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news
Emma Way tweetTwit and run story goes viral, police question driver, cyclist's Facebook response, #bloodycyclists hashtag reclaimed
Our story yesterday about Emma Way, the Norfolk motorist who knocked a cyclist off his bike, drove away and boasted about it in on Twitter not only went viral on social media, but has also exploded on mainstream media.
The cyclist involved, Toby Hockley, told road.cc and BBC News Norfolk that he was “lucky to be alive” following a collsion and Ms Way's on a single lane country road in which he was thrown on to the bonnet of her car and then bounced off, going through a hedge and in a fine piece of bike handling managing to regain controls of his machine and stop.There’s no update yet on what action police intend to take against the motorist, Emma Way although they have spoken to her.
On Sunday, she had tweeted: “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax!," complete with the hashtag “#Bloodycyclists."
From Ms Way's point of view the use of that hashtag was the culmination of a series very poor decisions, as we reported yesterday her tweet was quickly spotted by cyclists, many of whom took screen grabs not just of that tweet, but also tweets in which she bragged about the speed she drove at - and a picture of what she claimed was the speedometer of her car doing 95mph. As Ms Way was to rapidly find out there is no hiding place on Twitter and in what was to prove a social media perfect storm it was rapidly picked up by first road.cc and then other news outlets including The Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Huffington Post and many others… and then it went global. By the end of the day the story had broken every traffic record for a story on this site.
More pertinently for @EmmaWay20 her tweet had been brought to the attention of the police who urged her to get in touch – Way had already deleted her Twitter account, but police have confirmed they have spoken to both parties – and her employers have distanced themselves from her remarks and opened an investigation.
Had she not tweeted Ms Way would probably have had nothing more to worry about other than some slight dents to her car, Mr Hockley had decided to take no further action, "you count your limbs and carry on" he memorably told us. This being a digitally connected age though he did leave respond to Ms Way's tweet by posting a message to her Facebook page.
"Oh hi! That was me you hit and FYI, you didn't knock me off, I'm too hard to be hurt by a pissy micra or whatever it was you were driving."
Meanwhile, that #bloodycyclists hashtag has been reclaimed by cyclists today at the suggestion of Danny Williams of the Cyclists and the City blog, with a sample of tweets using it including:
lennyshallcross @lennyshallcross
I am a #bloodycyclists just trying to get about London. Would be nice not to risk my life every morning just trying to get to work.
Sean Perry @niceguysean
I'm one of those #bloodycyclists, broken my back and femur in accidents with cars. Still cycling. Why? Because I still can. Share the road.
Jo Bray @MissJoBray
@citycyclists I'm one of those #bloodycyclists and I dearly would like to be able to go home to my family in one piece!
Ian Hargreaves @madcycling_boy
No other hate crime gets bragged about on twitter the same way. When will the law sort this out? #bloodycyclists
Another thing Sunday’s episode has done, with our initial coverage picked up by local and national media, is prompt an examination of the relationship between cyclists and “road tax” – which hasn’t existed since the 1930s, as Carlton Reid’s I Pay Road Tax website outlines.
Despite the efforts of Reid and others to correct the widely held but mistaken assumption that it is drivers who pay for roads, and cyclists don’t – most adult cyclists are of course motorists and will therefore pay Vehicle Excise Duty, even if they choose to use two wheels for some journeys – it’s clear that some parts of the media get it more than others.
In the former camp, as you’d expect, is the Guardian Bike Blog. Today, Dawn Foster used Way’s tweet as the introduction to a reflection on what it said about the sense of entitlement and primacy over other road users some motorists believe they have because of that misconception that they are paying for the roads.
“I've been told to "pay road tax" more times than I can remember, though sadly explaining the intricacies of road taxation… takes longer than the few seconds you get on the road,” wrote Fraser.
“And when this entitlement dehumanises cyclists to the extent someone is happy to excuse hitting a cyclist by explaining they don't believe they should be on the road at all, it becomes more than an annoyance – it's an active danger.”
