Adrian Stott wrote, and I, in a very mad moment, read: > Suppose I'm a retired visitor from Australia, taking my > once-in-a-lifetime cruise on the UK waterways. I especially want to > visit my aged sister, who lives in Braunston, and I need to be right > in town because my wife walks with two canes. Sorry, but have you tried parking in and around Oxford? You could pay to have a taxi drop you right to the door, but there's no "right" to be able to park outside. Why should the canals be any different?
> When the demand for something exceeds supply, the best method of > dealing with the situation *is* usually to put a market-clearing > price on it. There speaks a market believer. > It is the way to ensure that those with the greatest need get > the supply. It gives everyone a choice, ....providing they have an infinite supply of money - that commodity that is in scarce supply for the vast majority of people not called Adrian, apparently. > instead of the moorings always going those who are happy to tie up > at 2 p.m. every day (unlike most hirers, who want to see rather > more of the waterway than that allows. Too bad for them, eh?). 'Twas ever thus. That hasn't changed in over 20 years - many is the time when as hirers we were still looking for a mooring after sunset. > There are obviously quite a few boaters who agree with you, > though. I have tried to puzzle out why. I would have thought you would have realised by now that your arguments are often those of the minority. ;-) > If you didn't pay (a small amount) initially, you would pay > (a much larger amount) when you were caught. Your punctuation is wrong. You should have written: If you didn't pay a small amount initially, you would pay a much larger amount when ....BW decided they needed to increase the charge. > I suggest you should rethink the principle, because your > conclusion is highly questionable IMHO. Since when has your O been H? I suggest YOU should rethink the principle. > First-come-first-served is actually highly inconvenient to the > majority. OTOH, market pricing can ensure there are always some > moorings available, for as long as you want them, everywhere. Market pricing is still first-come-first-served, no matter what you call at it. It just penalises the consumer, to the advantage of the provider. I am not sure why I have chosen to reply to this particular post. I just got to the stage where I thought, I've read enough of these arguments, which IMAO, are invalid. BW have NO right to charge boaters, of any category, just so that they can run a business. As a public body they are charged with providing a service to the public. They serve us - not the other way around.
