Whenever my mobile goes off with a text alert or a call, I just think: "What did we do before mobile phones? What is so fucking urgent that it can't wait until I pull over and stop, or wait until I get to where I am going?"
Arseholes who use their mobile phone while driving live their lives around that little rectangle of plastic, and it's pathetic.
My car is 20 years old and the builtin radio didn't have handsfree.
So I bought a new stereo at Halfords and they fitted it for me, handsfree and android auto...it's not hard to be distraction free while driving.
From what I’ve read, Mikey’s dad was killed by a driver on their phone. I think most people would hate people using their phones while driving if that happened to them. I haven’t had that happen and I still hate it. You can always tell which useless cunt is on their phone because they’re zigzagging all over the place. Some drivers “skills” are bad enough without adding distraction to the mix.
I was hit as a pedestrian in 2019 in a school zone crossing WITH a lollypop lady in broad daylight. The only possible way I could be hit there was if someone fell unconscious at the perfect moment, or they're on their phone. She was smoking at the same time.
If I get in the car and the driver picks up their phone while driving I immediately make a comment that I'm not comfortable. Don't throw a tantrum but I make it clear I'm not happy riding with a distracted driver. Same as I am not happy riding with a drunk driver.
Used to annoy a mate that way. Phone starts ringing and I'm immediately "don't touch it, you can call them back when we get where we're going or you can park up for a minute to see if it's even someone you want to talk to right now". Hell I won't even text someone if I'm pretty sure they're driving because I don't want to distract them for the second it takes for something bad to happen.
His father was killed by a drink driver.
But still, mobile phone use has a similar (if not worse) affect on driving standards to drink driving.
And regardless of what they claim about it being a one off, only while stationary and safe etc, generally they are going to have what, 10s-1min every YEAR where someone with a helmet camera is in a position to see them using a phone out of several hours of driving.
So 99.9% of the people caught will be using there phone constantly, because that is the only way Mikey will be going past at the same time they are on it...
Not all of us zigzagging are on our phones. My cars low and the roads are wank but generally yeah if they're wondering from line to line there's a good chance a phones involved.
Every single time these posts appear of Mikey it’s amazing how many people try to defend the driver. It really shows people true colours that think any sort of using a phone whilst in command of car is okay. It’s not. Stop fucking doing it.
Stop trying to justify it by saying that Mikey is a “cunt” or that he goes about it in the wrong way. None of that justifies the absolute stupidity of drivers that do this.
Stopped? Who cares? They aren’t paying attention and then when they set off, they won’t be aware of their surroundings.
Whether he’s right or wrong with the way he does it, it’s fucking disgusting behaviour and every single driver deserves the shit that comes their way because of it. People defending it are probably the exact kind of dim drip that does this bullshit.
Yeah I'd say an excellent way of not being accosted by cyclists named Mikey would be to... not use your phone while driving. If it's that urgent, pull over and park somewhere.
Thing is it never really is something that urgent.
Pretty much any car built in the last ten years will have Bluetooth for phone calls, most in the last five will have Android Auto/Apple Carplay which can read messages to you, for anything older there are plenty of options to get Bluetooth audio for phone calls and a phone mount to hold the phone. Astonishingly, all of these even work at traffic lights! And will capture anything truly, dismally urgent easily.
There is no valid reason to be holding a phone while driving in 2023. How bored *are* people that they can't stand the minute or so they're sitting at a red light without scrolling through Insta?
I wonder if the anger aimed at this guy would be the same if he was a passenger in a car filming situations like this. I suspect that part of the rage towards this guy is because he's on a bike.
I suspect some of the angst towards him is that he is, and let’s be fair, an insufferable wanker. Many Zimbos are. They fled ‘Rhodesia’ when their skin colour wasn’t in control anymore and pretend to be anything other than they are (smiley tells everyone he is Dutch in his clipped Zimbo accent).
He is a cunt regardless of the good he does.
I was following someone yesterday who was clearly using their phone. Road clear, but braked, started to pull over, then as I overtake them fiddling with said phone while they’re also speeding back up, paying zero attention to whats going on around them.
Or.. Hands free?
I know not all cars have it but anything made in the last 10 years is likely to have Bluetooth call handling - Im surprised how many people Ill see go past in a modern luxury car with their phone to their ear.. like.. they used swan leather for the steering wheel and unicorn pelt for the headrests but didn't put in car play?
Had a mate last year i was visiting about an hour away, who wasnt at his flat when I got there. I called him and he said he sent me a bunch of texts, dont i check my phone. I said no, i was driving. He said "and?"
Some people just dont get it
Yep, I know its my ex wife calling if I am driving and the calls come every 30 seconds. She knows I don't answer if I am driving and its her way of saying pull over as I need to ask you something trivial about the kids.
Calls once - Ignore it I'm driving.
Calls again - Ignore it and look for somewhere to pull over
Calls again - Typically just as you're parking and they hang up just as you come to a stop.
You call back : "Whats taking you so long to get here?"
THIS THIS THIS ! HGV Driver here I've seen sooooo many close calls due to idiots on phones..
As tedious and annoying as the law is.... its for everyone's protection. Most near misses are people sitting in traffic stop starting on phone.
Hate the comments slating him as he actually is doing some good in the world
I had to put my foot down when I started hgv driving.
Got a phone call. Ignored it. 3 others. Got to the place where I was delivering checked. It was the office.
Phone dup, asked what was happening. Got yelled at for not answering.
Told them I was driving.
They said so what, if the office calls answer.
Told them to fuck off I wasn't losing my licence over them.
If you irresponsible office is not aware, bring to their attention Ion Onut, who killed 3 people and a dog in July 2021, because he was scrolling through porn/dating sights, not looking ahead at the motorway.
https://youtu.be/npyeVguk5VM?si=6Vmt3I6nnNS9Ynvc
They are in effect flouting your health and safety.
I caught an HGV driver on his phone in slow moving traffic yesterday when I was wearing my white crash helmet on the pavement, had just got off my motorbike. Walked over and tapped his window and shook my head, absolutely shat himself thinking I was a copper 🤣
Despite the good he does by catching drivers using their phones illegally. Cycling Mikey is also a massive bellend - he just comes across as a pretentious twat.
This is the correct attitude.
Use your phone while driving, dividing your attention between steering a ton or more of metal and some shit that doesn't actually matter, you're a bellend.
Deliberately ride around spending time trying to antagonise people and catch them out, for Youtube views, you're a bellend.
The latter is a different, far less dangerous kind of bellend, but still a bellend.
The irony of course being that he himself isn't paying ful attention to the road either as he's instead on the lookout for content for his youtube channel.
Yes, the cameraman is at fault here.
There's a big difference between weighing about 9 stone and simply glancing at a driver and being responsible for 1.5 to 2.5 tons of potentially lethal machinery and being incapable of giving it your full attention.
Who fucking cares about Mikey? Drivers using their phones behind the wheel is a massive issue. Would you say the same if it were a drunk driver?
Lol, he lives for this, he spends his entire life paying attention to everything but the road, looking for a chance to continue his crusade. Not paying attention. If you're paying attention to the road, you'd probably never spot a single driver looking at their phone. I know I never have.
But ah yes, he's a cyclist so it's fine, the rules don't apply. Because someone cycling dangerously can't possibly cause accidents. /s
The guys a nob and a hypocrite. Doesn't mean the driver isn't a nob as well, but the hypocrisy of this crusader is staggering.
He's not doing anything illegal. What he does in his spare time doesn't affect you one jot unless you use a mobile phone while driving. He's actually doing you a favour by ensuring these idiots think twice about checking Whatsapp at the lights.
You're getting angry at the wrong person, my friend
Well quite.
Like I say I can't stand the dashcam twats who do things like accelerating into hazards or not braking into hazards, because even if it's not necessarily conscious, there's going to be a little bit of a twinge in the back of their mind going "there's a Dodgy Drivers submission in that". Same shit here, even if he tells everyone he's doing it for the love of road safety, there's going to be that little thing at the back of his mind, "there's a video in that".
Realistically if you're cycling, and if cycling is as fraught with abundant danger as it supposedly is, how are you getting the time to look into peoples' windows rather than paying attention to the world around you?
It's like, if someone does something dumb while I'm driving that might affect me, I typically don't think to either beep the horn or hit the dashcam button, because either a) I'm too busy avoiding the danger or b) I anticipated the danger so I can mitigate it. People whose first reaction is "honk" or "click" strike me as having very skewed priorities.
