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Chris Boardman reacts to Top Gear.pngTop Gear on Cycling: Well, what did you expect?
When news emerged that this evening’s edition of the BBC’s hugely popular motoring programme, Top Gear, was due to feature a segment on cycle safety, it seemed too good to be true – and that’s exactly how it turned out, as it resorted to a to a re-hash of old jokes and pantomime prejudice against cyclists.
Aired on the eve of the launch of a major new road safety campaign by the AA aimed at fostering more awareness between people in cars and those on two wheels, Top Gear could have seized an opportunity to highlight that they are often one and the same.
Indeed, just as AA president Edmund King called in November 2012 for an end from what he described as a “Two Tribes” mentality that often sees motorists and cyclists viewed as breeds apart, Top Gear co-host James May told the My Orange Brompton blog last year, “I particularly hate road sectarianism.”
You wouldn’t have known that from last night’s show as May, on his Brompton, embarked on what was laughably described as a fact-finding bike ride through London’s West End, accompanied by Jeremy Clarkson on a hybrid.
The tour was undertaken after a panel of experts reacted with dismay to Clarkson and May’s initial efforts to produce what was billed as a “public information film” to help stop cyclists being injured.
Those experts were British Cycling policy advisor Chris Boardman, Westminster Council’s commissioner of transportation, Martin Low and Alan Kennedy of Road Safety GB.
Speaking to road.cc last week about Top Gear's pre-filmed cycling segment Chris Boardman told us this:
“Anything to do with Top Gear is playing with fire, which is why people watch it,” he said. “On the flip side, it’s also a chance to reach a wider (motoring) audience and portray ourselves as ‘one of you’ rather than cycling fanatics. Just normal people with a sense of humour, who’d like to see more cycling.
“I’m not in control of the edit but knowing a bit about making telly, I could see how they could cut it to look several different ways!
“We’ll see on Sunday if the gamble has paid off.”
We saw.
Clarkson’s film showed a man leaving the office after working late and driving home to his family. “John works hard,” went the voiceover, “which means he can afford to drive a car. That means he gets home to his family safely every night.”
The strapline, against the image of a bicycle laying on the road with buckled tyres, was “Work Harder. Get a car,” an old Clarkson joke and used often enough to be more or less his catchphrase when it comes to cycling.
May’s showed people from a variety of professions and trades – medicine, the law, workmen in hi-viz jackets – frolicking in a children’s playground.
The message, as a man rode past on a bicycle? “You stopped playing with children’s toys when you grew up. So why ride a bicycle? Act your age. Get a car.”
“You just haven’t got it, have you? Absolutely crazy,” said Low, his comments presumably unscripted. Meanwhile, Boardman winced.
So off trooped May and Clarkson to undertake their fact-finding mission, clad in hi-viz jackets and wearing cycle helmets and sporty eyewear, concluding that drivers were incredibly courteous, even at Hyde Park Corner, with the exception of those in charge of buses. Indeed their close encounters with a number of London buses did look genuinely terrifying - even the presence of a BBC film crew is it seems no protection.
Disingenuously, executing a right turn was highlighted by the pair as the biggest source of danger to cyclists, so instead they followed a route composed entirely of left-turns. No mention of the dangers posed by cars or lorries, no mention of improving infrastructure.
The films they returned with were as excruciating as the originals. Clarkson’s had a cyclist blown up while attempting to defuse a bomb because of his inability to distinguish between red and green.
“Cyclists: red and green – learn the bloody difference.” (Traffic lights, geddit?)
May’s began hopefully – footage of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, giving rise to vain hopes of a share the road message. Instead, via John Lennon and Yoko Ono and Christ on the cross, we were told: “Righteousness is no guarantee of safety.”
It was head in the hands time again for the panellists.
But wait. There was a fifth film. It was better than the others, which isn’t saying much, but it’s message was that more people taking to bikes, while disconcerting for their work colleagues due to their body odour, meant less congestion on the roads – and topped off by a car being driven up a deserted Whitehall.
You might ask, why does this matter? Top Gear is at heart a light entertainment programme, and Clarkson no more than a pantomime villain, not to be taken seriously.
Except, many do. And it’s reasonable to draw a connection between the abuse cyclists suffer daily on the roads is partly due to the impact of shows such as this – abuse, moreover, that the same people do not get when they are in their car, or on foot.
