Jeremy Clarkson on driving a Vespa:
Recently, various newspapers ran a photograph of me on a small motorcycle. They all pointed out that I hate motorbikes and that by riding one I had exposed myself as a hypocrite who should commit suicide immediately.
Hmmm. Had I been photographed riding the local postmistress, then, yes, I’d have been shamed into making some kind of apology. But it was a motorcycle. And I don’t think it even remotely peculiar that a motoring journalist should ride such a thing. Not when there is a problem with the economy and many people are wondering if they should make a switch from four wheels to two.
Unfortunately, you cannot make this switch on a whim, because this is Britain and there are rules. Which means that before climbing on board you must go to a car park, put on a high-visibility jacket and spend the morning driving round some cones while a man called Dave — all motorcycle instructors are called Dave ((I took a motorcycle safety class many years ago in Washington, DC. My instructor’s name was…Dave.)) — explains which lever does what.
Afterwards, you will be taken on the road, where you will drive about for several hours in a state of abject fear and misery, and then you will go home and vow never to get on a motorcycle ever again.
Read the whole thing.
(Via Winterspeak.)
One reply on “On Driving a Vespa”
Have you seen Jeremy’s show on BBC? It’s called Top Gear. I’m not much of a gearhead but the show is extremely entertaining thanks to Jeremy and his buddies’ humor.