OT - tax disc holder

[Nightjar]

The temporary bridge over the Thames at Walton was built in 1953 and is still there today, although road traffic uses a new bridge, built in 1999.

[Nightjar]

On 07/10/2014 10:06, stuart noble wrote: ...

They probably thought it was a Damien Hirst art installation.

[John Rumm]

As with all these things, since the data are there and available, its only a matter of time before requirements creep ensures that the mining exercise is done.

People often get worried about the data kept on them, when in many cases the meta data relating to it actually have more sinister uses that the data themselves.

[John Rumm]

The ability to cheat the system has not changed - the paper disc was of relatively little use as a mechanism of bulk enforcement.

The enforcement mechanism really boils down to, if you have a car it must be taxed (or SORNed) - no further enquiry needed.

[John Rumm]

Unless it catches SORNed vehicles being transported on a trailer etc...

[charles]

actually, the current bridge was only opened last summer (July 2013) and the old bridges have now gone.

[Nightjar]

I am sure I recall driving over a new bridge next to the girder bridge, although I haven't been that way for a while now. Has that been replaced as well? Nevertheless, my point remains that the 'temporary' girder bridge lasted the best part of 60 years.

[charles]

Look at wiki for the whole story

income tax was a temporary thing to pay for the Napoleonic War.

[Jim White]

[snip]

It might well be a requirement, but Fiat group still persist in putting the vehicle ident in the boot. Punto, 500, Panda and Chrysler/Lancia Ypsilon to name but a few.

[Dave Liquorice]

River

Wiki says both old bridges (Nos.4 and 5) where removed by Nov 13. AFAICT from the wiki that there hasn't been an occasion since the completion of bridge 3 (1864) when there hasn't been a functional bridge there. War damage and weight restrictions brought on the construction of the 4th, the poor quality 5th, got the current and now only 6th bridge constructed.

When the flood on the 23rd March 1968 took out the old stone bridge at Langwathby there was no crossing there until the "temporary" bridge opened on the 31st May 1968. It is also only a single carriage way, hence the traffic lights.

The floods in Jan 2005 had another good try at taking the bridge out as well but had to be statisfied with just under mining the road on the Penrith side:

[Nightjar]

[Chris French]

[polygonum]

[Clive George]

[polygonum]

You might be right that I am wrong! But you do need to position yourself quite well to see the full numberplate on many vehicles. Especially those which are curved round, or fitted well off to one side. And only UK numberplates use that font. A universal QR approach would be able to read plates from any country.

[bert]

In message , Jim White writes

Alongside the bonnet release catch in some cases.

[Nightjar]

Very pretty bridge. Google maps obviously needs to be updated:

That version was temporary, being abolished in 1816. It is the temporary tax of 1842 that has stayed with us until today.

[Nightjar]

On 07/10/2014 18:37, polygonum wrote: ...

Where they appear on commercial vehicles, QR codes are usually a foot or more square, which suggests that a small one might not be readable without getting quite close.

[polygonum]

On 07/10/2014 19:45, "Nightjar

[Nightjar]