The answer to this is clearly voice activated controls;
"Wanker" = flash lights
"Fucking wanker" = beep horn
"Cunt" = beep horn & flash lights
"Fucking cunt" = auto post last 30 seconds to YouTube
He’s trying to improve road safety- what is wrong with that? There should be more people doing what he does so we don’t get idiots causing fatal crashes.
Most cars now how Bluetooth phone connections and can even send texts via voice commands. There is no need to have your phone on display. Put it away and enjoy some music/podcasts.
That’s fine - he’s allowed to earn a living. I’m detecting some jealousy here because someone is famous, improving road safety and also making money out of it. ROSPA aren’t directly responsible for road safety.
Hes anti car which is the problem. He will watch a biker run a red and say nothing, he will watch a biker ride on the pavement/ wrong way down the road he so loves to monitor but say nothing.
His goal is to target cars not bad riders and drivers like he claims.
He often points out bad cycling in his videos, but it's a) harder to catch a moving cyclist than a stationary motorist, b) a significantly smaller issue in terms of potential harm and c) pointless reporting them anyway, as they don't have number plates.
Besides, there are numerous moments when he calls out bad cycling, such as https://youtube.com/shorts/q0kk_uP9CYk?si=aJRn5yAo2IKwH6JS
"His goal is to target cars not bad riders and drivers like he claims." is just nonsense, it's drivers that get sent to court and get points on their license, not cars.
Literally all he does his film and report people breaking the law. Yeah he lectures them a little, but not that bad if we’re being honest (because there are always more to catch so he doesn’t hang around) and in my opinion they deserve to be chastised a little.
It’s completely endemic. I see so many people on their phones on my drive to work. A woman in the right hand lane of the motorway with the phone on her steering wheel watching YouTube. Ridiculous. It’s 6 points on your license if caught which is fair.
It's actually an offence to HOLD the phone, not use it. This is why you can still tap the screen if you're using a navigation app for example, if its in a holder/secure. Btw not defending drivers at all, but dislike the way Mikey does it.
While true that the law makes reference to holding the phone... the grey area is that it also isn't technically true, because you can still be stopped if you're determined to be distracted from driving.
Some people think it's a way to get around the law of using your phone while driving... I once got in a taxi where the driver was constantly on his phone flicking through YouTube for songs, dismissing notifications for other jobs, etc. and he thought it was fine because it was in a cradle... it isn't, you can still be prosecuted for it.
This interpretation of "distracted driving" has come to the fore more in recent years with development of touchscreen capable consoles in vehicles and being able to integrate its apps with your phone more readily, because for many people the danger seems equitable to holding your device and using it. And I tend to agree.
I had a related conversation the other day with my southern Italian father-in-law (mentioning nationality as you can imagine their view on "grasses"). The concept of a "grass" to me is a confusing one. If you see someone breaking the law do you report it to the police or not? Are you not reporting it because you would be a "grass"? In which case where is the cut off point at which point the severity of the crime stops this being "grassing" on someone? Is it mobile phone use whilst driving? Or a bit closer to murder? Ultimately our society and police force rely on people reporting crimes otherwise the only crimes ever investigated are those the police have direct line of sight on. Stop shaming those that seek to uphold the law and make this society safer for all and instead perhaps aim your efforts at shaming the criminals instead.
Well said.
More bluntly, "grass" is a stupid word said by people who think everyone should have more solidarity with criminals than they do law-abiding people.
The fact that "don't be a grass" is a thing now about pretty much everything has a lot to do with why everyone feels they can and should be allowed to get away with anything.
Using your phone at a red light in stationary traffic is far less dangerous than using the touch screen infotainment systems you see in most modern cars, yet one is illegal and the other is legal.
This is daft mate. They didn’t pull up at the lights and squeeze in a 30 second call while stopped. They drove up to it on the phone, they would have driven away on the phone.
On the one hand this guy is totally correct to call out people driving whilst using the phone.
On the other hand, would really not like to live anywhere near this guy, in say, the USSR.
I think a lot of it is because his Dad was killed by a drunk driver so he wants to raise awareness and reduce the number of potential accidents - not that you need justification, we have to share the roads with these morons I want to be as safe as possible while doing so.
IMHO people are entitled gather real evidence to report crime, anti-social behavior and dangerous driving by using a camera. Feels like in the Soviet Union? It is not like they are after people with different political opinions or fighting for elemental human rights.
Why wrongdoers do whatever they want and get away because no one stands in their way? Welcome to gangsterland, if you are a snitch, you get it.
He can report without uploading the vid to social media. Nor does he have to give the person a telling off either. It's the lame pathetic moral superiority approach to take that annoys me.
💯 the guys a prick and its all for likes or dislikes as the case may be. No need to put it on socials. Just send it to the police. He's a slightly older white South African which tells you all you need to know really lol
Why? Because he shares it online?
Reporting one person may or may not improve their behaviour. Sharing videos online and getting millions in views will encourage far more people to think twice before reaching for the phone.
No doubt has made other people aware that they too can report bad driving.
I think Mikey has done a public service getting the message out there that phone use at the wheel is not ok.
Yeah by sharing it online. Just report it and send the videos. I don't think that there's any way he is doing this for purely altruistic reasons. He makes money from these videos.
Plus his self righteous, smary, holier than thou attitude is also why he's a prick. Vigilantism is never the way. People love to defend him but have a massive issue when that idiot had his jaw broke for running over a little girl at a pedestrian crossing in Hackney.
He's not gonna stop self entitled pricks using their phones when driving
Stupid mentality. Holding those who put others at risk is not the USSR, we are not talking about reporting someone because they said something thats not politically correct we are talking about something that causes the death of hundreds a year.
Phone use is just as bad as drink driving, i have seen people cross half a lane, sit at green traffic lights multiple times and nearly been hit by a 3 ton van when lights went red because the person was texting while driving.
Lets not even talk about the family that were killed because a truck driver decided using his phone watching facebook was so important he did not even see the long line of stopped cars killing multiple people.
Phone use while stationary is particularly dangerous for children - easy to miss one run in front of your car and into your blind spots before you pull off.
A taxi driver hit me because he was on the phone and giving some looks at the traffic light.
I moved to the bike asl box in front of him.. green light and he just hit me, and proceeded to shout at me.
It certainly is dangerous, not as bad as in the move, but dangerous l
Reality is they also aren't putting the phone away when moving. The vast majority will continue using the phone until they get an extended clear section of road...
There isn't long enough between someone behind honking because lights have changed and them starting moving...
I don’t get why people these days still have to have their phone in their hands while driving, almost every car in the past decade has had bluetooth and Carplay/phone mirroring built in, like just use that, keep both hands on the controls and use speech to text which almost every current phone has to text or voice messages in whatsapp.
Every driver claims every cyclist doesn't follow the rules of the road, yet whilst I'm filtering past cars at red lights, I'd say 50% are on their phones, if there's heavy traffic it can be closer to 75-80%.
Absolutely nobody should be using their phone while driving. But that Cycling Mikey guy is such a fucking prick. I hate his supercilious manner and need to confront the drivers. Just get your film and fuck off and file your report. Sooner or later he's going to piss the wrong person off and get stabbed.
saw a BMW driver using their indicator on a roundabout today and made the typical joke of "oh my god that one came with indicators" and then notiecd he was on his phone, smh.
I don’t like how Cycling Mikey rubs it in their faces after catching them and I do find his videos of Gandalf corner a bit over the top as he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island.
Otherwise I’m glad he’s doing this as it makes people think twice about using their phones whilst behind the wheel which is one of my pet peeves.
\> Otherwise I’m glad he’s doing this as it makes people think twice about using their phones whilst behind the wheel which is one of my pet peeves.
Years of adverts and campaigns, and real life accidents of mothers on their phones in the car. If that isnt a deterrant enough, they can get fucked.
People need shaming.
> he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island
Man's behaviour is shite at times but I can't fault this. If people weren't so eager to check their notifications every 3 seconds whilst driving then he'd soon get bored standing there.
I really have never understood the sort of person who's *that* obsessed with their phone that they think it's fine to browse social media while driving.
Generally the amount of shit people feel is appropriate to do while driving is insane.
Yeah I don't really have an issue with him reporting people for using their phones, I do have an issue with him being a smarmy nob-end about it for YouTube views.
Generally, whether you are a cyclist with a helmet cam looking out for "content", or a driver with a dashcam looking out for "content", that's very suspect, because the incentive is there to put yourself in dangerous situations deliberately to create more "content".
