JJ has been wondering no doubt what happened to the TOUT London polls i used to post. Well JJ your angst is over - this weeks TimeOutLondon e-mail edition poll:

THE U.S. EMBASSY HAS RACKED UP 2 MILLION POUNDS IN OVERDUE CONGESTION CHARGES.
WHAT PENALTY SHOULD THE AMBASSADOR PAY?

A- Wearing a Union Jack suit for a year

B- Compulsory trips on the Northern Line at rush hour

C- Community service cleaning up pigeon poop

So what penalty should the American ambassador, famously called a 'chiseling little crook' or something like that by London Mayor 'Red' Ken Livingstone, for these serious transgressions, which apparently happen to violate international protocol?

A and B must be ruled out as cruel and unusual punishment forbidden by numerous international accords against torture

so it's C - and that will keep the ambassador busy for a long long time

What do you think?

The 2 million would be a start.

Londoners' POLL Last week's RESULTS
65% Clear up pigeon poo
25% Wear a Union Jack suit for a year
13% Compulsory trips on the Northern Line at rush hour

NEW POLL

This week we want to know: a house made entirely of London freesheets has been built in Hackney. What else could the newspapers be used for?

A Fuel to power late-night kebab vans
B Stuffing into Londoner's wet wellies
C Loft insulation

What is a congestion charge? Is that for coughing up phlegm from the air pollution?

No, really, what is it?

Is the congestion charge considered a tax?

International treaties exempt foreign missions from any taxes levied by the host nations.

<b>Jake1</b>,

Simply speaking the London congestion charge was implemented to allaviate traffic during the most busy times of the day. You can still drive your car into central London but it will cost you.

How about a deal where NY allows the UK UN delegation to park anyplace they want in NYC without fear of parking tickets. Wait - yes, they already do that.

<i>Is the congestion charge considered a tax? </i>

That's the argument that the USA is using to excuse their non-payment.

TfL's argument is that it isn't a tax but a toll which diplomats are not exempt from.

Apparently the US mission does pay road tolls in other countries.

In my opinion the US argument is weakened by the fact they only stopped paying after the price went up.

Please, you people...we have a WAR to run and we cannot be paying your silly little &quot;congestion charge&quot; while we are in London, constantly reminding you that WE helped you win the war...

and besides, if we start paying it then we'll have to raise taxes over here....

basingstoke2 I'd be interested if you could find a link detailing the UK mission to the UN not paying parking fines in NYC.

I've seen lots of stories about notorious law-floating countries like Nigeria and Saudi Arabia not paying or do you wish the USA to follow their example?

&quot;How about a deal where NY allows the UK UN delegation to park anyplace they want in NYC without fear of parking tickets. Wait - yes, they already do that&quot;

If that's true, it would run totally contrary to Foreign Office policy.

So can we have some evidence please. Either you're bullshitting or our diplomats are breaking the rules we impose on them.

Some of the foreign missions in Washington DC complained after they were erroneously charged for parking at the airport.

The parking fees are not even in the ballpark of government taxes/charges.

I do believe but I may be wrong that foreign missions are also exempt from road toll charges.

What's good for the goose......

AA did those missions include the British one though? Otherwise it is irrelevant.

Also, according to this the US does pay road tolls elsewhere: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4770293.stm

&quot;foreign missions are also exempt from road toll charges.&quot;

Again: evidence please.

Or is the idea of backing up assertions unAmerican?

I think the Americans should pay, as a matter of courtesy if not law, which seemsnebulous as to whether it's a tax or a charge, despite the name Congestion Charge

And the stakes are going up - presently i think it's 8 pounds or about $16 a day to enter but London's visionary Mayor Red Ken Livingstone is upping the ante for vehicles that don't meet certain rather strict pollution standards - up to about $30/a day i believe (but free for really low polluting vehicles that no proper embassy would have) and heavy lorries out of conformity a whopping 250 pounds/day or so

I think the Embassy is threatening to succeed from London and move its premises out of the Congestion Zone - a fragment of great London really - for lots of reasons, namely security i think - the present location on Berkely Square resembles an armed camp.

So pay up Americans, for the sake of harmony if not legally

Those pesky Japanese - they pretty much are in an agreement with US...

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/430217/all

when the Congestion Charge area recently was increased to include places like Kensington more embassies were included - it seems the French, of course, are saying NON as well

Pete - mea culpa, I do apologize. The UK and Canada have been responsible and are not among the nations that, according to The Economist, currently owe NYC over 18 million in unpaid parking tickets. For the record, I agree that the London congestion fee is a toll, not a tax, and therefore should be paid.

What do you think?

Wheel-clamp the chiselling little crook

Go to http://tinyurl.com/h99l2 and you'll find an analysis of all the UK mission's unpaid parking fines in New York. Compiled by Columbia University, New York

It's a beautifully round number. Exactly zero.

See, we have these quaint traditions over here. We require our diplomats to obey foreign laws.

Presumably the widespread assumption among New Yorkers that we don't comes from the fact that American diplomats aren't held to the same standards of civilised behaviour.

Is AAFF now going to tell where this crap about road tolls comes from?