Silly comments *Richard Nye*

[Jkrohn1]

I follow a few cyclists on twitter and and I know some of you like to cycle, there has been uproar over a silly comment made by Richmond Mag editor Richard Nye.

He's made a comment, much like Jeremy Clarkson does on a monthly basis. Now this is what I saw first, and thought what a tit.

"the only good cyclists is a dead one"

But what he actually said was.

"I tend towards the temperate view that the only good cyclists is a dead one"

Is saying he said it as a phrase, like "the only good Indian is a dead one" which is probably said in most westerns lol

What's your views? I don't cycle or drive so don't see the frustration from either side.

Should he quit or be sacked, some cycling companies have pulled there ads from the mag.

 

[Martok]

If he'd used 'black man', 'woman', 'Muslim' or another term like this he'd be sacked on the spot and would be up for inciting racial hatred or something similar. It should be no different just because he used the term 'cyclist'.

If you have a voice to the public through the media then you need to be very careful what you say and if you say the wrong thing then you should have that voice to the public removed i.e. be sacked.

 

[Jkrohn1]

Here's a link to the mag Page 11 if anyone wants to read it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5749425/richmondmag/Richmond_mag_September2012_full.pdf

 

[Plaxinator]

If he'd used 'black man', 'woman', 'Muslim' or another term like this he'd be sacked on the spot and would be up for inciting racial hatred or something similar. It should be no different just because he used the term 'cyclist'.

If you have a voice to the public through the media then you need to be very careful what you say and if you say the wrong thing then you should have that voice to the public removed i.e. be sacked.

^^^^ This.

Now that we are in an era where it is quite rightly not "politically correct" and acceptable to discriminate against different ethnicities, religion and women, cyclists have taken their place as an easy target.

 

[yinkin]

Besides being offensive to cyclists, it also creates an atmosphere in which people feel they can be abusive to cyclists, the jokes make it somehow okay, its one of those the individual passing responsibility of their actions to the group things. If enough people say things like that then it must be okay. It is an issue in the same way racism, sexism etc were and to an extent still are.

I may not like inconsiderate cyclists, especially the bike ninjas who ride at night without lights and wearing dark coloured clothes, it is wrong to present an extreme view, especially in the media, it creates division and devalues the life and therefore the safety of the cyclist.

 

[HERMAN_JELMET]

How many drunk cyclists have killed people through dangerous riding?

BAM! I rest my case.


****ing journalists! The only good journalist is a journalist stuffed into a burlap sack and beaten with a hosepipe until his retina's detach.

 

[Jkrohn1]

I personally don't really see it in the same context as racism or sexism, we have all been talking about that bloody Bus or Van driver while in the pub chatting. But as Martok has said he's got a public voice through his media and in my eyes that's the issue. Like i said I got this via twitter as guys I follow who are cyclists, I see there view but do feel it's taken a little out of context. The guy has supposedly gone on holiday but can't wait to see his response.

 

[Acegadgets]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

 

[Jkrohn1]

How many drunk cyclists have killed people through dangerous riding?

BAM! I rest my case.

How many?

 

[Martok]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Yes, actually, I would. It's irrelevant the group he's targeting with his 'humour'. If he was a comedian on-stage doing a routine then you could forgive it to some extent but he's not, he's a writer in the media with a voice to the public and frankly it's not on.

As for cyclists being paranoid, try telling that to the guy who was recently pushed off his bike by a passenger in a passing car only last week, the one who was pushed off last year or those targeted by motorists in other 'road rage' incidents.

 

[Plaxinator]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Because cyclists are in the minority and get the most abuse out of all the above usually from all of the above perhaps? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you and all that .
As a car driver, van driver, cyclist and female I've had the most abuse as a cyclist merely for having the audacity to cycle on the road.
Unfortunately there are a vast majority of ignorant self important motorists out there usually under the mistaken assumption that they "pay" for the roads via "road tax" and therefore the cyclist has no right to be on the road holding them up for all of 10 seconds. This is exacerbated and reinforced by silly comments for the likes of this chap.

 

[Slaine]

Should he quit or be sacked? Nah he should be kicked until dead, after all the only good journalist is a dead one (and you can quote me on that). What a ridiculous thing to say!!

Honestly this stuff pisses me off. Im out of work and ****wits like that can hang on to their jobs?!!?!?!

 

[Jkrohn1]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Because cyclists are in the minority and get the most abuse out of all the above usually from all of the above perhaps? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you and all that .
As a car driver, van driver, cyclist and female I've had the most abuse as a cyclist merely for having the audacity to cycle on the road.
Unfortunately there are a vast majority of ignorant self important motorists out there usually under the mistaken assumption that they "pay" for the roads via "road tax" and therefore the cyclist has no right to be on the road holding them up for all of 10 seconds. This is exacerbated and reinforced by silly comments for the likes of this chap.

It's no longer called road tax, the government changed it to vehicle or car tax as the majority of the money isn't spent on the roads. So you have the same right to be on the road as any other motorist.

I'm glad I started this now as I can see how passionate some of you are about cycling.

Yinkin, I was once a bike ninja but a taxi driver stopped me one day lol, luckily no one was hurt except my bike

 

[Plaxinator]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Because cyclists are in the minority and get the most abuse out of all the above usually from all of the above perhaps? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you and all that .
As a car driver, van driver, cyclist and female I've had the most abuse as a cyclist merely for having the audacity to cycle on the road.
Unfortunately there are a vast majority of ignorant self important motorists out there usually under the mistaken assumption that they "pay" for the roads via "road tax" and therefore the cyclist has no right to be on the road holding them up for all of 10 seconds. This is exacerbated and reinforced by silly comments for the likes of this chap.

