Honest John and irresponsible journalism.

[snorri]

it's just a bit scary that dinosaur attitudes like his still exist.

Nah, we all know what happened to dinosaurs.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Answered by Honest John
I don't see why people who pay nothing for using the roads and pay no fuel tax and make no contribution to the economy should be allowed to hold up those who pay for the roads and earn the money we all live on.

Honest John's response defies any sort of adult analysis. It may be aimed at an audience who have a taste for these views, although it is not clear how he arrives at the conclusion that cyclists make no contribution to the economy.

There is more along the same lines on his website. He is promoting hatred based on silly myths.

For all that the quoted response it daft, I think it might be slightly excessive to suggest that the author is promoting hatred. One might even suggest that people who post baseless accusations against people for promoting hatred are guilty of something not entirely dissimilar. I wouldn't say that, but some might.

If we all accused anyone who wrote anything like this of promoting hatred, we'd end up with a lot of jolly angry people on the Internet, trawling through websites for things to disapprove of...

What?

We already have that?

Oh... Sorry.

As you were.

 

[glenn forger]

I don't pay any road tax for my car (Toyota IQ)...

Nor does the queen, the cops, ambulances tractors and steam engines. Freeloading scum.

 

[sheddy]

As HJ writes for the Saturday Telegraph, the letter and his answer may well be published in his column.

 

[glenn forger]

In Bromptonaut's thread Honest John is denying he wrote those words. No idea what's going on.

 

[ufkacbln]

Don't forget all the other freeloaders!

I was passed by a car the other day with 4 children in it... not one of them pays road tax, none of them are insured to drive, and worts of all not one of them was holding down a job and contributing to taxes

 

[dellzeqq]

nobber. That's all I've got to say on the subject

 

[Bromptonaut]

Honest John's denial adverted to a different question and answer. The one Glenn mentions was in reply to another response, itself rather one sided, and which referred to the incident where Boris was nearly taken out by a badly secured door on a rubbish lorry.

He's not come back since but IIRC he lives in Thailand for part of the year.

Unfortunately the thread got sidetracked by Jamie 745, one of HJ's resident trolls, who deleiberately refueses to get the point about bikes and tax.

 

[yello]

nobber

A word can be so effective when used with restraint. Well chosen dell

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I read this on the weekend (not that I get theTelegraph) and thought nobber, not worth a mench as it's just a ridiculous troll style wind up.

 

[ufkacbln]

I am in the pub and must agree that Honest John has a point!


There are people in here drinking soft drinks and coffee


They are not paying duty like what I do on my beer yet take up tables that could be used by those of us paying through the nose to use the pub whilst they freeload

 

[glenn forger]

The psychology of the "out-group" mentality among drivers is very close to the way racists think and feel. So, if HJ had said "Black people contribute nothing" it would be equally stupid and equally divisive and inciteful, bread-and -butter to racists. Do some drivers believe this silly myth? Yes, of course, most regular cyclists have heard abuse along those lines. Is HJ encouraging these drivers? Yes, of course, he's pandering to prejudice. He's encouraging violence to make money.