A female motorist in England sparked outrage among bicyclists in her home country and around the world by tweeting on Monday:
Motorist’s Tweet
Definitely knocked a cyclist of his bike earlier – I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists
In reaction to her tweet, hundreds of cyclists took to Twitter to say that they are #bloodycyclists and have a right to the road. A website — Proud to be a #bloodycyclist — has been launched that seeks to raise awareness about some of the dangers that cyclists face daily.
But those aren’t the only responses to her ill-advised, uninformed and ungrammatical Tweet.
First, the Norfolk police contacted her after being made aware of the tweet and suggested she file a police report about the incident.
“@emmaway20 we have had tweets ref an RTC [road traffic collision] with a bike. We suggest you report it at a police station ASAP if not done already & then dm [direct message] us.”
Then, before she took down her Twitter feed, a photo she’d taken of her speedometer at an unknown date and location was published. It showed a reading of 95. It looks as if the speedometer measures in MPH, not KPH.
Next, as Emma Way’s identity came to light, she was suspended from her job at an accounting firm.
On Wednesday, she apologized for the “stupid tweet” on ITV News Anglica in her home country. Accompanied by her attorney, she claimed that she had been driving responsibly and didn’t stop because she assumed she hadn’t hurt the cyclist.
“I don’t want any cyclist to think I have hatred toward them because I’m a cyclist myself.”
That cyclist, Toby Hockley, says he’s OK and appreciates the apology.
Hockley said he was struck by the mirror of a passing automobile and ended up in a roadside hedge while participating in a cycling event. He dusted himself off and continued. He didn’t report the episode either.
He told ITV Anglica:
“Well, I’m glad she’s remorseful. I would very much liked her to stop after any sort of collision to make sure the person was all right . If she proclaimed she didn’t really see me I could have been a child. I could have been a walker – anyone. That’s all the more reason to stop and check . I’m sorry she’s in trouble with her employers and I feel very bad for her employers that have done a lot of good for sport in Norwich and I hope their image hasn’t been tarnished out of all this.”
Meanwhile, the #bloodycyclists tweets keep pouring in.
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