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(Screen grab: Bikehugger.com)
HERE’S SOME FREE public advice: if you ever happen to knock down a cyclist while out driving, don’t just ignore them – and don’t tweet about your efforts later.
Norwich woman Emma Way seemed pretty happy about her achievements when she knocked over a cyclist on Sunday – taking to Twitter to complain that the road was being occupied by someone who doesn’t pay road tax (which was abolished in Britain in 1937, and replaced by a motor tax system similar to Ireland’s).
Niche website IPayRoadTax.com noted that Way had only around 100 followers on Twitter – but the hubris of the tweet was quickly picked up and sent to the local police force, which has significantly more Twitter followers:
The Daily Telegraph figured out that the cyclist hit by Way, 29-year-old Toby Hockley, was taking part in an organised ride – and was nearing the end of a 100-mile trip when he was hit by a car coming from the opposite direction.
The Norwich Police tweet prompted Way to delete her account – but remnants of her online life remained accessible, allowing some users to find other photographs she had posted to Twitter in the past.
They included this photo, showing her speedometer recording a speed of 95 miles per hour, which was posted with the following caption:
I really need to wake up earlier.. I cannot do this EVERY SINGLE DAY to my poor car! #lookoutwaysabout
Yesterday the police account posted a further update, saying it had identified both parties involved in the incident and were “progressing with them”.
“For obvious reasons we are unable to put any futher info on this into the public domain,” it said, adding the hashtag #staysafe.
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Makes a change from landlords robbing people I guess.
@Jurga Moylan: running a business wasn’t considered robbing the last time I checked.
@Sean: if your “business” is overcharging people for a place to live then you’re only technically not committing robbery
@Jurga Moylan: I don’t rob my tenants. I rent them a place to live and subsequently pay the mortgage and the tax man. Nothing left for me
@Charlie: not much point in doing it then is there?
@Charlie: except that eventually the tenants will eventually have paid for the property for you. Nothing wrong with that, but there is something in it for you.
@Charlie: Same here Charlie. There seems to be a view that all landlords are unscrupulous Fagin types who bleed their tenants dry. My tenants are renting at €300 a month below market value, as were the tenants before them. It’s the government’s fault for not building enough social housing over the past 20 years, not mine nor yours.
@Michael Burke: Not everyone wants to buy their own house. Landlords provide a service. Your beef is with the government, not with private citizens.
@Sean: the imbecile didn’t own the properties so he robbed unsuspecting individuals of their monies. That’s robbery, not a business!
@Pat Butler: the business he is referring to is the landlord, who it is implied is doing the robbing first
@Karl Harvey: why do you assume it is over charging? Market rates are market rates: simple demand and offer at play. We surely agree the state should do more about affordable housing but it is a legitimate enterprise to buy properties and to let them. There are also businesses that employe people to maintain those properties…
@Michael Burke: yeah it’s a 30 year investment
@Johnny 5: I’ve worked all over the world for the past 25 years as have thousands of Irish like me.
There is a need for rental long and short term rental as staying in hotels for more than 3 or 4 weeks does not appeal to the vast majority.
Council estates and projects are very often atrocious locations for rearing kids.
Obviously missing something here.
How would the alleged scam work
How could you get rent for property you don’t own
Surely a tenant pays someone and if they dont pay the real landlord comes after them
Would have been cheaper for the gardai just to repay the €260 grand, a 2 year gardai investigation probably cost more.
It’s being done everywhere on a smaller scale in most instances. I rented a house when I lived in Bath, UK. I rented out 3 rooms and it paid for itself. I never profited from it, all bills were split and landlord was happy she got her rent on time every month. Speaking to others in similar circumstances most did the same.
They are brilliant at these scams
have your say