Don`t waste time trying to encourage people like Matthew Parris into adult behaviour. He along with Jeremy Clarkson is essentially an overgrown schoolboy in long trousers.

Brian Carlisle, Glasgow, Scotland

Mr Parris I had always mistakenly thought you were an individual who had an appreciation of the rights of all individiuals - i was mistaken.Your attack on cyclists is misjudged and ill thought. I hope you can think on the untimely death of Jason Macintyre who was a great example of what is good about this country and people. Perhaps you muight make a donation to the fund set up to provide for his family...?

christian Ward, Ashford, England

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7189168.stm

A Scottish cycling champion has died after a collision with a van on the A82 in Fort William.
Jason MacIntyre, 34, who broke cycling legend Graham Obree's 10-mile time trial record last year, died in hospital from his injuries.

Happy now Mr Parris?

Paul , Murthly,

The article about decapitating cyclists was excellent.
A wonderful wake up call to some of the most self-righteous and arrogant people on the road.
You people back in england need to unwind more.
(meaning to relax, not to unwind piano wire...)

Daniel K888, Melbourne, Australia

Rather than offer such a timid and insincere one line apology why don't you offer to sign up to a charity cycle ride and put all your hot air and mis-directed bitterness and anger to some good use- confirmation in your next article would be helpful, not that I'm holding my breath...

paul johnston, solihull, west midlands

Is it so surprising that cyclists didn't find this tasteless "joke" funny? I'm sure most cyclists wouldn't be laughing at jokes encouraging the garrotting of gays/runners/Tories etc, either.

We find jokes like this about as funny as Nazi cartoons about Jews and blacks.

If you want us to laugh then I suggest you find a funny subject and use some wit and repartee. Fascism is rarely funny no matter how much you dress it up with pseudo humour.

A very insincere apology indeed.

Callum Lester, Milton Keynes,

This is a wholly irresponsible thing for any journalist to say, particularly as it was apparently triggered by the sight of a few cast off cans or drink cartons in hedgerows, which Matthew Parris attributes to cyclists. Most cyclists use water bottles which they don't throw away. It would be more likely to be runners or motorists leaving litter.

If Matthew Parris finds cyclists and cycling offensive, then perhaps he should be made to see the result of what he is suggesting or attend the scene of fatality involving a cyclist - only then will he understand what stupid things he has been saying. Members of cycling clubs are not, as he suggests, lycra clad louts but responsible individuals who ride their bikes to keep fit and get some fresh air and exercise - not litter the countryside. It's generally motorists who do that. Who else would leave fridges, old car tyres, beer cans and big mac wrappers in the middle of nowhere ? Give us cyclists a break - and a proper, grovelling apology

Bob Blackman, Fareham Wheelers CC, Hampshire

When I heard that Parris was offering an apology, I was pleased to the point of actually reading the article which preceeds it. Jolly interesting it was too. The boy may have a bit of talent after all.

Then I reached the apology. Oh dear, not so eloquent or contrite after all. As I predicted in my letter to his editor (who has yet to apologise for his appalling lack of judgement) Parris uses the cowardly excuse of accusing the target of his bile of having no sense of humour. How dare he? I'm quite the funniest man you never met, Matty. Just don't encourage others to behead my Mrs with piano wire and we'll rub along just fine.

Adrian, Carmarthenshire,

Classic self-righteous bluster from bullies who know they're in the wrong - stand firm, Matthew!

Captain Rugeley, London, UK

While the gesture of your apology is appreciated I and many other cyclists do not feel either you or your Paper have gone far enough to ensure such comments and incitement to violence will not occur again when you next imbibe a little too much Christmas Spirit.

So, I extend to you a challenge in the hopes that your acceptance will enlighten you to the dangers cyclists face on a daily basis and why comments such as yours could never be truly humorous.

The challenge is:

Three rides in three different locations with an experienced cyclist to offer you advice in each location. The locations are as follows:

1) London in rush hour traffic.