BBC Radio Norfolk used the story as the starting point for a phone-in discussion trailed as “Should cyclists pay tax to use the roads?”
Reid – a guest on the programme, so at least that misleading title should have been quickly corrected – pointed out on Twitter, it’s not unusual for such shows to throw down a controversial viewpoint as a means of stimulating debate.
In this case, however, it’s not just controversial – it’s incorrect, of course, but the fact that an institution many still see as a trusted source of news can perpetuate the myth may go a long way towards explaining why the misunderstanding surrounding “road tax” remains so entrenched; if the BBC says it’s so, it must be right?
Of course, the BBC is a big organisation and BBC Radio Norfolk just one of its outposts; elsewhere it does get it spot-on, such as in a sidebar to its interview with Toby Hockley, where BBC News Norfolk correctly explains the situation:
The so-called 'Road Tax'
The comment on Twitter suggested Toby Hockley, as a cyclist, does not pay "road tax".
A road tax does not exist in the UK but the term is commonly and incorrectly used to refer to the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), or "car tax" paid on most motorised vehicles as a tax on emissions.
Roads are funded by all UK taxpayers under general and local taxes.
Source:Gov.uk
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- chrisonatrike 5 min 36 sec ago
Just imagine the shame, though......
- HoldingOn 8 min 41 sec ago
What happened to the "Vespa"? Did the thug drive off carrying the bike or was the "Vespa" dumped there?...
- HoldingOn 29 min 24 sec ago
A pair of the RockBros arrived over the weekend, so I got to try them out this morning....
- Boopop 49 min 31 sec ago
I don't want to get roadcc in to trouble! I'm happy to get in touch privately if you can think of a means.
- bigwheeler88 1 hour 5 min ago
Definitely far more than that. In my experience about 1 in 10 on a good day, even more on a bad one.
- David9694 11 hours 22 min ago
Quantock Hills joy riders warned they could go to prison for damaging rare plant life...
- David9694 11 hours 33 min ago
There are some smashing discounts down at Boots - you'll be bowled over by our prices!
- check12 11 hours 36 min ago
Castelli do nano flex bib shorts which are a little longer and warmer as water resistant, they used to be called omloop they might have changed...
- mattw 13 hours 46 min ago
Since it's not on he pavement, it isn't blocking the pavement.
- Biker Phil 13 hours 50 min ago
I used to see him from time to time in my local Waitrose when he lived locally. He always found the time to chat to me and was always a really nice...
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60 comments
Even the BBC's getting involved now
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22614569
Emma Way must be a real empty-head: filming and posting her speedometer at 95mph, knocking-down a cyclist, then bragging about it on twitter, with the #bloodycyclists hashtag. Not the brightest . . . , etc, etc.
A week or two ago I was cycling along a road when a silver penis-extension Mercedes deliberately pulled out in front of me.
How did I know it was a deliberate act, you ask?
I could see the driver smirking and laughing in his wing mirror as he moved off, caused me to hit the brakes, skid and swerve.
The fact that I could see him in such detail also goes to show how close I was, about 10metres and travelling at about 20-25mph, when he pulled out.
He wasn't laughing when he got out, around the corner, to have a go only to see me jump off my bike and head straight for him, fists ready.
He backed down, got back in his car and drove off, the cowardly bully.
You do, occasionally, get these f*ckwits; happily and luckily nobody was seriously injured or killed in this incident, as Emma Sh*t-for-brains Way accidentally outed herself, proving that there are much more stupid birds in Norfolk than the turkeys.
It's nice to see that a good number of Sun readers have rallied round, criticising all cyclists for having the temerity to ride on the roads, and for riding on the pavement. I hope this sorry chain of events will teach Ms. Way a valuable lesson, and that the next time she knocks a cyclist through a hedge she has more sense than to incriminate herself online.
