Cycling Mikey sure gets around these days, doesn’t he?
At the weekend, the live blog season ticket holder was, once again, the star of an in-depth feature in one of the big national newspapers, as the Sunday Times asked (link is external), ‘What’s driving Cycling Mikey, Britain’s most hated cyclist?’
That headline… Yeesh.
Setting aside what Jeremy Vine (another live blog stalwart) described as an “iffy headline”, in the article the Times’ Nick Rufford accompanied Mikey on one of his rides seeking out phone using motorists, to ascertain whether he’s a “road
safety hero or just a darned nuisance”.
Of course, despite Vine’s praise for the article and its rather balanced approach to its subject, Rufford’s piece is still inevitably peppered with some classic anti-cycling bingo phrases: the writer notes that Van Erp is viewed by some as a “self-
righteous snooper”, while he and Vine are described as “helmet-cam warriors”, and those spotted by Mikey using their phones as “victims”.
An incident recounted in the article, in which Mikey reports an ambulance driver for using their phone, has also divided opinion on social media, as well as on the road.cc forum (an argument on the forum? Get out of here!).
However, it’s the inclusion of yet another live blog favourite, Mr Loophole himself, Nick Freeman, that has perhaps caused the biggest stir online.
Freeman, a lawyer who specialises in getting phone drivers off the hook, told the Sunday Times that the police appear to be “actively encouraging” activists like Cycling Mikey, arguing that the outcome will be even greater mistrust between cyclists
and motorists.
“Using a mobile phone in a car is dangerous and it is right that it’s prohibited. But I don’t think we want to live in a snitch society. I’m not saying the public don’t have a role to play but, really, isn’t that the role of the police?”
Freeman asked.
“It’s an industry now and in my view it’s wrong. And there’s no relevant legislation that properly deals with cyclists who cycle dangerously. So the law is all over the place.”
Freeman then argued that fixed traffic cameras are more than adequate to pick up law-breaking drivers.
He continued: “The police could say to cyclists, thank you very much for your help but we no longer need it. Please don’t do it.”
A lawyer who earned his nickname by getting law-breaking motorists off the hook on technicalities arguing against members of the public supplying additional evidence of this law breaking? Whatever next?!
“Cycling Mikey does a brilliant job,” wrote one. “But I am not impressed by Nick Freeman saying ‘I don’t think we want to live in a snitch society’; if we don’t report crime, our society will be a criminal free for all. ‘Snitches’ is
prison talk and not helpful.”
Naturally, Van Erp disagreed with good ol’ Nick, arguing that with the dwindling number of traffic police to enforce road laws, camera cyclists are the best hope of deterring drivers.
“My goal is to give people the perception they might be caught,” he said. “It’s the certainty of detection that’s the best deterrent.”
Cycling Mikey, Jeremy Vine, and Mr Loophole all in the one live blog story? Do I win a road.cc medal or something now?
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-21-august-2023-303365#live-blog-item-48553
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