2) Your local trail as mentioned in your column..

3) The South West Coast to Coast ride. From Plymouth to Barnstaple.

I am sure that cyclists would be delighted to see you extending an olive branch in this manner and it would make fantastic material for your column & will give you a real insight into our sport.

I look forward to your response

Lee Anderson, Plymouth, UK.

Jask, Beds, England-You obviously have no common sense. Anyone who pays council tax pays for the roads. The Vehicle excise duty is imposed upon mechanically propelled vehicles (those with engines) used on public road. I pay insurance which covers my bike. I am also covered by life insurance and having read the small print through my house contents insurance which caters for accidents outside the house (never knew it was there). Thousands of people die (3,000) or are seriously injured on our roads each year 99.9% of which are caused by cars and other mechanically propelled vehicles ergo why your insurance is so damn high. Interestingly over 42,000 died on the roads in USA in 2005. If one was to apply logic here all cars, waggons buses etc would be banned due to the risk to life. Cycling on the other hand is heathy, reduces obesity improves longevity has no pollutant effects upon the enviroment, is quiet and efficent. Oh and as for the apology Mr Parris one out of ten for effort.

Barry Jones, Wirral, Merseyside

In your apology you say that your comment: “stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists” was meant humorously. I would like to ask both you and your editor to re-read that but replace the word ‘cyclist’ with any other minority group. Do you still think that it is humorous? Why is it any different with the word ‘cyclist’? If I wrote that in an email at work I would loose my job. You, Mr Parris, have written this in a national newspaper. You are also in need of some education regarding the cyclists’ nutrition. A cyclist carries a drink in a reusable plastic bottle and would not carry a drink in a can. The choice of food for a cyclist is a banana. You cannot blame all of the litter on cyclists alone. The litter that I pick up from the country lanes in my area usually consists of crisp packets, cigarette packets, cans and fast food cartons. If you were to suggest a cheeseburger eating, crisp munching 20-a-day cyclist now that could be humorous, Mr Parris.

Andy Harris, Poulton, England

Why are cyclists smug, flout the law, think they own the road and have no respect? Because they know that you, in your car, should be on a bike. They know that you're having a stressful, bad time and will generally take longer than them to get to their destination. They are having fun and will live about ten years longer than you.

From a regular cyclist's point of view, car use is madness. Your journey is almost certainly less than five miles. You're probably the only one in the car. You're probably overweight.

Get on your bike.

David Banks, Macclesfield, Cheshire

I have third-party insurance cover as part of my membership of the German national cycling club, the ADFC. My 25 quid a year membership fee finances six issues of a glossy cycling mag and my share of the club's operational costs. Let's be generous and say there's a fiver left over for the insurance premium. By comparison, my third-party CAR insurance costs me 180 quid a year. As German insurance companies don't give money away, it does look rather as though they think that I am less than 3% of the risk to other people when riding my bike as when driving my car. Ninety percent of my in-town journeys (i.e. those where I'm likely to encounter pedestrians) are by bike.

I think that puts the relative risks posed by cyclists and drivers into perspective.

Whilst I have no time for road users who ignore the rules or endanger others, be they on two legs, two wheels or four or more (powered) ones, I also don't advocate decapitating them, even as a "joke".

Rob Abram, Berlin, Germany

It does seem odd the vehemence that some display towards cyclists.
There are inconsiderate cyclists just as there are inconsiderate drivers and other categories of road user. Drivers continue to exceed speed limits and use mobile phones despite the illegality of these acts. And I'm sure it will ever be thus, regardless of any police action.
What people often neglect to mention is that motorised road users kill over 3,000 people every year, many of them children or teenagers; produce air pollution that is linked to 1000s of lung cancer deaths, childhood asthma and other respiratory illnesses; and contribute 20% of the UK's total CO2 emissions.
Compared to these serious consequences, surely cyclists riding on the pavement or going through red lights, however anti social, is somewhat insignificant?
A cyclist and car driver

Duncan Carter, London,

Tolerance of other peoples beliefs - Political or Religious - should be a cornerstone of any society.

