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“How would you like to be on camera now?” Shirtless driver accosts CyclingMikey

Range Rover driver tells road safety campaigner “I feel like smashing your face in” during expletive-filled rant in Hyde Park

“How would you like to be on camera now, Mikey?” That’s the question a shirtless Range Rover driver posed to Mike van Erp, whose videos of law-breaking drivers have led to hundreds of motorists being fined or prosecuted.

> “Tired of road crime” – CyclingMikey on episode 16 of the road.cc Podcast

The bizarre scene happened earlier this month on the West Carriage Drive in London’s Hyde Park, close to Victoria Gate on Bayswater Road.

Van Erp had been filming another motorist who was illegally using a mobile phone at the wheel when the driver, who clearly knew who he was, got out of his vehicle and began recording his own video on his phone while hurling abuse at his subject.

“I’ll put your face all over the internet now, you f*ck*ng c***,” he said, while van Erp, unflustered as ever, asked him, “Why are you shaking?”

The bare-chested driver then raised his arm at van Erp, striking his helmet.

“You be careful doing that, cos I’ll call the cops and you’ll be charged with assault. Why are you shaking so much?”

While other drivers behind beeped their horns, the Range Rover driver – dressed only in shorts and flip-flops – carried on with his tirade.

“I feel like smashing your face in, f*ck*ng people over like that. Why don’t you f*ck off?”

Van Erp turned his attention to the driver he was originally filming, telling him he would be reported to the police, whereupon shirtless guy reappeared, claiming (incorrectly) that “Police won’t do shit, he’s got stop-start technology, the engine’s off.”

In his description to the video on YouTube, van Erp said: “I caught 9 drivers before this on this day, and a further 7 afterwards, including one a couple more cars in front and moments after this. Did you think you were going to intimidate me into stopping? LOL.

“Reactions like yours are a sign of success – they tell me that the idea of members of the public filming and reporting drivers for breaking the law has gained real traction in your mind. So much so that IMO you're afraid of being caught, and you're angry about it.

“Threatening me only sustains my determination. Here's what I think: You're angry about being filmed because you don't want wrong-doing to be caught. You seem to identify with the group of road pirates who break road law every day.

“Good drivers aren't upset about bad driving being caught and punished. Most good drivers appreciate it.

“I think you're probably a driving offender yourself, and that this is why you're so angry. You're afraid of being caught yourself.

“In contrast to you, I'm quite happy to be filmed in public. That's because I try hard not to break traffic laws, endanger others, and I try hard to be a decent human being. You can film me as much as you like in public.”

He added: “Seriously though, what are you compensating for with that car and body building?”

Van Erp also explained why drivers using phones even when stationary, such as in queueing traffic, still pose a danger to vulnerable road users including cyclists, motorcyclists and children, due to factors including their lack of awareness of what is happening around them.

“Strong policing of minor traffic offences has a strong effect on reducing collisions resulting in killed and seriously injured people,” he continued.

“It's good to police these phone drivers. I'm really not interested in this nonsense of "it's not dangerous when stationary, because it clearly is and it's clearly still very appropriate to catch these drivers.”

A number of people who follow van Erp on Twitter suggested he should report the Range Rover driver for assault, but he said that he did not think the incident warranted it.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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40 comments

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Cocovelo | 1 year ago
1 like

Driving while wearing flip flops isn't allowed?

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chrisonabike replied to Cocovelo | 1 year ago
0 likes

Just because your driving don't mean you're not covered by "The Rules"...

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CrisPH | 1 year ago
2 likes

145D is on Egyptian Embassy diplomatic plates so no chance police will have any interest unfortunately.

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ktache replied to CrisPH | 1 year ago
3 likes

Bit embarrassing for the Egyptian diplomatic service though, and hopefully will result in the driver not doing it again.

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IanMSpencer replied to ktache | 1 year ago
3 likes

You would hope that an embassy official assaulting a resident of this country would be grounds for them to be expelled, wouldn't you?

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brooksby replied to IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
3 likes

Weren't there figures released about how much money is owed in parking fines and FPNs by the various diplomats in London? Insanely huge amounts of money. A number of diplomats seem to lurve the fact that local laws don't exactly apply to them...

