Booze Cruise

[david and julie]

Eddie I wouldn't be daft enough! I know you can't win.

I should think by the time the European court sorted something out your car would be a lump of rotten scrap!

I read that you can only bring back 10 bottles of spirits each anyway, don't think that would pay really. Having said that is an aperitif a spirit?.

This sort of thing really makes a mockery of the whole Europe issue. Gov's are all for it, till the working man wants a benefit from it.

The proper issues in this country should be why is everything dearer. Is it because we are trying to help police the world?

 

[AdamW]

Aren't they fortified wines? Which comes under a different classification all together.

We got caught out on the way back from Tenerife. We didn't realise that being just a Spanish principality it didn't count as part of the EU. I was a little bit over the spirits limit (less than half a litre if I recall, little enough that I wouldn't mind chucking it in the bin if requested) but a friend of mine was walking back through Gatwick clanking under the weight of 5 or 6 litres of Scotch. We didn't find out until we were about to enter the blue channel, and saw the sign saying "excluding Canary islands". I thought he was going to get stopped in the green channel, the officer started to walk towards him but stopped the chap behind. Phew!

Remember the episode of "Terry and June" where he gets stopped for having too much wine, and decides to drink the excess at the customs desk only to find out the duty would have been about 50p?

 

[IanDB]

Now, if we were to leave the EU as advocated by many subscribers, jolly Gordon could slap a whopping duty on all imported wines, beers, spirits and fags which would improve our tax revenue, contribute towards evening out our balance of payments deficit and stop all these worries about having your car confiscated.

Easy one huh?

 

[AdamW]

The proper issues in this country should be why is everything dearer. Is it because we are trying to help police the world?

Before the EU we had no limits on what we could produce, so farmed intensively and had a lot of heavy industry (including the motor industry and the aeronautical/ship industries). Now the heavy industry has moved gradually eastwards (even within Europe), and our intensive farming efforts have been castrated in order to allow the peasant farmers of the continent to catch up, and we are also subsidising them. We still have a largish aeronautical industry, but that has become very specialised, wings and engines mainly.

The UK has had to increase reliance on its "high-tech" skills, commerce and finance in order to stay afloat. We will eventually restyle ourselves as a Switzerland I suppose, not really much to go on other than a few small specialised industries and the rest will be office jobs. Perhaps when the government goes on about degrees for all it is foreseeing this. Who knows.

Anyway, because we don't have the same levels of home-grown produce we have to import a lot of things, which is only cheaper than home-grown because everyone expects (deserves?) a high standard of living now. This is only to be expected, especially with things like bathrooms. Everyone deserves to be able to sit in a nice warm room to do their business, and shower/bathe every day. We all deserve to eat good food and sleep in a warm bed.

This is a bit controversial and I hope I don't offend anyone, but tradesmen are a good example of how things have got more expensive. They used to be working class, earning enough money for a fairly basic standard of living. One day a tradesman woke up and realised if he charged more he could go on expensive holidays, buy expensive cars and live in a big house. Who can blame him. But it means they are now more expensive than they were.

Now, the same is true of most industries. People are no longer satisfied just to have a roof over their head, they want that roof to also be over their surround-sound DVD system, steak dinner and imported wine. So everyone needs to earn a bit more. The raw materials might not cost any more, but the overheads now do.

 

[planenut]

Odd though, with all these posts, no-one blames the greedy bas***rd who went before. As with all bargains, it is a few who go over the top (be it for monetary gain or whatever) who create the culture that "if it's alright for them then it's alright for me!" then when the hierarchy realize it's going on, they pounce on family bloggs. That said, over eighty per cent of those pulled (not nicked) at ports are men either in groups or on their own.
The officials of any agency at a port are only enforcing the rules as applied by "their" government based on their interpretation of the guidelines of the overseeing body, ie. the EU. Customs are no different. The law they work under states that the transport/vessel/vehicle in which the contraband, i.e. undeclared goods is, is the importing container therefore subject to seizure. These guidelines are on the Customs website for any persons intending to go on a "booze cruise" to consult.
The argument is that if one had not purchased the goods at a cheap price outside of the country, because it's for personal use, then they would have been purchased within, therefore putting money into the manufacturers, workers and Chancellor's pockets, for the benefit of the country.
The wrong's not in doing something, it's getting caught doing it that's wrong.

 

[AdamW]

Just from my own experience, which is mostly the experience of my parents and older colleagues, buying a year's supply (200ish bottles?) isn't really an issue. Possibly you are more likely to get pulled in a Metro with your exhaust dragging on the ground, even though you are carrying less than a Volvo estate loaded up to the windowline. Being presumably middle-aged you are more likely to be OK than I would, as they may look at me and say "Hang on, 24 year-old male, with wine? Everyone knows they only drink lager!"

My bro bought a bottle of wine from a major high-street off-licence chain that was "hooky", it was duty-paid in France. The manager must have been very stupid.

I've just had a brilliant idea: when I go, I will take a tapemeasure and measure my boot and everything we buy, to try and make sure we don't end up with it on people's laps (4 people in an Astra, must be conservative with our alcohol purchases!). Might also need to pump up the rear tyres at Cite d'Europe!

 

[securespark]

I remember talk of an open market from 1992 and being able to go across europe without the need for a passport - free market no purchasing restrictions.

F*CK!!!!! - what happened??

 

[david and julie]

Simon.. shake shake wakey wakey its time for work mate and you were still dreaming.

 

[securespark]

Mmmmmmm.....Can't I go back to sleep?

 

[pipme]

Nope !! Slop a few litres of chip oil into the old one handled wheelbarrow and orf to graft you go !!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

This is a bit controversial and I hope I don't offend anyone, but tradesmen are a good example of how things have got more expensive. They used to be working class, earning enough money for a fairly basic standard of living. One day a tradesman woke up and realised if he charged more he could go on expensive holidays, buy expensive cars and live in a big house. Who can blame him. But it means they are now more expensive than they were.

'89 Corrado and once a year to North Devon...

What am I doing wrong then???

 

[pipme]

Charging too little I suspect ... but then, living in Torbay, has its compensations ... I guess pitching the rate at the right level is the key to survival ... with winter to consider.
Wish I could get hold of someone near me at that sort of money .. have some work for them !!
Hope you making some pension provision MMJ, it is a risk you cannot afford NOT to take, especially when young (ish) !!

 

[splinter]

This is a bit controversial and I hope I don't offend anyone, but tradesmen are a good example of how things have got more expensive. They used to be working class, earning enough money for a fairly basic standard of living. One day a tradesman woke up and realised if he charged more he could go on expensive holidays, buy expensive cars and live in a big house. Who can blame him. But it means they are now more expensive than they .

Yes you have,
Tradesmen rates have more to do with supply and demand.
buy the way if you go to France with 4 people in a astra the car will be over weight before you get any duty -frees in the boot

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Charging too little I suspect ... but then, living in Torbay, has its compensations ... I guess pitching the rate at the right level is the key to survival ... with winter to consider.
Wish I could get hold of someone near me at that sort of money .. have some work for them !!
Hope you making some pension provision MMJ, it is a risk you cannot afford NOT to take, especially when young (ish) !!

I really should get into gel repairs...

Been a bit lumpy down 'ere

The pensions been on the back burner for a few years... just hope the Macoroni one holds out!

 

[pipme]

MMJ Thought so ... get on it - cannot afford to wait, put in what you can !!!
'Tis the investments now which pull the dosh at the end ... long term is best !!
I am up the other end of 'scope .. that place you think is far off .. nearer than you thinking .. too late up this end to put right earlier mistakes !!!

P