SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

Saw this on MSN.co.uk

By Tom Evans, last updated April 12 2005
A transport pressure group yesterday demanded the end of the popular BBC2 programme ‘Top Gear’, claiming it promotes irresponsible driver behaviour. It wants a replacement show called Third Gear, which would promote “sensible driving in sensible vehicles.”The group, Transport 2000, which is chaired by sometime Monty Pythoner and latter-day globetrotter Michael Palin, said that the programme had an obsession with big and “unnecessarily powerful” cars and ignored the interests of women drivers. It said the alternative programme would encourage responsible motoring based on less environmentally damaging cars, considerate and safety-conscious driving, and exploration of alternatives to the car. The group particularly took aim at the show’s flamboyant main presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, who is also a ubiquitous newspaper and magazine columnist. They claim his “distinctive image... is in danger of encouraging a ‘yobbish’ attitude on the road. “ Jeremy Clarkson: In the firing lineTransport 2000’s Steve Hounsham said: “Everyone is talking about how to reduce car use, cut climate change emissions and make the roads safer but, to quote in perhaps its own language, Top Gear effectively sticks up its fingers to this… If we must have Jeremy Clarkson on the television, let's give him something useful to do, such as trying out public transport or road-testing new bicycles. Perhaps he would like to drive a bus; he'd find it just as much fun as a Ferrari."The group lists Top Gear’s mortal sins in full:- “Following complaints made to the BBC, the programme team was sent back to Oxford twice to refilm a piece about the closure of the High Street to through traffic because it failed to present a balanced view of the scheme.

- To test the claims made for a 4x4, the programme really did try to take the vehicle to the top of a mountain in Scotland, “through a sensitive peat bog causing substantial ecological damage.”

- “In an infamous episode”, Jeremy Clarkson tore up on camera information from Transport 2000’s website presenting the dangers of speed.

- In a race against colleagues using public transport and plane, Clarkson drove a Ferrari more or less non-stop from London to Switzerland and was stopped by police for speeding on the way.

- Clarkson deliberately drove a car into a tree in a car park in Somerset to test the strength of the car in a crash. The programme ended up apologising and paying compensation to the local parish council for the damage caused.Despite this multitude of crimes, ‘Top Gear’ has proved a smash-hit ratings winner since it was relaunched in its new hour-long, high-budget format in October 2002, and it is one of the most popular programme on BBC2. The BBC has defended the programme, saying "none of the [Top Gear] presenters advocate or encourage dangerous driving, and high performance cars are always tested in a controlled and safe environment."

"The programme regularly features discussions of issues across the whole gamut of motoring. It does review fast cars but it has also recently featured the new Smart car, as well as a series of items on restoring cars and a second-hand car challenge. To say Top Gear encourages just a macho or yobbish attitude simply isn't true."

"Half of its regular audience of 3 million viewers is women. A recent example [of discussing green issues] would be in December 2004, when an engine was featured that was half electric and half petrol powered."_________________________________

If it is any program they should ban, it should be 5th gear!

Darren

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, saw that on http://news.bbc.co.uk too.

And here: http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=418782

John.

Shark Man

what utter trash.

If anyone took the time to listen to Clarkson's regular rants. He often makes remarks of his hate of yobs (re: Grumpy old men). Also on various shows and videos he's made plenty of negative and hateful comments towards Boyracers, yobs, and the "tasteless" modifed car and cruise culture that infect the UK.

Comments like "you can't polish a turd" and "excuse me sir...your cap appears to back to front - and you have audacity to say I have no fashion sense". Are but a few welded into my mind, as are many others where he makes regular comical digs at typical yobs and boyracers. So saying he encourages this culture is completely wrong.

Vegescoob

You WILL think how WE think.
WE have more influence than you and WE WILL get our way.
Thanks to NL.

Shark Man

How about a thread merge with the other thread on the same subject mods?

c'mon...here's the chance to try it out if you haven't tried it yet. Its not hard- honest.

Go On Go On Go On Go On Go On

CrisPDuk

Obviously it isn't ignoring the interests of at least 1.5 million women then is it, you bunch of tree hugging, tofu munching, sheep worriers

Transport 2000 are the biggest bunch of tossers around, unfortunately their views and opinions are given far to much credence by people in power We should gather the fecking lot of them together, along with the ramblers association and get them to excercise their 'right to roam' in front of one of Prince Phillip's peasant shoots

Alas

Blaming Clarkson for some of the woes of Rover in the paper today as he criticised the cars. If that was the case Vauxhall would have gone bust years ago.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Anyone fancy a cruise past Transport 2000's offices?

Decats essential

Perhaps a mass burnout, for those without 4wd obviously.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Cant we have a bit of escapism ?

The reality of motoring is very different to TG, but TG is light hearted fun, and anway, the Stig or JC smoking some supercar or other around a track pales into insignificance ecologically compared to one shuttle trip in a 737 from London to Manchester. I actually drive most of the time to try to conserve fuel, to eke the computer thingy over 30 mpg, putting my foot down these days is a rare treat.

Mr Sympathy

wow did he? I saw him in the DB9 beat trains and planes to Monte Carlo?

I also saw him drive a diesel Audi (was it?) London to Edinburgh and back on a tank of fuel to cover the economy angle too! No mention of that then!

Usual pressure group (aka press) impartiality then!

hedgehog

The good news, as discussed here recently, is that your taxes pay for them. It really, really narks me that I am forced to pay for a bunch of useless lentil munchers who should be hunted with hounds and who only act to force their sanctimonious opinions upon us all.

pslewis

Excellent idea!!