Reaction on social media varied. AA president King said: “Top Gear - cyclist advice interesting. AA to film our own tomorrow,” while Spin LDN said: “Jeremy Clarkson patronising cyclists not funny, cool or even worth screen time..so out of touch, total yawnfest.”
Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign said: “If @BBC_TopGear have to make fun of themselves and tries to turn people against bus drivers, does this mean uk #cycling has come a long way?”
Meanwhile, Wes Streeting, deputy leader of Redbridge Labour Group and the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Ilford North at next year's general election, added: “Cracking episode of Top Gear tonight. 'Red and green. Learn the bloody difference'. Brilliant.”
We’d hoped against hope that the show might give its fans some insight about the issues cyclists face while riding city streets, ones that cause danger and lead to people being killed or seriously injured.
Instead, we got a piece that played for and got cheap laughs, and that reinforced old prejudices, the very same ones that May said he loathed.
If you missed it judge for yourself - point making, if provocative public information film or pointless rehash of old jokes and pantomime prejudice that missed a chance to do some good? It's on the BBC iPlayer now.
Still, on the bright side – at least there was no mention of bloody road tax.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
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An excellent idea but then - due to expensive lawyers and accountants - no doubt the richer would be found to personally not own or control a penny...
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Re: the shipping container bike lane......
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The section being talked about is the southern part of Clifford Bridge Road from the B4082 to the B4027. A cycle route of sorts already exists on...
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I'd buy a motorbike fo rthat kind of money!
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Article on the BBC - "thousands" demand halt: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6296300l05o
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There are people out there who will make you the belt out of your old tyre.
- chrisonabike 11 hours 26 min ago
Furry dice and an air freshener for your helmet.
Add new comment
133 comments
It seems to me that many here overestimate the effect of what would be perceived as a "boring" safety ad and underestimate the effect of what the TG audience thinks of as "funny" entertainment.
It's not an ideal world, and a lot of people are rather thoughtless. You have to pick them up where they are, instead of expecting to find them where you would like them to be.
Loved it, but what do people expect from Top Gear, it was never ever going to be helpfull to cyclists so why get so upset over it ?
Chris Boardman is normally spot on. http://rdrf.org.uk/2013/04/27/get-britain-cycling-is-chris-boardman-righ... This time he took a gamble (with an officer from a Borough which is pretty hopeless for cycling and someone from the so-called "road safety" lobby) and it didn't pay off.
Of course, you don't get anywhere without taking a gamble, but in my view he should have known that he was unlikely to get anywhere.
My problem is that the specimens on Top Gear are not "just a joke" and that we as licence payers pay for this drivel.
Chris Boardman is normally spot on. http://rdrf.org.uk/2013/04/27/get-britain-cycling-is-chris-boardman-righ... This time he took a gamble (with an officer from a Borough which is pretty hopeless for cycling and someone from the so-called "road safety" lobby) and it didn't pay off.
Of course, you don't get anywhere without taking a gamble, but in my view he should have known that he was unlikely to get anywhere.
My problem is that the specimens on Top Gear are not "just a joke" and that we as licence payers pay for this drivel.
Well it wasn't what I was expecting. It was disappointing that Chris Boardman didn't use it more to his advantage. But I did think it did a bit of light mockery of some of anti-cycling tropes. My feeling was that it sent up a lot of anti-cycling stereotypes. It was funny. Didn't help the cycling safety effort. I'm not sure it was intended to. That's about it.
I feel particularly let down by James May. He, after all, rides both bikes and motor cycles so should already know what it's like on 2 wheels in London. I don't know how he could appear in such cr..p without trying to influence the editorial input. I also expected some sort of input from Hammond since he's also a keen cyclist. It just reinforces all the prejudice and inaccurate hearsay held by many "petrol heads".
The jet bike was a good laugh though.
It was the portrayal of injured cyclists as vegetables that prompted me to make my first complaint to the BBC. This was unacceptable. If their production office was in London rather than a deserted racetrack(?), then simply looking out of the window at the frequently jams would tell them that discouraging cycling like last night was a very silly idea. I'm not looking forward to the "work harder" abuse and only being given an inch during overtakes on my way home.
'Red and green. Learn the bloody difference'
And drivers, learn to count. 30 means 30. 30 is 3x10, that's a bit more than 20 but not 45 or 50.
My god, people actually wrote to the BBC to complain. Its top gear, not panor-stuffin-ama. I would have preferred to see it end with boardman bludgeoning clarkson with a track pump but that would have sent in dozens of complaints from the same viewers for the inappropriate use of tyre inflation device and how in the wrong hands it could blind a child.......argh, just go away.
