New Supercar noise law for London :-(
Discussion
And here we go a little more fuel to the fire, A Monoco registed 650S has had a coming together with a Saab in Knightsbridge. I have no idea if this is recent or not or who was to blame. What I found interesting was a brief sighting of a Green 650S at 1.08 secs in the background, I wonder who that could be.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBMP1D33pxs
This video is longer and show more of the aftermath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfS7h_jXiuM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBMP1D33pxs
This video is longer and show more of the aftermath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfS7h_jXiuM
Edited by Streetrod on Saturday 1st August 15:05
Personally I frown upon new legislation . Trouble makers , foreign or home grown , will go .
The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
wtdoom said:
Personally I frown upon new legislation . Trouble makers , foreign or home grown , will go .
The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
+ 1The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
To add some balance to this, I spend a reasonable amount of time working in the city and a lot of the more 'antisocial driving' seems recently to be from this new wave of British registered RHD cars (generally aventadors and 458's), with less and less seemingly imported cars
You could argue that the Schmee videos have Brought in this later wave of wealthy UK boy racers based on the popularity of the initial videos of the Arabs ?
I'm sure people like Lord aleem and his devote bunch of followers posting videos of himself 'flaming a lambo's exhausts' have added just as much ?
I've met Schmee, and he's a nice guy. You could argue that he's annoyingly nice, but he's very well brought up and is genuinely passionate about cars
The problem of the car spotter 'infestation' as I've heard it referred to, is that they hold him as some kind of God
These kids see him driving around in mclarens and not seemingly working a normal job, and he then goes on his own channel and tells them all its all through YouTube and media earnings, so understandably these kids want to be him
They only film the bad driving as it's that very type driving that appeals to subscribers, and subscribers, obviously, equal money and money equals mclarens
What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
I think the issue of this new legislation is the discretion of the officers enforcing it. If your car is noisy and you're not being a hooligan, I'm sure you're fine. If your car is noisy and you're constantly doing 0-50 100m sprints in busy traffic, then you deserve everything you get imho
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
You could argue that the Schmee videos have Brought in this later wave of wealthy UK boy racers based on the popularity of the initial videos of the Arabs ?
I'm sure people like Lord aleem and his devote bunch of followers posting videos of himself 'flaming a lambo's exhausts' have added just as much ?
I've met Schmee, and he's a nice guy. You could argue that he's annoyingly nice, but he's very well brought up and is genuinely passionate about cars
The problem of the car spotter 'infestation' as I've heard it referred to, is that they hold him as some kind of God
These kids see him driving around in mclarens and not seemingly working a normal job, and he then goes on his own channel and tells them all its all through YouTube and media earnings, so understandably these kids want to be him
They only film the bad driving as it's that very type driving that appeals to subscribers, and subscribers, obviously, equal money and money equals mclarens
What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
I think the issue of this new legislation is the discretion of the officers enforcing it. If your car is noisy and you're not being a hooligan, I'm sure you're fine. If your car is noisy and you're constantly doing 0-50 100m sprints in busy traffic, then you deserve everything you get imho
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
graeme4130 said:
To add some balance to this, I spend a reasonable amount of time working in the city and a lot of the more 'antisocial driving' seems recently to be from this new wave of British registered RHD cars (generally aventadors and 458's), with less and less seemingly imported cars
You could argue that the Schmee videos have Brought in this later wave of wealthy UK boy racers based on the popularity of the initial videos of the Arabs ?
I'm sure people like Lord aleem and his devote bunch of followers posting videos of himself 'flaming a lambo's exhausts' have added just as much ?
I've met Schmee, and he's a nice guy. You could argue that he's annoyingly nice, but he's very well brought up and is genuinely passionate about cars
The problem of the car spotter 'infestation' as I've heard it referred to, is that they hold him as some kind of God
These kids see him driving around in mclarens and not seemingly working a normal job, and he then goes on his own channel and tells them all its all through YouTube and media earnings, so understandably these kids want to be him
They only film the bad driving as it's that very type driving that appeals to subscribers, and subscribers, obviously, equal money and money equals mclarens
What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
I think the issue of this new legislation is the discretion of the officers enforcing it. If your car is noisy and you're not being a hooligan, I'm sure you're fine. If your car is noisy and you're constantly doing 0-50 100m sprints in busy traffic, then you deserve everything you get imho
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
+1You could argue that the Schmee videos have Brought in this later wave of wealthy UK boy racers based on the popularity of the initial videos of the Arabs ?
I'm sure people like Lord aleem and his devote bunch of followers posting videos of himself 'flaming a lambo's exhausts' have added just as much ?
I've met Schmee, and he's a nice guy. You could argue that he's annoyingly nice, but he's very well brought up and is genuinely passionate about cars
The problem of the car spotter 'infestation' as I've heard it referred to, is that they hold him as some kind of God
These kids see him driving around in mclarens and not seemingly working a normal job, and he then goes on his own channel and tells them all its all through YouTube and media earnings, so understandably these kids want to be him
They only film the bad driving as it's that very type driving that appeals to subscribers, and subscribers, obviously, equal money and money equals mclarens
What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
I think the issue of this new legislation is the discretion of the officers enforcing it. If your car is noisy and you're not being a hooligan, I'm sure you're fine. If your car is noisy and you're constantly doing 0-50 100m sprints in busy traffic, then you deserve everything you get imho
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
Yeah this idea he won't get a discount because hid followers can't afford one is pretty short-sighted. Car companies are desperate to be the "poster car" and especially McLaren, who will be desperate to have the same kudos as the Italian brands.