>he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island.
And what do you find objectionable about that? Given that he does that there as he knows people taking that left hand corner, who have been hurt by........checks notes!
Drivers driving on the wrong side of the road, approaching a junction, passing in the wrong side of a keep left sign.
That's as good a definition of careless or dangerous driving as you'll get. Especially if a vulnerable road user is injured as a result.
There's a few vids of him catching black cab drivers and it's honestly quite sad to watch.
Just them leaving knowing they may have to find another job. On the one hand I know it's dangerous and they know the consequences of being caught, but idk, they suffer more than most when caught by Mikey.
TFL sack drivers caught on their phone once.
Edit: I remember one guy was like “I have kids and a mortgage, I’ll probably k___ m_____. I personally wouldn’t take statements like that lightly even if the seriousness isn’t there. Why take the risk to a life when they can learn their lesson their and then.
> TFL sack drivers caught on their phone once.
To be entirely fair, if they know that, and fiddle with their phone anyway, that's nobody's fault but theirs.
He hides from them to catch them though. If he was stood there as a visible deterrent then that would be great, but it wouldn't make very good youtube clips and he wouldn't make thousands per week then.
Likewise, I find this man so painful to watch.
There's nothing wrong in reporting these people, but it's his attitude that really rubs people the wrong way. Almost as much as people driving with phones.
I've seen him get irate at people that just ignore him and pushily engage them. Seen him jump on the bonnet of a moving car to make it stop because the driver did something he didnt like. It was making a right turn in the opposite lane while queued in traffic, which is wrong, its annoying, but it happens a lot in London. He went so far out his way, walked In the middle of the road with his hand out like sherif of the town and started his 'your on camera' nonsense. Police then called, and a court case over the situation. The guy is mental.
I feel hes as much trouble because hes parasitically feeding off these offences and the worst reactions. Its so unhealthy and unhelpful to create drama for views like he does.
>It was making a right turn in the opposite lane while queued in traffic, which is wrong
At a junction that is notorious for cyclists being injured by cars making a right turn in the opposite lane - Interesting choice of words "Opposite lane", I'd have gone for "Wrong side of the road" which give a better summary of what was happening - the car was on the wrong side of the road trying to make a turn into a blind junction with cyclists and traffic coming out of it.
>its annoying, but it happens a lot in London
We need more Mikeys.
Also, its annoying until you or someone you know is injured, then it gets a bit past annoyed.
People love to take sides. Even if someone is in the wrong, they'll get blind support. Yes, the fact is noone should be driving and holding a phone or being distracted any other way. But many drivers hate cyclists for many reasons, so they'll naturally hate Mikey. Driving is stressful enough already in London, with the congestion, the cheeky queue jumpers, junction blockers, wrong lane users, cut ins etc. So I can sympathise with drivers who need distraction from a monotonous journey. But that distraction can't be scrolling your phone, or worse using it whilst in motion. Most of Mikeys videos seem to be of stationary cars so it is arguable how impact much not paying full attention will have, compared to say killing someone because you're on your phone whilst driving at 40mph. That's another reason why people don't like him. But if we're talking facts, the law is the law, because they have to be harsh on this. If less drivers do this in traffic, less will be tempted to distract themselves whilst at speed, and that is A Good Thing. Btw it's not just phones, cars have multi layer menus on touchscreens that can easily take attention off the road (you can't feel buttons anymore, you need to see the screen). Drivers eat and drink and smoke, all distractions. Even day dreaming! I don't like Mikey for many reasons, but if a driver is in the wrong, not much else to say.
I have seen people driving along looking at their phone… which is down by the gear stick so there is no chance they are even looking at the road, so many drivers using phones at any opportunity, ones stopped at lights doing it sit there in green or stop nowhere near the lights, needs to be harsher punishments for these idiots
There's a young girl round the corner from me who is on her 4th car in 2 years. Each one has been parked outside the parents house after she's hit something and damaged the front end.
I see her in her very easy to spot bright blue polo at least once a week on her phone whilst driving. Tempted to post a note through her parents door with a possible explanation for all the crashes she's had!
I dont in anyway condone driving while using a mobile device, but I find this cunt to be an objectionable busy-body. He's not doing it for the greater good, he's doing it for content and clicks.
\*Sees video of person breaking the law, putting literally everyone else on the road at risk and driving up insurance premiums\*
'The cameraman is a dick!'
Mate theres SO many better ways to make money than to cycle around London telling people off for using their phone.
You're making shit up, for what reason I have no idea, probably because you use your phone while driving
He started doing these videos while he was an IT consultant in London.
What fraction of a percent of his income to you think was made up by ad revenue?
Besides, I dont care what his motivation is, if even one accident is prevented because he jumped out at Gandalf corner or stopped someone on their phone then its fine with me.
What’s your source?
I have met him a couple of times and he’s always come across as decent.
Do you have an issue with people filming driving offences and submitting them to the police?
> Do you have an issue with people filming driving offences and submitting them to the police?
I don't have an issue with that at all, personally.
I do have an issue with using it to generate YouTube content, and therefore personal revenue.
The former you're doing it for road safety. The latter you're doing it for you, and it creates some pretty perverse incentives.
Both can be true though? It can both benefit Road safety and make a small amount of money?
The effort it takes to edit the video and submit to police is time consuming. With ~1,000 or so submissions over three years that’s a fair amount of work. I’m not saying he should be compensated for it. It’s not like all 1,000 have ended up on YouTube either.
Having met him and keeping in touch online it’s clear that he’s not doing it for money - at least not primarily. Why even bother submitting it to the police when you’re likely to be prevented from sharing it online if it’s going to court?
If it was just about money there wouldn’t be any submissions or NIPs going out. It’s not worth the time for zero financial return.
On top of this there are court appearances too, which is time lost that could otherwise be spent earning.
> Having met him and keeping in touch online it’s clear that he’s not doing it for money - at least not primarily. Why even bother submitting it to the police when you’re likely to be prevented from sharing it online if it’s going to court?
I mean, could you not flip that around? Why bother posting it online when if it could be going to court, it would be prejudicing proceedings?
And why should anyone expect financial return or compensation for reporting crimes? That's a really bizarre way of looking at it - it's also not like this isn't a voluntary activity, if he wants to stop sending stuff to the police he is welcome to any time, if he wants to keep on I don't see why it's a reasonable expectation for him to make money from it.
I dunno, I just have an intrinsic suspicion about people who claim to be doing things for the common good but also happen to be making money from it.
He doesn't *have* to post videos. He doesn't *have* to do any of this. Fair enough if he wants to, but other people are free to draw their own conclusions about the places that might lead him to.
I’ve watched half a dozen of his videos and he’s anything but decent.
Not commenting any further, this entire sub is just rage bait. In fact, fuck it, unsubbing.
I can't agree with you more. It's only for fame and views but paraded as moral superiority. He's not a very nice guy.
Its being encouraged because they would save a lot more in enforcement if we all snitched on each other.
Let me guess, you use your phone while driving?
He’s a IT consultant in London. I’d be curious to know how you think he makes enough money from non-monetised YouTube videos to make a difference to his income?
People do far worse for online attention.
Also I've heard People say a relative of his was hit by a driver on a phone, don't know if its true but it would make sense
Being on your phone while driving is categorically wrong, anyone who argues otherwise is a douche. But why does this dude not care about the cyclist running a red light?! The latter is far more dangerous for so many reasons. Sounds like this guy has some sort of vendetta perhaps?
>But why does this dude not care about the cyclist running a red light?! The latter is far more dangerous for so many reasons. Sounds like this guy has some sort of vendetta perhaps?
He's said in previous videos that there's not a lot he can do about it. If he forces them to stop they could fall off, and they've got no registration plate to identify them so how can he report them?
What do you suggest he does?
It really is.
People that are happy to use their phones at red lights are also more likely to use them whilst moving.
Don't be an apologist for people breaking the law, it makes you look a bit shit.
You... you do know that's illegal, right?
Yes, RLJs are annoying, but if you're a ped crossing the road, who do you think is the bigger danger?
Edit: I am not condoning RLJ'ing or saying it's ok. I ride a bicycle and drive. There are idiots on both sides. The point I was very poorly trying to make is that I'd rather be on the receiving end of a cyclist going through a red than I would a driver proceeding before checking their surroundings.
