Stoning Clarkson, it's what we all want.

Iceweasel

Some people do see relationships between numberplates and political views that are perhaps unintended.

But I seem to remember that TG went to North Vietnam with scooters I think, showing the Stars and Stripes as a deliberate provocation - just to see what would happen.

They did the same thing with gay rights in the deep south of USA.

I don't think it was a co-incidence at all.

There is a only a very small chance it was accidental

But I remember a guy who turned up on a humanitarian aid convoy to Kosovo with a number plate A1 SRB which caused mixed reactions.

Political insensitivity can incense lots of people in any language.

warehouse

What short memories the Argentinians seem to have...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138926/Falkland-Islands-London-2012-Olympics-ad-shows-athlete-training-Argentine-soil-Port-Stanley.html

Joe_Horner

londonTiger wrote: »

People are so blinded by their allegiances, it makes me realise now how the American public are able to support their government and armed forces while they colonise the world.

Everyone of you who are saying the TG crew were unaware of the plate and it was just a coincidence.

How many of you would still give the benefit of doubt to some extremist who had the license plate J1 HAD and was driving around playing osama bin laden tapes. Would you say "J1 HAD was too much of a stretch to say it was intended to mean Jihad and that the audio tapes were freedom of expression.

The thing is, whether intentional or not, the "link" here is so tenuous as to be almost non-existent. Yes, they probably did it deliberately, but there's also a very good chance that they also paid some locals to make a fuss over it because no-one would have noticed otherwise. If they didn't pay, they certainly will have pointed out the supposed significance to get a reaction. J1 HAD actually spells something recognisable, Mr Clarkeson's doesn't.

As for the numerical "references", you can link just about any number to just about anything if you want to look hard enough, especially if you resort to "is fairly close to..." as your link.

The Top Gear team (the whole team, not just the presenters) are very, very, good at courting "controversial" publicity and I for one don't believe a single thing they do is accidental.

Drive pink cars in the South? That'll get some headlines....
Mention a slope on a bridge? We'll get some juicy reaction to that...
Stars and Stripes in Vietnam? Don't forget to alert the press on that one....

This one is pretty poor by their standards because the link is so weak. It would've been more effective and more likely to be recognised by Johnny Foreigner) if they'd used the IATA code for Stanley or Mt Pleasant because they have international meaning.

But it won't have been Jeremy Clarkeson's idea - it will have been thought up, and approved, by executives in full knowledge of how they'd profit from it. Clarkeson is just the (willing) fall-guy with an image carefully cultivated by the promotional department to sell headlines.

Anyone who gets upset by these antics is just doing exactly what the promoters want!

StrongWork

londonTiger wrote: »

How many of you would still give the benefit of doubt to some extremist who had the license plate J1 HAD and was driving around playing osama bin laden tapes. Would you say "J1 HAD was too much of a stretch to say it was intended to mean Jihad and that the audio tapes were freedom of expression.

:T Another excellent contribution.

prowla

Strider590 wrote: »

H982 FKL = 1982 Falklands

Yes, the Falklands war was in 82, and FK is the country code for the Falkland Islands.
But what about the H, 9 and L?

Buellguy

warehouse wrote: »

What short memories the Argentinians seem to have...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2138926/Falkland-Islands-London-2012-Olympics-ad-shows-athlete-training-Argentine-soil-Port-Stanley.html

Oh, and this one


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2657667/Argentina-face-FIFA-disciplinary-action-players-posed-Falklands-banner-friendly.html

prowla

It's curious that a country claims a territory which was never part of it - the Falklands were British before Argentina existed.

The "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" is a fantasy perpetrated by the ruling class of a tin-pot country which doesn't understand its own history and who fall back on pseudo nationalism, sabre-rattling and colonialism in order to divert attention away from the actual issues of the country.

The truth is "Las Malvinas nunca eran Argentinas".

matttye

prowla wrote: »

Yes, the Falklands war was in 82, and FK is the country code for the Falkland Islands.
But what about the H, 9 and L?

H982 Fkl
(1982 Falklands)

The H is just to match the number plate format.

It's a pretty strong coincidence that: -

1. 982 (1982) is the year of the Falklands war;
2. Fkl is a self-explanatory abbreviation for Falklands;
3. The car was in the Falklands at the time.

I won't comment on whether it's intentional or not, I'll just say it's a strong coincidence.

photome

londonTiger wrote: »

People are so blinded by their allegiances, it makes me realise now how the American public are able to support their government and armed forces while they colonise the world.

Everyone of you who are saying the TG crew were unaware of the plate and it was just a coincidence.

How many of you would still give the benefit of doubt to some extremist who had the license plate J1 HAD and was driving around playing osama bin laden tapes. Would you say "J1 HAD was too much of a stretch to say it was intended to mean Jihad and that the audio tapes were freedom of expression.

J1HAD spells exactly that, H982FKL spells nothing so whats your point.

Car_54

prowla wrote: »

The "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" is a fantasy perpetrated by the ruling class of a tin-pot country which doesn't understand its own history and who fall back on pseudo nationalism, sabre-rattling and colonialism in order to divert attention away from the actual issues of the country.

Which is remarkably similar to Mrs Thatcher's strategy in 1982.