Tax Disc Taxed!

So it's bye bye to the humble old car tax disc. Yes, it's true, the old paper disc that we struggled to fit into our little holders will soon be cast into the annals of history, along with other much missed items such as the half penny piece and the coal shovel. The disc will be replaced with an electronic form of payment, surely much more economical, but it is just one more quirky thing that has been binned in service of efficiency.

The tax disc first appeared in 1920 when it was introduced with the UK Roads Act. Until 1937 all of the money raised by vehicle tax was actually used to fix the holes in the roads. Sadly after that, all of the vehicle tax revenue went into the same giant black hole that all of the other tax revenue went into. So you funny people who have a tax disc holder that said, "I've paid my road tax, now fix the bloody potholes", sorry but your tax pounds would have more likely to buy a pram for a 16 year old single mum than on the upkeep of the roads. Galling isn't it.

No longer will we experience such relief when the envelope drops on the doormat, especially if you have been (whisper it) driving with no tax for a few days, or a few weeks even(!). No longer will we carefully tear the not quite perforated enough edge, willing it not to rip- particularly difficult if you are late for work I hasten to add. No longer will we be able to cast our eyes over other vehicles and tut, then roll our eyes, when we see a car with a tax disc that has run out of date- then proudly stride on, knowing we have paid ours in full. We won't be able to keep an eye on our annoying neighbours' discs, willing the days away before we can shop them, "er Mr Taxman....". I'm joking of course- would I stoop to such levels? 

Sadly, I bid au revoir to the humble tax disc. Not a great friend, a pain at times, but yet another one of our quirky British items that has been consigned to the history books in exchange for our endless pursuit of that robotic fiend- efficiency....