She does look and sound a little bit more respectable than her twitter account suggested. Bit of a Father Jack-type (a la Father Ted) apology though perhaps. http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2013-05-22/im-sorry-says-cycle-twe...
I dont know about her losing her job, but it's a case of her learning actions have consequences. So just an apology should not be enough - she could have killed him, and happily she didnt, but somehow she needs to be made to understand the seriousness of what happened. I've been bounced off a car wing and its no fun, and it certainly made me quite irate. Tempting as it is to recommend 'crucifixion is too good for her' its more important to get her to a) understand b)change her behaviour and c) (optimistically) get her to act as an advocate of not being a twat to her friends.
whats amazing about that clip on ITV is that she appears to be apologising for sending the tweet rather than hitting the cyclist? Completely missed the point!
[[[[[ One can only hope her car-insurance company doubles her premium, seeing as how she's bragged publicly about leaving the scene of an accident, and failing to report it to police.
P.R.
There would need to be a change in material fact - ceteris paribus, a fault claim or a criminal motoring offence lodged against the policyholder.
Pistonheads also has a healthy forum sub-section called 'pedal-powered', where many of them talk about bikes of all forms.
Surely, all she has to say is that she saw that the cyclist was still on his bike and didn't appear to be hurt. Then add that her tweet was meant as a joke.
I don't see this going much further as the poor bloke miraculously escaped injury. On the upside, it's brought the Road Tax nonsense into the public eye.
Lane's rant forgot to mention the BBC's disgraceful pro-monarchy propaganda!
Silly bint. I propose that she is made to ride the entire north and south circular on a £100 ASDA full 'suspension' behemoth.
Maybe then she'd realise what kind of responsibility you inherit when you are behind the wheel of a 1 tonne block of metal which can travel at 100mph. Although sadly, I think it would totally lost on the dappy tart. LOL OMG innit.
Lack of action would send a bad signal.
Lane71 - Brilliant rant. Though actually I don't mind the BBC so much. If you've ever been to the States and watched Fox and some of the other networks you'd be throwing your arms open wide with tears in your eyes to see the Beeb.
In respect to Ms Way. From what I've read the police appear to have dropped the ball again, but may be I have misread, but I thought I had read a statement that the matter is now closed.
I hope her employers also tick her off like the naughty school girl she is. I think what has happened (and she is probably well aware of her mistake through the general media and social media by now I think) will have taught her a lesson that I hope she never forgets.
As a 19 year old she has made some questionable decisions, and her attitude has been reckless, but no one died (thankfully) and so I hope that she can learn her lesson without too many consequences. Losing her job is definitely not one of those I would advocate if she has learned her lesson.
If not, she will soon come a cropper again, and the consequences will be far more dire. I do hope that she at least apologises and makes good any damage to Mr Hockley's bike.
pistonheads i find to generally be a pretty level-headed place when it comes to discussions like this. much more so that the guardian, that's for damn sure
In the cycling sub-forum, at least. As a website for enthusiast drivers, the cycling area seems mostly to be populated by enthusiast cyclists and commuters (as opposed to loony lefties using bikes to make a political point). Very inclusive.
Personality tests as part of the driving exam?
You will find that its estimated that around 10 - 15% of the population have some kind of personality disorder.
What is incredulous is that with every other form of licensing, or official documentation, you are expected to renew it on a regular basis (passports, for instance).
With a driving license, you could pass your test at 17 and then never face having to renew your license again, nor be required to submit to eye testing.
The law needs to change immediately that licenses need to be renewed every 5 years (annualy for professional drivers?) and compulsory annual eye tests for all.
It could be implemented by insurance companies offering reduced premiums to those who provide certification. That way, it doesnt stop people from driving but makes it damn more expensive if they dont want to play along.
+1 for everything that zanf says.
In no other form of transport (in fact no other area of general life) would this be tolerated.
