Cycling Mikey and third party reporting

[Alex321]

Isn't there a pedestrian refuge* in the centre of the road where he stands?


*Tactile pink paving slabs.

Where he stands while waiting for tossers to drive the wrong side, yes.

Not where he stands when blocking them from progressing.

 

[classic33]

Where he stands while waiting for tossers to drive the wrong side, yes.

Not where he stands when blocking them from progressing.

He's stood on a pedestrian crossing then. Don't drivers have to stop in that situation. Giving way to the pedestrian?

 

[Rusty Nails]

No, he shouldn't do anything but video and report.

We shouldn't be taking the law into our own hands.

As has been explained several times already he is not taking the law into his own hands.

He is filming and reporting it to the police. Being a bit of an annoyance to those breaking the law, probably, but the police and the courts properly take the law into their own hands (or not) after his intervention.

The fact you don't like the way he goes about it is irrelevant to the facts.

 

[Alex321]

He's stood on a pedestrian crossing then. Don't drivers have to stop in that situation. Giving way to the pedestrian?

No, he didn't stand on a pedestrian crossing.

This is the traffic island he stands in, then step out to block vehicles which are illegally passing to the right (left as we look at it) of the traffic island, in order to jump the queue and turn right, on the road called Outer Circle.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.525...4!1sT2rfvUc_g0WGCTi96p3JcA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[Alex321]

As has been explained several times already he is not taking the law into his own hands.

Not validly it hasn't.

He is filming and reporting it to the police. Being a bit of an annoyance to those breaking the law, probably, but the police and the courts properly take the law into their own hands (or not) after his intervention.

So you think it has been "explained" why he isn't, while not actually knowing what he IS doing.

If he was just doing what you say, that would be absolutely fine, and exactly what he should be doing.

But he isn't just filming, he is taking it on himself to move into the road and block them from continuing.

The fact you don't like the way he goes about it is irrelevant to the facts.

I know that, but the FACT is that he most certainly IS taking the law into his own hands, and acting as a vigilante.

That is indisputable.

 

[classic33]

No, he didn't stand on a pedestrian crossing.
View attachment 627547
This is the traffic island he stands in, then step out to block vehicles which are illegally passing to the right (left as we look at it) of the traffic island, in order to jump the queue and turn right, on the road called Outer Circle.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.525...4!1sT2rfvUc_g0WGCTi96p3JcA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Dropped kerbs, tactile paving and a pedestrian refuge. All very clear.
What would you call it?

 

[Alex321]

Dropped kerbs, tactile paving and a pedestrian refuge. All very clear.
What would you call it?

A road with a pedestrian refuge in the middle.

A pedestrian crossing, where cars are required to stop for people wanting to cross, is an entirely different thing, and is marked with lines of some form (most commonly a zebra, but others exist).

 

[slowmotion]

In the course of his crusade against law-breaking road users, does Cycling Mikey grass up cyclists ignoring red lights?

 

[DaveReading]

A road with a pedestrian refuge in the middle.

A pedestrian crossing, where cars are required to stop for people wanting to cross, is an entirely different thing, and is marked with lines of some form (most commonly a zebra, but others exist).

Let's just call it a designated crossing for pedestrians.

That's why, on both sides of the refuge and in the gutters of the road itself, it clearly shows the advice (to pedestrians crossing) to "Look left" or "Look right".

Advice, incidentally, that would not not give you any protection from being hit by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road ...

 

[GilesM]

He is not behaving like a police officer (and certainly not an overly aggressive one) any more than anyone who sees a traffic crime and reports it. He is not pretending to be a police officer, not giving them an official warning, not taking their personal details, not giving them a breathaliser test, not touching anyone, nor arresting anyone for the (alleged) offence. I see a possibly overbearing approach, compared to what most people might adopt, but nothing aggressive.

