Ahh - Vista (thinks dreamily) - the best advert ever for using Ubuntu.

Does Capita run this part of the DVLA?

I think we should draft a letter to our respective MPs outlining the DVLA's failures and requesting that the contract be awarded to a firm that actually can act competently, and not one that actually makes money out of their incompetence and is backed by the law to do so. Everybody being treated as guilty until proved innocent just so they can make money is not good enough, and is in fact utterly reprehensible.

Well, not me, my ex. But thank you - I will pass that on to her. Just for your information, I did not pay the 500 quid fine - in fact, I caused an uproar by getting the local papers involved and my MP and eventually the fines were 'waived' - which I also complained about, as it still implied I was guilty of not furnishing them with information - information that not only had I given them the first time, I was apparently asked for twice (Yeah, ok - if you don't sorn your car, they politely ask you for the information do they? Hmmm......).

Which would ultimately result in the sort code and account number being in the public domain, and accessible to the whole banking cartel. I wouldn't imagine that the account would be allowed to operate for much longer if the banks knew which account it was. Of course, there are other sites that have copied this site's remit that are jealous of it's success (as can be seen by attacks on our wikipedia page, the trolling etc...) - I would imagine with the bank details being posted up for all to see would or certainly could result in us having several direct debit payments being set up paying money OUT of the account instead of into it.

My ex partner recently taxed her car, but prior to doing this, sent off the form informing them of her change of address. They sent the tax disc to the old address, and she cannot get hold of it. She phoned the DVLA to find out where her tax disc was when it didn't arrive and it transpired that they 'hadn't received the form' telling them of the address change. (sound familiar to anyone when dealing with this bunch of incompetents?) They told her to send in the form notifying them of the change of address. She told them that she can't send it, because SHE'S ALREADY SENT IT TO THEM! Their answer, which is somewhat expected of these money grabbing artists, was to pay 25 quid to them and they would send another V5 with the bottom bit intact. Nice. It seems that it's not really in the DVLA's best interests to be competent, let alone excel at anything. If they are losing post at this level, surely it's time the job was given to someone else instead of Captia? I had two SORN declarations go 'missing' which resulted ultimately in fines totalling over 500 quid, as the normal 80 quid fines were never received by me, so I couldn't even contest them, let alone pay them. To lose one, is bad, to lose two is surely incompetence? Mention the DVLA to anyone these days and you get a similar story. A story which usually ends up with that person being out of pocket. This is [causing problems] on a large scale and needs to stop IMO.

I'd just like to add that at the very beginning of this campaign EVERY MP was contacted.

One word from me: don't.

Ahem!

16? That's a bit odd. the others all had 22 (or 23, can't remember).

There are 8 in this series apparently, due to the writers strike.