I think his choice of cars recently has been a bit odd if he's paying full whack. It's not a smart move to get basically the same car unless he's got a deal on it. It would surely be more exciting for his viewers and result in more hits if his next car were something different.
I think his choice of cars recently has been a bit odd if he's paying full whack. It's not a smart move to get basically the same car unless he's got a deal on it. It would surely be more exciting for his viewers and result in more hits if his next car were something different.
wtdoom said:
Personally I frown upon new legislation . Trouble makers , foreign or home grown , will go .
The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
Can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
As said before Section 59 exists for Brits, it has no effect on foreign drivers at all, and this sets out to handle both. It's arguably open to abuse - but so is Section 59.
How many supercar owners have got Section 59s for daring to drive in London, or even blipping the throttle on occasion? I'd wager it's a vanishingly small number so as to be statistically irrelevant. All the hyperbole about the "poor honest hard working guys who just want to do laps around Sloane Street getting caught in the crossfire" is a load of crap really, it holds about as much water as Shmee posting carefully selected videos of cars just bumbling along at 10mph to try and prove his point.
Anyone genuinely not looking to draw attention to themselves will, I'm sure, continue to be completely unaffected by this. Those "accidentally" finding themselves in convoy, "accidentally" revving the tits off their car, "accidentally" doing laps for no good reason - well, they might.
Durzel said:
wtdoom said:
Personally I frown upon new legislation . Trouble makers , foreign or home grown , will go .
The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
Can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.The laws will stay .
If you trust every policeman to accept and inforce these news laws in the spirit in which they are intended , for ever and ever Amen , then you are far more gracious than I .
As said before Section 59 exists for Brits, it has no effect on foreign drivers at all, and this sets out to handle both. It's arguably open to abuse - but so is Section 59.
How many supercar owners have got Section 59s for daring to drive in London, or even blipping the throttle on occasion? I'd wager it's a vanishingly small number so as to be statistically irrelevant. All the hyperbole about the "poor honest hard working guys who just want to do laps around Sloane Street getting caught in the crossfire" is a load of crap really, it holds about as much water as Shmee posting carefully selected videos of cars just bumbling along at 10mph to try and prove his point.
Anyone genuinely not looking to draw attention to themselves will, I'm sure, continue to be completely unaffected by this. Those "accidentally" finding themselves in convoy, "accidentally" revving the tits off their car, "accidentally" doing laps for no good reason - well, they might.
Absolutely fascinating thread, have read it through twice.
Obviously a lot of people want to pick holes in my arguments and that's totally fair, it's what PH is all about! I have not tried to imply that 100% of middle-eastern number plated cars drive around like perfect citizens, I've merely tried to say that they never do a worse job than us Brits do. There are quite a few commentators in this thread who have completely and totally failed to grasp anything I've said - I suppose that's down to having your own agendas and given the nature of this forum, loving making an attack on absolutely anybody, in this case me.
I've constantly argued through the last few weeks that something needs to be done because the current situation is a total mess and no fun for anybody; car spotters, local residents, or supercar owners. What I disagree with is the media portrayal that the problems are caused by cars from the Middle East, this is well and truly rubbish and if you spent any time in the area you would know it. The vast majority of the time the Qatari, UAE or Kuwaiti cars just cruise around, and in the mean time you'll find a rented Aventador or Brit C63 doing something stupid - and that NEEDS to stop. It happens on a near-nightly basis, it must be horrific for locals in that area, but until anybody understands the nature of what's happening it won't get solved.
The regular car spotters who have been doing this for a long time, and remember I was by no means the first person out there - I just seem to be the person who grew the largest out of it, are getting increasingly frustrated by this new era of Instagram spotter. People who will happily block cars, jump into the road, don't think properly, and irritatingly get in the way of each other's shots. Equally there is no commercial arm to Instagram so it cannot be argued that these guys are doing this for any form of business - if they are then they are doing it very wrong!
In the video you linked, note the noises and which cars they come from, the story I said above is true again.
My contract doesn't allow me to discuss income, but I can discuss outgoings. My 12C sold for the same price I bought it for, my 650S won't lose more than a new 3 Series would lose. It doesn't take a genius to know that the 675LT is already commanding premiums - obviously I wouldn't be in a great situation if the market totally collapsed but that's a risk of business that anybody goes through, my cars are the main asset for creating content for my business and therefore very important.
The way it looks now, I expect I'll come out of owning 3 McLarens in the black not the red. That's business and how you make money, it was a gamble but it seems to be working and an awful lot of enjoyment in the process. I could have taken a bath on depreciation with the 12C and if that happened then I couldn't have moved up to the 650S but fortunately I structured it well and the system worked out how I hoped.
I am fortunate enough that I did well in my former job and was able to leave it a few years ago to pursue this venture.
Remember also that the vast majority of car spotters are not doing this to earn a penny, they definitely aren't. They do it because it's an enjoyable and social activity - believe it or not.
People of PH, what do we do about it from here though? Offer me some advice and let's see what we can do, but please be constructive about it.
