BMF on the Common Post Reply

[Wheresmyschool?]

Hi
Just seen this in the Guardian

http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/you ... on/?ref=la

I can't make my mind up whether everyone should be allowed to use the Common for whatever they want or if these BMF people are taking the michael.

[sezwedz]

I always wondered if these sporting groups had to pay for the use of our commons or if it was us council tax payers were eventually having to foot the bill.

[Ultra figures]

If you train people in the royal parks you have to pay a fee.

As a personal trainer I get very offended/annoyed when people/organisations
believe that only PT's have to pay to use some grass. I would like to point out PT also pay council tax, pay national insurance and their taxes. The general public also use the grass and they will also pay the above.

I proposal the question:

Should runners (people training for a marathon) have to pay to run in the park?
Should dog walkers have to pay? (how many owners clean up their dog's muck)

[papinian]

There's a distinction here:
- using park for commercial activity = pay fee
- using park for other activity = no fee

I'm not sure whether one-on-one personal training should require payment of a fee. However, BMF have twenty or thirty people chewing up part of the park and leaving it unusable for others.

[Ultra figures]

In this case should courier services and taxi drivers pay more road tax because they profit from the use of and clog up the road.

It's a case of swings and round abouts because the PT's out there and their clients are trying to improve their general health and wellbeing. This in turn could keep hospital beds free and save medical equipment which would lower the bill of National Insurance which we all foot too.

[papinian]

Ultra figures: Everyone who uses the roads pays big tax on petrol / diesel. Everyone who uses public parks pays nothing.

If people want to use public parks for private gain then they should pay.

Your suggestion that personal training is saving the NHS money has no statistical basis. In fact, evidence shows that the 10% sportiest section of the population cost the NHS more over their lifetime. I am firmly of the view that sports injuries shouldn't be treated on the NHS at all.

You seem to be under a misconception that health services are funded by national insurance. National insurance payments just go into general taxation along with income tax. There's no connection between national insurance payments and spending on the NHS.

[clapset]

Let BMf carry on

They're employing people paying tax and getting people utilizing outdoor space

However I agree with Papian if any of these sporty types are injured - erect a tent and get the shotgun - its the kindest thing. I know because I've seen the grand national.

Support your squaddie

[papinian]

Yes, clapset. If it reduces the amount of violent crime committed by ex-army types from the current high levels down to something approaching that found in a civilised society it would be great.

Ex-soldiers are three times more likely to commit a violent crime.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lance ... 2/abstract

[Ultra figures]

I'm sure smokers cost the NHS more money then sports people. We are talking about recreational health and fitness not professional skiers or motor racing drivers.

Like i stated previously if you use the royal parks you have to have a park permit which is accessed on numbers and how many times you use the park.

Soon we will be paying for the air that we breathe!

[papinian]

Ultra figures: It may have escaped your attention, but smokers pay quite a lot in tax. 80% of the cost of cigarettes in the U.K. goes to the government. Also, smokers die younger so the government doesn't have to pay pensions for them for as long.

Yes, there are costs of treating someone for lung cancer or bowel cancer or all the other awful things that smoking does to one's health. However, non-smokers aren't immortal - they'll die from something else and need treatment too.

The only study that I've seen on this was in Australia and shows that the government is better off in terms of tax and spending if more people smoke:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9117967

Keep the replies coming and we can also use this thread to show how the British education system fails to teach critical thinking.

[clapset]

Papian

Chill out, have a fag, go for a run and hopefully you won't get beaten up by a squaddie. Was that critical thinking enough? BTW I wasn't educated in the British system I was raised by wolves...

[Ultra figures]

Papian: Maybe you should think outside of this conservation philosophy....

[livegreen]

BMF pay to use the Commons and parks they frequent, thus contributing to their upkeep. In fact most regular commercial exercise classes are charged an annual fee.
Of course there will be the odd personal trainer or regular class not paying their fees but they generally end up paying or leaving.

[clapset]

Thumbs up to BMf

[Camille]

I have to chuckle every time I see these PT or group excercises on Clapham Common and the fact that people pay for them...gosh what is stopping anyone doing it themselves! The best I have seen recently was some poor soul (presumably rich though!)) and slightly overweight, and very crimson, throwing a rope up and down which was wrapped around a tree (??????) while some "trainer" type looked on looking thoroughly bored and disinterested. It was so surreal I nearly stopped pushing the buggy to gawp...but I actually had to rush on before my amusement at the surreal ridiculousness of the scene became too obvious.
I chuckle everytime I see these eager types chasing around in groups under the direction of some sqaudy doing nothing that they couldn't think of themselves and probably did something similar to at primary school in PE...
However, I suspect BMF are definitely having the last laugh