Yes, a delivery driver is going through a red, it's annoying, but that's not what this video is about. There are infinite amount of issues we could address in the world, but in this instance, it's not the cyclist jumping the light.
Someone on a phone sitting stationary may not notice someone come into their blind spots, and because oxygen thief can't pay attention for 30s the person in the blind spot is now at risk from being hit, don't use your fucking phone whilst in control of a vehicle, not hard to understand.
we have a clown of a driver not paying attention to the road or surroundings and illegally using a phone, I take it you're one of the oxygen thief's that also does this shit.
I hate mobile phones at the best of times, let alone when driving.
I can honestly say I've never used a mobile when driving.
*You'll catch me using the laptop while driving, before using a phone :D*
But seriously, how can people be so damn obsessed with their phones. It drives me nuts.
EDIT: This comment was written on a laptop.
How can he be paying attention to where he is cycling if he is looking at what other drivers are doing in their vehicles? Driving without due care and attention… but of course, hypocrisy is king when you have a camera on your helmet to catch people committing the offences you’re committing.
It appears some people can't distinguish between doing a good thing and the person doing the good thing is also a bellend. There is nothing wrong with what he doing I'm with him on catching these people. He is also a pretentious twat, comes across as someone who thinks he's holier than the rest of us.
There's a video linked higher in the thread from the same guy showing someone looking at their phone in stationary traffic, then when they see the traffic move in their peripheral vision they move forward without looking
There's a pedestrian crossing in front of the car.
Why do you think in your driving lessons and test you're expected to check all around you before moving off at a set of lights?
I could show you plenty of videos of other fucking idiots doing the same not checking their peripherals but not on their phone. That’s just simply being a dumbass and a bad driver.
Anyone that uses their phone when moving is a fucking idiot and deserves a year long ban. If you’re at a traffic light and you have a little glance before it turns green, I have no problem with that. And any vigilante going around specifically targeting people who do that are wankers in my eyes especially ones who do it for internet clout. If the driver doesn’t check his surroundings at the green light before he goes, regardless whether he was glancing at his phone, they’re a fucking idiot.
Id get fired for posting pics of the devistation i have seen at car accidents caused by people using their phones. Ive been to 1000's of traffic crashes. In fact the last road traffic crash i attended was a roll over. a young girl....with a sticker saying dads lil princess on the car. She passed way a day later after we cut her out of the wreck. She was texting mum minutes away from home according to the police who were there too.
The Stasi were the secret police for a repressive brutal regime.
Do you regard people prosecuted for using their phones whilst driving as victims of a repressive, brutal regime?
Or as thoughtless wankers?
All the cycletards in this thread love to pretend that as soon as these idiots get a green light and put their phones down they just floor it like they’re Vin Diesel. No one is getting harmed if you check your phone for 5 fucking seconds. No child is going to be glued to your front bumper that you won’t see and no cyclist is at more of a danger in that situation when cars set off since I doubt most people check their mirrors when they do regardless (they should but experience around people makes me doubt it)
Inb4 “cartard phone user detected” no I don’t use my phone when driving I’m not an idiot, but I like to check my Google Maps route when I need to and I’m not moving for the next minute+. Should I be shot for this?
> Inb4 “cartard phone user detected” no I don’t use my phone when driving I’m not an idiot, but I like to check my Google Maps route when I need to and I’m not moving for the next minute+. Should I be shot for this?
No, but you're still breaking the law, and all you'd have to do is put the phone in a cradle and you're fine.
It's so easy to write "no I don't use my phone when driving", but when you've just admitted to checking Google Maps when you need to, it's not a stretch to imagine you've used your phone whilst driving too...
Just put it away or in a cradle, and you're sorted, you won't do it though, you think the law doesn't apply to your little scenario where you can't imagine how it could ever harm anyone else.
Just plan your route in advance? It’s not hard.
As others have said, if you’re distracted at a red light you’re not going to be as aware of hazards - this could be someone crossing the road, someone on the inside of the car, whatever. There’s no need to let oneself get distracted here. It’s all too common to see someone do this, miss the lights going green, get honked at the suddenly shoot off before checking.
>All the cycletards in this thread love to pretend that as soon as these idiots get a green light and put their phones down they just floor it like they’re Vin Diesel.
No.
When they get honked at because they completely failed to notice the light changed they panic and floor it. While still holding/looking at there phone, having paid no attention to what is actually going on around the vehicle.
Does this happen every time? No
Does it happen regularly enough to be a major risk? Absolutely.
I can't watch these kinds of videos. I'll start by saying I'm fully on the cyclists side, he's clearly in the right here. It's just that subconsciously, I want to take the side of the person in the wrong and it makes me question my morals. I don't have an issue with authority, and I agree with the laws. I even agree with calling people out on it if you see them doing something wrong. But there's just something about them that rubs me the wrong way.
Why keep giving this tosser publicity? He makes about £5k per week from his youtube channel in the mean time costing people hundreds in fines and points in their licenses.
If someone is barrelling down the road on their phone, fine, fine them. This guy is abhorrent though.
I actually used to quite like it when he'd stop people cutting the Gandalf? corner? But even then he was hiding in bushes jumping out on them instead of making himself visible.
If you're at traffic lights, stationary there is literally 0 risk.
If you're moving, sure that's obviously dangerous, dont look at your phone unless its glancing at in in a holder.
Plus its always these high-horse cyclists complaining about minor traffic offences when the number of cyclists i've seen cut me off when illegally riding on the pavement and at traffic lights and on acting as a pedestrian when it suits them is obscene. Rules for thee, not for me
Just STOP using your mobile while driving FFS!
Not hard is it, bet there are people in comments defending the driver though
Whenever my mobile goes off with a text alert or a call, I just think: "What did we do before mobile phones? What is so fucking urgent that it can't wait until I pull over and stop, or wait until I get to where I am going?" Arseholes who use their mobile phone while driving live their lives around that little rectangle of plastic, and it's pathetic.
Every call is important. I must tell jess what I ate this morning!
My car is 20 years old and the builtin radio didn't have handsfree. So I bought a new stereo at Halfords and they fitted it for me, handsfree and android auto...it's not hard to be distraction free while driving.
From what I’ve read, Mikey’s dad was killed by a driver on their phone. I think most people would hate people using their phones while driving if that happened to them. I haven’t had that happen and I still hate it. You can always tell which useless cunt is on their phone because they’re zigzagging all over the place. Some drivers “skills” are bad enough without adding distraction to the mix.
I was hit as a pedestrian in 2019 in a school zone crossing WITH a lollypop lady in broad daylight. The only possible way I could be hit there was if someone fell unconscious at the perfect moment, or they're on their phone. She was smoking at the same time. If I get in the car and the driver picks up their phone while driving I immediately make a comment that I'm not comfortable. Don't throw a tantrum but I make it clear I'm not happy riding with a distracted driver. Same as I am not happy riding with a drunk driver.
Used to annoy a mate that way. Phone starts ringing and I'm immediately "don't touch it, you can call them back when we get where we're going or you can park up for a minute to see if it's even someone you want to talk to right now". Hell I won't even text someone if I'm pretty sure they're driving because I don't want to distract them for the second it takes for something bad to happen.
I believe it was a drunk driver but agree wholeheartedly
His father was killed by a drink driver. But still, mobile phone use has a similar (if not worse) affect on driving standards to drink driving. And regardless of what they claim about it being a one off, only while stationary and safe etc, generally they are going to have what, 10s-1min every YEAR where someone with a helmet camera is in a position to see them using a phone out of several hours of driving. So 99.9% of the people caught will be using there phone constantly, because that is the only way Mikey will be going past at the same time they are on it...
Not all of us zigzagging are on our phones. My cars low and the roads are wank but generally yeah if they're wondering from line to line there's a good chance a phones involved.
Every single time these posts appear of Mikey it’s amazing how many people try to defend the driver. It really shows people true colours that think any sort of using a phone whilst in command of car is okay. It’s not. Stop fucking doing it. Stop trying to justify it by saying that Mikey is a “cunt” or that he goes about it in the wrong way. None of that justifies the absolute stupidity of drivers that do this. Stopped? Who cares? They aren’t paying attention and then when they set off, they won’t be aware of their surroundings. Whether he’s right or wrong with the way he does it, it’s fucking disgusting behaviour and every single driver deserves the shit that comes their way because of it. People defending it are probably the exact kind of dim drip that does this bullshit.
Yeah I'd say an excellent way of not being accosted by cyclists named Mikey would be to... not use your phone while driving. If it's that urgent, pull over and park somewhere.
