Clarkson's insult prompts dare to try bus driver's job

Jeremy Clarkson is more used to driving Daimlers than double-deckers. But the outspoken motoring presenter has been challenged to spend a week "on the buses" after he attacked bus drivers as "little Hitler bastards" in a newspaper column.

The Transport & General Workers' Union, which represents more than 100,000 bus drivers, has become the latest group to add Mr Clarkson to their hit list after his comments in last week's Sun article. He outraged the union by saying that any bus driver who fails to let the car go first is an "inconsiderate jumped-up little Hitler bastard" who should be "shot in the middle of his face".

Graham Stevenson, T&G national organiser for transport, said: "Jeremy should try a week as a bus driver in a busy city in the UK on a bus driver's pay and hours, living in the average bus driver's accommodation." He promised to organise the job swap if Mr Clarkson was prepared to do it.

Ironically, the Top Gear presenter has in the past said he wants to be regarded as "the champion of the ordinary people".

Mr Stevenson said: "Bus drivers have a sense of humour, but these comments are ... deeply offensive. Many of our members and their families have taken offence. Clarkson should apologise, but he should do more, in our view, he should spend a week as a bus driver." He said Mr Clarkson's views showed contempt for the nation's bus drivers, so it was only right for him to see what the job entailed.

The columnist is more used to being targeted by environmentalists than fellow road users.