As this is a thread dedicated to the discussion of such things, I thought (as usual) that I'd throw in my 2p. I think that one officer per 273 people is fine. I have no problem with that at all. In fact, I think it's a rather high percentage. I don't think we need MORE police, I think we need better police. Raising their wage isn't going to help - about 15 years ago the police force received a huge rise in wages compared to the rest of the country - it's usually been the case historically too - all governments want the forces on their side. That aside, the problem with paying the police too much money is that it's seen as easy money. Some kids I went to school with, and they were lazy gits, are now coppers. Quite a few of them to be honest. At least two of my former friends who are now coppers have even admitted that they see it as a doddle. They no longer actually have to do any *real* police work, as, in their words, they are stuck behind a desk for most of their working day. They see this as a good thing, and play on the fact that everyone else doesn't. e.g. "Oh year, it's the stats you see. I have to fill in all the paperwork etc..." They LIKE that (as far as they have told me) - it saves them having to deal with (in their words) the "dregs". They were not the brightest kids by a long shot and now we have them earning >£22k pa while some brighter kids who I went to school with are now working in Tesco for circa This is evident when you have to come into contact with them. A while a go I gave my mum a car, the MOT had run out on it. It wasn't a bad car, but I had 'upgraded'. She booked an MOT appointment and drove it to have it tested. She was stopped in a routing check (ie. they were stopping random cars in a layby) she produced the failure cert. (it failed on emmissions), and she said that she thought that she was legally allowed to drive it to a pre-booked MOT test. The answer she was given was "are you trying to tell me my job?" etc... She was treated abismally, and subsequently fined. It went to court, where ultimately it was thrown out on the grounds of she had done nothing against the law. It was a waste of your money, mine and even the copper who 'nicked' her. Now, surely if you are charged with upholding the law, you should at least understand a basic understanding of it - especially as you are paid a reasonable wage to do so? I remember reading an article on the BBC site where they interviewed a detective about burglary. He stated that as there was a less than 1% chance of catching a burglar, that there was no point even trying. Well, I can't think of any other job where that arrogance would be allowed. Imagine if I said to my boss, "sorry boss, that job is just too hard for me to do, I don't think I'll bother." I think the next week instead of looking at a payslip I'll be looking at a UB40. We need BETTER police. People who WANT to do the job for the right reasons, not because it's the easy option with benefits. My best friend used to work in our local town police station as a 'civilian', her BF was in CID. He used to confiscate drugs from people and keep them. He blatently admitted it to me. He used to boast about how HIS drugs were free. This was not unusual. At her house, at 'work' do's etc... the majority of people there would be coppers. They had no regard for people's property and generally caused mayhem. They knew that if someone got send to 'sort it out' that it would be a friend of theirs and no more would be said. This was in a GOOD area, it wasn't Mosside. (no offence to people living there). I've never seem so much corruption, yet they wouldn't even see it that way, they would see it as a perk of the job. I have other 'stories' about the police that would make you all gasp, yet this is not the time to post them. Some of the things that have gone on would make you all pay about 40% less in council tax when you realise what it's being spent on. It's astonishing, and yet, as a nation we have been brainwashed into believing that the police are there FOR US. NOT in my experience, and it appears that there are many more people that feel the same way. If the police had any respect, then a lot of this supposed crime would dissapear. How can anyone have respect for the police when they arrest two kids for playing with water pistols the other day? Surely they should be 'solving' or 'preventing' crime? When I was a kid, and I'll boldy say that I imagine that many of you did the same, we played with water pistols. We didn't get arrested for it, because we were kids and we were playing. Now, the comeback will undoubtedly be that nobody could tell that they were not real guns. Well, apart from being bright orange and shooting nothing but water, I suppose you are right. Common sense has gone, and it's not hard to see why. When you are nannied to the point where you are not trusted to bring your own children up or feed them what you see fit, then I suppose you have to be treated like idiots by overpaid idiots. I'm sure not every copper is an idiot, but I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference between two 12 year old boys playing with orange water pistols and a couple of terrorists. 2p.

How funny, I know a chap called Merlin too.

Indeed! Isn't it good!!?

I think the poster mentioned that there were funds to cover the direct debits - the bank then purporting to say there were not and then charging their 'service' fee does amount to fraud - at least in the proper sense of the word.

That's exactly what I do, but I use a mixture of MythTV and the orig. xbox and my own custom software which works brilliantly. I've even got it dimming the lights automatically if it detects a film has started! Plus, I can connect to the box remotely (over http) and set off recordings and/or start films, music etc... or simply want to know the temperature in the living room (or kitchen etc...). The only thing I want to add now is cameras on the front door, so I can remotely control the opening/closing. I already have the hardware for the door, but no cameras. Anyway, I've shown myself up for the geek that I really am, so I'm off.....

Indeed, then save up about 15k and buy a Sun SAN unit. ;-)

I think that's a very good idea. You might like to mention that not everyone would be able to go directly to the chairman either, although I am suprised that they didn't want to know, even with someone as high profile as an MP.

19 million posts per day?!?!! Now THAT'S dedication!

I have no idea what you mean. Users can't change names. The only names that we change are those where people have not read the rules and have their own name as a username and no longer want it to be that.

From the BBC website:

Ha - there's nothing 'real' about Lost!;-)

Well, I ain't go not money, so I aint going nowhere.

Well, it was meant to be the end of the bank charge regime - maybe...maybe...

Now it would seem an odd thing to do wouldn' it? Send a full & final the day before a court ruling on the issue? ;-)