the van stays in the drive. I was
tempted by the idea of using the bike but the bottom line on that one
is that if anything happens to it then my NCB goes for a flyer and I
really didn't fancy the idea of getting back to Heathrow and finding
the panniers missing with my kit inside them.

 

£10.20 this afternoon. I asked the driver what his best guess would be
before going for it and he said between £15 & £20 so a tenner was a
fucking bargain.

It took me exactly 2 hours from walking out of my front door at 4pm to
walking into T3 and there's no way I'd have managed that if I was
driving. I'd struggle to do it in 2 hours at any time of the day once
you've factored in parking then getting to the terminal so it was a
bit of a result.