Richard Nye wants you dead

So the editor of some shitty lifestyle magazine for herd animals who believe their worth as human beings is equal to the sum of what they consume and need to be told what to buy because they're too dull to develop personalities of their own has got himself in a spot of bother by saying that in all his opinion the only good cyclist is a dead one. (Chances are it'll vanish off the magazine's website pretty sharpish; fortunately it's been preserved for posterity.)

Richard Nye, editor of the magazine and author of what is really little more than a hate speech, went on Twitter a short while after the news went round...

The Richmond Mag ‏@TheRichmondMag I am astonished at the reaction to my blog, which had nothing to do with cyclists being killed. I would never joke…

The Richmond Mag ‏@TheRichmondMag …about such a thing. People have misunderstood my use of phrase. I will respond fully shortly.

No, sorry mate - I think it's you who misunderstands the phrase, if you truly didn't mean what we all think you mean (and you admit you weren't joking). It doesn't matter what excuses you come up with; saying that you think "the only good cyclist is a dead one" can only have one meaning - that you think "the only good cyclist is a dead one." You can look between the lines for some other meaning as much you like, but there's just blank space there. A bit like in your head if you thought writing what you wrote was a good idea. Don't try to wriggle out of it - just apologise and admit you've been a bit of an idiot, because then we'll know you didn't really mean it. If you try to justify it, people will have their doubts.

Still, what does it matter? If Mr. Nye didn't have his head shoved so far up his own arse, he'd be able to look out of the window while driving around Richmond - bikes are trendy now, so it probably wouldn't take him long to figure out that he's just told a large percentage of his rag's readership that he believes the world would be a better place if they (and - by implication - their kids, if they cycle to school) were dead. Chances are, a good few of them have the sense not to bother reading it in future.

You can let him know what you think via Twitter. Do try to send your messages to @TheRichmondMag though, because the good folks at @RichmondMag in Virginia, USA are probably getting a bit fed up with being told off by now.