BentMikey and a Subaru Driver

[dellzeqq]

Well leaving the patronising nature of your reply aside how about you actally read my posts? I am not warning Mikey personally as no road user will ever get a word out of me, I simply don't do road rage, it's so subjective and pointless that I would rather just defuse the situation and go on my way apologising if I am in the wrong.

My warning is that he is antagonistic in his approach and he will one day meet someone who will take matters (wrongly) into his own hands. The fact he will be able to claim the moral high ground will do him no good at all when he is on the end of a physical assault. Still, that's up to him.

In fact I would go as far as to say that Mikey appears to go around in a state of suppressed frenzy just as much as any car driver. After all why else would he go home and create his little vigilante videos complete with all those cute captions to post on You Tube. OCD is the only other answer I can find.

now you're getting upset. That wasn't my intention.

Take this on board. This is a knowledge building forum which attempts to link the experience of cyclists. And BentMikey, like Magnatom, is one of those good souls who bring to this board an appreciation of things as they are, and how short things are from what they should be. Overtaking in the lunatic fashion shown on his videos is a constant bugbear.

My approach is very different to BM's. I noticed long ago that the slower the cyclist the less respect they were shown by motorists. Further, women cyclists, my own dear lady wife included, are intimidated in a manner that male cyclists aren't - the usual thing is driving too close behind when it is impossible to pass, and then passing when there really isn't enough room.

When I cycle with my wife, which I do on a regular basis, I manage to contain the excesses of drivers taking the mickey with a kind of patented stare - you would be amazed at the havoc a bit of eye contact wreaks on their fragile egos. When I'm on my own, on those very rare occasions that I'm messed about with by a driver, I tend to exact a degree of punishment - in London this is easily done because there is very little chance of the muppets escaping. I call it consciousness building in motorists - it's a kind of public service. Don't trouble to thank me.

BM's approach, which is altogether more civilised, is commendable in its restraint - but, then, of the two of us, he is by far the better man. Those motorists who find themselves on his youtube files can thank their lucky stars that they met him and not me.

At the ripe old age of 55 I long ago worked out that the kind of driver that cuts you up is the kind of driver that shrinks in to his shell when he (always he, by the way) is taken to task.

 

[dellzeqq]

Arent recumbents no wider than the person riding it? This is an average sized one no? Your drawing looks way to big?!?!

why not work out the scale from the width of the white line? I know it's a maths thing - feel free to get back to us if you're having difficulty...........

 

[thomas]

Seems the police aren't happy......

Quote BM...........

Just had a call back from Bromley, it looks like they will consider an £80 FPN. I reckon I'm pretty happy with that. I have to take the video in to them tomorrow or Wednesday, they can't view youtube as it's blocked by the IT dept

I think that sounds fair to be honest. Hopefully being £80 out of pocket might teach Dan a lesson!

 

[blazed]

why not work out the scale from the width of the white line? I know it's a maths thing - feel free to get back to us if you're having difficulty...........

I already done so old man which is how i came to the conclusion his drawing is way to big, no man is that wide not even rick waller.

 

[Mark T]

I already done so old man which is how i came to the conclusion his drawing is way to big

This is going to get very boring very quickly - but here goes. The "cyclist" lines on that screen capture are 8 times the width of the white line.

Just measured a white line outside my house - it's 10 cm wide. So that drawing suggests a cyclist who is 80 cm wide.

Just measured myself - I'm a thinnish chap, and I find myself to be... 60 cm wide. Not sure about BM or anyone else.

Are you sure that the drawing is "way too big"?

 

[Mark T]

FWIW my handlebars are 60 cm wide too.

 

[PBancroft]

Seems the police aren't happy......

Quote BM...........

Just had a call back from Bromley, it looks like they will consider an £80 FPN. I reckon I'm pretty happy with that. I have to take the video in to them tomorrow or Wednesday, they can't view youtube as it's blocked by the IT dept

Wow - that's a pretty good outcome, especially considering BM was baiting the driver...

*runs away sharpish*

 

[ufkacbln]

All the cyclists i see round my way ride two abreast, hold up traffic, jump red lights, ride on the pavement when something silly like a red traffic light dares to hold up their progress and generally disregard the rules, then complain when they get bollocked by other road users, cyclists need to be registered and have number plates, then they would stop the vigilante tactics and conform like everyone else!

I always find this hilarious...

Motorists never do any of these, you never see cars on pavements, they apply all the rules (including speed) absolutely flawlessly and it is reasonable if they decide to give another road user "advice". Funniest of all is the magic panacea that number plates and registration will solve all problems like they have with motorists. We all know that there are absolutely no traffic offences committed simply because they have these, all th reports of dangerous driving are figments of our imagination and false.

Lets look at it differently for a second.... no-one forced "DAN" to have illegalplates, drive dangerously and be aggressive. The fact is that he has been caught, and lots of others do not like this hence the "vigilante" aspect (a clear misunderstanding of the term's use). Totally unfounded - the Police will decide whether "DAN" is a numpty or not.

