James Martin on cyclists - what a plum

[Ghisallo]

I used to think this guy was OK on account of his taste in cars but he's put his foot in it with this article on the Tesla Roadseter in yesterday's Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-12...

James Martin said:

God, I hate those cyclists. Every last herbal tea-drinking, Harriet Harman-voting one of them. That's one of the reasons I live in the countryside, where birds tweet, horses roam, pigs grunt and Lycra-clad buttocks are miles away. But recently, there's been a disturbing development.

Each Saturday, a big black truck appears at the bottom of my road, with bikes stuck to the roof and rear. Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile. I'm sure they just come here to wind me up.

He also said the following, which has since been edited out of the article in response to readers negative comments:

James Martin said:

...Knowing they wouldn't hear me coming, I stepped on the gas, waited until the split second before I overtook them, then gave them an almighty blast on the horn at the exact same time I passed them at speed. The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror.

Maybe he's all talk, but what a $hit.

[henrycrun]

Rule 112 The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively.

[Chris71]

I don't think the suggestion that he's a bit of a prat is anything new.

I wonder how many litres, cylinders and BHP the 'herbal tea-drinking, Harriet Harman-voting' cyclists of PH have between us? More than James Martin I'm willing to bet. Plus I'm fairly sure you could have ridden a bike faster than he teetered round the roads of Italy in that ridiculous Mille Miglia debacle that so dissapointed every petrolhead last Christmas.

[zebedee]

Chris71 said:

Plus I'm fairly sure you could have ridden a bike faster than he teetered round the roads of Italy in that ridiculous Mille Miglia debacle that so dissapointed every petrolhead last Christmas.

Very nicely put. I've just been reading about this this morning and its made me almost as mad at how poor that program was! I assume that this is all made up anyway, but let's hope its not and the cyclists concerned go to the local police station and act on this confession and get this happy-to-admit-it unsafe driver off the roads with a nice ban.

If he doesn't know the laws of the road, why is he road-testing cars?

[Podie]

Yet when Clarkson whinges about cyclists no one gives a rat's ass.

[otolith]

Might get a slightly less unanimous response were this not in the forum's cycling enclave, though

[Silver993tt]

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

Yep, totally agree. Bunches of arrogant tts who ignore every rule in the highway code. They deserve everything that comes their way.

[okgo]

Silver993tt said:

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

Yep, totally agree. Bunches of arrogant tts who ignore every rule in the highway code. They deserve everything that comes their way.

has to be said, there is a lot of truth in that

[anonymous-user]

Podie said:

Yet when Clarkson whinges about cyclists no one gives a rat's ass.

Oh, I don't know. I love Clarkson but he writes such drivel at times! Mostly probably to get a laugh... but drivel none the less.

[Podie]

garyhun said:

Podie said:

Yet when Clarkson whinges about cyclists no one gives a rat's ass.

Oh, I don't know. I love Clarkson but he writes such drivel at times! Mostly probably to get a laugh... but drivel none the less.

So James Martin wasn't trying to get a laugh?

[Horse_Apple]

Ghisallo said:

I used to think this guy was OK on account of his taste in cars but he's put his foot in it with this article on the Tesla Roadseter in yesterday's Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-12...

James Martin said:

God, I hate those cyclists. Every last herbal tea-drinking, Harriet Harman-voting one of them. That's one of the reasons I live in the countryside, where birds tweet, horses roam, pigs grunt and Lycra-clad buttocks are miles away. But recently, there's been a disturbing development.

Each Saturday, a big black truck appears at the bottom of my road, with bikes stuck to the roof and rear. Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile. I'm sure they just come here to wind me up.

He also said the following, which has since been edited out of the article in response to readers negative comments:

James Martin said:

...Knowing they wouldn't hear me coming, I stepped on the gas, waited until the split second before I overtook them, then gave them an almighty blast on the horn at the exact same time I passed them at speed. The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror.

Maybe he's all talk, but what a $hit.

Me thinks someone is upset because the City won’t bend over and heave cash at him for his business.

So, he is allowed to come and go and do whatever he likes in the City but they can’t go into the country. Poor fool. It’s amazing how common sense escapes people not used to money.

It’s so easy to spot the real reason behind the venting of precious TV stars

Especially cooks. I seem to recall that spiky headed, closet homo ranting about Marcos after he binned one into a hedge while applying make-up, the chubby ginger piglet got himself into an emotional state because the banks told him he could lend himself the money he wanted to borrow and recently the other ginger willy became distressed because the banks for some reason wouldn’t keep chucking millions into an industry notorious for failing in a down turn.

[zebedee]

Silver993tt said:

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

Yep, totally agree. Bunches of arrogant tts who ignore every rule in the highway code. They deserve everything that comes their way.

Total hypocrit. Martin has confirmed he has no knowledge of the highway code at all by his apparent use of the horn (personally I think the saddo made the whole event up). His driving (or his suggested way of driving) is dangerous to the say least. Yet you say that cyclists (by which you irrefutably and horribly stereotype) deserve everything because they ignore the highway code. What exactly do cyclists ignore in the highway code? I suggest that if you have an attitude like that towards them, you probably drive like Martin too, in which case if you find cyclists acting 'arrogantly' towards you, it may be that you have really fecked them off with your p1ss-poor driving in their vicinity. Good driving and cycling involves consideration of all road users, the likes of you and Martin's stereotyped excuses suggest that neither of you should be on the road in any capacity whatsoever.