But only a wally derides other peoples traditions - the electric candlestick is as important as the christmas tree to many European countries.

Richard, Bucharest,

Good old Matthew is fighting the wrong battle - he'd do better to direct his anger against bad road users, and in support of responsible, considerate ones - whatever the form of transport employed.

The same goes to the cyclist-haters out there (eg. Jask of Beds). They single out cyclists and refer to some cyclists bad behaviour as 'evidence'. How about the times when pedestrian have caused accidents to cyclists? I too can cite examples of that, including one which left me with an injured shoulder and months of pain - while the pedestrian just walked off, didn't stop to offer assistance etc.

I imagine that, when you don't cycle yourself - but drive, and are, like everyone else, a pedestrian - it is easier to deal with the frustrations of driving (clogged roads, high costs) by blaming cyclists.

Road tax for cycles? Yeah - but offset it against our lack of pollution. Now, that'd be fair.

Jorge, Manchester,

i find the cyclists here in Poole completely in disregard of the the law - they seem to believe they have an almighty right to do what they like - I am with you Matthew - time the police officers who don't do a lot clamped down on them on a Sunday morning between Poole roundabout and the Bakers Arms roundBOUT

DAVID MURRAY POOLE

David Murray, Poole, Dorset

Matthew, thirty years ago I actively supported gay people in their campaigning to be given protection from bigotry, abuse and violence. It comes as something of a slap in the face for me to find someone like you - whose freedoms I have stood up for, now turns round to attack another - equally innocent - minority.

Simon Brooke, Auchencairn, Scotland

Strange isn't it. When I drive my car, I'm seen as Mister Normal. When I drive my van I'm seen as Mister White Van Man with all that implies. When I ride my bike I'm seen as lawless bunny hugging hooligan with no respect for the law. But all the time I'm the same person using a different vehicle on the public highway. I'm not some crazed outsider on the fringe of society just because I choose to use my bike for some of my journeys, am I? What's wrong with everyone? Just because it's illegal to verbally bully ethnic or religious minorities nowadays are you are so desperate that you pick on someone just because of their travel choices? In spite of all the nastiness some people the bike remains for me the most enjoyable form of travel there is. And as a free bonus it keeps my fitness up and my waistline down. Some of you folk should try it sometime. It's fun.

Howard Cain, Bath, UK

I think your apology is lame to say the least. If you hade made your comments regarding other minority groups ('cause let's face it, that is what cyclists are in comparison to other road users), you would have been out on your ears.

Tim, London,

What really hisses off a lot of our antagonisers is that we "appear" to get away with everything and they just cant handle that at all,stuck in the constant jams roasting in summer, freezing in winter while we sail by with meaty thigh. I always allowed for cyclists when I was red,yellow and blue van man(never white) but I now find it totally unethical to drive and own a car .The interesting thing about most drivers is when faced with the consequences of their collective stupidity they almost to a persona dodge the issue of obvious environmental disaster looming in their lungs. I know 75 year olds who race around on their bikes as would be the envy of a 14 year olds and some here and elswhere woud ridicule them for wearing lycra. In ordinary clothes I would arrive at any destination more than 2 miles away soaking and feeling totally uncomfortable.Ultimately we will do as we feel we need to and if the rest of them want to rot in your rusty tin cans thats fine.And i didnt digress once

David Walls, London, England

I honestly thought you had forgot to appologise to the cycling community instead after a full pages rant we get three lines was all your facts right come out for a ride with me and I will teach you our cycling equities thats if you come back to the UK your out the country right now according to the times.

Dan, Preston, UK

"The police take no notice. "

Tom, Met police have just given me an amazing statistic which confirms how little enforcement they do to protect cyclists.

In the year from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, police issued just three £30 penalties to drivers who drove in cycle lanes.