I have personally had three drivers fined and one lose his job due to video evidence. It was the Police who made these decisions.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I always find this hilarious...

Motorists never do any of these, you never see cars on pavements, they apply all the rules (including speed) absolutely flawlessly and it is reasonable if they decide to give another road user "advice". Funniest of all is the magic panacea that number plates and registration will solve all problems like they have with motorists. We all know that there are absolutely no traffic offences committed simply because they have these, all th reports of dangerous driving are figments of our imagination and false.

Lets look at it differently for a second.... no-one forced "DAN" to have illegalplates, drive dangerously and be aggressive. The fact is that he has been caught, and lots of others do not like this hence the "vigilante" aspect (a clear misunderstanding of the term's use). Totally unfounded - the Police will decide whether "DAN" is a numpty or not.

I have personally had three drivers fined and one lose his job due to video evidence. It was the Police who made these decisions.

Surely it was the Police /CPS decision to fine etc, and the losing of the job must have been the employer?

 

[blazed]

This is going to get very boring very quickly - but here goes. The "cyclist" lines on that screen capture are 8 times the width of the white line.

Just measured a white line outside my house - it's 10 cm wide. So that drawing suggests a cyclist who is 80 cm wide.

Just measured myself - I'm a thinnish chap, and I find myself to be... 60 cm wide. Not sure about BM or anyone else.

Are you sure that the drawing is "way too big"?

Oooh i got you good.

 

[Mark T]

Oooh i got you good.

I was expecting an argument about how wide lines *really* are.

You've given up far too soon.

 

[Joe24]

I was expecting an argument about how wide lines *really* are.

You've given up far too soon.

No, Blazed just got you to go out onto the street and measure a white line
I think he has infact got you, and got you good

Did anyone see you measuring this white line?

 

[dellzeqq]

I have personally had three drivers fined and one lose his job due to video evidence. It was the Police who made these decisions.

A surprising number of employers are aghast when you tell them that their driver followed your wife for one hundred metres, less than two metres behind her back wheel. Back it up with a snap of a number plate and Mr. Nasty staring at your camera through the cab window and you're getting there. There is alway hope* - and, of course, there are other drivers who the company might employ without risk.

*forget skip lorry companies, though

 

[f1_fan]

now you're getting upset. That wasn't my intention.

Take this on board. This is a knowledge building forum which attempts to link the experience of cyclists. And BentMikey, like Magnatom, is one of those good souls who bring to this board an appreciation of things as they are, and how short things are from what they should be. Overtaking in the lunatic fashion shown on his videos is a constant bugbear.

My approach is very different to BM's. I noticed long ago that the slower the cyclist the less respect they were shown by motorists. Further, women cyclists, my own dear lady wife included, are intimidated in a manner that male cyclists aren't - the usual thing is driving too close behind when it is impossible to pass, and then passing when there really isn't enough room.

When I cycle with my wife, which I do on a regular basis, I manage to contain the excesses of drivers taking the mickey with a kind of patented stare - you would be amazed at the havoc a bit of eye contact wreaks on their fragile egos. When I'm on my own, on those very rare occasions that I'm messed about with by a driver, I tend to exact a degree of punishment - in London this is easily done because there is very little chance of the muppets escaping. I call it consciousness building in motorists - it's a kind of public service. Don't trouble to thank me.

BM's approach, which is altogether more civilised, is commendable in its restraint - but, then, of the two of us, he is by far the better man. Those motorists who find themselves on his youtube files can thank their lucky stars that they met him and not me.

At the ripe old age of 55 I long ago worked out that the kind of driver that cuts you up is the kind of driver that shrinks in to his shell when he (always he, by the way) is taken to task.

Not upset at all, just want you to read what I have written - surely that is OK isn't it?

As for the rest of your post I will say this. I have a lot of experience of Internet forums focusing on a variety of different subjects including running one medium sized motorsport forum for five years and will say that in my experience a poster who writes the sort of tough rhetoric you have written above invariably is unable to back up his words with actions in the real world. A keyboard warrior if you will.

Now you may be the exception to the rule and if so I take my hat off to you, but frankly to me and I am sure to others your post comes over just a little like.... well let's just say I wouldn't have guessed you were 55 years old

No offence meant, just saying it as I see it. If you really do mete out justice to those who actually deserve it then fair enough and fair play to you.

 

[f1_fan]

Seems the police aren't happy......

Quote BM...........

Just had a call back from Bromley, it looks like they will consider an £80 FPN. I reckon I'm pretty happy with that. I have to take the video in to them tomorrow or Wednesday, they can't view youtube as it's blocked by the IT dept

Er if the police haven't seen the video and just have the word of Mikey to go on how do we know they are not happy. All they have done, if this post is to be believed, is agree to view the video.

Now in this case I really hope the driver gets more than an £80 fine as he appears to deserve it, but a good lawyer would have him off in no time as the video is not that clear, doesn't have a wide enough angle of view and does not show any possible events leading up to said incident which is why I say 'appears to deserve it'.