Meh, lighten up and take a look at some real comedy about Top Gear as suggested above by Martin Thomas. I love the line the line about how he'd like to see Hammond decapitated! http://youtu.be/K7CnMQ4L9Pc
I've just watched the program on BBC iPlayer (I was out riding my bike when it was aired live) ironic, no?
I was so angered at the negative stereotypes, victim blaming, misinformation and appallingly insenstive depiction of mangled bikes and injured cyclists that I complained to the BBC.
First time in 50 years I've ever felt angered enough to do that.
Can't be arsed wading through the 89 comments, so apologies if anyone else has posted this up, but saw this link via Cycling Plus Facebook page
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/James-May-on-bicycles-2012-12-14
Clarkson and his minions are professional trolls, so I'm not really surprised at the piece at all and usually enjoy the show by filtering out the moronic jokes that would annoy me and laughing at the other moronic jokes that I find funny.
I think it is a shame Boardman lent his name to the piece without a chance for at least some decent balance though. I assume he took a punt on that and was let down.
Jeremy Clarkson is, by his own admission, the uncoolest man on the planet. [See 'Cool Wall', Top Gear, ad nauseam!]
Clarkson is uncool - therefore anything he thinks is cool is not cool - ipso facto everything Clarkson finds uncool [e.g. cycling] is really cool.
If you accept that Clarkson is uncool then cycling (and therefore cyclists) is cool. Everything is right with the world after all.
Tbh I'd rather you didn't. Guess what happens when cyclists complain about everything? What's the point of trying to please the unpleasable?
I thought it quite a clever touch that it was all veggy...
Agree with all of that.
And one other thing which is pertinent is the red/green. It does annoy motorists, and as a cyclist it annoys me too. There are rules to the road and everyone should obey them, the minority of cyclists who ride through red lights do a total disservice to the whole cycling community. Fact.
I'm not sure the producers gave the honourable Mr Boardman a chance to get political. Think they spent all their killer joules on other energy.
He wasn't in control. He was edited. Top Gear couldn't afford to let him express his views, because he talks too much sense and makes his points too well.
Same bloody script every week (that is why I stopped watching it ages ago). It isn't even funny anymore. Very tired format. About time to retire Clarkson & Co.
Nobody takes Clarkson seriously, he is a comic.
Red/Green funny.
Seeing crushed bicycles not funny.
Anything that reinforces prejudice is bad. Some nutters out there watching this sort of stuff could take it as licence to put fellow road users at risk.
I have complained to the BBC.
I thought the strongest message was the attitude of TFL Bus drivers, although it was a pity they didn't encounter any left turning HGVs or buses in the video. I did chortle at the Lance Armstrong, Hitler and Christ gags though.
The most frightening thing about that is the bus drivers' attitude and driving has got much better... now they have external cameras which show quite well how poor their driving can be and they've been used in court.
I know it was supposed to be a bit of standard top gear poking fun stuff but I really can't see where the humour was. Surely humour lies in the unexpected - this was just the usual blah that my brother in law comes out with every time I see him. Maybe it was executed slightly better but it was the same stuff - no expectations were confounded and no thoughts were provoked. This was nothing. This was just "Where are my pants?" (apologies to anyone who hasn't seen the Lego Movie).
I actually quite liked the fact that it made an effort not to pander to the common media image of a cyclists Vs motorist road war. That's the real lazy path that too many TV programmes and news items take.
The humour wasn't the best the show has done, but nothing I'd take offence at. Though "Christ on a bike" was funny.
And the end point was a good one. In London, the belief that "cyclists cause congestion" seems to have become the new "you don't pay road tax" for a certain type of driver.
I think the red/green video should go viral on YouTube. It was entertaining, and it does apply to some people. A light hearted joke, and likely fitting of the original brief to create an awareness video.
Top Gear's conclusion on cycling, as far as I saw it:
"Cyclists are smelly, self-righteous, law-breaking, lazy w*nkers (and cycling is f*cking dangerous) so why would you want to be one?"
There was just a tiny fraction of reason at the end, as a pretence of balance, which most non-cyclists would (I suspect) have either missed or ignored.
Top Gear and the BBC just did a great big sh*t on cycling in Britain. I hope Boardman's reputation survives this.
Their 'ride around London' may have been a bit pathetic, but it was still more than the MPs who are supposed to be debating cycling safety have managed.....
Interesting article. Any which actually back up what you say?
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