Cycling Mikey

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London is an extremely busy city. Traffic is always intense, as the roads are narrow and difficult to navigate. Factor in the vastness of the city with millions of people always on the move and it can become a traffic nightmare. 

According to Inrix, drivers spend more time stuck on gridlocked streets in London than in any other city on the planet. Many Londoners use the Tube or other means of public transportation to deal with the commuting problems.

Others use bicycles, but this can be dangerous as some drivers ignore the them. Accidents — sometimes fatal — can easily occur.

To protect the bikers, Michael van Erp, otherwise called Cycling Mikey, positions himself at dangerous intersections and films drivers performing badly. 

In his videos, Mikey can be seen stopping several drivers turning on the wrong side of a traffic island at the junction of Park Square East and the Outer Circle. 

"I was there for about 40 minutes and caught my first driver on the wrong side there, as I rode up to it. I caught five more during the remaining 40 minutes," he said. 

Cyclist Justin McKie, who chairs the voluntary Parks Police Safer Neighborhood Panel (SNP), told this newspaper: "It's a real issue. This is a really dangerous situation.

"It's somewhat funny that the junction is right outside the Institute for Public Health, the Royal College of Physicians and the head office of the Crown Estates Paving Commission [the CEPC, which manages some roads around Regent's Park].

Cycling Mikey then sends his video to the police to make them aware and issues tickets to the misbehaving motorists. 

Mikey is doing a good thing, a really good thing. However, his delivery is all wrong. 

By turning people into the police and establishing a YouTube Channel with over 100,000 subscribers, Mikey is becoming somewhat of a tattletale, and no one likes a tattletale. He isn’t afraid to embarrass the drivers for their lack of sensitivity to the bikers or their lack of awareness behind the wheel. 

Let’s be clear, Mikey is doing a great service.

As leaders, a crucial part of our connection with those we lead lies with our ability to deliver a sensitive message in a productive manner. To gain followers we cannot embarrass people; yet, we still must correct the mistakes. 

We must walk that thin line where our information is viewed as helpful, not hurtful. No one wants to hear bad news, no one wants to be on Cycling Mikey’s YouTube page. 

People want to behave properly. However, no one will accept the message if they are embarrassed. Children don’t want to be embarrassed, teenagers fear embarrassment, and adults won’t listen if embarrassed.  

If Cycling Mikey offered a warning, didn’t use the faces of the violators, he would increase his influence. He would be seen as a good Samaritan, not a tattletale. His message would be accepted positively, not negatively. 

Before we as leaders have a difficult conversation, we need to understand how we present the information is as important as the information itself. 

Without harmony in both areas, we will struggle.   

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