Meanwhile over 200 cyclists in one month received FPN's for red light jumping, whilst motorists were ignored as they did exactly the same.

No motorist in The City has EVER been fined for encroaching an ASL- an offence commensurate with red light jumping.

Too much petrolhead prejudice on this subject.

Dr Susan Potter, London,

There you are Mr Parris... in among all those demanding apologies from you, are a few such as GlynH (Seaton) who obviously agree and endorse your sentiments, and are clearly quite crazy. OK they may be the mad minority, but they are still out there making the roads lethal for cyclists... and don't need your mindless encouragement. Your sniveling apology sounds more like someone protecting his salary.

Danny Pollock, London, England

Steve, wolverhampton - splitting hairs on the definition of road tax does not answer the point. The point is that road users pay, in several ways - I don't think bikes should be different.

Colin, Harrogate, - saying that only good people would bother with insurance (like cars) doesn't mean that bad people should ride bikes and not pay, they should be prosecuted. If cyclists can't be bothered to get insurance or break road rules they should walk instead.

Saintjohn, Stockport, UK - quoting a figure without a reference means nothing and proves nothing. What I know, from personal experience, is that I've seen two old ladies, one mum with baby and two middle aged people knocked down by cyclists in front of my eyes (and that is excluding the times I've been hit on a crossing or a path). The mum and bady suffered scratches and one of the old ladies was taken to hospital. None of the cyclists even stopped to apologise.

Cyclists should be taxed and insured

Jask, Beds, England

M Parris

I took it as an intended joke. But a very sick joke from a presumably bitter and twisted person. It wasn't funny, more worrying that the person thought it would be funny. I couldn't write something like that or even say it as a joke in a pub without losing self respect.

Makes paper choice easier in future

Paul

Paul Cromey, Murthly,

Appology appreciated, but inadequate.

I have stopped using cycle paths. Mr Paris's article is justification to stop building dedicated cycle paths and to get bicycles back on the roads. Which, I understand, is exactly where petrol-heads don't want them.

Also I've never seen a cyclist with a can of drink. On a bicycle, they are practically impossible to open, drink from, reseal or carry. A very poor show Mr Paris, and those that have complained are not simply lacking in humour as you attempt to imply.

Chris Squires, Cheltenham, UK

Bullies always say "I was only joking" when someone calls them for what they are.

One has to wonder if it was the realisation that quite a lot of people have been "hilariously" injured and scarred for life by his prescribed method that made him think?

Still, it is a first, an actual apology.

Bob Hatchet, Buxton, Derbyshire

To Jask: how many pedestrians are killed each year by cyclists? (answer 1 last year - first for several years) compared to pedestrians killed by cars? Get some perspective.

Apology appreciated, but most cyclists I know are sick of being the target of "petrolhead" rage - hence the big reaction.

Saintjohn, Stockport, UK

Being "offended" is deeply fashionable. minorities and single interest groups thrive on it and indeed it enables them to move up the pecking order and appear to be martyrs to the cause. By apologising to those who have put forward such a hollow and specious cry of "offense" you have not only appeased but also contributed to their mythically holy status. These smelly lycra-clad myrmidons of all that is disingenously "green" have done you up like a kipper.

Jack Bloxam, Edinburgh,

Mr Parris, I like your comments usually but I just wanted to write and add myself to the list of people who found your cycling remark pretty stupid. I guess (but don't know) that what you were referring were cyclists who routinely break laws, the highway code, etc and generally have no respect for others. If that was your point then I'd agree with the sentiment that these people are idiots. But simply to call these people "cyclists" is the same as calling the hooligans who are only looking for a fight before / after / during the game "football supporters".

Just while I'm here - Jask, you're right that cyclists should probably be insured, etc. But you'll get the usual problem - those who abide by the law will be taxed, licenced, etc and the idiots who ride on the pavements won't bother.
Glyn - regarding your mini environmental rant, get your head out of the sand and start thinking like a grown up.

colin, Harrogate,

I'm glad you apologized, but as Vic from Singapore said, death on the road's no laughing matter for cyclists, and drivers do not need your encouragement to disregard the safety of cyclists.