If you were to walk up to a H&S person now and say "I'd like to introduce a form of transport where we only test once, we have unqualified people with no PPE filling up cars unsupervised in public with highly flammable liquid, we have no solid enforcement structure but hey, it'll make life so easy for everyone" he'd look at you as if you were insane.
It simply wouldn't be tolerated but, becasue we've kind of evolved alongside it, it's become accepted. Hundreds of deaths per year, millions in insurance payouts, tens of billions of pounds of infrastructure; it's all regarded as an acceptable cost for "free and easy" movement.
Just unbelievable.
The lads on Pistonheads are enthusiast drivers not "motorists" keen on their cars and as a result reasonably aware of what is going on with the roads. Similar to the distinction between those of us that use this website and the "red light jumping, pavement riding cyclist".
NB I don't visit Pistonheads very often so this may overgeneralise a tad.
[gold]Mamils raped my dog[/gold]
use the correct tag ffs
((another) Pedantry alert). According to the Guardian's own website the name of the writer of that article is Dawn Foster (not Fraser).
Ms Way fought the internet, and the internet won. There's been a perfect storm brewing for while, and she went out kite flying with wet shoes. It was never gonna turn out well for Ms Way.
Now we've had a few days of frenzied comment, some more considered and intelligent than others, may be a good time for a little meta-analysis of differing attitudes from readers of different media outlets.
Surprising, no tied to chair with a wet sponge on my head shockingly, comment in the Daily Mail is almost entirely pro-cyclist. How much of this is guerrilla warfare by militant cyclists (keep the flag flying guys) mobilising via social media I don't know. But in any event, I wept sweet tears of happiness when I clicked on best and worst rated comments.
Guardian is - strangely - a more contested battleground, with 1 or 2 principled and ardent pro-cycling commentators leading the charge. Not much sandals and muesli in evidence, more napalm and shreds of trollflesh.
Huffington Post - an internet based news outlet, one would expect a younger and more internet/media savvy audience. Well, it's hand to hand fighting here, head over if you want to get your hands bloody. Lots of blaming the victim and road tax / compulsory insurance / Mamils raped my dog comments.
And Pistonheads forums. Wtf. Wtfingf. Only 2 pages of forum postage, but broadly pro-tolerance and anti-idiot. Still blinking.
On a side note, can't help wondering what's happening on her insurance side of things. If there's any indemnity / disclosure / fronting issues (as there all too frequently are with young drivers), her motor insurer policy may end up being voided, and the insurer pursuing Ms Way for any costs they have to bear as RTA insurer. Which would be a unfortunate sequence of events. Ms Way, if you wish to post requesting bike buying advice, road.cc's a friendly bunch. Really.
What is it with young women when they get into cars? They seem to think no rules apply to them . .
Mercury one - dono, seems that's what you were implying. I overlook things you mentioned. Not out of any fanatical like of BBC but because of taking other things into account that they create. The reason things like that stand out with BBC where with other companies it would not even register is indicative of the overall standard.
This young woman is a MENACE to society!! Good thing we all don't do things the Emma Way!
As for Car Tax (now VED) some vehicles emit such low emissions there's no duty to pay on them.
Emma Way needs to do a prison term for attempted murder!
She is a trainee accountant, i believe, read the rules of the professional organisations to which she has to subscribe. Her actions could be seen as making her ineligble, ie she has potentially destroyed her own career.
I am very interested in the outcome of this; where people have made threats on Twitter they have ended up in the s**t. So is it OK to boast about trying to kill someone but not make threats?
I feel a driving awareness course coming up for someone
And you need to post more on here Lane71.... Lane70 was OK, but you sound great! But ease up on the swear words or you will upset Stumps...
for the anti bbc brigade, ever been abroad? ever watched foriegn TV?
yes there is alot of things wrong with the bbc, but the alternatives!!!!!
You are right about foreign TV; some do not even speak English!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
^^^ hahahahahahaha! Classic... Give me that axe, Eugene!
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