16 January, 2016 11:25
CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Radio shock-jock Alan Jones has today asked his driver, Fabian, to kindly avoid driving through the suburbs of Redfern and Waterloo on his way to work this morning.
“Basically he wanted me to avoid all suburbs with an Indigenous population,” Fabian told BuzzFeed Reporters shortly after dropping Mr Jones off to the 2GB offices in Pyrmont.
“Coming from Circular Quay, we often drive through those areas to avoid the city. It’s going to be a bit tricky. Especially seeing I can’t really go through Wooloomooloo or the backside of Glebe,”
“He was quite nervous when he asked me, he said ‘just don’t go there please. Just get me into the car park at work, please’ – and let out an anxious laugh.”
The reasoning behind Alan Jones’ fear of being caught in traffic in a part of Sydney that is home to an Indigenous population comes from the comments he made on-air yesterday.
Jones had taken a call from a listener, Dell, who criticised the minute’s silence held to acknowledge the stolen generation before the rugby league match kicked off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Dell claimed the commemoration was a “load of twaddle”, and that “half the stolen generation were taken for their own protection”, to which Jones responded: “Correct. To look after them. And we need stolen generations.” – comments that have been met with backlash nationwide.
Local Koori, Nod White (38) says its probably a good thing that Alan Jones avoids Redfern for now.
“I mean, I can see why. These housing commissions are home to elderly people that were taken from their parents at a young age by the government. For Mr Jones to suggest that needs to happen again…”
“…I mean he’s just asking for trouble, isn’t he? It’s either he wants trouble or he wants ratings – we’ll be happy to oblige if he wants trouble”
Another Redfern-based Indigenous 2GB listener, Bryan Taylor, says there is nothing else he wants in the world than for Alan Jones’ driver to get a flat tyre in the middle of the night on Redfern street.
“That would be so gooood” says Bryan
“I mean I say this every couple of years. But right now I’d love him to pay a visit,”
Local Aboriginal boxer and NRL identity, Anthony Mundine, has taken to social media today to call for capital punishment to be brought back for Alan Jones – which is probably what spurred the radio announcer to ask his driver to avoid the area on the way to work this morning.