I didn't want to keep doing this kind of content, and opening myself up to the endless onslaughts on websites like this, it's just no fun. We all know I could easily have walked around that car and spoken for 60 seconds, and probably had a million views out of it - but sometimes it's just not worth it. There are so many other incidents and videos that I could probably film for views, probably every week, but I think better of it and just try to find the right balance between providing content people enjoy watching and stirring others up the wrong way. Getting that delicate balance right is not as easy as a lot of people think it was and I wish it could be!
Just to clear one thing up, I actually moved out of my family home at 18 after school, 9 years ago and have self-rented ever since in central London. My family don't live in London, and nor are they strung-up as I've never tried to claim, however they certainly do not fund my activities or cars in any way beyond having given me a good start through school and early life.
McLaren also don't fund or financially help me in any way, shape or form, and I'm sure in due course I will produce the invoice for my 675LT at full list price - as much as I would rather have a discount! They do open up opportunities, for example attending the LT press launch, and being allowed to take a hotlap in a P1 at Yas Marina (flights and hotel booked by me). I would like to work closer with them in the future but at this moment in time I am open to any brand and have no commercial or formal agreement of any description beyond having friends that work there.
Sorry for such a long post, I'm sure in the process I've upset at least one or two people, just trying to offer my opinions on some of this as it's pretty close to home.
Please do let me know what the people of PH think I should do to calm the situation, like I've said I try to minimise the number of videos I film of car spotting because I vastly prefer going on road trips and taking cars out on good roads, but this is how it all started for me and one can argue in any business you should try to stay true to your roots because clearly that's what the audience liked to start with.
Everyone on here is clearly keen to work out how everything I do isn't possible and in truth if I could I would spend the time to sit down with each and every person (bar one or two particularly offensive individuals) to explain it all - and I assure you it would make sense and you'd leave not feeling the need to bash it about so often - then I would. The difficulty is that a different type of people need a different type of explanation, and obviously PH is one particular extreme of that. The frequency with which I am asked by the press to do articles about how me and how I buy a "McLaren from YouTube" and I have to say no because it doesn't work like that and it would be unfairly misleading - but you just don't see it. YouTube earns something, yes, I've never denied that (simple maths online tells you what 90m views a year earns), but much more importantly the social media contracts I now work on with my team, the brokering deals I'm involved in, the returns from investments I've made in the past to small little business, all together make a package that makes living this way possible.
I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that have no idea of this, but Shmee150 is now 7 people, it's much more than the spectacularly amateur videos you see on YouTube. Business is business, anybody who runs their own will appreciate that you do things in your own way and that's what works - why on earth would I want to tell everyone what I do, and why would it be their business?
My massively long post is genuinely now over, I feel a bit sad that I keep having to come back here to defend myself, can we please just try to offer something constructive rather than this constant attacking that I get from PH?
[Edited to fix typos]
Obviously a lot of people want to pick holes in my arguments and that's totally fair, it's what PH is all about! I have not tried to imply that 100% of middle-eastern number plated cars drive around like perfect citizens, I've merely tried to say that they never do a worse job than us Brits do. There are quite a few commentators in this thread who have completely and totally failed to grasp anything I've said - I suppose that's down to having your own agendas and given the nature of this forum, loving making an attack on absolutely anybody, in this case me.
I've constantly argued through the last few weeks that something needs to be done because the current situation is a total mess and no fun for anybody; car spotters, local residents, or supercar owners. What I disagree with is the media portrayal that the problems are caused by cars from the Middle East, this is well and truly rubbish and if you spent any time in the area you would know it. The vast majority of the time the Qatari, UAE or Kuwaiti cars just cruise around, and in the mean time you'll find a rented Aventador or Brit C63 doing something stupid - and that NEEDS to stop. It happens on a near-nightly basis, it must be horrific for locals in that area, but until anybody understands the nature of what's happening it won't get solved.
The regular car spotters who have been doing this for a long time, and remember I was by no means the first person out there - I just seem to be the person who grew the largest out of it, are getting increasingly frustrated by this new era of Instagram spotter. People who will happily block cars, jump into the road, don't think properly, and irritatingly get in the way of each other's shots. Equally there is no commercial arm to Instagram so it cannot be argued that these guys are doing this for any form of business - if they are then they are doing it very wrong!
red_duke said:
That's Shmee out of business then.
Surprisingly I actually film very few videos on the streets of London. Most of the ones I do upload now tend to be video footage provided to me by other people but personally I've lost enjoyment of wandering around the streets that I used to do back in 2010 or so (when oddly the only place online I was posting the content was right here in threads on PH that were seemingly being enjoyed at the time - funny how the users of PH have changed their tack since). Also for interest of many I'm sure you'll be keen to know that advertisers aren't desperate to place ads on YouTube channels against this kind of low-budget and controversial content, so the actual earnings from a car spotting video are next to non-existent - it's probably less than my sandwich for lunch on that given day.swerni said:
I make a living out of posting videos of these people so please don't stop them, it's not fair
What a mong.
See the above, and please try not to jump to such conclusions.What a mong.
AtlantisWeb said:
It's been a long time coming.
Ever since groups of chavs have been doing donuts and wheelspins en-masse around local B&Q car parks, it has been just a matter of time that it is going to land on the desk of the big nobs to sort out.
FFS, why race around the congested streets of Knightsbridge or Chelsea?
These cars are designed for fast motorways and country roads.
There is no bigger supercar lover than me, but when I saw a group of Arabs doing burnouts around Harrods in their AMG Mercs, I actually felt embarassed for them.