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Rendel Harris replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
3 likes

Not just fines and FPNs either, the US embassy in London refuses to pay the congestion charge on the basis of the dubious argument that it's a tax rather than a toll, they owed over £12M as of 2020 and the diplomatic corps as a whole owed over £115M.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
2 likes

The Hulk wasn't the diplomat, it was the other car driver he was filming who was in that car with those plates. 

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chrisonabike replied to IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
2 likes

Are you perchance referencing the lack of come-uppance in cases like this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Yvonne_Fletcher

Or (not just embassy but car) this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Harry_Dunn

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OldRidgeback | 1 year ago
6 likes

Roid rage by the looks of it. Threatening behaviour is a criminal offence as is assault.

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mitsky | 1 year ago
4 likes

The incident apparently occurred recently in June 2022.

NGZ 7236 is showing as having an expired MOT.

Worth reporting for that alone, as it could also potentially mean it was driving without valid insurance...

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to mitsky | 1 year ago
3 likes

No, MOT as car was only registered in 2019 and you don't need one for three years. (Which I would argue is why most newer cars seem to have blinding lights and that most new cars fail the first MOT due to misaligned lights)

Edit: Sorry checked again and it was May so should be due. Still stand by bracketed section. 

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giff77 replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 1 year ago
1 like

You would think that a car dealership would make the necessary adjustments to the lights and ensure they weren't these super bright and tinted bulbs. Especially on the SUV class vehicles, which are higher than a standard saloon before handing the vehicle over.  

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0-0 | 1 year ago
9 likes

Real men don't wear flip flops 😉
And I'm guessing that's not appropriate footwear for driving (a large vehicle to make up for the size of your small dick) either.

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Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
3 likes

Well you know, he treads a thin line as when you accost strangers in a sanctimonious vigliante 'I'm going to snitch on you and f you up my friend' way you would be wise to expect the unexpected.  Mentioning 'calling the cops' is a bit schoolyard if you are put on your back over what you did but so far so good for MIkey.  That roidy shaky twit with no top should be prosecuted for his footwear alone in charge of the pedals of a car... But Mikey is an oddball who will sadly cross the wrong person one day - I hope it is very worth it over accosting drivers holding the phone when stopped or at 1mph... He's proving a point but not maybe picking his battles - still a click's a click and fully backed by the thinest end of the law. Ohh and he causes vehicle users to hate us more - not good.

 

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Hirsute replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
13 likes

Another one post wonder attacking the person.

How is the driver accosted ?
All he does is video and chat.
'Snitch' - grow up, it's not the junior school playground.
.

An example of a phone driver has already been given and the dangers of phone use have been widely examined and shown to be risky.

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chrisonabike replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
6 likes

Well, I don't subscribe to a Mikey channel.   Is he making money off the clicks somewhere?

Moreover there is no us.  But haters gonna hate and hitters gonna hit so crack on.

I don't post confrontations online.  But I don't run a camera.  Or come from South Africa.  Or live in London.  And I still get aggro.  Why does that reflect on me again?

There is a small degree of "us" as cyclists as a minority with shared vulnerabilities.  And because many people stereotype an out-group.  Violence "is triggered" by cyclists doing something?  In my experience merely being on a bike, or indeed "looking at someone funny" or walking by a pub at kicking out time has "triggered" violence. (I know, I should meditate or something *grin*).  Hitters gonna hit then give you any "reason", so why worry?  Hit 'em back / lock 'em up when they do (as you prefer).

Is your culture "I'm gonna beat down snitches"?  Even over something with such petty consequences to the culprit - and indeed of so little trouble to them not do to?  You're already / going to be a problem to society anway.  Little I can do about you either.

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giff77 replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
17 likes

And yet another individual who is clueless to what vigilantism is. Mikey isn't being judge, jury and executioner. He's reporting individuals who are a danger to all road users not just cyclists. These individuals are not just holding their phones like they would a security blanket. Or maybe that's what it is. These people are checking notifications, messages, e-mails and watching video clips. They're distracted and clueless to what's going on around them. They take a few extra seconds to refocus on the road. They panic and race to beat the light they've been waiting at that the three vehicles in front have now cleared. They accelerate hard to close the 10 metre gap that's opened up and fail to see the cyclist that has now dropped into it. THESE 1s DEVICE HOLDERS ARE A DANGER TO OTHERS. 

