This has been posted before (thanks aracer) but I don’t think it’s received much attention, being on an older (but related) thread. Sunday TImes requires a subscription to read it there so this is from twitter I think.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2fwi2fs102e7miv/ClarksonSundayTimes19January2014.txt

It’s in response to the twitter storm last week between him and a cyclist. His basic view seems to me that because he’s in a car he has a greater right to use the roads than cyclists. GIven this is meant to be a serious piece, I find it pretty shocking.

If anyone has access to Jeremy Vine’s side, it would be interesting to see.

He had a point about Vine’s show being shite. That was about the only thing I agreed with.

I read the first few words until I saw where he was going with the rugby analogy and concluded from that that it wasn’t worth reading the rest. Irrelevant drivel.

A new series of Top Gear starts next week, he’s trolling for publicity. He’s also a ****.

I do like the way he upsets people.

kiwijohn – Member

I do like the way he upsets people.

Do you like the way he abuses & threatens cyclists too?

Do you like the way he encourages millions of others to treat us like we have no place on the road?

lemonysam – Member

A new series of Top Gear starts next week……

Hopefully the last.

Vine’s show being shite.

correct

Irrelevant drivel.

correct again

He’s also a ****

and again

I once had the misfortune to be in the same restaurant with Clarkson – He was at the next table and was surrounded by several whimpering middle-aged floosies who he bored with endless tales of places he’d been on trips paid for by the BBC licence payers – what a Knob!

my daughter is over 10 now and decided she didn’t want a Top Gear Annual this year

I really hope he falls from ‘BBC’ grace, Hard. What a pleb.

What a pleb.

Steady now, you’re not allowed to say that sort of thing you know!

It would appear from the above that you are allowed to say ****, however. 😉

So, Flashy, still of the opinion that he’s just a scamp, or has his recent behaviour changed your mind?

I was disappointed there was no mention of lorry drivers murdering prosititutes or feckless mexicans in the piece….

A new series of Top Gear starts next week

Excellent. Must set the recorder.

5thElefant – Member

Excellent. Must set the recorder.

What about you?

Still think his behaviour is just an act?
Or do you actually agree with most of what he says?

Rusty Spanner – Member

So, Flashy, still of the opinion that he’s just a scamp, or has his recent behaviour changed your mind?

The City Boy (and wannabe city boy) Chelsea Tractor brigade need to stick together.

Or do you actually agree with most of what he says?

I don’t care either way. He’s entertaining.

This will freak you out. I liked watching Mike Tyson fight.

5thElefant – Member

Or do you actually agree with most of what he says?

I don’t care either way. He’s entertaining.

This will freak you out. I liked watching Mike Tyson fight.

Do you still believe that his views expressed on the TV are fiction, as you’ve always previously stated?

Or do you now think that his recent behaviour has shown he genuinely holds cyclists in contempt?

5thElefant – Member
I don’t care

If this is coming from a commuting cyclist, it’s a worry.

It could be Darwinism at play though.

clarksons just a miserable old man who like to whinge a lot and he sees cyclists as an easy target

I think his fans latch on to this hero of our modern age because he sticks 2 fingers up to a ‘PC gone mad’ world that they like to blame for their own shortcomings and general dislike of the world around them.

on the plus side his heavy smoking, eschewing of healthy living and sizeable beer gut suggest that he might not be around for too much longer

Do you still believe that his views expressed on the TV are fiction, as you’ve always previously stated?

Or do you now think that his recent behaviour has shown he genuinely holds cyclists in contempt?
I don’t doubt the reality is somewhere between the two (but I doubt he hates mexicans), and no I don’t have a problem with him finding cyclists irritating.

The hysteria he generates from the hobbyist offended is priceless, regardless of his inner thoughts.

Calls for his arrest for taking a photo! You couldn’t make it up.

[/quote] kimbers – Member

on the plus side his heavy smoking, eschewing of healthy living and sizeable beer gut suggest that he might not be around for too much longer

lol, I was literally just typing the same thing.

I don’t think he’s long for the earth.

5thElefant – Member
The hysteria he generates from the hobbyist offended is priceless

Wow, that’s similar language to what he uses.

Are you saying you don’t think pieces like that above are unhelpful re. cyclists’ safety?

Are you saying you don’t think pieces like that above are unhelpful re. cyclists’ safety?

It won’t make any odds at all. Why would it?

I think the intolerance shown on both sides is pretty nasty. That’s why there is confrontation.

lol, …I don’t think he’s long for the earth.

Wishing someone dead because they don’t agree with you? Take a long look at yourself

5thElefant – Member

I don’t doubt the reality is somewhere between the two (but I doubt he hates mexicans), and no I don’t have a problem with him finding cyclists irritating.

So you’ve changed your mind then?

Your previous position was that it was all a joke and he didn’t mean any of it.

Now you agree that he genuinely believes what he says about cyclists, but you’re not fussed?
Brilliant.