Another interesting point, the media hype it up because we're often talking rented Lamborghinis or loud engined Mercs which have a much wider interest-appeal to the country than your Corsas in leisure centre car parks do. Likewise due to the location of all of this, I don't understand why it happens in London not on some awesome road somewhere far away.Ever since groups of chavs have been doing donuts and wheelspins en-masse around local B&Q car parks, it has been just a matter of time that it is going to land on the desk of the big nobs to sort out.
FFS, why race around the congested streets of Knightsbridge or Chelsea?
These cars are designed for fast motorways and country roads.
There is no bigger supercar lover than me, but when I saw a group of Arabs doing burnouts around Harrods in their AMG Mercs, I actually felt embarassed for them.
EricE said:
Heh, he'd have to return all the flash cars he financed from youtube videos such as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfS8iz2NaLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfM9ZPOFegQ
(his two top viewed videos)
but don't let your eyes deceive you, those are all british people in lowly bodykitted BMWs.
What a hypocrite...
Do any of the cars involved in those videos have Middle-Eastern number plates? Very easy to be wrong... I agree cars need to slow down and stop causing trouble, I don't agree with the accusations that it's only cars from the Middle-East causing it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfS8iz2NaLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfM9ZPOFegQ
(his two top viewed videos)
but don't let your eyes deceive you, those are all british people in lowly bodykitted BMWs.
What a hypocrite...
R11ysf said:
So...
I didn't say the laws aren't fair, I think they are needed but I believe the way to fix this is to have police on the streets, not sitting in an office drawing up consultations.In the video you linked, note the noises and which cars they come from, the story I said above is true again.
KFC said:
...
Doesn't surprise me you would pipe up...Mike22233 said:
topjay said:
So with his 195.5m lifetime views over a few years according to YouTube stats it says $266000-666000 (£170-425k)) be suprised if you could run a new 650 or take the depreciation hit and live on that, if it's 100-150k pa minus tax. Kid is living the dream though money making hobby.
daddy has money doesn't he timmah?The way it looks now, I expect I'll come out of owning 3 McLarens in the black not the red. That's business and how you make money, it was a gamble but it seems to be working and an awful lot of enjoyment in the process. I could have taken a bath on depreciation with the 12C and if that happened then I couldn't have moved up to the 650S but fortunately I structured it well and the system worked out how I hoped.
johnnyreggae said:
That to me makes leasing a succession of McLarens very affordable especially as the lease payments might become tax allowable as the car promotes the business
Didn't/doesn't he also have a job in financial services too
You are bang on, the cost is the depreciation, financing, and running costs, not the outright buy price.Didn't/doesn't he also have a job in financial services too
I am fortunate enough that I did well in my former job and was able to leave it a few years ago to pursue this venture.
R11ysf said:
That's over 9 years. So it's £20k-£45k a year before tax. Certainly nice extra spends but not £200k car purchasing money. Still, that is the dream that all the annoying little kids running round with handycams in Knightsbridge think is the reality.
I've only been making videos for 5 years, and it exponentially skews so something like 90m is in the last 12 months and I anticipate more like 120-150m will be the next 12 months.BJG1 said:
To be fair McLaren may be giving him the car at a significantly reduced rate for the publicity. I did find it odd he went from a 650 to a 675 instead of trying something new which would surely be more interesting for both him and his followers.
Unfortunately for me not at all! I have no contract or deal with McLaren and the 675LT is costing me full list price as it does for any other customer.KFC said:
He really doesn't want to answer the question, does he?
I wonder why. I suspect because the real answer is "daddy's money" but who knows
I can categorically quote that my father has never spent a single penny on any car I have owned, I'm sure I've told you this before and I'm sure you are going to make me repeat it again in the future.I wonder why. I suspect because the real answer is "daddy's money" but who knows
Murcielago_Boy said:
Also gents, why all the hate for Shmee - he's just a kid and on the basis he's not a criminal, what business is it to YOU how he "get's his money" ? Good grief. Pathetic.
And although I find his "presenting" a little irritating, he's not forcing anyone to drive like a hooligan.
Thank you! I find my own presenting spectacularly awkward, I have no qualifications in this, I'm not a journalist, I'm just a guy who started uploading videos for fun and for some reason a lot of people chose to watch them. That wasn't something I asked for or something I needed but I truly appreciate all of the opportunities it makes possible - I just wish Pistonheads wasn't such a mega-downer on anything exciting that happens for somebody.And although I find his "presenting" a little irritating, he's not forcing anyone to drive like a hooligan.
topjay said:
I don't think anyone hates Shmee, he seems a nice guy and puts up some interesting stuff, I also agree the issue of money should be private, but if your going to maintain a position that is unlikely and in the public eye then you have to expect people may question it. The problem is all the kids running around trying to get or create video of extreme footage is being pushed along by the thought that it is a big money earner and will buy them a McLaren, he has almost single handily created this and its why the kids follow him. Shmee is their king and its created a nightmare of people trying to emulate him with ever more annoying and dangerous antics, this is not his fault, but he does perpetuate the myth. I can't really see what he can do about it either, other than perhaps criticise unacceptable behaviour from both spotters and drivers rather than glamorise it in the hope his followers will adopt this attitude as well.
Its a sad day when people are overexcited and happy to see a car accident or fight with a resident and would rather film it than help (I'm talking in general here) its a modern plague though.
