But the 'Longest Village' is not used
THE WATERWAYS are the 'Longest Villlage in the World', promotes the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), writes John Coxon.
It certainly is, but how would most of them know?
Travel a mile or so
National Bargee Travellers Association? Travellers? Don't make me laugh. Most of them never travel more than a mile or so or even know what's past the next junction! There's over 2,000 miles of navigable waterway in England but most of them haven't seen more than about three miles of it.
They buy a continuous cruiser licence, stay in the same city or town and expect everything to be provided for free?
They protest that their way of life is being eroded yet they are quite content to sit and break the rules and laws. It appears to me that the way of life they think they follow is only in their heads.
Law breaking freeloaders
The way of life they are actually following is as law breaking freeloaders. All they've achieved so far by their naive actions is to have our licence fee increased.
They complain that there is a commission looking into licence pricing, but it's due to their immature antics that it is taking place.
They insist that the law is changed to suit them so they can lawfully clog up the waterways in the towns and cities. They cry 'foul' when they're asked to move or pay their way or have their favourite mooring suspended.
They say they can't afford to pay for a mooring? Well, as far as I'm concerned, if there are two working people, bringing in two salaries on a boat then they can afford to pay their way. I manage on my state pension.
Seen it over the months
They need to pay their bills before getting the latest iphone, SUV, TV and fashions. Learn to cook instead of eating takeaways every day, give up the fags and/or vapes and/or weed! Don't think I'm imagining this, I've seen it all over the last few months!
There's a group of boats that travel about a town in the midlands. They are not licenced as far as can be ascertained, so therefore they're probably not insured or have BSCs. They leave piles of rubbish where ever they moor up, they light fires burning the grass and hedgerows. They've even got air guns that they fire at targets they set up along the towpath!
They have no regard or respect for the rules or anyone else. They moor right next other boats and run their engines and generators until late into the night. They smoke that awful stinking weed and let it blow into other peoples boats.
All I can say is I'm glad that CaRT are looking for them to get them sorted out and either paying their way or, preferably, removed from the canals.