Vlogger Facing Jail/Fines

[Miggs7170]

Forgive if this has already been posted. I was cruising another forum and came across the article. Thought some might find it interesting. Didn't see the vlogger on the members list (shrugs)

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/12/10/calgary-cops-charge-motorcycle-menace-elliot-james-hayward

 

[OoxTruExoO]

Wondered how long before he got done. I have seen his videos, but unsubscribed due to his road "skills". (I can't remember whether he was the idiot that said you don't need mirrors on your bike to ride, or whether that was another guy) I'm not taking a "holier-than-thou" stance here, I'm sure a few of my videos have questionable manoeuvres in them, but his were pretty ridiculous.

 

[CurlyBlakey]

Seems a good start to me, I can think of several other vloggers that are also just dangerous riders now.

 

[Stenno]

Never heard of the guy but having checked out the 2million plus vlog... I have to say despite the dangerous bits it's really boring?! He just randomly beeps at people for pulling over safely it seems. Hopefully this court date will help him mature a bit.

 

[ParisianZee]

Having browsed through some of his videos, I must say, he's got mostly valid points.

It does get bloody irritating, especially the lack of mirror usage when changing lanes/swerving.

I think they got to him because they don't want a rude vigilante riding around town. But his riding doesn't shock me, and his reactions although overly aggressive do come out of a feeling to which I can really identify, the feeling of being so fucking fragile, of having your life or legs depending on what are mostly idiotic drivers.

Oh, and riding in big cities such as his or mine doesn't help at all.

So, yeah, the guy is a fucking douchebag. But they should be going after him AND the myriads of careless drivers shown in his videos.

 

[BiGFooTy2k]

I would let him to ride our streets and roads for a week at least. He would see some real harsh and careless drivers. With his zero tolerance and rude behaviour, he would get beaten pretty soon here. Sure, some drivers from his footages would anger me either but I think he's overacting way too much just because he has a camera attached to his helmet (I'm refering to that "See that thing on my helmet? That's camera and you're being recorded now" part).

This thing happened in Prague two years ago. The taxi driver, nicknamed Red Riding Hood (guy in red tracksuit) was braking harshly without any logical reason infront of the man with the Benz just to anger him and take a revenge because he was overtaken by him. The Benz guy stops his car, pulls out the sword from trunk of his car and starts to threaten the Red Riding Hood and hence earning the nickname "Aragorn". What happens is in the video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSBnQVHhXMo[/youtube]

Honestly, I would realy love to see what the snowcatxx87 would do in this situation. And this one is famous just because someone recorded it and made it viral. There are many more situations like this, trust me (sometimes it comes to knives, battons, machetes or even guns).

And his riding style? Looks ok to me except the situation when he wants to clearly provoke or threaten someone. That's really stupid.

 

[ParisianZee]

That is an epic video.

Like I said, the guy is way too aggressive, arrogant, whatever, he's a douche. But the POINT he makes is valid.

And just because you risk getting beat up, doesn't mean you shouldn't speak up. But there are nicer ways to do so, evidently.

 

[Miggs7170]

My main concern is the image it gives bikers in general, and motovloggers specifically. Not that anyone here (my side) even read the story, but if I vlogged in that area I wouldn't be too happy. Also, the tone the article is written in bothers me. Sport bike guys already have enough stigmas to redress without "clever" reporters saying things like, "pilot of an aggressively ridden crotch rocket" and "the sports bike roars towards a crosswalk and misses a pedestrian by centimetres." Besides being terrible, sensationalism journalism, how does one think the readers of that article are going to see their next R6, GSXR or liter bike?

I don't know. The whole situation sucks. Whether or not he had valid reasons for doing what he did is a moot point. He's now made every bike rider with a camera on his head a potential vigilante at worst, and giant asshole at best, in the eyes of a lot of people.

The amount of times I've nearly been run off the road by taxi's here in SA is absurd, but I don't put that footage up because I don't want my entire channel to be centered around the few negative experiences I have while riding.

 

[ParisianZee]

I don't know. The whole situation sucks. Whether or not he had valid reasons for doing what he did is a moot point. He's now made every bike rider with a camera on his head a potential vigilante at worst, and giant asshole at best, in the eyes of a lot of people.

Very true unfortunately.

The amount of times I've nearly been run off the road by taxi's here in SA is absurd, but I don't put that footage up because I don't want my entire channel to be centered around the few negative experiences I have while riding.

And yet lots of cyclists do it on Youtube and have been praised for it, especially in the UK. Not always, but some of them.

I know of one (a Scottish bloke, I think he's called "Magnatom") who has been invited to talk to bus drivers about how to better live with cyclists on the roads, has been on TV in a positive stance, etc. GRANTED, the guy is everything BUT an asshole and will basically only swear out of being scared or surprised.

We still have to find a biker who does that positively though. I sure don't.

Edit: There you are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmN1WAUjOcE

Of course, he gets his load of controversy too.

 

[JollyRoger]

yeah it's one of those things where we probably wish we could just blast the ped's over but then sense kicks in and we avoid it, and rage into the camera or eachother on here. This time he made a point of adding danger there. Honestly as annoying as it is why would you risk crashing your bike, possibly hurting yourself in the process and definitely hurting someone else?

It does give us a bad name, but then again the press is not going to report on "biker does amazing job at following the rules and being nice to people stuck on the side of the road" are they?

 

[UnstableBoy]

the picture in the story is the one vid that shows how bad he really rides..

he pulled out of an alley. out of view of the ped. the ped was already crossing the street. he comes barreling towards her claiming he had right of way... what.. pedestrians have to be psychic now?

the other one was in a double turn lane. he switches lanes in the middle of the turn right in front of a car, and then bitches at the car. I have been almost been hit by @$$holes doing that same thing in cages.

yeah. he deserves the charges.

 

[MetalHead]

He could have made the same exact points by making his video without riding like a complete ass.

 

[Rhydian]

dunno why youtube hasn't removed the videos yet. I can guarantee some idiot will be watching the video and think he can now do the same.

If you've been on the internet long enough you know this is true.