Is this the unraveling of CyclingMikey?

[SexyGreyFox]

I am kind of looking forward to whether he does face charges for throwing his bike in front of that car. The 3rd person footage of him standing there staring at it, then running out as soon as it moves whilst still staring at it... is pretty damning on him!

So why did the car speed off after being damaged by the bike because there's no way something didn't get damaged?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Multiple Cycling Mikey quotes

Oh hi Cycling Mikey!

 

[Rroff]

So why did the car speed off after being damaged by the bike because there's no way something didn't get damaged?

Could be all kinds of reasons to it, some people don't have the social skills to handle situations like that, given the erratic actions by Mikey they might have had concerns that they were dealing with a crazy person out to harm them, or many other possible reasons.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I'm going to be honest here, around 2012 I was CyclingMikey with a headcam and even started a You Tube channel.

A bit of history:
So for a year I'd been 100% compliant on the roads and I still am.
I never go through red lights like I see dozens of cars do, I wear bright coloured tops/jackets (no lycra), I use lights where needed but still I would have 2 to 3 incidents where car drivers would put my life in danger.
I bought a headcam from Curry's but here's the rub, my incidents went from 2 to 3 a week to 2 every day, I'd get home and upload to You Tube and I put a couple on here at the time.
My videos showed cars (always cars) completely ripping me up and sometimes knocking me off but it got to the point where my wife would refuse to watch them because it scared her what motorists do.
My headcam broke and Curry's didn't have the same model so I did without - guess what? - I went back to a couple of close incidents a week
Funny that, it's as though my Headcam had some magic powers of finding more incidents.

I could have been CyclingMikey if my headcam didn't break and of course every day the amount of driving offences I see is staggering but I couldn't care less now if it doesn't hurt me.

 

[Rroff]

When he was 19-years-old his father was killed by a drunk driver. At school he witnessed a friend being knocked down by a taxi driving the wrong way round a traffic island. His friend survived, but was badly injured. Hence his disdain for motorists who deliberately flout the rules.

This stuff can/will change you, one of the reasons I tend to be fairly vocal in the relevant threads in Motors having seen some stuff first hand but you have to get a grip as well - he seems to have zero ability to keep in mind there might be reasons for things happening outside of what appears to be the most obvious explanation.

 

[shifty_uk]

This stuff can/will change you, one of the reasons I tend to be fairly vocal in the relative threads in Motors having seen some stuff first hand but you have to get a grip as well - he seems to have zero ability to keep in mind there might be reasons for things happening outside of what appears to be the most obvious explanation.

I believe the courts can exempt you from prosecution if you have exceptional circumstances like an emergency. I’ve not seen a single video of his where someone has got out of it with evidence.

I seen some chap in a RR the other night, both him and his wife sitting scrolling on their phones. When it came to court they claimed they’d been going to hospital as she was experiencing a difficult pregnancy.. it was proven they were lying. No hospital records existed and you could see from the footage he wasn’t looking at maps.

 

[Diddums]

Answer my question.

Need a reminder?

In certain cases, yes. In other cases, no.

 

[Efour]

You assume wrong. He was born in the Netherlands and grew up in Zimbabwe. He has two sons, so not sure why you think he is gay?

Damn, I mean Zimbabwe is pretty damn close to the country of South Africa and is pretty much in the South of the continent of Africa
I give myself 8/10 for a good guess.

Having children doesn't make you not gay, but having a "not very masculine" voice and strange mannerisms often associated with tiresome nagging females could indicate being homosexual. Again i think its a pretty Ok guess 5/10. Sometimes the data points just add up and you can assume something. The way he acts i think is extremely feminine, so is the way i act. Takes one to know one, dont tell my wife.

 

[arknor]

So in the last couple of weeks a video emerged of Michael Van Erp, commonly known as 'CyclingMikey', a notorious cycling vigilante, throwing his bike at a car.

he didnt really thow it at a car did he.


He rolled his bike out to cross the street at the very last minute, the car shouldn';t have been driving down a one way street anyway. so..... you could argue if the driver wasn't breaking the law it wouldn't have happened.

its like tripping someone over whos shoplifting/trying to escape from the police, it was their actions that lead to the event taking place.... it's not like hes rolling his bike out infront of cars who are obeying the law


I don't condone htis nonsense though, it does nothing for cyclists but make more people hate us and stereotype us as total losers

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Damn, I mean Zimbabwe is pretty damn close to the country of South Africa and is pretty much in the South of the continent of Africa
I give myself 8/10 for a good guess.

