Camsters

[400bhp]

Quite the opposite. Just a couple of days ago the muppet Audi driver, soft top 'Hot Audi' man passed me and gave me a huge amount of room. He is fully aware of my camera an YouTube videos....now there's a story for another day!

I find it changes drivers actions around me for the better.

Good to see you in full rant mode again MrHippo. I'm almost tempted to come back more regularly!

Do you believe it has made a material difference? If so, how?

 

[lukesdad]

You really need to come and ride with me and mikey and see what we are like, you see a very limited selection of us and how we react. I could post hours of footage of me sharing the road with others, reading what they might do before they do it and reacting in a positive way so that nothing happens.

I had a lovely ride home last night, no troubles at all, just the way i like it.

I ll come, and to show my appreciation in return, ill treat the pair of you to a day on the mtbs in the black mountains. You can bring your cameras

 

[400bhp]

You really need to come and ride with me and mikey and see what we are like, you see a very limited selection of us and how we react. I could post hours of footage of me sharing the road with others, reading what they might do before they do it and reacting in a positive way so that nothing happens.

I had a lovely ride home last night, no troubles at all, just the way i like it.

It's a valid point Shiela has Gaz.

As I'm sure you are aware, other people's perception pf how you act on the roads is very important. This feeds through to camera wearers who make footage public.

 

[magnatom]

Do you believe it has made a material difference? If so, how?

Put it this way. I've had an e-mail from First Buses yesterday. They want my help and advice on how to run and advice on how to run an open day for cyclists.

This is a direct result of me filming their buses. There is a lot more like this that I don't publicise including many people thanking me for my videos. Today on one of my filtering videos someone said they started cycling to work as a direct result of it.

Does it make a difference. Absolutely. However, I am but one of many and together that's what can make a big difference.

 

[400bhp]

I was playing Devil's Advocate slightly. IMO your YouTube coverage is far more balanced than any others I remember seeing.

However, it's a bold statement to say it changes drivers attitudes around you. Is this a personal statement or a wider change of attitudes?

I don't wear a camera, however IMO I believe drivers' attitudes to cyclists seems to be improving. I am having less and less "encounters" and seeing more consideration for my space around the bicycle. Some of this is definately as a result of me riding better but I wonder what, other things have caused this improvement?

My initial thoughts are that more people are cycling and therefore more people understand road use from a cyclists perspective.

Or perhaps I'm just imagining it?

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

You really need to come and ride with me and mikey and see what we are like, you see a very limited selection of us and how we react. I could post hours of footage of me sharing the road with others, reading what they might do before they do it and reacting in a positive way so that nothing happens.

That's a good point. I found I was getting a lot of flak from people accusing me of always deliberately holding up traffic and always riding in the middle of the road, of searching out incidents and conflicts, etc. So, I posted a whole typical round-trip commute at 5 times normal speed, in two posts. They seemed to shut up after that.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Do you believe it has made a material difference? If so, how?

I have seen an amazing change in the driving of First Bus drivers round here since July, when I had discussions with some of their managers about incidents I posted on YouTube, and also some "discussions" with some of their drivers on YouTube itself. They are generally very good and courteous now (with very few exceptions). I think it is because they now understand the issue from a cyclist's point of view much better than they did before. I call that a result!

 

[BentMikey]

I think its quite obvious your point of view will depend on what you regard as a incident. This of course may change with some, and not with others. The camera has just been the tool to open the debate as everybody can view the so called incidents. If you decide to make the footage public you should expect comments from across the spectrum of views. What some call an incident others wouldn t bat an eyelid. Camera s are great for personal use they an give a great record of life if thats your thing, Ive found some of the stuff posted quite funny, but mostly the rest are quite tedious to be honest.

Just a thought for commuters using them, if you are using the same route at the same sort of time,do you not think some of the idiots you are encountering have worked out you are using them and actually targeting you.

I guess it's possible, but I don't think so. I've seen a few drivers more than once, but like Gaz, there are just far too many of them.

One was D4NOK, and we all know how much better he drove afterwards. Another was S459OGW, although I filmed his Mrs smoking and on the phone and still driving, and I've only seen the dude since. He beeped once or twice but otherwise didn't drive anywhere near me, despite some fairly angst-ridden youtube comments.

 

[BentMikey]

Here's that SMIDSY with Ian, btw.:

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOlS37uXSVE[/media]


Who caused that?

 

[BentMikey]

Sometimes confrontation is sought - by choosing to speak to the driver. That's all about letting them know what they did wrong, and it's quite different from causing the incident in the first place. That was the driver, causing the incident.

Nowadays I do this far less often, as I know Roadsafe will likely write the driver and they'll get it later.

 

[Thomk]

I have seen an amazing change in the driving of First Bus drivers round here since July, when I had discussions with some of their managers about incidents I posted on YouTube, and also some "discussions" with some of their drivers on YouTube itself. They are generally very good and courteous now (with very few exceptions). I think it is because they now understand the issue from a cyclist's point of view much better than they did before. I call that a result!

I would suggest that the main reason for the change in attitude is that the drivers have been made aware by managers that they are increasing likely to be filmed. I am convinced that the single simple thing which would improve behaviour towards cyclists is if all commuter cyclists started wearing cams and other road users were made aware of it. On a similar note if all contributers on the forum were required to reveal their full names and photograph their attitude towards others would improve as well. It's the anonymity which encourages and empowers people to revert away from human and towards mammal.

 

[gaz]

On a similar note if all contributers on the forum were required to reveal their full names and photograph their attitude towards others would improve as well. It's the anonymity which encourages and empowers people to revert away from human and towards mammal.

That is likely to only do so much, some people have common names and others don't.
What is being human nature and what is being mammal?
I don't see anyone jumping out of bushes and attacking others (mammal)
but i do see people sticking up for their safety and right to be on the road (human)

 

[Hip Priest]

It's the anonymity which encourages and empowers people to revert away from human and towards mammal.

Humans are mammals. You can't 'revert' from one to the other.

 

[al78]

Humans are mammals. You can't 'revert' from one to the other.

I think what he is trying to say is that some people think that anonymity gives them the right to throw away all concept of social etiquette.

Some people are naturally civilized, others are merely constrained by society to be civilized, and will reveal their true nature once the social barriers are removed.

 

[Thomk]

I think what he is trying to say is that some people think that anonymity gives them the right to throw away all concept of social etiquette.

Some people are naturally civilized, others are merely constrained by society to be civilized, and will reveal their true nature once the social barriers are removed.

Thank you for putting it more eloquently than I was able to.