Nice comment, I'm certainly more than happy to hear ideas on what's the best way to solve all of this. Obviously I seriously minimise the number of videos I shoot on the street each successive year, because not only is it more fun to drive a Huayra around Italy or a Veyron at the Nurburgring but the videos do better, have more engagement, and obviously earn more. I almost have to upload *some* car spotting videos because it's where all of this started and ultimately I enjoy it at times, but the number is getting smaller and smaller - especially as the threats start coming in behind the scenes of people wanting to kill me for various things.Its a sad day when people are overexcited and happy to see a car accident or fight with a resident and would rather film it than help (I'm talking in general here) its a modern plague though.
Remember also that the vast majority of car spotters are not doing this to earn a penny, they definitely aren't. They do it because it's an enjoyable and social activity - believe it or not.
People of PH, what do we do about it from here though? Offer me some advice and let's see what we can do, but please be constructive about it.
Streetrod said:
And here we go a little more fuel to the fire, A Monoco registed 650S has had a coming together with a Saab in Knightsbridge. I have no idea if this is recent or not or who was to blame. What I found interesting was a brief sighting of a Green 650S at 1.08 secs in the background, I wonder who that could be.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBMP1D33pxs
This video is longer and show more of the aftermath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfS7h_jXiuM
That was actually a while back now, and yes that's me lurking at the side. This is perhaps a perfect opportunity for me to explain something though, because you will never have seen a video of that from me - even though I was right there.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBMP1D33pxs
This video is longer and show more of the aftermath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfS7h_jXiuM
I didn't want to keep doing this kind of content, and opening myself up to the endless onslaughts on websites like this, it's just no fun. We all know I could easily have walked around that car and spoken for 60 seconds, and probably had a million views out of it - but sometimes it's just not worth it. There are so many other incidents and videos that I could probably film for views, probably every week, but I think better of it and just try to find the right balance between providing content people enjoy watching and stirring others up the wrong way. Getting that delicate balance right is not as easy as a lot of people think it was and I wish it could be!
graeme4130 said:
You could argue that the Schmee videos have Brought in this later wave of wealthy UK boy racers based on the popularity of the initial videos of the Arabs ?
What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
I am sure I am partly to blame for causing the activities that happen now, I openly admitted that in my discussion video and on the BBC interview I filmed. It's not something that was ever intentional and I don't think anybody really saw it developing this way. I feel the mainstream press mis-reporting incidents over the last few years coupled with the rise in popularity of Instagram have had a significant effect though. Technically we could probably blame the guys who made videos that I saw and followed in their footsteps back at that time, I definitely wasn't the first to do this - see the SSSR thread which is where it all began for me.What they don't see is that although I'm sure Schmee does very well from his channel, I can't for one minute imagine it affords him a 675. Personally, I think the discussion of his wealth is crass, but him, himself, has gone on his channel to explain how the Schmee channel funds these cars. Tim lives in his family home in Knightsbridge, and his family are obviously well to do. Whether he pays for the cars himself, is not really anyone's business (although I concur that he's gone public to say he does - true or not, who knows)
With regard to McLaren helping Schmee with a discount. I think people that have seemingly written this off as 'impossible' and 'a joke' might be surprised with how much their marketing department value that type of publicity
Just to clear one thing up, I actually moved out of my family home at 18 after school, 9 years ago and have self-rented ever since in central London. My family don't live in London, and nor are they strung-up as I've never tried to claim, however they certainly do not fund my activities or cars in any way beyond having given me a good start through school and early life.
McLaren also don't fund or financially help me in any way, shape or form, and I'm sure in due course I will produce the invoice for my 675LT at full list price - as much as I would rather have a discount! They do open up opportunities, for example attending the LT press launch, and being allowed to take a hotlap in a P1 at Yas Marina (flights and hotel booked by me). I would like to work closer with them in the future but at this moment in time I am open to any brand and have no commercial or formal agreement of any description beyond having friends that work there.
Sorry for such a long post, I'm sure in the process I've upset at least one or two people, just trying to offer my opinions on some of this as it's pretty close to home.
Please do let me know what the people of PH think I should do to calm the situation, like I've said I try to minimise the number of videos I film of car spotting because I vastly prefer going on road trips and taking cars out on good roads, but this is how it all started for me and one can argue in any business you should try to stay true to your roots because clearly that's what the audience liked to start with.
Everyone on here is clearly keen to work out how everything I do isn't possible and in truth if I could I would spend the time to sit down with each and every person (bar one or two particularly offensive individuals) to explain it all - and I assure you it would make sense and you'd leave not feeling the need to bash it about so often - then I would. The difficulty is that a different type of people need a different type of explanation, and obviously PH is one particular extreme of that. The frequency with which I am asked by the press to do articles about how me and how I buy a "McLaren from YouTube" and I have to say no because it doesn't work like that and it would be unfairly misleading - but you just don't see it. YouTube earns something, yes, I've never denied that (simple maths online tells you what 90m views a year earns), but much more importantly the social media contracts I now work on with my team, the brokering deals I'm involved in, the returns from investments I've made in the past to small little business, all together make a package that makes living this way possible.
I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that have no idea of this, but Shmee150 is now 7 people, it's much more than the spectacularly amateur videos you see on YouTube. Business is business, anybody who runs their own will appreciate that you do things in your own way and that's what works - why on earth would I want to tell everyone what I do, and why would it be their business?
My massively long post is genuinely now over, I feel a bit sad that I keep having to come back here to defend myself, can we please just try to offer something constructive rather than this constant attacking that I get from PH?
