A cyclist characterized as “reckless” by Shane Warne has retorted to the cricket icon’s remarks, expressing his “dumbfounded” reaction to the driver’s overt aggression.
Days after advocating for cyclist registration and safer road practices, Warne shared an elaborate description of a confrontation with a cyclist on Twitter.
In his numerous tweets, Shane Warne recounted that a cyclist had clung to his car, being dragged through traffic, and had forcibly struck his bonnet before pedaling away.
However, the cyclist disputed Warne’s version of the incident, stating in an email anonymously shared on Cycling Tips that “at no moment did I ‘thump’ or ‘whack’ Warne’s vehicle” and “at no time did I hold on to your car or use it to ‘pull myself through traffic’.”
“I found it more challenging to maneuver than usual because a grey Mercedes Coupe in the center lane was nearly touching the cars turning left, leaving almost no space for cyclists,” the cyclist explained.
“As the traffic was halted, I unclipped my right foot and navigated through the narrow gap.
“The driver of the Mercedes, perhaps worried about any potential damage to his car, shouted at me.
“Once I passed through the opening, I returned to the center lane, stopped, and glanced back at the driver, who was still yelling, attempting to understand his remarks.
“’What are you doing? You don’t own the road! Get out of the way,’ he repeatedly shouted.
“I shook my head and likely replied with something equally nonsensical.
“Now increasingly agitated, the driver yelled again, ‘you don’t own the road.’
“Upon looking more closely, I recognized him as Shane Warne, chuckled, and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ as I prepared to clip back into my bike to finish my trip home.
“However, before I could do so, the driver abruptly accelerated, forcing my bike wheel—and nearly my leg—underneath his car.
“Dumbfounded by the driver’s blatant aggression and mindful of the traffic buildup, I pulled my bike from beneath the car and tried to ride on.
“My bike’s wheel was jammed against the frame, and the chain was entangled, necessitating that I carry it to the sidewalk to rectify the issue.”
The cyclist also questioned Warne in his email about why he did not stop at the scene after the incident.
“If you were aware that you had ‘clipped’ me, why didn’t you stop to exchange information or check if I was injured?” the cyclist inquired.
The cyclist denied any intentions of seeking publicity by sending his email to a cycling blog.
“I had no plans of making any of this public,” the cyclist stated.
“I merely wanted to handle the situation privately and request that he fix my bike.
“Nevertheless, Mr. Warne, being the public figure he is, appeared to want everything in plain sight.
“Upon reading his Twitter account, I was surprised to see the comments he had made about cyclists in the preceding days, noting how angry and frustrated he seemed.”
In closing, the cyclist appealed to Warne to “please acknowledge that you made a mistake and pay for my bike.”
by Buford Balony