It's no longer called road tax, the government changed it to vehicle or car tax as the majority of the money isn't spent on the roads. So you have the same right to be on the road as any other motorist.

I'm glad I started this now as I can see how passionate some of you are about cycling.

Yinkin, I was once a bike ninja but a taxi driver stopped me one day lol, luckily no one was hurt except my bike

Actually it's Vehicle Excise Duty or VED which is based on the emissions of the car. Hence I think it's the Polo Blue Motion that pays zero VED for example. VED is a general taxation which goes towards motorway costs but the local councils are responsible for the maintenance of the other roads under their jurisdiction which comes out of your council tax. Which always amuses me when I get acused of not paying for "road Tax" from somebody that doesn't live in the area concerned when I do.

So for those idiot motorists that want cyclists to also pay for "road tax" think of the billions of pounds worth of tax payers money that would be wasted on administering a scheme to give hundreds of thousands of cyclists a little bit of paper to say their "vehicle" emits 0 Co2 therefore they don't have to pay *anything*.

 

[Jkrohn1]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Because cyclists are in the minority and get the most abuse out of all the above usually from all of the above perhaps? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you and all that .
As a car driver, van driver, cyclist and female I've had the most abuse as a cyclist merely for having the audacity to cycle on the road.
Unfortunately there are a vast majority of ignorant self important motorists out there usually under the mistaken assumption that they "pay" for the roads via "road tax" and therefore the cyclist has no right to be on the road holding them up for all of 10 seconds. This is exacerbated and reinforced by silly comments for the likes of this chap.

It's no longer called road tax, the government changed it to vehicle or car tax as the majority of the money isn't spent on the roads. So you have the same right to be on the road as any other motorist.

Actually it's Vehicle Excise Duty or VED which is based on the emissions of the car. Hence I think it's the Polo Blue Motion that pays zero VED for example. VED is a general taxation which goes towards motorway costs but the local councils are responsible for the maintenance of the other roads under their jurisdiction which comes out of your council tax.

That's what I said

 

[Plaxinator]

what if he had said , the only good, motorist/ van driver/ taxi driver / bus driver/ is a dead one? would anyone be asking for his resignation ? cyclists are becoming paranoid.

Because cyclists are in the minority and get the most abuse out of all the above usually from all of the above perhaps? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you and all that .
As a car driver, van driver, cyclist and female I've had the most abuse as a cyclist merely for having the audacity to cycle on the road.
Unfortunately there are a vast majority of ignorant self important motorists out there usually under the mistaken assumption that they "pay" for the roads via "road tax" and therefore the cyclist has no right to be on the road holding them up for all of 10 seconds. This is exacerbated and reinforced by silly comments for the likes of this chap.

It's no longer called road tax, the government changed it to vehicle or car tax as the majority of the money isn't spent on the roads. So you have the same right to be on the road as any other motorist.

Actually it's Vehicle Excise Duty or VED which is based on the emissions of the car. Hence I think it's the Polo Blue Motion that pays zero VED for example. VED is a general taxation which goes towards motorway costs but the local councils are responsible for the maintenance of the other roads under their jurisdiction which comes out of your council tax.

That's what I said

True, but I just like writing things in a more convoluted and verbose way and you didn't call it VED. You triggered off my rant mode by using the word "car" and "tax" together

 

[Martok]

For the uninformed, there's even a website that explains that Road Tax no longer exists (abolished in 1937) and cyclists can buy t-shirts to help inform ignorant motorists*

http://ipayroadtax.com/

*Note that not all motorists are ignorant, just those who are arrogant and think they have full rights to the road and cyclists don't despite the fact that many cyclists are also motorists and also pay VED.

 

[Jkrohn1]

For the uninformed, there's even a website that explains that Road Tax no longer exists (abolished in 1937) and cyclists can buy t-shirts to help inform ignorant motorists*

http://ipayroadtax.com/

*Note that not all motorists are ignorant, just those who are arrogant and think they have full rights to the road and cyclists don't despite the fact that many cyclists are also motorists and also pay VED.

That's we me and plex said minus the link lol

 

[Slaine]

Heres an interesting fact. Did you know that Road Tax, or whatever you want to call it, only a third of it goes on road repairs? As to what the other two thirds is used for, you'd have to ask Westminster. This isnt some internet trivia, as I learnt this from the ABI and MIB (Assoc Of British Insurers and the Motor Insurance Bureaux) through reading some annual reports in my previous job.

So when some motorist harps on about how his tax pays for the roads, it doesnt. It pays for MPs to have two or three houses. It pays for their exorbitant expense bills. It pays for everything other than our roads, which 2/3 are of in urgent need of repair or replacement (source the AA) as some of them havent received any attention in 25 years+.

Heres another thing, which I used to quote when I smoked, did you know that the duty collected on cigarettes and tobacco is enough to fund the NHS for an entire year and more? I got sick to death of people going on about what a drain on the NHS smokers are.

Slaine :- available for pub quizzes, barmitzvahs and childrens parties.

 

[clarkyspeaks]

Well as far as im concerned, legs were the first form of transport, then the bicycle and then the automobile.


So in fairness, bikes were here first (prior to legs) so automobile drivers will have to deal with it!

I have just as much right to cycle on the road as you do to drive, maybe even more right, our transport vehicle was created first so there

On a final note I would gladly shake the hand of a driver who knocks Boris Johnson of his bike and then backs up to make sure he finishes the job!

Peace