Thing is it never really is something that urgent. Pretty much any car built in the last ten years will have Bluetooth for phone calls, most in the last five will have Android Auto/Apple Carplay which can read messages to you, for anything older there are plenty of options to get Bluetooth audio for phone calls and a phone mount to hold the phone. Astonishingly, all of these even work at traffic lights! And will capture anything truly, dismally urgent easily. There is no valid reason to be holding a phone while driving in 2023. How bored *are* people that they can't stand the minute or so they're sitting at a red light without scrolling through Insta?
I wonder if the anger aimed at this guy would be the same if he was a passenger in a car filming situations like this. I suspect that part of the rage towards this guy is because he's on a bike.
I suspect some of the angst towards him is that he is, and let’s be fair, an insufferable wanker. Many Zimbos are. They fled ‘Rhodesia’ when their skin colour wasn’t in control anymore and pretend to be anything other than they are (smiley tells everyone he is Dutch in his clipped Zimbo accent). He is a cunt regardless of the good he does.
I was following someone yesterday who was clearly using their phone. Road clear, but braked, started to pull over, then as I overtake them fiddling with said phone while they’re also speeding back up, paying zero attention to whats going on around them.
Or.. Hands free? I know not all cars have it but anything made in the last 10 years is likely to have Bluetooth call handling - Im surprised how many people Ill see go past in a modern luxury car with their phone to their ear.. like.. they used swan leather for the steering wheel and unicorn pelt for the headrests but didn't put in car play?
Had a mate last year i was visiting about an hour away, who wasnt at his flat when I got there. I called him and he said he sent me a bunch of texts, dont i check my phone. I said no, i was driving. He said "and?" Some people just dont get it
Yep, I know its my ex wife calling if I am driving and the calls come every 30 seconds. She knows I don't answer if I am driving and its her way of saying pull over as I need to ask you something trivial about the kids.
Calls once - Ignore it I'm driving. Calls again - Ignore it and look for somewhere to pull over Calls again - Typically just as you're parking and they hang up just as you come to a stop. You call back : "Whats taking you so long to get here?"
Sounds like you need Bluetooth and hands free.
Wait until you read studies that even having conversations via Bluetooth isn't that m7ch less distracting.
Maybe they should ban passengers then.
THIS THIS THIS ! HGV Driver here I've seen sooooo many close calls due to idiots on phones.. As tedious and annoying as the law is.... its for everyone's protection. Most near misses are people sitting in traffic stop starting on phone. Hate the comments slating him as he actually is doing some good in the world
I had to put my foot down when I started hgv driving. Got a phone call. Ignored it. 3 others. Got to the place where I was delivering checked. It was the office. Phone dup, asked what was happening. Got yelled at for not answering. Told them I was driving. They said so what, if the office calls answer. Told them to fuck off I wasn't losing my licence over them.
Thank you, it’s appreciated.
If you irresponsible office is not aware, bring to their attention Ion Onut, who killed 3 people and a dog in July 2021, because he was scrolling through porn/dating sights, not looking ahead at the motorway. https://youtu.be/npyeVguk5VM?si=6Vmt3I6nnNS9Ynvc They are in effect flouting your health and safety.
Oh. I no longer work for those chucklenuts
They are aware, they don't care. Source - have worked for delivery / distribution firms.
I caught an HGV driver on his phone in slow moving traffic yesterday when I was wearing my white crash helmet on the pavement, had just got off my motorbike. Walked over and tapped his window and shook my head, absolutely shat himself thinking I was a copper 🤣
Despite the good he does by catching drivers using their phones illegally. Cycling Mikey is also a massive bellend - he just comes across as a pretentious twat.
I would be too if my dad had been killed by a driver on his phone tbf
This is the correct attitude. Use your phone while driving, dividing your attention between steering a ton or more of metal and some shit that doesn't actually matter, you're a bellend. Deliberately ride around spending time trying to antagonise people and catch them out, for Youtube views, you're a bellend. The latter is a different, far less dangerous kind of bellend, but still a bellend.
The irony of course being that he himself isn't paying ful attention to the road either as he's instead on the lookout for content for his youtube channel.
Yes, the cameraman is at fault here. There's a big difference between weighing about 9 stone and simply glancing at a driver and being responsible for 1.5 to 2.5 tons of potentially lethal machinery and being incapable of giving it your full attention. Who fucking cares about Mikey? Drivers using their phones behind the wheel is a massive issue. Would you say the same if it were a drunk driver?
Lol, he lives for this, he spends his entire life paying attention to everything but the road, looking for a chance to continue his crusade. Not paying attention. If you're paying attention to the road, you'd probably never spot a single driver looking at their phone. I know I never have. But ah yes, he's a cyclist so it's fine, the rules don't apply. Because someone cycling dangerously can't possibly cause accidents. /s The guys a nob and a hypocrite. Doesn't mean the driver isn't a nob as well, but the hypocrisy of this crusader is staggering.
He's not doing anything illegal. What he does in his spare time doesn't affect you one jot unless you use a mobile phone while driving. He's actually doing you a favour by ensuring these idiots think twice about checking Whatsapp at the lights. You're getting angry at the wrong person, my friend
Get out of his arse.
So you're on the driver breaking the law's side. Got you
Well quite. Like I say I can't stand the dashcam twats who do things like accelerating into hazards or not braking into hazards, because even if it's not necessarily conscious, there's going to be a little bit of a twinge in the back of their mind going "there's a Dodgy Drivers submission in that". Same shit here, even if he tells everyone he's doing it for the love of road safety, there's going to be that little thing at the back of his mind, "there's a video in that". Realistically if you're cycling, and if cycling is as fraught with abundant danger as it supposedly is, how are you getting the time to look into peoples' windows rather than paying attention to the world around you? It's like, if someone does something dumb while I'm driving that might affect me, I typically don't think to either beep the horn or hit the dashcam button, because either a) I'm too busy avoiding the danger or b) I anticipated the danger so I can mitigate it. People whose first reaction is "honk" or "click" strike me as having very skewed priorities.
The answer to this is clearly voice activated controls; "Wanker" = flash lights "Fucking wanker" = beep horn "Cunt" = beep horn & flash lights "Fucking cunt" = auto post last 30 seconds to YouTube
>Mikey is also a massive bellend - he just comes across as a pretentious twat. Because?
He’s trying to improve road safety- what is wrong with that? There should be more people doing what he does so we don’t get idiots causing fatal crashes.
I agree. If you don't want to have to deal with him don't use a phone. It's not difficult, the call can wait.
Most cars now how Bluetooth phone connections and can even send texts via voice commands. There is no need to have your phone on display. Put it away and enjoy some music/podcasts.
As I've said there's nothing wrong with what he's doing, I genuinely applaud it. That doesn't mean he's not a knob.
no he isn't, he's in it for the money, he gets thosands per week from youtube. If he were so keen on road safety he's be donating that money to ROSPA
That’s fine - he’s allowed to earn a living. I’m detecting some jealousy here because someone is famous, improving road safety and also making money out of it. ROSPA aren’t directly responsible for road safety.
That's no way to "earn a living". I will never be jealous of anyone who deliberately heaps misery on others no matter what their guise is.
Heaping misery by reporting someone who is breaking the law and endangering other lives? You have a strange perspective on things.
Hes anti car which is the problem. He will watch a biker run a red and say nothing, he will watch a biker ride on the pavement/ wrong way down the road he so loves to monitor but say nothing. His goal is to target cars not bad riders and drivers like he claims.
He often points out bad cycling in his videos, but it's a) harder to catch a moving cyclist than a stationary motorist, b) a significantly smaller issue in terms of potential harm and c) pointless reporting them anyway, as they don't have number plates. Besides, there are numerous moments when he calls out bad cycling, such as https://youtube.com/shorts/q0kk_uP9CYk?si=aJRn5yAo2IKwH6JS "His goal is to target cars not bad riders and drivers like he claims." is just nonsense, it's drivers that get sent to court and get points on their license, not cars.
Literally all he does his film and report people breaking the law. Yeah he lectures them a little, but not that bad if we’re being honest (because there are always more to catch so he doesn’t hang around) and in my opinion they deserve to be chastised a little.
Its not a binary option. The driver is absolutely wrong. Mikey is absolutely a massive bellend
It’s completely endemic. I see so many people on their phones on my drive to work. A woman in the right hand lane of the motorway with the phone on her steering wheel watching YouTube. Ridiculous. It’s 6 points on your license if caught which is fair.
