Should Top Gear be banned?

Wheelist said:

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

There is a sufficiently pervasive car culture in the UK that it's simply
another magazine reflecting that public interest. Though in principle
I'd like a cycling equivalent I can't really see it having enough
momentum to keep rolling.

Aside from anything else, the unattainable dream car that most motoring
mags seem to major on doesn't have an equivalent: you can have a
world-beating bike for rather less than a supermini, but unlike the
supercar it won't necessarily have a super engine! ;-/

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

There is a sufficiently pervasive car culture in the UK that it's
simply another magazine reflecting that public interest. Though in
principle I'd like a cycling equivalent I can't really see it having
enough momentum to keep rolling.

Not to mention how dangerous it is ;-) I see that rallying short-[censored]
Sebastien Loeb has done his chances of retaining the World Championship no
good at all by falling off his mountain bike and breaking his arm.

<URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/world_rally/5386578.stm>

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for Gary Busey to pass through the eye of a camel.

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Two thoughts:

1. If it was banned an unhealthy precedent would be set. Similar action
would be required against other programs where a presenter was involved
in an accident. Recent incidents would include those involving Steve
Irwin and Nick Knowles.

2. We all know that our behaviour is influenced by our perception of
risk. Shielding TV audiences, and motorists in particular, from
incidents which may increase their fear of being involved in an
accident, will surely result in them driving less cautiously than if
they were exposed to the harsh reality.

--
Matt B

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

But what if "top pedal" went the top gear way?

Can you imagine the negative image if (e.g.)

2 "psycho lycra couriers" did a no holds barred
"extreme (radical, dude!)" race though Soho in rush hour...

BugBear

Matt B said:

1. If it was banned an unhealthy precedent would be set. Similar action
would be required against other programs where a presenter was involved
in an accident. Recent incidents would include those involving Steve
Irwin and Nick Knowles.

Matt B

In that case ban it! Getting rid of Nick Knowles fmor my telly would be a great step foward :-)

There was a piece in teh Daily Wail (Ii was on a plane it was that or the FT) last week that had 2 opinions as to whether or not to ban it. The guy against it was a motoring journalist, and said that it wasn;t ths one particular 'incident' that had made im come to this decision, but many othes not least the number of times he has been promised a test car only to be told that Top Gear had it first and have written it off/carshed it. these are the things we don't get shown.

Personally I don't care, it used to be an informative sensible car show (back in the days of William Woollard :-), now there are some interseting bit in it. I was brought up around fast cars and going to races, so am interested in that side of thing, but these days it seems to be tuning into some sort of comedy show. If they do keep it, then perhaps they can show Clarkson being banned for speeding whilst doing one of his 'challenges' (IIRC he has only been stopped once by Gendarms in France).

Bryan

Peter Clinch said:

Wheelist wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

Quoted message said:

There is a sufficiently pervasive car culture in the UK that it's simply
another magazine reflecting that public interest. Though in principle
I'd like a cycling equivalent I can't really see it having enough
momentum to keep rolling.

The "men in white" on channel 4 seem to have a bit of bicycle interest
with the sort of items that could make TG if they were about cars.
But I've managed to miss most of them, only heard them mentioned. I saw
the last few seconds of the one where they converted a trike into an
amphibian vehicle.

Roos

"Matt B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Two thoughts:

1. If it was banned an unhealthy precedent would be set. Similar action
would be required against other programs where a presenter was involved
in an accident. Recent incidents would include those involving Steve
Irwin and Nick Knowles.

They should have banned Blue Peter when John Noakes <sp?> crashed in the
bobsled. (not)

Quoted message said:

2. We all know that our behaviour is influenced by our perception of
risk. Shielding TV audiences, and motorists in particular, from
incidents which may increase their fear of being involved in an
accident, will surely result in them driving less cautiously than if
they were exposed to the harsh reality.

--
Matt B

Matt B said:

Shielding TV audiences, and motorists in particular, from
incidents which may increase their fear of being involved in an
accident, will surely result in them driving less cautiously than if
they were exposed to the harsh reality.

How does some fool of a TV presenter nearly killing himself in a
rocket-powered car on an airfield have any bearing on everyday motoring
reality?

Perhaps Top Gear could be replaced with a programme showing graphic
footage of all this week's motoring accidents - it would be about three
hours long, of course. But yes, maybe people would get the message.

d.

In article <[email hidden]>

bugbear bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim said:

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

But what if "top pedal" went the top gear way?

Can you imagine the negative image if (e.g.)

2 "psycho lycra couriers" did a no holds barred
"extreme (radical, dude!)" race though Soho in rush hour...

They should use the Top Gear presenters - how about a coast to coast
challenge, James May in tweeds on a 3-speed, Clarkson in lycra on a
carbon racer and the hamster on a recumbent?

