Plan B Forum

Barack Obama's presidential motorcade has been fined for not paying the congestion charge in London.

And you can't say that the US president was not warned.

London Mayor Boris Johnson button-holed him at a State banquet in May to raise the issue of US diplomats in London not paying the congestion-busting levy. They have run up a bill of more than £5 million since 2003.

At the time, the Mayor of London also publicly made clear that he wanted the £10 congestion charge paid for Mr Obama's security vehicle "The Beast" and other cars in the president's motorcade.

But the US authorities defied the request and have now been hit with a £120 fine.

"The Beast" escaped a congestion charge ticket as it was travelling so slowly and closely to other vehicles in the presidential motorcade that its details could not be recorded by the street cameras.

Only one vehicle is understood to have been issued with a congestion charge notice.

A Transport for London spokesman said: “TfL pursues penalties from foreign registered vehicles that have not paid the charge.

“No Congestion Charge payments were made for the vehicles in the Presidential motorcade. TfL has issued Penalty Charge Notices to the registered keepers where it was able to do so.”

But the American Embassy defended the refusal by US diplomats to pay the C-charge insisting it was "wholly in accordance" with the 1960 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which a spokesman said "prohibits the imposition of this sort of tax on diplomatic missions".

http://politics.standard.co.uk/2011/07/ ... harge.html

It's not uncommon for teenagers to do impulsive things they regret later on in life. Embarrassing drunken behaviour or getting the name of an early girlfriend tattooed on their arm.

But 19-year-old Lewis Jolly may have more misgivings than most about his choice of design for a tattoo.

For the chef has the face of Tory London mayor Boris Johnson inked on to his thigh - and, what's more, he was sober when he had it done.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1t5z14fsx

Sue U wrote:Yeah, right, lotsa luck. Will happen when the UK and the rest of the world pay their UN staffs' parking tix in NYC.

between 1997 and 2002 diplomats from Chad averaged 124 unpaid parking violations; diplomats from Canada and the United Kingdom had none.

Boris Johnson offers New Yorkers 'refuge' in London over fizzy drink ban




In an amusing appearance on the Daily Show with comedian Jon Stewart, Mr Johnson suggested that those wishing to avoid the ban should move to London.

During the show, which was ostensibly to promote his new book about London, Mr Johnson was presented with a cup of large cola and a cup filled with cannabis.

Mr Stewart said that in New York the fine for selling the large cola would be $200 under the proposal by Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who wants to ban sales of fizzy drinks larger than 16 ounces.

The fine for having the cannabis, he said, would be $100.

Mr Johnson replied: "This is a very difficult thing ... what I will say is that refugees from the soda tyranny in New York will have sanctuary in London.