Should magnatom sell his camera?

[purplepolly]

I've watched a couple of his videos and his attitude reminds me a bit of what I was like when I first started cycle commuting. I got into a number of confrontations with drivers, road rage style shouting matches etc. However, I decided to chill out a bit and now these type of incidents are few and far between (though I still encounter bad driving).

Yes, but it's drivers like this that puts people off cycling in the first place, maybe he's thinking about them when doing the videos. The problem with putting up with bad and inconsiderate driving is that
a) it seems to be on the increase, and with more congestion and road users is likely to get worse
the driver may have missed you this time but how long is it going to be before he/she causes an accident

 

[HLaB]

Certainly not, I can't believe the question has been asked. Amongst other reasons as lee says they are a good source of debate and thing would be boring without them.

 

[Cab]

How can one cyclist be involved in so many incidents of a life threatening nature?!?!? Surely, for his own safety he should ditch the bloody camera?

Presence or absence of a camera makes no difference to how many incidents I have on the roads. And, if anything, I think that Magnatom has a quieter life on the roads than I do.

 

[gbb]

I've been watching Mags clips for a while and come to this conclusion..
Unless you ride Mags roads, you cant really compare yourself, and the traffic you encounter.
FWIW, the drivers in that area must be sh1te...he has more close calls in a week than i do in a year
I've said before, compared to Magnatoms experiences, the drivers in Peterborough are impeccable (well almost). Yes, some drivers come a bit close, but i've learned to shrug my shoulders when i cant do anything about it...and when i can, pull alongside, and tell them a little more room would be appreciated. Occasionally (maybe once or twice every couple of months) i get a really close one, and they get a mouthfull.
For me, its about my attitude to close calls. I dont get het up particually, and accept that people can make mistakes (just as i occasionally do).
Magnatoms responses to close calls often look a bit OTT, but then perhaps thats the attitude that pervades his locality.
In the end, using the camera doesnt contribute to the initial incident at all...thats entirely the drivers fault.
Not using one wouldnt lessen the incidents, although i do find myself asking if he used a slightly less primary/ strong secondary riding position, he might get fewer incidents, but thats a different matter. I use primary very very sparingly and have very few close calls...why is that ?

So carry on wearing i say.

 

[MacB]

Most of the criticism on here seems to be around the impact on cycling as a whole and specifically whether Mags style/attitude antagonises motorists. Yep maybe he could have a different attitude and maybe some of his videos are a bit soft, but he's not claiming perfection on his part. There is absolutely nothing in anything he does that justifies a motorist using his car as a weapon against a cyclist. Motorists responses to irritants, whether real or perceived, are what needs to be addressed. In any other walk of life most folks wouldn't dream of a these responses, even under far worse provocation. Yet put them behind the wheel of a car and they change totally.

On their own I don't think Mags videos achieve a great return for the effort he puts into them. It's a start though and a lot more than a lot of us , lazy buggers, are doing. But I'd love to see the BBC devote one of their 'road cop' style programmes to cycling. They could use a compilation of clips from Mags, and others, to illustrate points they are making.

There you go Simon, do you think that would be a decent use of some of the 'tax' the Beeb gets from us?

 

[downfader]

How can one cyclist be involved in so many incidents of a life threatening nature?!?!? Surely, for his own safety he should ditch the bloody camera?

Should the BBC stop reporting on war zones? As the always seem to be worse when they film. Should GMTV stop inteviewing families affected by the recession, as it makes them look stupid... Should hollywood stop making violent movies to stop street violence..?

There are a lot of shoulds and this aint one of them.

 

[magnatom]

Blimey! Pop out for 5 minutes (ok maybe a bit longer) and this has all appeared when I come back!

Maggot, you swine you! I'll have you know I just happened to be helmet camera'ing at your house as you typed the OP. I have already sent the video to your ISP. I don't expect we will be seeing you around here again....

Actually, I'm surprised that a thread like this hasn't appeared before, as I know what I do creates controversy. Making it a public poll might not be fair to the secret magnatom haters who are scared that I might pop round and film them later if they vote wrong...but I suppose we have to prevent the entire bloodbus forum registering today and voting!

I'll stay out of the main discussion to keep the bias down , but I will say one thing in my defence....

