American Embassy refuses to pay congestion charge: It's a tax diplomats say

By Steve Orme on Aug 20, 09 12:24 PM

I don't know, they come over here, stealing our women, bringing their damned jitterbug dancing and handing out chocolate and nylons like , well like chocolate and nylons.
Over paid and over here. Go on, get out of it Mac! And take your hamburgers with you.

The Americans, who in the eyes of some have only made one useful contribution to European culture, the phrase 'cheese eating surrender moneys,' are up to their old aloofness tricks.

Embassy staff from Grosvenor Square are refusing to pay the London congestion charge because they believe it's a tax and they are therefore exempt.
Hey, donkey bottom, as the Americans like to greet each other, we all believe it's a tax, bubba, but we still have to pay it.
In reply the quintessentially English Boris Johns, Mayor of London and natural blonde says; "No, no old chap. It's a service charge."
The US State Department has announced that Mr Obama's representatives would continue to ignore the charge. A spokesman said: "This is a long standing US policy and is not changed by the change in ambassador. We believe the charge to be a tax that is prohibited by various treaties."
How do we know all this? It's in the Thunderer, no less, the London Times Newspaper as the yanks call it in their quaint way.
The US is the worst offender, owing £3,446,520, more than 50 other embassies refuse to pay. Russia and Japan are in hot pursuit of the US, owing £2.6million and £2.3million respectively.
The difference is that modem history shows that only the Americans tend to deal with small details of localised regimes which they do not agree with by the British invention of gunboats up the jolly old river and cold steel.
Anyone for waterboarding?