You might do well to remember that an awful lot of cyclists (particularly in London) are also drivers, eg, pay tax, insurance, and routinely observe other cyclists' road behaviour.

Michael Taylor, Malton, UK

Matthew, please have the decency and integrity to apologise properly to cyclists. Over 200 complaints to the PCC indicates just how misjudged your nasty little peice was. A few lines at the bottom of your most recent article is not good enough.

Peter, Maldon, UK

being a cyclist doesn't mean we've traded our sense of humour for skinny calves

its just that for us, there is genuinely no humour in the matter of death on the road. after all the various near misses, no matter how law abiding we are, its not a possibility so remote we can take as a joke.

anti-cyclist sentiment stops becoming a laughing matter when u realise how real it is amongst some drivers

Vic, Sg, Singapore

Again again again ...Road tax???!?!!!!! You think this exists? You think this pays for the roads? Please do your research!

Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. -- Mark Twain

Chris Giles, Huddersfield, UK

Nice apology Matthew but perhaps it should have been a little higher on the agenda people do leave traps similar to the one you described and as a runner I would have thought you would be aware the problem.

Jask, firstly nobody has paid Road Tax since the 1930's it's called Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty and is graduated based on the cleanliness of the vehicle.

A car registered after 2001 with zero emissions pays exactly the same tax (zero) as other zero emissions vehicles such as the bicycle.

Sorry to hear you have had problems with cyclists disobeying the rules of the road but as a cyclist and pedestrian I am a victim of motorists breaking the law every day while in possesion of a deadly weapon but I'm mature enough not to blame all motorists for the minority that think they own the road "cos they pays tax fer it".

Steve, wolverhampton,

Cyclists where I live, in central London, routinely disregard the most basic rules of the road. The police take no notice. They run red lights, everybody knows that, but also go the wrong way up one way streets. I pointed this out to one once and he chased me for hundreds of yards up the road shouting blue murder. Cyclists are not fluffy lovable victims and they should be prepared to take a bit of criticism. The failure of their sense of humour over an obviously satirical attack shows that they are not prepared to accept real and justified criticism and submit to the same laws as everybody else.

Tom, London,

Tom Crispin, because non-cyclists are a different species? I think Parris was right the first time, when I walk to work through London I get cyclists running through red lights at every pedestrian crossing and cycling down every path, I have been knocked over numerous times by law breaking cyclists and I've seen many other pedestrians suffer as well. Cyclists should be licensed and pay road tax and be insured.

Jask, Beds, England

Clarkson says he'll run over cyclists "for fun".

Kate Hoey says she uses her car horn to drive cyclists off the roads.

Nigel Havers calls us "nazis" and Parris is the only one to apologise.

Sally Daleson, Essex.,

Why appologise Matthew? Quite obviously beheading cyclists was meant to be humourous. We dhimmis leave real beheadings to the muslims. However the squawks of outrage from the cyclists (and I have one in the back of my motorhome at this moment) were a joy to behold and the squeals over your standby lamp were a delight to read. Keep up the good work. Your ground heat stuff sounds splendid, but don't let the envoinmentalists (lefties to a man) reduce the West to stone age poverty. Its just another passing ism - like socialism.

Glyn H, Seaton, Devon

an apology is appreciated, but how about an admission that as well as misjudging the tone of your article, you also misjudged the content. Or do you still believe that the offending bottles of powerade etc were left there by water-bottle-carrying cyclists?

seth, london,

A heartfelt, sincere apology, Mr Parris? I can see why you never made it as a politician.

Tim Footman, Croydon,

Thanks for the appology, Matthew. It's not so much of a concern that cyclists take your "humour" seriously, but a fear that non-cyclists would.

Tom Crispin, London, England