Having children doesn't make you not gay, but having a "not very masculine" voice and strange mannerisms often associated with tiresome nagging females could indicate being homosexual. Again i think its a pretty Ok guess 5/10. Sometimes the data points just add up and you can assume something. The way he acts i think is extremely feminine, so is the way i act. Takes one to know one, dont tell my wife.

I'd give 9/10 for Zimbabwe.
I'm married with kids but some people will swear I'm gay, it doesn't help I'm a musician and work in a hospital
Also the amount of men I know with wife & kids who have come out later in life is a lot.

 

[Diddums]

it doesn't help I'm a musician

I replaced some radiators in one of our neighbours' homes. First time I'd met this lady. She mentioned her husband is a musician when I pointed out the musical instruments scattered around the house.

He came home, dressed all in white. Turns out he's a choir teacher

 

[Maple Leaf]

I take it you've not seen the 3rd party video clearly showing him propel the bike and let go.

Nah though somewhat correct the driver clearly committed to coming through before Mikey put his bike into the vehicle's path - by the time he pushed the bike out it was pretty clear short of the other driver emergency stopping a collision was going to happen.

I've watched that video many times and it all revolves around Mikey's intent. He seems to have had poor judgement of the car's speed/acceleration too. If you watch his other videos it's clear that his M.O. is to block the lane to stop a driver illegally driving up it. He is a bit of a hothead and I would not have taken a risk like that! But when the motorist saw him start walking across the road he should have braked not accelerated.

Mikey pushing the bike slightly in front of him was common sense because the bike's presence on the road should have caused the motorist to give way which is better than risking his own body to achieve the same result. Mikey, rather naively, thought the motorist would stop (as they are supposed to do if there is a pedestrian in the way), but instead the motorist carried on. Mikey was unable to pull the heavy EAPC, which was also loaded with his possessions, back in a split-second and avoid being hit himself (he is in his mid-50s after all and obviously over weight) and so the car hit it.

Plenty of gay men have fathered children, usually in an attempt to conceal their sexuality. Probably one of the most famous and recent being Philip Schofield.

Not sure what relevance being straight or gay has here? Why did you even bring it up? If he is a closeted gay man (as you appear to think) does that damage his credibility somehow?

He could remonstrate them like he does with motorists. But he doesn't. He's a hypocrite. Plus if reported, a description of the offender can be used if officers witness further offences.

He does remonstrate with some of them. But if you remonstrate with a man wearing a balaclava on an illegal off-road ebike you're liable to get stabbed!

Reporting drivers is fine. Causing a confrontation whilst recording for views on YouTube, that's all ego.

It does raise people's awareness of the road safety issue though and might make some of them think twice before doing it themselves.

Could be all kinds of reasons to it, some people don't have the social skills to handle situations like that, given the erratic actions by Mickey they might have had concerns that they were dealing with a crazy person out to harm them, or many other possible reasons.

If I thought someone had deliberately damaged my car I would stop and demand their name, address, telephone number, insurance details (if applicable) and if they don't cooperate I would take a picture of them and look for witnesses to the incident. I WOULD ALSO CALL THE POLICE!

I certainly would not drive away from the scene of the crime at speed. The most likely reason why someone would drive off as quickly as they could in such a scenario is because they are over the drink/drive limit, on illegal drugs, an uninsured driver, or there's an arrest warrant out for them.

This stuff can/will change you, one of the reasons I tend to be fairly vocal in the relative threads in Motors having seen some stuff first hand but you have to get a grip as well - he seems to have zero ability to keep in mind there might be reasons for things happening outside of what appears to be the most obvious explanation.

Yes, he's a bit of a hothead. However, it is shocking how many motorists feel entitled to break the Road Traffic Act regulations.

For example, he has blocked many people driving on the wrong side of the road (to avoid a queue at a junction) and they show no embarrassment whatsoever when confronted and refuse to reverse back to where they started and wait in the queue like everyone else.

 

[shifty_uk]

Key takeaway from this thread is highlighting how easily people form opinions based on headlines and preconceived bias without knowing anything about this ‘jumped up rat’ or having even watched his videos properly. Also, some really should look up what a vigilante is.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Key takeaway from this thread is highlighting how easily people form opinions based on headlines and preconceived bias without knowing anything about this ‘jumped up rat’ or having even watched his videos properly. Also, some really should look up what a vigilante is.

I’ve watched too many of his videos. He’s a twit.

 

[Resident]

I've watched that video many times and it all revolves around Mikey's intent

So the agitated state and physical shaking of his body language just prior to him throwing his bike completely skipped by you?

