This weekends' HJ column had a comment from a motorcyclist that tinted windows prevent him making eye contact with the driver. "If I can't see him, can he see me ?"
I'd like to support him. It's a matter of relative brightness on either side of the window. When the the day is a bright one the driver will be able to see out perfectly well. But can he at night ?
Deviating; the first time that I saw really dark tints was in Jeddah, where the 4x4s have fairly normal front and side screens and a chauffuer's mid window. The rear windows, and the chauffuer's window were so dark that it was impossible to see through from the outside. (Not that I tried; not advisable !!). I got the impression that the drivers wives etc. were in the back without their veils. Read more

I saw two incidents recently where rathwer expensive add-ons were removed.
1.0 A young chap with an air-dam down to about 2 inches from the ground entered the fast food resturant (yes, that one !) car park. With a resounding clatter the speed bump removed his air dam. I wonder how long he had had it on.
2.0 A car with one of those roof top streamined capsule luggage boxes entered the council recycling depot. There is a sign reading barrier height 5' 9". Nobody notices signs, and the driver didn't. Another resounding clatter and luggage scattered all over the entrance. Read more

I had both sets of rear wheel bearings replaced 15 months ago by a main dealer on my Honda Accord. Mileage at that time was about 65,000 miles. However, one side has gone again after approx 20,000 miles. The dealer said that the parts were only covered by a one year warranty so they would not replace them for free. I asked them to consider fitting them for free if I payed for the parts. They are still saying no. I feel that either there was a fault with the bearings or they where not fitted correctly. Can I claim that they were not fit for purpose and put pressure on them to replace them by suggesting I will go to the small claims court? The cost of replacement is £200. Is this a reasonable price? Read more

I have a 53 plate with 23k & in the car by car breakdown HJ states that plastic timing belt tensioners of 1.4 and 1.6 16v engines now failing regularly. What sort of age/mileage does this apply to & what's the best way of preventing it? Read more

Here is a letter written by my wife to a central London borough council, suitably amended so the council isn't named or shamed, although it ought to be. It is the third letter she has had to write so far on this matter.

The only thing I disagree with is her assertion that she is an old person. She is younger than me and I am only verging on middle age. Apart from that I think the letter is exemplary for its restrained indignation.

"I appeal against Penalty Charge Notice Number 00000000 issued on 3 July 2006 on the grounds that the contravention did not occur. I parked my car in a designated pay and display bay and put the correct amount of money in the meter. Your letter of 28 September states that ?it is the driver?s responsibility to always check the conditions of use for any bay, in which they intend to park, to ensure that they have parked in accordance with the regulations?. I had checked the conditions of use and I did park in accordance with the regulations.

"I maintain that it was (the council in question) which violated its own regulations. It claims that ?Pay and display machines are serviced bi-monthly to ensure that they are in good working order. A Parking Attendant will also arrange to have a machine checked if it appears that it may not be working correctly.? The pay and display meter I used was not marked as out of order although the parking attendant I spoke to knew it was out of order. He also knew that all the other pay and display meters in the area were out of order. The meter I used was still not marked out of order half an hour later when my witness tried to use it.

"I would further like to point out the extreme inconvenience imposed on motorists by the (council in question)?s failure to maintain its pay and display meters. A pay and display bay contains space for four or five cars. If the system for a whole area is out of order, and that area is, as you say in your letter of 13 July, one of high demand for parking, then it is extremely unlikely that a motorist will find anywhere at all to park that is within reasonable walking distance of their destination. I am an old person and was accompanied on the occasion in question by my four-year-old granddaughter.

"I would like to point out the further inconvenience of unwittingly using a defective meter which then fails to refund the money inserted. It is absolutely no help for someone who has put all their change in a defective meter to be told to ring a certain telephone number to arrange a refund. If I know I am going to be using a parking meter, I make sure I have the right coins for the amount of time I need. But given the high cost of parking, and the need to put in at once all the coins needed for the time I wanted to park, I did not on this occasion have enough left for a second attempt. It is not feasible to ask a passing stranger to change a banknote. In the XXXXX Square area, where I was, my only option was to go to a shop in DDDDDD or MMMMM NNNN or their immediate environs, where it is not possible to stop let alone park a car. Given the time it would have taken to walk, I would probably have been given a parking ticket anyway."
Read more