Do you really believe his actions with the Mercedes driver were nothing more than somebody reporting a traffic crime they have seen?
A clue is in the video where he forces the car to stop and starts telling the driver what to do, sort of like a copper would, although a good traffic cop would pull the dodgy driver over in a safer location, and have a sensible chat with the offender and consider the drivers reaction before deciding whether to take things further.

 

[Cycleops]

I know that, but the FACT is that he most certainly IS taking the law into his own hands, and acting as a vigilante.

That is indisputable.

But is it? The term ‘vigilante’ has been thrown about. Lets get this out of the way

noun: vigilante; plural noun: vigilantes
a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

Batman was a vigilante. Someone acting as law enforcement as well as judge and jury and carrying out the sentence. Perhaps now the term has come to mean something else but he is not acting outside the law, he’s reporting wrong doing. The pedo hunters posing as children are doing the exact same thing and maybe also exposing themselves to harm.
Perhaps he’s going too far by turning drivers back but it is heaping humiliation on them. The parks police guy on the bike who’s often there doesn’t seem to have a problem with it and it is very satisfying to watch. If the police were concerned over his actions I’m sure he would have been told to stop before now.

 

[GilesM]

So are you saying that if a normal citizen sees another person blatantly, openly, breaking the law to an extent that they are causing imminent danger to those around them - the Gandalf Corner wrong-lane jumpers being a prime example - they should merely do ... nothing? Not even say 'stop it'? Sit and wait for a copper to come, by which time the perpetrator is far, far away ...?

They'll be sitting and waiting for ever in that case, while the bodies pile up.

That is not the concept on which policing in this country was founded, surely.

As has been mentioned many times, no problem with Van-Erp and his camera (although sitting at the side of a road waiting for a possible traffic offence isn't my way of enjoying an afternoon in London, and to me is still very odd) but by stopping the car as he did was completely wrong, and I am sure Mr Plod would advise Joe Public not to do it. His actions could have made the situation worse, and possibly more dangerous, of course we can all laugh at the Merc driver who does end up looking a complete chump, but I still would be totally against Van-Erp, or any other normal citizen doing the same again.
I am happy that this country is not policed by vigilantes.

 

[GilesM]

But is it? The term ‘vigilante’ has been thrown about. Lets get this out of the way

noun: vigilante; plural noun: vigilantes
a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

Batman was a vigilante. Someone acting as law enforcement as well as judge and jury and carrying out the sentence. Perhaps now the term has come to mean something else but he is not acting outside the law, he’s reporting wrong doing. The pedo hunters posing as children are doing the exact same thing and maybe also exposing themselves to harm.
Perhaps he’s going too far by turning drivers back but it is heaping humiliation on them. The parks police guy on the bike who’s often there doesn’t seem to have a problem with it and it is very satisfying to watch. If the police were concerned over his actions I’m sure he would have been told to stop before now.

By stopping the offending drivers he is quite clearly taking the law into his own hands, that is a fact, whether we agree with what he doing is irrelevant, and I think in this post you are agreeing with the points being made against his actions.

 

[Alex321]

But is it? The term ‘vigilante’ has been thrown about. Lets get this out of the way

noun: vigilante; plural noun: vigilantes
a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

I have previously posted the definition from another dictionary, which is slightly more all-encompassing, and which he most definitely and clearly fits.

vigilante
noun [ C ]

UK

/ˌvɪdʒ.ɪˈlæn.ti/ US

/ˌvɪdʒ.əˈlæn.t̬i/

a person who tries in an unofficial way to prevent crime, or to catch and punish someone who has committed a crime

And if you look up news reports, there are dozens describing him as a vigilante, and I believe he has even described himself that way.

I don't think there is the slightest doubt that he can legitimately be described as a vigilante.

 

[Cycleops]

You can think what you like Mr Giles but I support him and wish there were more like him.
Im sure he knows the risk to his own safety but that’s up to him.

Your definition is correct Alex but he doesn’t seek to punish drivers just report them.