In article <[email hidden]>

davek said:

Matt B said:

Shielding TV audiences, and motorists in particular, from
incidents which may increase their fear of being involved in an
accident, will surely result in them driving less cautiously than if
they were exposed to the harsh reality.

How does some fool of a TV presenter nearly killing himself in a
rocket-powered car on an airfield have any bearing on everyday motoring
reality?

It doesn't, of course - but it does give the anti-car brigade a chance
to sound off about how cars are the work of the devil. They seem to
rather miss the point that (environmental issues aside) it's mostly [censored]
drivers that they have a problem with, and Richard Hammond was actually
a very good driver - hopefully he will be again soon.

Dave Larrington said:

Peter Clinch said:

There is a sufficiently pervasive car culture in the UK that it's
simply another magazine reflecting that public interest. Though in
principle I'd like a cycling equivalent I can't really see it having
enough momentum to keep rolling.

Not to mention how dangerous it is ;-) I see that rallying short-[censored]
Sebastien Loeb has done his chances of retaining the World
Championship no good at all by falling off his mountain bike and
breaking his arm.

It is good training for rally driving, though.

At least, it felt as if I was mountain biking that time I had a passing
truck squeeze me against the curb at 40mph in roadworks on the M6, and I
managed to find exactly the middle of the gap and hit neither the rock nor
the hard place.

Of course the counterpart is that you have to remember you're not mountain
biking when you're in a car, otherwise you turn into the kind of person you
hate.

A

Peter Clinch wrote on 28/09/2006 09:02 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Aside from anything else, the unattainable dream car that most motoring
mags seem to major on doesn't have an equivalent: you can have a
world-beating bike for rather less than a supermini, but unlike the
supercar it won't necessarily have a super engine! ;-/

Oh, I don't know. If you have enough money for a supercar you can
afford to pay a super engine to pedal the bike for you ;-)

--
Tony

"Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
- Leonardo da Vinci

Rob Morley said:

Richard Hammond was actually a very good driver - hopefully he will be
again soon.

He is, by his own admission, "a driving god"

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Top_Gear#Richard_Hammond_.28.22Hamster.22.29

Tom
--
Return address is dead. Real address is at
http://www.box.net/public/0n493oa6y7

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

But what if "top pedal" went the top gear way?

Can you imagine the negative image if (e.g.)

2 "psycho lycra couriers" did a no holds barred
"extreme (radical, dude!)" race though Soho in rush hour...

BugBear

Rob Morley said the following on 28/09/2006 11:07:

Quoted message said:

Clarkson in lycra

Do you mind? I'm eating my lunch!!!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

bugbear said:

Wheelist said:

Got a link to this in my e-mither this morning......

http://www.petrolprices.com/blog/fans-fear-as-top-gear-may-be-axed-54.html

.... and wondered what you all thought?

Personally, I don't mind either way, though in the interests of
balance, if they keep it then they probably ought to introduce Top
Pedal too. (Right along side the extensive coverage of the TDF, the
World MTB Championships, etc. etc.)

But what if "top pedal" went the top gear way?

Can you imagine the negative image if (e.g.)

2 "psycho lycra couriers" did a no holds barred
"extreme (radical, dude!)" race though Soho in rush hour...

BugBear

Or cycling journalists saying they would shoot car drivers in the head
for fun, as Clarkson promised for cyclists.

Wheelist said:

.... and wondered what you all thought?

My issue with Top Gear is that it encourages people to drive like
twunts, when there are already plenty enough people who drive in
permanent twunt mode anyway.

The programme glorifies speeding and the "Mr Toad" attitude to driving,
making them out to be a harmless activities that should be enjoyed by
everyone who gets behind the wheel of a car. Of course, as cyclists,
we are more aware than most that speeding and impatient motorists are
the ones most likely to wipe us out around the next blind bend.

To those of you who say "aww, come on, it's only a bit of harmless
telly nonsense" I'd ask you this - if the programme glorified drink
driving in the same way it currently does speeding, would Auntie Beeb
still air it? I think not.

My opinion is that the programme should be allowed to continue provided
it is moderated so that the glorification of speeding ceases. Oh, and
get shot of the Wooly Haired W*nker while your at it Auntie. He gets
on my [censored].

Cheers
Bronzie

Rob Morley said:

They seem to
rather miss the point that (environmental issues aside) it's mostly [censored]
drivers that they have a problem with, and Richard Hammond was actually
a very good driver - hopefully he will be again soon.

FSVO good. I was quite impressed with the way he managed to get that
tiny van airborne on a totally flat bit of road..

...d

In article <[email hidden]>

Paul Boyd said:

Rob Morley said the following on 28/09/2006 11:07:

Quoted message said:

Clarkson in lycra

Do you mind? I'm eating my lunch!!!

Sorry. :-)