Richard Blows responds to Tom Usher's article on Jackass, recalling a youthful night of roof rack riding that remains a vivid memory 40 years later.
A response to Tom Usher's article
Richard Blows writes in response to Tom Usher's article, 'Farewell to Jackass, the finest catalogue of male idiocy – it could only go on for so long', published on 4 July. Blows agrees with Usher and the British Medical Journal that idiocy is a peculiarly male trait. Reading the article made him laugh and reminded him that when he and his wife met, she could not understand how he could watch Jackass and cry with laughter at the madness. She remains bemused at his response to similar content on the internet.
A youthful act of idiocy
The article also brought back Blows' one proper, fleeting act of idiocy. When much younger, their designated driver decided after a night in the pub that they should liven up the journey home. Their ride was a small red van with everyone (all male) piled in the back and a frame roof rack. That night they decided that 'roof rack riding' could be a thing. In a field at his parent's farm, they all took turns to lie on the roof rack, hold on, and see how fast he could drive before they either screamed 'stop' or fell off. One overzealous press of the brake pedal could have seen any of them fly off in front of the van. Fortunately, they all preserved their place in the gene pool that night.
A treasured memory
Blows reflects on the experience: 'Idiotic? Yes. A treasured, colourful memory, still pin-sharp 40 years later? Also yes.' The letter was sent from Corston, Somerset.