Not sure what relevance being straight or gay has here? Why did you even bring it up? If he is a closeted gay man (as you appear to think) does that damage his credibility somehow?

Actually it was Efour that brought up the homosexual angle, which you replied that he'd fathered kids so couldn't possibly be gay. I just pointed out, with example that not necessarily true

He does remonstrate with some of them. But if you remonstrate with a man wearing a balaclava on an illegal off-road ebike you're liable to get stabbed!

Seen several of his videos where cyclists have blatantly broke the law in his presence and he's done zip

It does raise people's awareness of the road safety issue though and might make some of them think twice before doing it themselves.

All it does it make people think he's a sanctimonious busybody, his actions have more likely damaged the perception of cyclists than done any good. But we can't really measure that so no matter what I or you say, it's pure conjecture.

I certainly would not drive away from the scene of the crime at speed. The most likely reason why someone would drive off as quickly as they could in such a scenario is because they are over the drink/drive limit, on illegal drugs, an uninsured driver, or there's an arrest warrant out for them.

Someone throwing a 28kg weapon at someone might cause panic and fear within the victim who then choses flight as a defence.

Removing one's self from the conflict doesn't mean they're a wrong un.

Evidently you have either a gross bias in favour of Mikey or a bias against motorists.

Key takeaway from this thread is highlighting how easily people form opinions based on headlines and preconceived bias without knowing anything about this ‘jumped up rat’ or having even watched his videos properly. Also, some really should look up what a vigilante is.

Vigilante (noun) - a member of a self-appointed group of citizens or an individual who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

PURPOSELY going out on a bicycle, rigged with multiple cameras to capture footage of criminal acts would fall within that definition.

 

[Maple Leaf]

So the agitated state and physical shaking of his body language just prior to him throwing his bike completely skipped by you?

So what? He's a hothead. That doesn't mean he didn't have a right to cross the road as a pedestrian and the car had the right to run him down. How did he "throw" the bike? He just couldn't pull it back fast enough.

Actually it was Efour that brought up the homosexual angle, which you replied that he'd fathered kids so couldn't possibly be gay. I just pointed out, with example that not necessarily true

Gay means a man who is exclusively homosexual. Not someone who has sexual relationships with women and that was proven by the fact that he has two sons. He might be bisexual though. But what relevance does that have to this situation?

Seen several of his videos where cyclists have blatantly broke the law in his presence and he's done zip

I've seen videos of his where he berates reckless cyclists and balaclava wearing ebike riding criminals. Not sure what more he can do? The bloke isn't a one-man army!

In the first video of his posted on this thread he alerts the Police and shows them where a bag full of stolen smartphones was left, which he saw some Sur-Ron riding thugs dump. They ride up to him calling him by name, so they will know they lost their haul of stolen goods thanks to him.

All it does it make people think he's a sanctimonious busybody, his actions have more likely damaged the perception of cyclists than done any good. But we can't really measure that so no matter what I or you say, it's pure conjecture.

So I suppose you hate the TRAFFIC DROID too? He gives motorists yellow and red cards when they pass him too close and uses a truck horn instead of a bell! LOL

Someone throwing a 28kg weapon at someone might cause panic and fear within the victim who then choses flight as a defence.

His legal EAPC cost him over £4,000 and contained a lot of his personal possessions. Who would deliberately try to use such an expensive possession to damage an oncoming car knowing it could be destroyed and would only damage the car's paintwork or cause some minor dents etc? If he hadn't let go of the bike (a split-second before it was hit) he would have been hit too.

Removing one's self from the conflict doesn't mean they're a wrong un.

Under the Road Traffic Act you're supposed to stop if there is an accident where property damage occurs and exchange details with the other party. If someone is injured you're required to call the Police. Failure to do so is a criminal offence. If the driver felt he was the victim of criminal damage he should have stopped and called the Police.

If the car driver had a legitimate reason to drive through 7 "No Entry" signs into that area (for example: he was a resident) then he just needed to say so and if Mikey had refused to let him pass he could have called the Police. Instead, he decided to drive like a lunatic.

Evidently you have either a gross bias in favour of Mikey or a bias against motorists.

No, I have a bias against motorists who hate cyclists and behave on the roads as if the lives of cyclists are expendable.

PURPOSELY going out on a bicycle, rigged with multiple cameras to capture footage of criminal acts would fall within that definition.

Actually, it is quite sensible to have video cameras on your bike nowadays. I've lost count of all the dangerous overtaking maneuvers I've seen motorists doing while I've been cycling. Capturing video footage of motorists doing Road Traffic offences and then sending them to the Police is fine. If Mikey had truly been a vigilante he would have pulled that driver out of his car and given him a good kicking!