[Edited to fix typos]
Edited by Shmee on Sunday 2nd August 03:33
Shmee said:
Please do let me know what the people of PH think I should do to calm the situation, like I've said I try to minimise the number of videos I film of car spotting because I vastly prefer going on road trips and taking cars out on good roads, but this is how it all started for me and one can argue in any business you should try to stay true to your roots because clearly that's what the audience liked to start with.
There's nothing you can do to calm the situation, the genie is out of the bottle. I don't think anyone has outright said you're a bad person, but I don't think you fully realise what your productivity has led to. Sure it's led to supercar ownership for you, so I'd assume you'd call that an unqualified success, as would a few others - even on here, but at whose expense? No one at any point has stopped to consider the ramifications on the residents and other people caught up in this, sometimes literally (like the other party in that Aventador crash vid, which is one of your more popular videos)
To some extent dumb people will act dumb anyway, and that can't entirely be left at your door, but dumb people with an audience are a liability to everyone around them. Whose to say that Aventador wasn't behaving like that because he saw you (and presumably others riding on your coat tails) and wanted to appear on your channel?
You seem, as others have said, like a decent enough person but are clearly struggling with cognitive dissonance as far as what part you play and what output you should focus on. Understandably so since your more controversial output has been the gateway to supercar ownership, so how can it be wrong? I also don't think you fully grasp the disingenuity in being holier-than-thou about the current situation with the drivers and other spotters, how you wish you could help etc, after you've made it and don't require the exposure financially anymore.
It wouldn't be fair to leave this whole problem at your door, but I think it's fair and reasonable to say that your well publicised exploits and rewards have lit a fire under a number of the spotters out there now, the ones chasing smaller scraps from the same pie that you were fortunate (first?) to gorge on. Whether you accept responsibility for that or not is your own cross to bear.
This is a fairly recent (as history goes) epidemic, and nowadays is fueled by people who have seen what you've got out of it and want in on that action. It is now a self-propelling circus. The rich knobs - of all races and origins - turn up for the exposure and attention, and the spotters encourage (even by their presence) to do ever more ridiculous stunts. No one gives a toss or has ever given a toss about the local community, the residents who have to put up with this s
t. So what to say really. What you've done has proved lucrative for you personally, and on some level that commands a certain amount of respect, but I don't think it's a particularly ethical means to achieve financial success. But then you're hardly unique in that department either - plenty of people make their fortunes at the expense (sometimes literally) of others.
I fortunately don't live in or around LBK&C so on a daily basis am personally unaffected, but I do sympathise a lot with the people who never asked for this s
t to be on their doorstep, who were never considered at any point either in your output or that of others. They are the victims here, that and those who actually do get caught up in the inevitable crashes etc.As for feeling sad for having to come back to defend yourself - shouldn't that tell you something? Or are you happy to just believe that people are critical because of jealousy, or because they just want to indiscriminately attack you? Maybe, just maybe, there's another side to this that isn't your own?
Edited by Durzel on Sunday 2nd August 04:19
Very respectable comments.
However I strongly disagree with the proportion of 'blame' I think you feel lies in my direction. Most of the early car spotters in London actually formed out of the regular posters in Pistonheads' own SSSR thread and actually I still experience a number of people on the street car spotting who don't know my accounts. I can categorically say I wouldn't be in this position now if I wasn't egged on by users of this very website in the early days.
It's very easy to retrospectively say a lot of these things though, but even 2 years ago (both of my two most PH controversial videos were live before then) neither I nor anybody else regardless of what they may claim didn't know it was going to blow up like it did last summer and this one with an influx of Brits showing off. The car spotting thing itself is not even remotely unique to London too, it's also becoming huge in cities around the world where these cars are often seen but I suppose via the Daily Mail it has reached a much larger and wider demographic in the UK than it has elsewhere that it is not given anything like that exposure. I'm not aware of Rodeo Drive, Casino Square, La Croisette or Avenue George V suffering the same influx of locals causing trouble so what can we work out for being the significant difference to that?
Having been a car spotter (so to speak) for probably 8 years now, only in the last 2 have things changed and the only factors that changed in that time are the introduction of Instagram, and the mainstream press reporting on it, platforms that hugely opened up the audience. I don't think that alone is enough to have made London so much more different to other cities though.
I have considered a number of times prior to now, last summer in particular creating a "How To" for car spotting; i.e. don't stand in the road, don't encourage drivers to be stupid, don't do things that are obviously stupid! Each time I haven't really worked out what right I have though to set those rules, there are many people it would significantly upset in the process.
My YouTube channel is home to around 500-600 new videos each year, of which I believe well under 20%, if not under 10% are what you would call car spotting content, so to me this is only a small portion of what I do. I believe the majority of my audience also are fully aware of that, afterall they watch these videos daily. They can't think for a second that car spotting is what funds buying a supercar, I've not once said it does and from my content you couldn't realistically look at it and think that it can. Something I mentioned before is that so many of the car spotters now are making content for Instagram, not for any commercial gain and they do this because it's an enjoyable activity. You'll also find during an evening on Sloane Street that a lot of car spotters are actually telling people who are misbehaving to stop it. I think there's a misunderstanding by users of Pistonheads from historical discussions on this website alone of how this little ecosystem works, and it's based heavily on the Daily Mail articles and so-called experts offering their own inputs.
