Does the VW / Seat ‘Greener’ Diesel Engine Exist?
by matt @ 9:33 pm. Blogged under Science & Technology, Living and Dying, Travel / Holidays, Commuting
About two months ago I began researching environmentally friendly cars, looking at the CO2 outputs of hybrids and low emission diesel engines for something cost effective and ‘green’. Hybrids like the Toyota Prius are still quite pricey and some environmentalists actually believe their enormous batteries are in themselves a contradiction to the word ‘green’ - so I was interested in the VW Polo Blue Motion (low emission diesel). I went to the VW website, I read other independent reviews and was impressed with the reported fuel consumption, emissions and road tax free status… but then I tried to test drive one and guess what? I couldn’t. (more…)
I’ve been rather amused at the grammar being used on two sign-posts in Crawley, West Sussex. The first of many on the A264 approach from Horsham says ‘Alcohol Controlled Zone’. I have to say I’ve not seen many signs of the area being controlled by alcohol so far, but keep expecting to see drunks directing traffic and driving dust carts erratically. I think what they mean is either ‘Alcohol Control Zone’ or ‘Controlled Alcohol Zone’ as per other town’s signs like Dorking, but then again maybe the local council know something I don’t. The other sign of much amusement to me is on Crawley’s Broadfield Football Stadium - ‘No Offensive Weapons’… which begs the question what makes a weapon offensive? If I take a baseball bat inside covered in the word ’sorry’ is that an inoffensive weapon? Photographic evidence to follow when I get the opportunity. 
Commuting is no easy task, not only is there a one hour journey in a cramped seat to contend with, but one or more of the following passengers will be in your carriage to guarantee an unpleasant journey. Here I identify them, and give them advice to make them more amenable to fellow commuters.
On our way to lunch at the Driver pub today, we discovered several fire engines, police cars and ambulances at the end of Wharfdale Road. A lorry had come around the corner into Caledonian Road much too quickly from the look of things, clipped another lorry and ended up running off the road - across the pavement and into a cafe! Hopefully nobody was injured, all cordoned off with police tape. When we’d finished lunch we came back outside and found the whole of Caledonian Road was closed off, not good news for traffic flow in King’s Cross yet again!
Every now and again I come across a group of ticket inspectors at a railway station who seem to be have been vastly over-resourced. At Dorking railway station this morning I found three ticket inspectors sitting outside the Full Monty refreshment shack having a smoke, a gossip and a play on their mobile phones. I’m not surprised they were doing this as Dorking station has only eight trains an hour (and one had just been cancelled), with a lack of people around there really isn’t much to do. So who’s bright idea was it to allocate three ticket inspection staff to such a relatively small station? 
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