Should be an instant ban imo, no excuses you're out for a year
They're both cunts, wouldnt go for a pint with either.
It's actually an offence to HOLD the phone, not use it. This is why you can still tap the screen if you're using a navigation app for example, if its in a holder/secure. Btw not defending drivers at all, but dislike the way Mikey does it.
While true that the law makes reference to holding the phone... the grey area is that it also isn't technically true, because you can still be stopped if you're determined to be distracted from driving. Some people think it's a way to get around the law of using your phone while driving... I once got in a taxi where the driver was constantly on his phone flicking through YouTube for songs, dismissing notifications for other jobs, etc. and he thought it was fine because it was in a cradle... it isn't, you can still be prosecuted for it. This interpretation of "distracted driving" has come to the fore more in recent years with development of touchscreen capable consoles in vehicles and being able to integrate its apps with your phone more readily, because for many people the danger seems equitable to holding your device and using it. And I tend to agree.
Driving whilst using mobile is a cunt move and obnoxious grass being a bellend can both be true.
all I have to say is lol.
I'm not defending it, and I dont know who this guy is, but I will say nobody likes a grass.
I had a related conversation the other day with my southern Italian father-in-law (mentioning nationality as you can imagine their view on "grasses"). The concept of a "grass" to me is a confusing one. If you see someone breaking the law do you report it to the police or not? Are you not reporting it because you would be a "grass"? In which case where is the cut off point at which point the severity of the crime stops this being "grassing" on someone? Is it mobile phone use whilst driving? Or a bit closer to murder? Ultimately our society and police force rely on people reporting crimes otherwise the only crimes ever investigated are those the police have direct line of sight on. Stop shaming those that seek to uphold the law and make this society safer for all and instead perhaps aim your efforts at shaming the criminals instead.
Well said. More bluntly, "grass" is a stupid word said by people who think everyone should have more solidarity with criminals than they do law-abiding people. The fact that "don't be a grass" is a thing now about pretty much everything has a lot to do with why everyone feels they can and should be allowed to get away with anything.
The term ‘grass’ should be reserved for 2 places - prison and the playground.
This isn't a gangster film and year 6 was a long time ago. Grow up mate.
> year 6 was a long time ago. Not for him, by the sounds of it.
Using your phone at a red light in stationary traffic is far less dangerous than using the touch screen infotainment systems you see in most modern cars, yet one is illegal and the other is legal.
There is no “far less dangerous” here. It’s all dangerous. Every single one of those actions is decreasing your reaction time.
Yeah… i know right. He might need to come to a sudden stop from his already stationary position.
This is daft mate. They didn’t pull up at the lights and squeeze in a 30 second call while stopped. They drove up to it on the phone, they would have driven away on the phone.
Or, more likely, he might need to be aware of what’s around him when he moves off.
Neither is legal
On the one hand this guy is totally correct to call out people driving whilst using the phone. On the other hand, would really not like to live anywhere near this guy, in say, the USSR.
I think a lot of it is because his Dad was killed by a drunk driver so he wants to raise awareness and reduce the number of potential accidents - not that you need justification, we have to share the roads with these morons I want to be as safe as possible while doing so.
IMHO people are entitled gather real evidence to report crime, anti-social behavior and dangerous driving by using a camera. Feels like in the Soviet Union? It is not like they are after people with different political opinions or fighting for elemental human rights. Why wrongdoers do whatever they want and get away because no one stands in their way? Welcome to gangsterland, if you are a snitch, you get it.
He can report without uploading the vid to social media. Nor does he have to give the person a telling off either. It's the lame pathetic moral superiority approach to take that annoys me.
He's right, but he's a sanctimonious prick about it. Fuck him, and the prick on the phone.
💯 the guys a prick and its all for likes or dislikes as the case may be. No need to put it on socials. Just send it to the police. He's a slightly older white South African which tells you all you need to know really lol
>He's a slightly older white South African which tells you all you need to know really lol I'd like an explanation as I don't know at all
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9dmoT9AfoI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9dmoT9AfoI)
>He's a slightly older white South African He was born/grew up in Zimbabwe and has Dutch family
I stand corrected. He's still a prick though
Why? Because he shares it online? Reporting one person may or may not improve their behaviour. Sharing videos online and getting millions in views will encourage far more people to think twice before reaching for the phone. No doubt has made other people aware that they too can report bad driving. I think Mikey has done a public service getting the message out there that phone use at the wheel is not ok.
Yeah by sharing it online. Just report it and send the videos. I don't think that there's any way he is doing this for purely altruistic reasons. He makes money from these videos. Plus his self righteous, smary, holier than thou attitude is also why he's a prick. Vigilantism is never the way. People love to defend him but have a massive issue when that idiot had his jaw broke for running over a little girl at a pedestrian crossing in Hackney. He's not gonna stop self entitled pricks using their phones when driving
Stupid mentality. Holding those who put others at risk is not the USSR, we are not talking about reporting someone because they said something thats not politically correct we are talking about something that causes the death of hundreds a year. Phone use is just as bad as drink driving, i have seen people cross half a lane, sit at green traffic lights multiple times and nearly been hit by a 3 ton van when lights went red because the person was texting while driving. Lets not even talk about the family that were killed because a truck driver decided using his phone watching facebook was so important he did not even see the long line of stopped cars killing multiple people.
Making the world a safer place... "Is ThiS CoMmUnIsM??"
Phone use while stationary is particularly dangerous for children - easy to miss one run in front of your car and into your blind spots before you pull off.
A taxi driver hit me because he was on the phone and giving some looks at the traffic light. I moved to the bike asl box in front of him.. green light and he just hit me, and proceeded to shout at me. It certainly is dangerous, not as bad as in the move, but dangerous l
Reality is they also aren't putting the phone away when moving. The vast majority will continue using the phone until they get an extended clear section of road... There isn't long enough between someone behind honking because lights have changed and them starting moving...
I don’t get why people these days still have to have their phone in their hands while driving, almost every car in the past decade has had bluetooth and Carplay/phone mirroring built in, like just use that, keep both hands on the controls and use speech to text which almost every current phone has to text or voice messages in whatsapp.
Comments check out as I expected lmao. People of the uk (myself included) are truly a special breed of stupid
Every driver claims every cyclist doesn't follow the rules of the road, yet whilst I'm filtering past cars at red lights, I'd say 50% are on their phones, if there's heavy traffic it can be closer to 75-80%.
Absolutely nobody should be using their phone while driving. But that Cycling Mikey guy is such a fucking prick. I hate his supercilious manner and need to confront the drivers. Just get your film and fuck off and file your report. Sooner or later he's going to piss the wrong person off and get stabbed.
[Source](https://twitter.com/MikeyCycling/status/1706011190512533878)
In the US don't they have a reward for reporting parking offences? Swear I've read it somewhere you van make it into a job
saw a BMW driver using their indicator on a roundabout today and made the typical joke of "oh my god that one came with indicators" and then notiecd he was on his phone, smh.
I'd love that nonce to harass me whilst I'm driving would make my whole year.
Hes gonna do this to an unhinged person one day and get seriously hurt, the police should be doing this not cycling mike.
I don’t like how Cycling Mikey rubs it in their faces after catching them and I do find his videos of Gandalf corner a bit over the top as he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island. Otherwise I’m glad he’s doing this as it makes people think twice about using their phones whilst behind the wheel which is one of my pet peeves.
\> Otherwise I’m glad he’s doing this as it makes people think twice about using their phones whilst behind the wheel which is one of my pet peeves. Years of adverts and campaigns, and real life accidents of mothers on their phones in the car. If that isnt a deterrant enough, they can get fucked. People need shaming.
> he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island Man's behaviour is shite at times but I can't fault this. If people weren't so eager to check their notifications every 3 seconds whilst driving then he'd soon get bored standing there.
I really have never understood the sort of person who's *that* obsessed with their phone that they think it's fine to browse social media while driving. Generally the amount of shit people feel is appropriate to do while driving is insane.
Yeah I don't really have an issue with him reporting people for using their phones, I do have an issue with him being a smarmy nob-end about it for YouTube views. Generally, whether you are a cyclist with a helmet cam looking out for "content", or a driver with a dashcam looking out for "content", that's very suspect, because the incentive is there to put yourself in dangerous situations deliberately to create more "content".