For what it's worth, I didn't actually film the Aventador crash, as per the description it was filmed by somebody else - even though it was almost literally outside my doorstep!
The one thing I am sure of is that I didn't upload the videos of all of this, somebody else would have done. Afterall there were plenty of people doing this long before me, videos I indeed used to watch myself whether that was StreetSuperCars or SupercarsofLondon here in the UK, or BrianZuk, Marchettino and others abroad.
On the last point, the only single place on the entire internet I see this level of negativity is Pistonheads, normally from a few select users whose every comments are tracked by my team for legal reasons. It's definitely a culture and society thing that this website suffers from horribly by many individuals feeling they are the be-all and end-all on every topic. The sad reference is how it has changed for me because I used to enjoy being part of the commentary here before it all changed so much, but it seems to get worse each successive year. However I take it vastly less personally because if you read around there are just constant complaints about every topic you could imagine, it's just another one on the list.
When I spoke to a young chap in an Abarth last night who was revving on Sloane Street in the early hours and asked politely something along the lines of "Please try not to make too much noise, it's not fair on the residents around here at this time", the response I got was something like "I live around the corner, what kind of right do you think you have to tell me what to do?". He didn't know anything to do with me or my connection to this, so his presence there cannot be blamed on me, why that doesn't happen to the same extent in LA, Monaco, Cannes or Paris, or isn't reported on in the same way, is over to you.
However I strongly disagree with the proportion of 'blame' I think you feel lies in my direction. Most of the early car spotters in London actually formed out of the regular posters in Pistonheads' own SSSR thread and actually I still experience a number of people on the street car spotting who don't know my accounts. I can categorically say I wouldn't be in this position now if I wasn't egged on by users of this very website in the early days.
It's very easy to retrospectively say a lot of these things though, but even 2 years ago (both of my two most PH controversial videos were live before then) neither I nor anybody else regardless of what they may claim didn't know it was going to blow up like it did last summer and this one with an influx of Brits showing off. The car spotting thing itself is not even remotely unique to London too, it's also becoming huge in cities around the world where these cars are often seen but I suppose via the Daily Mail it has reached a much larger and wider demographic in the UK than it has elsewhere that it is not given anything like that exposure. I'm not aware of Rodeo Drive, Casino Square, La Croisette or Avenue George V suffering the same influx of locals causing trouble so what can we work out for being the significant difference to that?
Having been a car spotter (so to speak) for probably 8 years now, only in the last 2 have things changed and the only factors that changed in that time are the introduction of Instagram, and the mainstream press reporting on it, platforms that hugely opened up the audience. I don't think that alone is enough to have made London so much more different to other cities though.
I have considered a number of times prior to now, last summer in particular creating a "How To" for car spotting; i.e. don't stand in the road, don't encourage drivers to be stupid, don't do things that are obviously stupid! Each time I haven't really worked out what right I have though to set those rules, there are many people it would significantly upset in the process.
My YouTube channel is home to around 500-600 new videos each year, of which I believe well under 20%, if not under 10% are what you would call car spotting content, so to me this is only a small portion of what I do. I believe the majority of my audience also are fully aware of that, afterall they watch these videos daily. They can't think for a second that car spotting is what funds buying a supercar, I've not once said it does and from my content you couldn't realistically look at it and think that it can. Something I mentioned before is that so many of the car spotters now are making content for Instagram, not for any commercial gain and they do this because it's an enjoyable activity. You'll also find during an evening on Sloane Street that a lot of car spotters are actually telling people who are misbehaving to stop it. I think there's a misunderstanding by users of Pistonheads from historical discussions on this website alone of how this little ecosystem works, and it's based heavily on the Daily Mail articles and so-called experts offering their own inputs.
For what it's worth, I didn't actually film the Aventador crash, as per the description it was filmed by somebody else - even though it was almost literally outside my doorstep!
The one thing I am sure of is that I didn't upload the videos of all of this, somebody else would have done. Afterall there were plenty of people doing this long before me, videos I indeed used to watch myself whether that was StreetSuperCars or SupercarsofLondon here in the UK, or BrianZuk, Marchettino and others abroad.
On the last point, the only single place on the entire internet I see this level of negativity is Pistonheads, normally from a few select users whose every comments are tracked by my team for legal reasons. It's definitely a culture and society thing that this website suffers from horribly by many individuals feeling they are the be-all and end-all on every topic. The sad reference is how it has changed for me because I used to enjoy being part of the commentary here before it all changed so much, but it seems to get worse each successive year. However I take it vastly less personally because if you read around there are just constant complaints about every topic you could imagine, it's just another one on the list.
When I spoke to a young chap in an Abarth last night who was revving on Sloane Street in the early hours and asked politely something along the lines of "Please try not to make too much noise, it's not fair on the residents around here at this time", the response I got was something like "I live around the corner, what kind of right do you think you have to tell me what to do?". He didn't know anything to do with me or my connection to this, so his presence there cannot be blamed on me, why that doesn't happen to the same extent in LA, Monaco, Cannes or Paris, or isn't reported on in the same way, is over to you.
mhh said:
Anyone up for a protest convoy in 918s in Electric mode? 
