Armless driver in Saskatoon says he’ll fight seatbelt ticket
An armless driver in Saskatoon is demanding an apology after police ticketed him for not wearing a seatbelt, according to the CBC.
Steven Simonar can't put on a seatbelt, as anyone can plainly see, because he doesn't have arms. However, the 55-year-old can drive with his feet using a modified car, according to the story.
[ Related: Police haven't withdrawn seatbelt ticket on armless Saskatoon man ]
It's much harder to put on a seatbelt using your feet.
That reasoning didn't prevent police from writing him a $175 ticket last week. Simonar is enraged that police refused to take his injury into consideration and he says he overheard an officer suggesting he shouldn't drive if he can't buckle up.
A young woman in Michigan who was born without arms has adjusted with astounding flexibility. She learned to operate a vehicle without modifications, using one foot at the wheel, another on the peddles and her feet to put on the seatbelt, according to ABC.
However, there's no legal need for Simonar to put on his seatbelt in order to keep driving. His fine is based on a technical change in legislation that meant his doctor's note granting him permission to drive with no seatbelt is no longer valid.
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He told the CBC he has applied for a proper medical exemption and he says he'll fight the ticket in court, just as he fought a parking ticket on the grounds that he has no hands to put change into the meter.
CBC reports that he lost that case because the judge said he could have used his teeth.