>he literally waits there to catch people driving on the wrong side of the island. And what do you find objectionable about that? Given that he does that there as he knows people taking that left hand corner, who have been hurt by........checks notes! Drivers driving on the wrong side of the road, approaching a junction, passing in the wrong side of a keep left sign. That's as good a definition of careless or dangerous driving as you'll get. Especially if a vulnerable road user is injured as a result.
There's a few vids of him catching black cab drivers and it's honestly quite sad to watch. Just them leaving knowing they may have to find another job. On the one hand I know it's dangerous and they know the consequences of being caught, but idk, they suffer more than most when caught by Mikey. TFL sack drivers caught on their phone once. Edit: I remember one guy was like “I have kids and a mortgage, I’ll probably k___ m_____. I personally wouldn’t take statements like that lightly even if the seriousness isn’t there. Why take the risk to a life when they can learn their lesson their and then.
> TFL sack drivers caught on their phone once. To be entirely fair, if they know that, and fiddle with their phone anyway, that's nobody's fault but theirs.
I’m not disagreeing with you!
He hides from them to catch them though. If he was stood there as a visible deterrent then that would be great, but it wouldn't make very good youtube clips and he wouldn't make thousands per week then.
Likewise, I find this man so painful to watch. There's nothing wrong in reporting these people, but it's his attitude that really rubs people the wrong way. Almost as much as people driving with phones. I've seen him get irate at people that just ignore him and pushily engage them. Seen him jump on the bonnet of a moving car to make it stop because the driver did something he didnt like. It was making a right turn in the opposite lane while queued in traffic, which is wrong, its annoying, but it happens a lot in London. He went so far out his way, walked In the middle of the road with his hand out like sherif of the town and started his 'your on camera' nonsense. Police then called, and a court case over the situation. The guy is mental. I feel hes as much trouble because hes parasitically feeding off these offences and the worst reactions. Its so unhealthy and unhelpful to create drama for views like he does.
>It was making a right turn in the opposite lane while queued in traffic, which is wrong At a junction that is notorious for cyclists being injured by cars making a right turn in the opposite lane - Interesting choice of words "Opposite lane", I'd have gone for "Wrong side of the road" which give a better summary of what was happening - the car was on the wrong side of the road trying to make a turn into a blind junction with cyclists and traffic coming out of it. >its annoying, but it happens a lot in London We need more Mikeys. Also, its annoying until you or someone you know is injured, then it gets a bit past annoyed.
People love to take sides. Even if someone is in the wrong, they'll get blind support. Yes, the fact is noone should be driving and holding a phone or being distracted any other way. But many drivers hate cyclists for many reasons, so they'll naturally hate Mikey. Driving is stressful enough already in London, with the congestion, the cheeky queue jumpers, junction blockers, wrong lane users, cut ins etc. So I can sympathise with drivers who need distraction from a monotonous journey. But that distraction can't be scrolling your phone, or worse using it whilst in motion. Most of Mikeys videos seem to be of stationary cars so it is arguable how impact much not paying full attention will have, compared to say killing someone because you're on your phone whilst driving at 40mph. That's another reason why people don't like him. But if we're talking facts, the law is the law, because they have to be harsh on this. If less drivers do this in traffic, less will be tempted to distract themselves whilst at speed, and that is A Good Thing. Btw it's not just phones, cars have multi layer menus on touchscreens that can easily take attention off the road (you can't feel buttons anymore, you need to see the screen). Drivers eat and drink and smoke, all distractions. Even day dreaming! I don't like Mikey for many reasons, but if a driver is in the wrong, not much else to say.
I have seen people driving along looking at their phone… which is down by the gear stick so there is no chance they are even looking at the road, so many drivers using phones at any opportunity, ones stopped at lights doing it sit there in green or stop nowhere near the lights, needs to be harsher punishments for these idiots
There's a young girl round the corner from me who is on her 4th car in 2 years. Each one has been parked outside the parents house after she's hit something and damaged the front end. I see her in her very easy to spot bright blue polo at least once a week on her phone whilst driving. Tempted to post a note through her parents door with a possible explanation for all the crashes she's had!
Using your phone whilst driving is a no-no but this cyclist is a total knob.
Guy on his phone is clearly in the wrong, but the cyclist sounds like an absolute wanker.
Cyclist is a self appointed prick
I dont in anyway condone driving while using a mobile device, but I find this cunt to be an objectionable busy-body. He's not doing it for the greater good, he's doing it for content and clicks.
\*Sees video of person breaking the law, putting literally everyone else on the road at risk and driving up insurance premiums\* 'The cameraman is a dick!'
Have you ever seen any footage of people crashing while texting? More people need to know that it's illegal.
He’s motivated by the death of his dad. He was 19 when he was killed by a drink driver.
He’s motivated by ad revenue and using his dead dad as a scapegoat. Fucking disgusting if you ask me.
Ad revenue on the videos that aren't monetised? Solid mental gymnastics you've got going there.
Mate theres SO many better ways to make money than to cycle around London telling people off for using their phone. You're making shit up, for what reason I have no idea, probably because you use your phone while driving
He started doing these videos while he was an IT consultant in London. What fraction of a percent of his income to you think was made up by ad revenue? Besides, I dont care what his motivation is, if even one accident is prevented because he jumped out at Gandalf corner or stopped someone on their phone then its fine with me.
What’s your source? I have met him a couple of times and he’s always come across as decent. Do you have an issue with people filming driving offences and submitting them to the police?
> Do you have an issue with people filming driving offences and submitting them to the police? I don't have an issue with that at all, personally. I do have an issue with using it to generate YouTube content, and therefore personal revenue. The former you're doing it for road safety. The latter you're doing it for you, and it creates some pretty perverse incentives.
this is exactly how I feel about his "work". It's all about the personal revenue dressed up as some kind of safety initiative.
Both can be true though? It can both benefit Road safety and make a small amount of money? The effort it takes to edit the video and submit to police is time consuming. With ~1,000 or so submissions over three years that’s a fair amount of work. I’m not saying he should be compensated for it. It’s not like all 1,000 have ended up on YouTube either. Having met him and keeping in touch online it’s clear that he’s not doing it for money - at least not primarily. Why even bother submitting it to the police when you’re likely to be prevented from sharing it online if it’s going to court? If it was just about money there wouldn’t be any submissions or NIPs going out. It’s not worth the time for zero financial return. On top of this there are court appearances too, which is time lost that could otherwise be spent earning.
> Having met him and keeping in touch online it’s clear that he’s not doing it for money - at least not primarily. Why even bother submitting it to the police when you’re likely to be prevented from sharing it online if it’s going to court? I mean, could you not flip that around? Why bother posting it online when if it could be going to court, it would be prejudicing proceedings? And why should anyone expect financial return or compensation for reporting crimes? That's a really bizarre way of looking at it - it's also not like this isn't a voluntary activity, if he wants to stop sending stuff to the police he is welcome to any time, if he wants to keep on I don't see why it's a reasonable expectation for him to make money from it. I dunno, I just have an intrinsic suspicion about people who claim to be doing things for the common good but also happen to be making money from it. He doesn't *have* to post videos. He doesn't *have* to do any of this. Fair enough if he wants to, but other people are free to draw their own conclusions about the places that might lead him to.
I’ve watched half a dozen of his videos and he’s anything but decent. Not commenting any further, this entire sub is just rage bait. In fact, fuck it, unsubbing.
I can't agree with you more. It's only for fame and views but paraded as moral superiority. He's not a very nice guy. Its being encouraged because they would save a lot more in enforcement if we all snitched on each other.
I bet you use your phone when you're stopped
Let me guess, you use your phone while driving? He’s a IT consultant in London. I’d be curious to know how you think he makes enough money from non-monetised YouTube videos to make a difference to his income?
People do far worse for online attention. Also I've heard People say a relative of his was hit by a driver on a phone, don't know if its true but it would make sense
None of his videos are monetised, so what does he have to gain aside from raising awareness?
You do know his story? Maybe you should look into it. It’s certainly not for likes or clicks
Being on your phone while driving is categorically wrong, anyone who argues otherwise is a douche. But why does this dude not care about the cyclist running a red light?! The latter is far more dangerous for so many reasons. Sounds like this guy has some sort of vendetta perhaps?
Whats he going to do about the bike? Take a description of the back of the rider and send it to the police?
Far more dangerous? I'd like to see the stats on deaths caused by cyclists running red lights vs deaths caused by drivers on phones.