English Common Law empowers citizens to act in self-defense and in the prevention of crime (hence our Citizen's Arrest powers). PCSO's don't have any more arrest powers than you or I.

 

[Rroff]

So what? He's a hothead. That doesn't mean he didn't have a right to cross the road as a pedestrian and the car had the right to run him down. How did he "throw" the bike? He just couldn't pull it back fast enough.

It gets a bit complicated here as the driver likely should not have been going through the no entry signs, though we can not be sure of that because TRRO exceptions do exist, you'd hope if someone did have a reason they'd have tried to explain that to Mikey though they shouldn't really have to and with how crazy Mikey appeared to be acting people might be leery of trying to have a reasonable conversation with him.

But the highway code puts an expectation on all types of users to not unnecessarily hold up, obstruct, cause to change speed or direction other road users* - it was quite clear the car had committed to coming through before Mikey did anything - Mikey had no right to put his bicycle into the path of that vehicle even if he thought they were breaking the law (unless there was some clear and present serious danger doing so might avoid).


* This also applies to pedestrians, especially those who get all worked up about "right of way" - the highway code leans towards priority being given it does not give right of way and many aspects are situationally dependant should/should not, not do or do not.

 

[Minusorange]

Damn, I mean Zimbabwe is pretty damn close to the country of South Africa and is pretty much in the South of the continent of Africa
I give myself 8/10 for a good guess.

Very clearly a fake Australian accent he's trying to put on but isn't doing it very well

 

[Gerard]

Meh

 

[Maple Leaf]

It gets a bit complicated here as the driver likely should not have been going through the no entry signs, though we can not be sure of that because TRRO exceptions do exist, you'd hope if someone did have a reason they'd have tried to explain that to Mickey though they shouldn't really have to and with how crazy Mickey appeared to be acting people might be leery of trying to have a reasonable conversation with him.

If you watch the full version of the video of the incident on Mikey's YouTube page (not the cut-down third-party video on the Daily Telegraph story) you can see that the car driver tried to drive through twice. On his first attempt Mikey stepped into the road and blocked him and he stopped and he eventually reversed back to the queue on the other side of the road. There was plenty of time at this stage for the driver to say to Mikey that he was allowed to pass because he lives in the area behind the road work barriers, or whatever his legitimate excuse was. But he made no attempt to say that, even though a reasonable person would have just shouted it.

Then Mikey had to go back on to the pavement to allow several cars to (legally) drive through from his right. Immediately after they pass the driver sets off again aggressively and Mikey walks briskly with his bike into the road obviously to block him again. At that point the driver accelerates, hits Mikey's bike and narrowly misses Mikey. Of course, in the third-party video being publicised by the right-wing newspapers the driver's first attempt to pass was left out to support the "ramming his bike into the car and causing criminal damage" narrative.

But the highway code puts an expectation on all types of users to not unnecessarily hold up, obstruct, cause to change speed or direction other road users* - it was quite clear the car had committed to coming through before Mickey did anything - Mickey had no right to put his bicycle into the path of that vehicle even if he thought they were breaking the law (unless there was some clear and present serious danger doing so might avoid).

Well, the clear and present danger was that a car or cyclist would come round the blind corner on Mikey's right-hand-side and have a head-on collision with the car driving illegally on the right-hand-side of the road.

I would not have advised him to risk life and limb by trying to block the car in that situation because you just don't know how the driver will react (they could be nuts, drunk or stoned).

I am kind of looking forward to whether he does face charges for throwing his bike in front of that car. The 3rd person footage of him standing there staring at it, then running out as soon as it moves whilst still staring at it... is pretty damning on him!

Maybe you should try watching the whole incident on CyclingMickey's YouTube page before passing judgement based on a cut-down third-party video which leaves the context of the incident out in order to push a vigilante narrative about Mikey. (I won't post a link to it here though because it contains profanity.) He was quoted as saying:

...Mr van Erp told The Telegraph: “I did not throw the bike at his car.

“I did not go out with the intention of a collision. I just wanted to block him, but his unexpectedly savage acceleration and my slightly late reaction meant we ended up on a collision course.

“You can see me slam my left foot down sideways to stop myself going into his car. I’m not strong enough to stop both myself and a 28kg e-bike on a dime, especially not after I’ve rushed out to try to block him.”... Article

He's in his mid-50s and overweight and had a split-second to pull the bike back out of the way. In what world was driving at him and accelerating acceptable?