As for dobbing people into the police. Well sometimes that needs to be done. Even if the peelers issue a NFA which has happened to CM regularly it still needs to be recorded and if an area flags as having issues maybe patrols will get stepped up. 

In my most recent incident. Even though the driver apologised. I warned him that I was seriously considering reporting him. On looking at the footage I went through with it. And while they won't receive a summons they will at the very least get a visit to remind  them of their responsibilities as a driver and possibly a FPN. 

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ktache replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
16 likes

Mikey does it to keep us all safe.

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Mungecrundle replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
19 likes

I have personal experience of the 0mph phone user as a pedestrian at a zebra crossing.

Cars stopped both sides, the driver 'upstream' stationary but looking at his phone. As I walked in front, the cars 'downstream' moved off. Mr phone user glanced up from his screen, panicked that he was now leaving a gap, hit the accelerator and only noticed me as I shouted at him.

I know that Mickey va Erp's Father was killed by a drunk motorist. I think he has more than reasonable motivation for his "crusade".

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grOg replied to Mungecrundle | 1 year ago
1 like

My brother died as a result of incompetent/negligent surgery but I don't hang out around hospital surgical wards trying to film bad doctors..

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Rendel Harris replied to grOg | 1 year ago
10 likes
grOg wrote:

My brother died as a result of incompetent/negligent surgery but I don't hang out around hospital surgical wards trying to film bad doctors..

But if it were possible to catch incompetent doctors on video, and this was encouraged by the authorities as part of their initiatives to weed out incompetent doctors, and catching them on video meant that the incompetent ones were sanctioned and others were deterred from behaving in an incompetent/negligent manner, it'd be something well worth doing, wouldn't it?

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Mungecrundle replied to grOg | 1 year ago
7 likes

Sorry to hear about your brother.

From your post, presumably someone must have made a complaint about malpractice or there was a default review system in place and it does at least seem that there was a proper enquiry using available evidence that resulted in deficiencies of the surgeon involved being uncovered. That may represent closure to you and ultimately it is your choice not to campaign for safer medical practise and no reasonable person would think it was your duty to do so.

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Hirsute replied to grOg | 1 year ago
7 likes

A bit of an odd comparison when you have to train for many years to be a doctor, whereas driving is a low skill.

My friend's Dad died as a result of negligence at the lcoal hospital, so he gathered as much evidence as he could to for his complaint to try and ensure that the person responsible did not do it again.

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Rendel Harris replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
12 likes
Non Tribal Peddler wrote:

 'I'm going to snitch on you and f you up my friend'

AKA I'm going to report you for a dangerous and illegal action, something that is positively encouraged by the police force and that only an utter child would call snitching.

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Wingguy replied to Non Tribal Peddler | 1 year ago
12 likes
Non Tribal Peddler wrote:

Well you know, he treads a thin line as when you accost strangers in a sanctimonious vigliante 'I'm going to snitch on you and f you up my friend' way you would be wise to expect the unexpected.  Mentioning 'calling the cops' is a bit schoolyard if you are put on your back over what you did but so far so good for MIkey. 

Schoolyard? Thinking that 'snitches' are bad is schoolyard. Thinking that people who are physically stronger should be allowed to do whatever they want is schoolyard. Thinking that people who seriously assault others in the street shouldn't be reported to the police is schoolyard. Grow up.

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Daclu Trelub | 1 year ago
5 likes

I'm not bothered about Mikey catching people out who are phoning (hands -on) while driving, not at all.

As for Mr Roid-Rage, his quasi-private plates say more about him than self abuse ever can.

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Hywel | 1 year ago
0 likes

Looks like someone skipped leg day...

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The _Kaner | 1 year ago
7 likes

When you order your Ray Winstone from Wish....

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
11 likes

Drives a 2.5T vehicle with flips flops. How is he going to control that ?

I doubt he will be prosecuted, but I'd hope he'd get a letter advising him that it is not safe.

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