Emma Way apologizes for bragging about nearly killing cyclist
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NYC Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Citi CEO Vikram Pandit announced that Citi will be the title sponsor for New York City’s new bike share program, “Citi Bike,” on May 7, 2012.
A young driver in England is learning that it's not so cool or tough to brag about nearly killing people with your car. Seems like an obvious lesson, but better late than never.
Emma Way set off a firestorm on Twitter when she posted earlier this week: "Definitely knocked a cyclist off earlier — I have right of way he doesn't even pay road tax," and then signed off with the hashtag #bloody cyclists. (It's not clear if she used "bloody" as in the British expression, or if the word was meant to be taken literally in this case).
More from GlobalPost: Round-the-world British cyclists killed in Thailand road accident
Luckily, the Norwich police quickly called Way out for her Tweet:
As is often the case with drivers who endorse hitting cyclists, Way has changed her tune now that the law is no longer on her side.
As a result of the controversy, she has also been suspended from her job as a trainee accountant.
In an interview with ITV News, Way said that it was a "stupid" tweet. She also apologized, although it's not quite clear whether she's sorry for hitting the cyclist, or just sorry for getting in trouble. "Social networking gets blown out of all proportion. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I am sorry, I didn't realize it would escalate to this," she told ITV. She added later: "My whole career is at risk now."
Her victim, Toby Hockley, remarkably escaped the collision without any big injuries. He welcomed the apology. In fact, he apologized right back at Way, telling ITV: "I'm sorry that she's in trouble with her employer." Okay, time for a hug.
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?