I assume this will be the defence used by most of his acolytes.
It’s not very convincing, is it?

It won’t make any odds at all. Why would it?

Because he’s the most influential motoring journo on the planet.

He uses that platform to tell his millions of fans that cyclists are scum.
Yet you don’t believe that will influence anyone?

I don’t believe you.

Whats worrying is there are plenty of ‘petrolheads’ that listen to him and think its ok to have the attitude to ‘run down cyclists’. This kind of mentality is really worrying for commuters and road cyclists in general.
There are good cyclists and bad cyclists, same as there are good and bad drivers on the road, but why there has to be this hatred is beyond me. I went to France cycling a while ago and they are almost celebratory of cyclists, passing you with loads of room. They respect you and share the road.

The hysteria he generates from the hobbyist offended is priceless, regardless of his inner thoughts

I know, swoons, I wish I was able to offend folk and be an irritating arse – it must take some real talent – easy punch line there for you Cpt 😉

ScottChegg – Member

I think the intolerance shown on both sides is pretty nasty. That’s why there is confrontation.

lol, …I don’t think he’s long for the earth.

Wishing someone dead because they don’t agree with you? Take a long look at yourself

Oh deary me… Please point out where I was wishing him dead? I was making an observation, an opinion, just like you.

Take a good look at yourself.

Your previous position was that it was all a joke and he didn’t mean any of it.

Now you agree that he genuinely believes what he says about cyclists, but you’re not fussed?
Brilliant.
You’d have to look at the context. He’s previously advocated stringing piano wire outside his house to stop motorbikes coming past at 100mph.

That is a joke.

Getting annoyed being stuck behind a cyclist isn’t a joke. Nor does it make him abnormal or a threat to everyone on 2 wheels.

Take a good look at yourself

I do, and that’s why I made a well balanced observation.

Try it; see what it’s like.

You’re awesome. You got sand in your vag because somebody has a different view.

You should write for the DM.

5thElefant – Member
It won’t make any odds at all. Why would it?

Press articles like this have no effect whatsoever?

Press articles like this have no effect whatsoever?

It does cause some debate. If road safety is your interest that is almost certainly a good thing.

In reality it’s just noise.

5thElefant –

Excellent. Must set the recorder.
Don’t you get Dave? Might as well just watch that, the old ones will have exactly the same jokes as the new one will have.

5thElefant – Member

You’d have to look at the context. He’s previously advocated stringing piano wire outside his house to stop motorbikes coming past at 100mph.

That is a joke.

How do you know?
Sure it’s not an exaggeration of his actual views?

You’ve claimed for as long as I can remember that his attitude toward cyclists was ‘a joke’ and no reflection of his real views.
We know now his behaviour shows that to be a lie.

5thElefant – Member

In reality it’s just noise.

Oh come on, that’s just pathetic.
You think that advertising doesn’t work?
Political bias in the media is nothing to worry about?
Propaganda has no value?

-Chunky – I’m struggling to see why you have flown off the handle.

Can you help me understand why?

Without abuse, please.

How do you know?

Oh dear.

Sure it’s not an exaggeration of his actual views?

One hell of an exaggeration!

You’ve claimed for as long as I can remember that his attitude toward cyclists was ‘a joke’ and no reflection of his real views.

I don’t think that’s true (the context is rarely cyclists). You’ll need to search all my posts and quote me.
What he says in general is a joke – ‘lazy mexicans’, ‘murdering truck drivers’, ‘decapitating motorcyclists’, ‘executing strikers in front of their families’.

All designed to get the offended spluttering, which amuses the rest of us.

I’m quite happy to believe he finds cyclists annoying. Like most motorists.

We know now his behaviour shows that to be a lie.

Nah, we know now that he sees trolling about cyclists to be an effective way of generating publicity for his show. Similar to that other vocal group he also happened to accidentally offend in the last few weeks, GLBTs.

He’s a cynical arsehole who knows how to get his name into the press and doesn’t care whether he has to act like a bellend to do it. As such he’s just a slightly toned down version of the people being discussed in the Stan Collymore thread and should be regarded in a similar light.

i ride mtb, road and commute by car/motorbike/bicycle.

therefore tomorrow i must run myself over with the car whilst on the phone whilst at the same time being a militant lycra lout riding in the middle of the road 3 abreast with myself, swearing and cursing at anyone and everyone in a car.

not everyone has the same views, so stop trying to force opinions onto others.

I find Clarkson hilarious, he does it for “entertainment” thats his job.

Can’t wait for Top Gear

I don’t think that’s true. You’ll need to search all my posts and quote me.
What he says in general is a joke – ‘lazy mexicans’, ‘murdering truck drivers’, ‘decapitating motorcyclists’, ‘executing strikers in front of their families’.
All designed to get the offended sputtering, which amuses the rest of us.

so hes just a professional troll

what a hero!