Formula One: Of Pikeys and Men

If it hasn't hit your computer screens, or newspapers, or televisions yet, Martin Brundle, former Grand Prix driver and current Formula One pundit for ITV, has gotten himself into a bit of hot water after making a comment about likening the Montreal track workers as "pikeys."

His exact quote was "there are some pikeys out there putting down new tarmac at Turn 10. Are they out of the way yet?"

Being born and raised in Canada, I had never heard this term before and didn't even think twice about this comment that Mr. Brundle made to Bernie Ecclestone during the pre-race grid walk.

However, after finding out that Martin Brundle got himself into trouble about this, I had to go and look it up.

Going to the place where all questions are answered these days, Wikipedia, I found out that "pikey" is a derogatory term that describes people with no fixed address, or gypsies.

This is the equivalent of calling someone "trailer-trash" in North America. I can see it being offensive, but why track workers?

This had to be consulted with an English friend, who said that pikeys tended to be gypsies who did odd jobs for the populous. They would come and offer to tarmac your driveway with left over material from a previous job.

The catch was that they would do a shoddy job of repairing your driveway, and you had no means of retribution.

This made a lot more sense when referring to the track workers.

I know that Martin Brundle is a bit of a controversial character at times, and who doesn't love controversy? But to go out and slander a group of people, that's not fair to them.

As well, we live in a very politically correct society, and any sort of derogatory term that is used can be punishable. Political correctness may not always be a good thing, but that's how Western society is. Martin Brundle should have known that.

Unfortunately, as a result of this society, Brundle has himself in hot water over a perfectly avoidable term that I don't think many would have known or cared about.

As someone who is doing this as a full time job, he should have known better about what the rules in the UK are for broadcasters and stuck by them.

Controversy could have still ensued within the broadcaster's limits if say, he was heavily opinionated about another team, driver, or something along those lines. Controversy does not necessarily equate to insulting or degrading a group of people.

It's sad to see someone get in trouble over saying something, but that's the society we live in.