One of the most randomly entertaining things I've done in a car was when driving a 918 (engine on at the time) and somebody shouted rev it, so we flicked it to electric and cruised by. To our surprise that was greeted by cheers but it was a lot of entertainment all around.I take my hat off to Schmee for coming on here to defend himself
PH is an odd place at times, and it seems almost the norm to find someone to blame
I would certainly suggest that trying to blame to 'tourists' for all the bad driving in the city is very misleading, as my first hand experience is that it largely seems to be this new wave of UK wealthy boy racer
If also suggest that the question of 'why don't these people go to a great A road or track' to drive like this is irrelevant too, as I'd assume the motivation for their actions is to 'be seen'. Whether or not their audience is the car spotters with their cameras or whether it's the general public, who I'd suggest can't stand this type of behaviour, is probably unknown
The mentality is no different to the kids in McDonald's car parks country wide who wheel spin down the road in their saxos and fiestas, just on a wealthier scale
I have family in Chelsea, and they're as tolerant as the next person, but when they see these powerful cars being driving like idiots, they feel it's only a matter of time before an innocent bystander gets killed
You only have to see YouTube for the amount of supercars that lose control showing off. Imagine this happening on Sloan street on a Saturday afternoon
Let's hope it never happens, as I'm sure the police will soon rack down on it then
Tim, I apologise for stating you still live with your parents, and again, hats off for coming into the lions den to defend yourself
PH is an odd place at times, and it seems almost the norm to find someone to blame
I would certainly suggest that trying to blame to 'tourists' for all the bad driving in the city is very misleading, as my first hand experience is that it largely seems to be this new wave of UK wealthy boy racer
If also suggest that the question of 'why don't these people go to a great A road or track' to drive like this is irrelevant too, as I'd assume the motivation for their actions is to 'be seen'. Whether or not their audience is the car spotters with their cameras or whether it's the general public, who I'd suggest can't stand this type of behaviour, is probably unknown
The mentality is no different to the kids in McDonald's car parks country wide who wheel spin down the road in their saxos and fiestas, just on a wealthier scale
I have family in Chelsea, and they're as tolerant as the next person, but when they see these powerful cars being driving like idiots, they feel it's only a matter of time before an innocent bystander gets killed
You only have to see YouTube for the amount of supercars that lose control showing off. Imagine this happening on Sloan street on a Saturday afternoon
Let's hope it never happens, as I'm sure the police will soon rack down on it then
Tim, I apologise for stating you still live with your parents, and again, hats off for coming into the lions den to defend yourself
Shmee said:
They can't think for a second that car spotting is what funds buying a supercar, I've not once said it does and from my content you couldn't realistically look at it and think that it can.
Unfortunately many of the immature camera toting brigade think precisely this which perhaps fuels their desperation. I don't think they are old enough or rational enough to draw the distinction between hard work and uploading Youtube videos providing the opportunity to buy a Supercar. I've had stupid kids with cameras and a death wish run in front of my car in Central London and it's very dangerous indeed, both to themselves, myself and other road users.
But overall, a very articulate, balanced and considered response which answers a lot of the points raised, thank you for clarifying.
Shmee said:
lots of stuff...
I don't own a supercar, live in London or really care that much about this whole problem but it is interesting all the same and I do sometimes watch Youtube vids from shmee and others.What I will say is that you've just answered quite a few points really rather well, quite balanced and seemingly quite genuine. I find you a bit annoying in videos (sorry!) especially when I see more of your face than the cars or lovely roads you're driving on but you've just won me over by coming in to this thread and being bold enough to put your views across to a load of stubborn PHers who I don't think have much time for you or any other car spotter and are unlikely to change their minds regardless of what you say or do.
Congrats on making your business work and enjoy the new car. And maybe stop putting "furious revs!" or "awesome drift" or "crazy Arab hypercars" in our video titles for London filmed content as that has definitely added fuel to the fire and provoked the media that you're lambasting in your recent video.
To the original point, it seems a bit OTT to bring in a new law for something that is probably a fad that will die on its own over time. I can only guess that it's a royal PITA for the local residents. As it is for anyone, anywhere when people behave like this, but there are already laws to deal with that.
As to the 'super car spotters' - I just hope they don't get themselves or others hurt. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of these young people in an incident.
As for Shmee...well if he isn't getting some kind of incentive from McLaren then I am somewhat surprised, but that's perhaps just my ignorance of the business he is in, as I am sure there is more than one person who has looked up his videos over the past 18 months and made a purchase, at least in part influenced by them (I don't really care if he is In any way paid by McLaren or anyone else, except for the purposes of understanding any bias in his reviews).
It's clear that he has developed from simply 'spotting' to something a whole lot more and is increasingly professional. At around 500,000 subscribers, it's a business that seems to be increasingly successful (and to be admired, surely?).
Some of the rants here remind me of those against the Rolling Stones and Elvis in the 50s and 60s as being the leaders of the moral decline in the younger generation!
As to the 'super car spotters' - I just hope they don't get themselves or others hurt. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of these young people in an incident.
As for Shmee...well if he isn't getting some kind of incentive from McLaren then I am somewhat surprised, but that's perhaps just my ignorance of the business he is in, as I am sure there is more than one person who has looked up his videos over the past 18 months and made a purchase, at least in part influenced by them (I don't really care if he is In any way paid by McLaren or anyone else, except for the purposes of understanding any bias in his reviews).
It's clear that he has developed from simply 'spotting' to something a whole lot more and is increasingly professional. At around 500,000 subscribers, it's a business that seems to be increasingly successful (and to be admired, surely?).
Some of the rants here remind me of those against the Rolling Stones and Elvis in the 50s and 60s as being the leaders of the moral decline in the younger generation!
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