pete-flint wrote:Working in Manchester, I take nothing for granted.....

If I worked in Manchester, I wouldn't either.

pete-flint wrote:Secure car park or not, why leave stuff like that in the car.

I was wondering that too.
I would never leave valuables in an unattended car, even in a "secure" car park.
Might as well leave the keys in the ignition while you are at it.
At the very least, I would lock them, in the trunk (boot).

Tough room, laserblazer, wanna buy a joke?
They are simi- guaranteed to work.
Usually.

Happy New Year, y'all.
(still four hours to go here)

You buy your villa in another country, and you take your chances.

http://www.algarveresident.com/story.asp?XID=30422 Algarve heeds Spanish costa chaos warning By ELOISE WALTON Tuesday, February 10. Residential tourism accounts for a large proportion of visitors who come to the Algarve, with an estimated 120,000 second homes in the region. Around 50 per cent of all...

I had a 50cc Honda once and I loved it. Drove it almost every day. Always started. Always got me home. Fantastic gas (petrol) mileage. I had it for several years and the only engine maintenance I had to do was change the oil, spark plug and clean the oil filter. (usually every 3-4 months) Top speed ...

Sure can.
Move to Austin, Texas first chance you get.

Still, it does sound strange that the E.U. wouldn't have that standard when the U.S does.

Why on earth would it be against the law to have your lights on in the daytime, and be required to pay a 35 Euro fine on the spot?

Sounds like a scam to moi.

Michael Crane wrote:

Strange thing is, I've always been under the impression that the idea came from Europe.

It was probably Scandinavia - among other places.

I think you're right.

... it was an offense to have our lights on in the daytime. That's strange, SHOWWIE....new cars sold in the United States are required to be wired in such a way as to have their lights on whenever their engines are running. It's been this way for some time. Motercycles have had that requirement eve...

What a wonderful memory to grow old with.

That's good to know....I thought y'all had KISSed us off.

Mr. G wrote: The cops in Carvoeiro and around other Portuguese towns often don't even have enough fuel to run their patrol cars for a whole month and need to resort to their own private vehicles to move around. The also do not posess a radar device and have to rely on the traffic brigade to find th...