BBC: (UK) Woman hurt in 'letter bomb' find

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Monday, 5 February 2007, 11:52 GMT

Woman hurt in 'letter bomb' find

A woman has been taken to hospital for treatment following an explosion
at an office building in central London.

BBC Home Affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said what was thought
to be a letter bomb was found at the Capita building in Victoria Street,
Victoria.

London Ambulance said a female employee had suffered minor injuries.

Bomb disposal experts were at the scene, and Scotland Yard said its
anti-terrorism command was now investigating.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6331427.stm

[magellan]

1. Might have something to do with the congestion charge scheme?

The Capita Group is a leading business out-sourcing company which runs London's congestion charge system among other services.

Lots of folks upset over this scheme. There's a protest planned for Feb 17 (see below) in advance of the scheduled Feb 19 expansion of the congestion charge area into the rest of Westminister, plus Chelsea and Kensington. Or it could be someone who's angry over the effect the scheme has already had on their life or business. Whatever the reason, sending letter bombs is just vile.


http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/content/camden/kilburntimes/news/story.aspx?brand=KLBTOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsklbt&itemid=WeED02%20Feb%202007%2020%3A33%3A25%3A117">Kilburn Times - C-charge protesters
02 February 2007

Anti-congestion charge campaigners are gearing up for a last-ditch protest before the introduction of the new western extension.

About 100 vehicles are expected to take part in the go-slow car convoy, which will take protesters from Kensington through to Hammersmith armed with balloons, stickers and banners.

snip...

"There is overall anger in West London that the extension of this crude and expensive zone charging system, which will adversely affect people's lives and livelihoods, is still being pushed by the mayor."

The western extension includes areas such as Bayswater, Notting Hill, North and South Kensington, High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Belgravia and Pimlico.

more.....

[zanne]

2. Congestion charge

Is that about restricting the use of cars in the city? I read something about that months ago.

[magellan]

3. Yes

Here's info from Wikipedia:

"The London congestion charge is a fee for some motorists entering the Central London area. As of 2006 it is the largest city to have adopted a congestion charge model. The organisation responsible for the charge is Transport for London (TfL). The fee was introduced on 17 February 2003<1>. Initially set at £5, then raised on 4 July 2005 to £8 <2>, the daily charge must be paid by the registered keeper of a vehicle that enters, leaves or moves around within the congestion charge zone between 7am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Failure to pay the charge means a fine of at least £50."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_congestion_charge

The intention is good, but it does nothing to address the problems with alternative modes of travel. The British rail system for instance has been privatized, and is beset with so many deficiencies on the congested routes into London for the price of the ride that it's like paying someone to torture you. Network Rail, the company overseeing the system, is subsidized with £6bn per year in taxpayer money; that doesn't include the cost of the rail ticket which, unless you live close to London, you won't get for less than the daily congestion charge. And then there's the price of parking at the station.

Here's an example I found: annual season ticket Milton Keynes to London (with travelcard) = £4220. Annual season ticket Milton Keynes Central car park = £944. The average number of workdays in the UK is 233, so that means somebody living in Milton Keynes who travels to London daily by train and uses the parking lot will pay £22/day. Even if they walk or otherwise to the station, that's still £18/day.

And what are you paying for? In most cases trains without a/c, with seats ripped out so more people can cram in, antiquated stations, not to mention delays and cancelled service for things like snow on the tracks. No kidding. Last week one line was shut down over nothing more than a dusting. And when I lived there, service was notoriously cancelled one day because of "the wrong kind of snow on the tracks". (Or was it leaves? That's happened too.)

Some will suggest raising the congestion charge. That might be fair -- once the government can offer halfway decent alternatives to driving into London.

edit: I'm afraid I made it sound like it costs that much more to take the train than to suffer the congestion charge, which isn't quite right when you figure in the costs of petrol and parking in London (very expensive). What I'm saying is that there's little real incentive for people to get out of their cars and take the train.

[zanne]

4. Thanks. Now I get it. nt

[Eugene]

5. Reuters: Two hurt as second letter bomb explodes in Britain

Two hurt as second letter bomb explodes in Britain

1 hour, 24 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - A letter bomb exploded in Britain on Tuesday injuring two people
and police said it was too early to say if the blast was linked to a letter bomb on
Monday that hurt a woman at a company managing London's congestion charge.

Police and paramedics were called to a business center in Berkshire, southern England,
after employees reported a small explosion at the office of Vantis, a business services
firm.

"It is likely an item of mail ignited and caused the injuries," police said in a statement.

Police said it was too soon to say whether Tuesday's letter bomb was linked to the
device which exploded at the London headquarters of Capita, which collects 25 million
payments a year from motorists who pay to drive into central London.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206/wl_nm/britain_letterbomb_dc