One person knows me better than anyone in the world. My wife. She is however a little perplexed about my whole video camera cycling thingy. Not so much that I do it, but that anyone else cares! She always laughs when I tell her about new people subscribing to my youtube channel (I've just broken 200!). She does agree that as I video my incidents, and that I use the video for campaigning that I should try my very best not to overreact or swear etc. In this she is of course right, but it is difficult at the time as some of you know... However, I asked her today to be honest when I asked her,

Do you think I would be any different with or without the camera? i.e. am I the sort of person who would ask someone why they cut me up even if I didn't have the camera on?

Her answer, was, I would be exactly the same, camera or no camera. That is just who I am. Some forum members have already met my wife and if anyone else does in the future (I am sure they will) then feel free to confirm this with my wife.

So there you have it. I am who I am, and I film it. It really is as simple as that. I am trying to improve, i.e. not get wound up, and to be fair I think appart from the odd swear word, I am very restrained!

Anyway, I'll keep a low profile in this thread from now on, unless anyone wants to ask me or my wife (at the gym at the moment, but she will read this) any questions.

 

[Tynan]

dear god

magna seems like a sound bloke for a jock, watch them and take part or don't

 

[magnatom]

You total b'stard. I have just received an e-mail from AOL about the use of their interweb connection while wearing a gimp suit and having a large exotic vegetable stoutly inserted........

But seriously.... we need a controlled study of your behaviour prior to filming and post filming, but as the only way to do this would be to have a film of you pre-filming we're knackered.

Just be careful and don't take any extra risks just to get a good film, personally I would hate it if your footage was used at an inquest, thats all.

Take care, and no offence intended

No offence taken!

Actually, I do have pre-filming footage. I changed recorder back in August (I think) So on my old recorder I have footage of me taking that exit. I will go and have a look fo some if you like. It should be obvious that I haven't just filmed some new footage, as it will have been warmer and sunnier then!

 

[hackbike 666]

I think you mi-understand me. I am concerned that Magnatom is reacting to some situations with a 'this'll look good on camera' thought process going on. I initially enjoyed his posts, but some I think, are "engineered" to show drivers in the worst light possible.

I cycle through Bristol and Bath, I see lots of bad driving.

I don't actually believe that.I used to do all this shouting at motorists lark and sometimes I felt a right prat.Like the latest one with the cab after the bad overtake.The cab took the trouble to stop and I'd be annoyed with an overtake like that and may resort to swearing so his vids are only what I have done myself though probably very rarely now.

 

[BentMikey]

IME cameras only change your behaviour and your riding for the better.

 

[magnatom]

IME cameras only change your behaviour and your riding for the better.

Agreed. I know that if I post something it will be scrutinised to death, so I try my best to be on good behaviour.

I must be the most scrutinised cycle commuter in the world!!

 

[magnatom]

Thats interesting, do you not think at times that the temptation of having 'film evidence' could give someone some false confidence in their ability to prove they were in the right? I am not saying this is the case with magnatom, but as a general principle.

But that would mean that you would have to be cycling around actively looking for trouble. If I did that I would never get to work, and it must be very difficult to ride intentionally in such a way to antagonise, but to also loo on video as reasonable. That would take skill. Your not suggesting that I am that skilful?!

All of this when I am trying to get to and from work as quick as I can!





(yes I know you weren't specifically aiming this at me)

 

[magnatom]

Oops! Sorry. I forgot I said I would stay out of this one. See, I can't help myself!

 

[downfader]

Thats interesting, do you not think at times that the temptation of having 'film evidence' could give someone some false confidence in their ability to prove they were in the right? I am not saying this is the case with magnatom, but as a general principle.

Put it this way. The camera can help in an insurance situation. I already have met two other cyclists who've used the camera to prove they were not in the wrong and get the financial recompense they were entitled to. The camera, it seems, may indeed actually help me in my insurance claim (got hit in september, tried several times to get the insurer to take notice but only my recent letter with video footage seems to have helped so it looks like to me the camera is the way it will go)

I have actually found with my camera that I will swear less. The temptation to give hand gestures is less.. it will be caught on camera otherwise and make me look a fool. I think thats a positive effect, rather than a negative one.

You could equally say personality changes when you change clothes. Wearing black is psychologically proven to change ones mood, is it not.

The camera is not the be-all and end-all of evidence either. You often have to take into effect the light, weather conditions, mitigating factors like road layout (eg lights) and witnesses. The camera is a tool tht should and probably will be encouraged... I can see insurance companies making it compulsary under policy in a few years for cars as they seem to have done for some busses (if the local drivers are to be beleived)