[Podie]

zebedee said:

What exactly do cyclists ignore in the highway code?

Red lights. Like the st that nearly tanked into me this morning.

[zebedee]

Podie said:

zebedee said:

What exactly do cyclists ignore in the highway code?

Red lights. Like the st that nearly tanked into me this morning.

As I said, very stereotypical. I believe the problem is quite bad in London, but doesn't mean all cyclists do it. I don't, nor do most keen cyclists, in fact most keen cyclists rant about muppets who go through red lights. It's fair to say quite a lot of motorists go through red lights too, but that doesn't mean all drivers are nobs. Cyclists should ride considerately, including signals where appropriate, and stopping at red lights and staying off pavements. Motorists should drive considerately, which does not include sneaking up behind cyclists, flooring it and giving a big blast of the horn such that you scatter them in the hedgerow. That's what this thread is about and I think that anyone who supports his (apparent) actions should go and hand their licence in as they are unfit to share the road with other users.

[anonymous-user]

Podie said:

garyhun said:

Podie said:

Yet when Clarkson whinges about cyclists no one gives a rat's ass.

Oh, I don't know. I love Clarkson but he writes such drivel at times! Mostly probably to get a laugh... but drivel none the less.

So James Martin wasn't trying to get a laugh?

Very possible. I was just answering the Q that we don;t give a rates arse about Clarkson

[Podie]

garyhun said:

Podie said:

garyhun said:

Podie said:

Yet when Clarkson whinges about cyclists no one gives a rat's ass.

Oh, I don't know. I love Clarkson but he writes such drivel at times! Mostly probably to get a laugh... but drivel none the less.

So James Martin wasn't trying to get a laugh?

Very possible. I was just answering the Q that we don;t give a rates arse about Clarkson

[zebedee]

He has now accepted that it was a nobbish thing to say:

"May I take this opportunity to apologize for any offence I have caused through the article in last weekend’s Mail on Sunday. It was never my intention to offend the many cyclists who share our roads across the country. What was intended to be a humorous piece was clearly misjudged. Further more I do not condone any form of reckless driving.

Once again, I am sincerely sorry for any upset caused in relation to this article. "

[Harry Flashman]

Silver993tt said:

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

That is actually quite funny though. You see them here in London too - dressed as if they're racing the Tour de France, for that gruelling, lengthy and super-hardcore 5 mile commute to work from Clapham.

Pillocks.

[Silver993tt]

zebedee said:

Silver993tt said:

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

Yep, totally agree. Bunches of arrogant tts who ignore every rule in the highway code. They deserve everything that comes their way.

Total hypocrit. Martin has confirmed he has no knowledge of the highway code at all by his apparent use of the horn (personally I think the saddo made the whole event up). His driving (or his suggested way of driving) is dangerous to the say least. Yet you say that cyclists (by which you irrefutably and horribly stereotype) deserve everything because they ignore the highway code. What exactly do cyclists ignore in the highway code? I suggest that if you have an attitude like that towards them, you probably drive like Martin too, in which case if you find cyclists acting 'arrogantly' towards you, it may be that you have really fecked them off with your p1ss-poor driving in their vicinity. Good driving and cycling involves consideration of all road users, the likes of you and Martin's stereotyped excuses suggest that neither of you should be on the road in any capacity whatsoever.

Where did I say "When I was driving"? I don't have to be in my car to make these observations as I often have more time to experience their idiotic behaviour when on foot. It's usually those in their late 30s to mid 50s who have money burning a hole in their pocket. They tend to ride in groups blocking roads, running red lights, cycling along pavements when they feel like it (including explicit 'No Cycling' zones close towhere I live) and often get very agressive when someone points out that a) they're not the only users of the road and b) they're likely to come off worst when ignoring signage that everyone else obeys.

[zebedee]

Silver993tt said:

zebedee said:

Silver993tt said:

"Out of it step a bunch of City-boy ponces in fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes, who then pedal around our narrow lanes four abreast with their private parts alarmingly apparent. Do they enjoy it? They never smile."

Yep, totally agree. Bunches of arrogant tts who ignore every rule in the highway code. They deserve everything that comes their way.

Total hypocrit. Martin has confirmed he has no knowledge of the highway code at all by his apparent use of the horn (personally I think the saddo made the whole event up). His driving (or his suggested way of driving) is dangerous to the say least. Yet you say that cyclists (by which you irrefutably and horribly stereotype) deserve everything because they ignore the highway code. What exactly do cyclists ignore in the highway code? I suggest that if you have an attitude like that towards them, you probably drive like Martin too, in which case if you find cyclists acting 'arrogantly' towards you, it may be that you have really fecked them off with your p1ss-poor driving in their vicinity. Good driving and cycling involves consideration of all road users, the likes of you and Martin's stereotyped excuses suggest that neither of you should be on the road in any capacity whatsoever.

Where did I say "When I was driving"? I don't have to be in my car to make these observations as I often have more time to experience their idiotic behaviour when on foot. It's usually those in their late 30s to mid 50s who have money burning a hole in their pocket. They tend to ride in groups blocking roads, running red lights, cycling along pavements when they feel like it (including explicit 'No Cycling' zones close towhere I live) and often get very agressive when someone points out that a) they're not the only users of the road and b) they're likely to come off worst when ignoring signage that everyone else obeys.

You did say that they deserve what is coming to them, which in light of the James Martin comments was completely indefensible, particularly in the 'pedal powered' section of the forum!