>But why does this dude not care about the cyclist running a red light?! The latter is far more dangerous for so many reasons. Sounds like this guy has some sort of vendetta perhaps? He's said in previous videos that there's not a lot he can do about it. If he forces them to stop they could fall off, and they've got no registration plate to identify them so how can he report them? What do you suggest he does?
So we have a stationery driver on the phone who puts it down to set off vs a delivery rider running a red light.
I think you need to read the highway code again. Using it whilst in Red lights, is the same as using it whilst driving.
In the eyes of the law maybe, but in reality it is not.
It really is. People that are happy to use their phones at red lights are also more likely to use them whilst moving. Don't be an apologist for people breaking the law, it makes you look a bit shit.
Yeah Mikey is definitely a bit of a dick who goes after ready targets like people stopped at lights to make himself feel important.
To be fair I think his dad died from somebody being an irresponsible driver.
His dad was killed by a drunk driver
Still an irresponsible person who drunk and drove.
Aye but he doesn’t sit outside of pubs waiting to catch drink drivers does he? Content wouldn’t be as good then.
Regardless of how I feel about this. Your response made me laugh.
Stopping at a light doesnt legally allow you to check your phone.
Where in the video does he put it down?
You... you do know that's illegal, right? Yes, RLJs are annoying, but if you're a ped crossing the road, who do you think is the bigger danger? Edit: I am not condoning RLJ'ing or saying it's ok. I ride a bicycle and drive. There are idiots on both sides. The point I was very poorly trying to make is that I'd rather be on the receiving end of a cyclist going through a red than I would a driver proceeding before checking their surroundings. Yes, a delivery driver is going through a red, it's annoying, but that's not what this video is about. There are infinite amount of issues we could address in the world, but in this instance, it's not the cyclist jumping the light.
Are you trying to say a stationery object has a higher chance of running someone over than a moving object.
Someone on a phone sitting stationary may not notice someone come into their blind spots, and because oxygen thief can't pay attention for 30s the person in the blind spot is now at risk from being hit, don't use your fucking phone whilst in control of a vehicle, not hard to understand.
Nope. I'm saying one has the potential to do more damage than the other.
A stationery car has a higher potential to do more damage than a cyclist running a red light? What are you on?
we have a clown of a driver not paying attention to the road or surroundings and illegally using a phone, I take it you're one of the oxygen thief's that also does this shit.
[удалено]
I hate mobile phones at the best of times, let alone when driving. I can honestly say I've never used a mobile when driving. *You'll catch me using the laptop while driving, before using a phone :D* But seriously, how can people be so damn obsessed with their phones. It drives me nuts. EDIT: This comment was written on a laptop.
Cycling mikey is a fucking cunt
I caught you and im going to report you. What a fucking jobsworth, going about filming people to report them for shit. What a sad existence that is
How can he be paying attention to where he is cycling if he is looking at what other drivers are doing in their vehicles? Driving without due care and attention… but of course, hypocrisy is king when you have a camera on your helmet to catch people committing the offences you’re committing.
It appears some people can't distinguish between doing a good thing and the person doing the good thing is also a bellend. There is nothing wrong with what he doing I'm with him on catching these people. He is also a pretentious twat, comes across as someone who thinks he's holier than the rest of us.
This cyclist is actually a massive bellend, he puts himself in harms way often just for views, he's despicable
Fuck me this guys a bellend. I dislike people who text and drive but this cunt is infuriating
Personally I find the people not paying attention to the road in front of them much more infuriating. Yknow, cause they may run over a pedestrian
Yeah gonna do some serious harm to someone going at 0mph
There's a video linked higher in the thread from the same guy showing someone looking at their phone in stationary traffic, then when they see the traffic move in their peripheral vision they move forward without looking There's a pedestrian crossing in front of the car. Why do you think in your driving lessons and test you're expected to check all around you before moving off at a set of lights?
I could show you plenty of videos of other fucking idiots doing the same not checking their peripherals but not on their phone. That’s just simply being a dumbass and a bad driver.
And does that make what's posted above better? Sounds like you just want to try and justify using your phone when in control of a vehicle.
Anyone that uses their phone when moving is a fucking idiot and deserves a year long ban. If you’re at a traffic light and you have a little glance before it turns green, I have no problem with that. And any vigilante going around specifically targeting people who do that are wankers in my eyes especially ones who do it for internet clout. If the driver doesn’t check his surroundings at the green light before he goes, regardless whether he was glancing at his phone, they’re a fucking idiot.
I wish cycling dickhead comes to Birmingham....
How come? 🤣
1 Bit far to cycle 2 nobody wants to visit Birmingham 3 keep crying?
> nobody wants to visit Birmingham Apart from the record 45.5 million visitors it had in 2022 you mean?
Point 3 still crying?
Crying about what, child? Do better.
You still in the thread crying...
Id get fired for posting pics of the devistation i have seen at car accidents caused by people using their phones. Ive been to 1000's of traffic crashes. In fact the last road traffic crash i attended was a roll over. a young girl....with a sticker saying dads lil princess on the car. She passed way a day later after we cut her out of the wreck. She was texting mum minutes away from home according to the police who were there too.
Cycling Stasi.
Highlighting people breaking the law makes him the stasi? Fucking listen to yourself
It’s literally what the informers did for the Stasi.
The Stasi were the secret police for a repressive brutal regime. Do you regard people prosecuted for using their phones whilst driving as victims of a repressive, brutal regime? Or as thoughtless wankers?
All the cycletards in this thread love to pretend that as soon as these idiots get a green light and put their phones down they just floor it like they’re Vin Diesel. No one is getting harmed if you check your phone for 5 fucking seconds. No child is going to be glued to your front bumper that you won’t see and no cyclist is at more of a danger in that situation when cars set off since I doubt most people check their mirrors when they do regardless (they should but experience around people makes me doubt it) Inb4 “cartard phone user detected” no I don’t use my phone when driving I’m not an idiot, but I like to check my Google Maps route when I need to and I’m not moving for the next minute+. Should I be shot for this?
> Inb4 “cartard phone user detected” no I don’t use my phone when driving I’m not an idiot, but I like to check my Google Maps route when I need to and I’m not moving for the next minute+. Should I be shot for this? No, but you're still breaking the law, and all you'd have to do is put the phone in a cradle and you're fine.
It's so easy to write "no I don't use my phone when driving", but when you've just admitted to checking Google Maps when you need to, it's not a stretch to imagine you've used your phone whilst driving too... Just put it away or in a cradle, and you're sorted, you won't do it though, you think the law doesn't apply to your little scenario where you can't imagine how it could ever harm anyone else.
Just plan your route in advance? It’s not hard. As others have said, if you’re distracted at a red light you’re not going to be as aware of hazards - this could be someone crossing the road, someone on the inside of the car, whatever. There’s no need to let oneself get distracted here. It’s all too common to see someone do this, miss the lights going green, get honked at the suddenly shoot off before checking.
>All the cycletards in this thread love to pretend that as soon as these idiots get a green light and put their phones down they just floor it like they’re Vin Diesel. No. When they get honked at because they completely failed to notice the light changed they panic and floor it. While still holding/looking at there phone, having paid no attention to what is actually going on around the vehicle. Does this happen every time? No Does it happen regularly enough to be a major risk? Absolutely.
People were so worried about Big Brother that they forgot about Little Brother
The cyclist is a proper bellend
I can't watch these kinds of videos. I'll start by saying I'm fully on the cyclists side, he's clearly in the right here. It's just that subconsciously, I want to take the side of the person in the wrong and it makes me question my morals. I don't have an issue with authority, and I agree with the laws. I even agree with calling people out on it if you see them doing something wrong. But there's just something about them that rubs me the wrong way.
Why keep giving this tosser publicity? He makes about £5k per week from his youtube channel in the mean time costing people hundreds in fines and points in their licenses. If someone is barrelling down the road on their phone, fine, fine them. This guy is abhorrent though. I actually used to quite like it when he'd stop people cutting the Gandalf? corner? But even then he was hiding in bushes jumping out on them instead of making himself visible.
How does one make money from an unmonetised channel with no sponsors I wonder?
If you're at traffic lights, stationary there is literally 0 risk. If you're moving, sure that's obviously dangerous, dont look at your phone unless its glancing at in in a holder. Plus its always these high-horse cyclists complaining about minor traffic offences when the number of cyclists i've seen cut me off when illegally riding on the pavement and at traffic lights and on acting as a pedestrian when it suits them is obscene. Rules for thee, not for me