Trainsport 2000 again

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NugentS

Original Poster:

686 posts

248 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
quotequote all
Spotted this on MSN (well got it pointed out to me)

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Top Gear should be banned call
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 line


Transport 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."

[url]http://cars.msn.co.uk/carnews/tgbanapr05/[/url]

rsvmilly

11,288 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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It hasn't dawned on these people; surprisingly, my car has much better performance and uses much more petrol in 'Third Gear'

m-five

11,272 posts

285 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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I can do 110mph in 3rd, so are Trannysport 2000 condoning my breaking of the speed limit whilst spewing out tonnes of ecosphere damaging toxins?

mondeoman

11,430 posts

267 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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NugentS said:
.....Transport 2000’s Steve Hounsham said: “Everyone is talking about how to reduce car use, cut climate change emissions …


Who is this "everyone" he talks about? I don't know anyone who talks about this bollox!

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

256 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
quotequote all
TRANSPORT 5 YEARS AGO 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 alternative programme would also be.....

Watched by no-one........

Although it might generate some interest if it included a picnic ideas for boring old farts spot......

>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Wednesday 13th April 13:21

nonegreen

7,803 posts

271 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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One sixth of all motorists watch Top Gear. When T2kslime have a significant membership then perhaps they should be allowed to dictate to us. Anybody fancy Burning Palins books?

superflid

2,254 posts

266 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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"It wants a replacement show called Third Gear, which would promote “sensible driving in sensible vehicles."

Sounds like a Monty Python sketch. The Ministry of Sensible Driving......

Palin, makes plenty of cash from his travels around the world then tells us not to follow.

Michael, bollox.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

256 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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Michael Palin the Arse..........

racing rod

1,353 posts

268 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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Why not have a go at Palin, he's the Chairman of Transport 2000, does he know just what the tt's are up to????

His official postal address is,

Prominent Palin Productions Limited
34 Tavistock Street
London WC2E 7PB
U.K

You can also fax on

0171 497 1133

He does not however have an e.mail address. Good Luck in contacting him!!!

hornet

6,333 posts

251 months

Wednesday 13th April 2005
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How about emails to the various companies and organisations in their "umbrella" group? Nothing like a smaller bottom line to make these people think twice. Palin is also an arse if he thinks he can pointlessly swan around the World on the one hand but support their cack on the other. How much fuel did you use to go round the World in eighty days then Michael? That's the epitome
of an unnecessary jouney, surely? Eighty days travelling only to end up where you started?

Come to think of it, given T2000 are a registered charity, can they get away with preaching about public transport use yet have prominent public transport businesses as their supporters? Doesn't exactly guarantee impartiality does it...

WildCat

8,369 posts

244 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
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They are quite mad.....

Ist just because our Jeremy drove a 4x4 up a mountain road past a peat bog....und mocked the dodgy stats on telly.....und we all finds counting fat farties riding bikes und wearing sandals a little more boring than watching paint dry...

jacobyte

4,726 posts

243 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
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hornet said:
That's the epitome
of an unnecessary jouney, surely? Eighty days travelling only to end up where you started?



What a daft thing to say.

I would imagine Michael Palin hasn't a clue what they do - he is simply a figurehead they use to try to gain more attention from the public as they know he is popular in a positive way and therefore if the public trust Michael Palin then of course they should trust Transport2000. They say to him "we lobby for road safety, will you endorse us and be our public face?". Of course he'll say "yes", as he likes publicity and wants to be seen to helping what he perceives to be good causes.

But if he does know the details of their evil agenda, I'd be more than happy to join the witch hunt



>> Edited by jacobyte on Thursday 14th April 09:30

timf

369 posts

245 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
i wonder if this is applicable

www.charity-commission.gov.uk/supportingcharities/vicarious.asp

in respect of :-
charity-commission said:

What does the law cover in this area?

The law of torts provides remedies where there has been a deliberate or negligent violation of personal or property rights. Examples of this would be:

the right to security of person;
the right to freedom of movement;
the right to non-interference with goods or economic and business rights; and
the safeguarding of intellectual property and one’s reputation.

are they infact breaking the rules of a charitable trust.