But the harsh truth...

But the harsh truth is that a journey to the beach or a major event almost inevitably means traffic jams. Driving to a railway station, parking up, then allowing the train to take the strain always sounds reasonable. Yet a combination of cynically planned industrial action, depleted timetables and lousy car park security means it"s a no-no for people who prefer to have their destinies in their own hands, thank you very much. So for me and my family last Monday, it was London by car, door-to-door, and no more than about a quid per occupant in fuel costs.

Now, at this stage you"re probably thinking, quite rightly, it"s of no interest that a bloke like me drove to the capital. Countless dads have done the same for decades. But the point is this; the motoring day out with the family in a British city is in grave danger of disappearing. Who and what is responsible? Politicians, their congestion charges and exorbitant parking fees at the roadside and, of course, their privatised, over-zealous, mercenary parking attendants.

But guess what? On Bank Holidays, in London at least, none of these deterrents exist. Consequently, people such as myself quietly drive in and park on the nearest yellow line and head to the coffee shops, restaurants and stores. On the Monday in question, the Rutherford clan spent money on shopping and dining out. Had the congestion tax and parking charges applied, London wouldn"t have seen our fuel-efficient, not-so-large motor. More importantly, neither would it have seen its occupants or their money.

The decision is desperately simple for any town thinking of introducing prohibitive tolls. Force drivers to pay these fees, and we will stay away. We"ll spend our money in more auto-friendly locations, or worse still, on the Internet and abroad.

Alternatively, they can invite motorists back to the towns, knock the congestion charge scams on the head and allow more low-cost parking. The good citizens will res-pond positively by using their vehicles sensibly and spending their money generously.

In the next couple of months, I may splash out н‚бЈ1,000 on a piece of recording equip-ment which I saw in London on Monday. If, on the day I buy it, the city"s bosses insist I pay a local tax to drive in and cough up to park at the side of the road to collect it, I will take a stand. I"ll go out of town or log on to the Net to buy it. Stores in towns and cities - particularly terrorist-hit London - need all the customers they can get. But they won"t come if they continue to be punished for using their cars. It"s that simple.