I think to call it 3rd gear is superb ........... we NEED a sensible driving car program for sensible drivers!!

Maybe the RoyBacers amongst you could have one called 'GearKnobs'??

With the Emphasis on *****!!

Pete

Vegescoob

hedgehog, you know from my previous posts I tend to agree with you.
I also like lentils. Don't make assumptions.
But, as I've said before, I might be a minority of one among the lentil munchers.

GaryK

Wont happen simple as that, just as if 1000 or 10000 people on here had a view on something that they wanted to change...it wouldnt! They aint got clout and thats it period!

Brit_in_Japan

as posted by me on another thread.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckrogers
"We want to see Top Gear taken off the screens," says Steve Hounsham, of Transport 2000.

And I want to see Tranny's 2000 members hung, drawn and quartered, but hey we can't always have what we want! "


I've just emailed Mr Hounsham to tell him I disagree with his campaign against Top Gear.

For those interested his email address (readliy found on the Transport 2000 website) is steve.hounsham@transport2000.org.uk

If you do decide to email him, please keep it polite and civil.

NotoriousREV

One thing to keep in mind is that 3 million people watch Top Gear regularly, sometimes up to 5 million! How many members does Transport 2000 have?

Holy Ghost

did they announce this on april 1st? "third gear?" PMSL.

god, hounsham is a pious tw@t.

Mice_Elf

Must admit, it sounds a bit like a joke...can only hope that it is....

I like Top Gear and I'm female!

Shark Man

Even my Gran likes Top gear

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

There you go

astraboy

Just sent this:

Sir,
You recent attacks on the Top Gear programme are a joke. The points you use to illustrate the basis for your arguement are grossly biased and do not make for a balanced viewpoint.
For instance, if the programme should promote "sensible driving in sensible vehicles" maybe you missed the piece where one of the presenters managed to drive from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank of fuel. You dont get more sensible than that, especially when the car in question was a diesel.

As well as that, Perhaps you missed the piece on the experimental electric car from Opel/GM which was hailed as "The Vectra of the future".

Not to mention the piece they run every week called "star in a resonably priced car". How many other car programmes run a weekly feature on a Suzuki Ignis?

Your proposed replacement programme "Third Gear" sounds dull beyond belief and patently unwatchable.
You seem to overlook the fact that fast powerful cars are what the 5 million people who watch the programme want. Otherwise they wouldnt watch.

In future kindly do not put words into my mouth. Not "everyone" is talking about how to reduce car use, cut climate change emissions and make the roads safer. Your arrogant belief that your views reflect that of the people and your proposed replacement programme is the "Correct" way to portray car use is worryingly remeniscant of some of the more progressive views of a certain George Orwell novel.

It would be appreciated if you kept your car hating views to yourself. I for one enjoy Top Gear and enjoy driving and looking at fast cars. Not much is going to change that in the near future, least of all your organisiation sounding off to the nearest sympathetic media outlet.

Yours,
astraboy.

Clarebabes

You're not! And I saw him in the flesh first weekend in April at the Nurburgring. He's lovely

Clarebabes

Astraboy, it's a Suzuki Liana, but I'm just splitting hairs....

I am going to compose something myself.

astraboy

got a reply already,
Allrighty!
For those that are interested, here are some of the comments on the messageboard.

Jesus fuking christ.
As far as I know, driving a car is not a crime. yet.
Who just happens to be their celebrity figurehead. No conflict of interests then!
Jesus fuking christ.
Bugger it, I'm gonna post something up.
astraboy.

Leslie

Interesting that now that cars are cleaner than they ever have been, a great deal cleaner than whatever public transport we actually do have, that they don't even mention the pollution caused by aircraft.

It takes about 40 tons of kerosene based fuel to get the average aircraft across the Atlantic, thats one way!.

When you add up all the aircraft flights in a day, cars are just a flea-bite as far as pollution is concerned.

Of course we can't expect this government to do anything to curb this kind of big business regardless of the pollution it causes when they can shift the blame on to cars. So much easier and they have the excuse to charge us more money too.

Maybe one of the ways Michael Howard intends to start to cut the bureaucratic waste will be to stop the taxpayer's money going to useless quangos like Transport 2000.

Les

unclebuck

unclebuck

astraboy

hehe, i've also found this:
bbccharterreview@culture.gsi.gov.uk
its the email address which the head tree hugger used to send his attack on top gear in.
Looks like I'll have to send my own in demanding more programmes which contain:
Lots of smoke filled sideways action,
The Stig flailing round the track like a wet fish in something RWD and breathed on,
Plenty of road racing action, London - Switzerland styleeee,
And more TV for the over 5's in general.

astraboy.

mad_dr

I'm having my "2 Minutes Hate" right now! Grrrrrrr...

Apparition

So On the basis of said article..... we should never watch the "Bill" again since we'd all either turn into villains or over zealous coppers, we should never watch a western again since that would encourage us to carry guns about and ride horseback through the local high street, we should never watch "Dr Who" since we'd all be dashing into blue box-like structures and trying to time travel.............. Basically, its the same old , same old........ these do-gooders just don't give the viewers of programmes like "Top Gear" the credit for having an ounce of common sense between them. Just because we like to watch a programme which "amongst other things", features high powered cars and demonstrations of said cars in action, does not mean that we are then going to step into whatever vehicle we own and try to replicate the programme.
Please Mr H Give us some credit.