14 DAY TRIAL // If you are a fan of the motoring show “Top Gear,” you are surely aware of the latest scandal that has sparked an international debate between Britain and Argentina. The TV crew of the British show went to Argentina to film a special, but ran into a snag when one of the cars' license plates infuriated locals because it seemed to be referencing the Falklands War.
The plate in question had the letters FKL printed on it and some of the war veterans took that as a slight and got very angry. They resorted to throwing rocks at the convoy of cars and protesting loudly outside the hotel the team was staying in.
Clarkson might have escaped from Argentina but he might not keep his job
Things quickly degenerated and Clarkson later confessed that they had to hide out under a bed to avoid being lynched by the angry mob. They were only able to leave the country under police escort.
The incident has caused a lot of ink to be spilled in British newspapers and it's seriously affected Jeremy's career, which was already on thin ice because of previous scandals.
Now, fellow presenter James May is speaking out in defense of his colleague. The Daily Star quotes him as saying, “How could we have done it deliberately? All we’ve done is buy some secondhand cars. It’s actually meaningless if you look at it. You have to want to see the meaning.”
May claims they were innocent, people saw what they wanted in the plates
In his view, people wanted to see something that wasn't there, as Clarkson already mentioned that the plates were an unfortunate coincidence and that they took them down as soon as the people got angry.
May assures the British public that “We weren’t going there to mock people about their war casualties,” referring to the 1982 conflict between the British and the Argentinians.
Their apologies and excuses are all fine and sound honest enough, but a separate investigation has shown that the number on the car was actually changed after it was purchased by Top Gear for the special episode, indicating that there was some meddling with the plates.
Also, the fact that Jeremy Clarkson just happened to be driving that car also makes some raise an eyebrow. Clarkson is known for not being the most sensitive person in the world and he's caused uproar on several previous occasions.
The BBC has begun an investigation into the matter and will determine if Clarkson is going to keep his job after this latest stunt, since he had already been warned that if he caused another scandal, he would be sacked.
It's worth noting that the odds of Jeremy losing his job at Top Gear have been slashed by bookies in the UK.