Armless man caught steering car with foot at 121km/h

**Swoop** · 24th March 2006, 13:49

Latest news from the harold.....

24.03.06 1.00pm
By Rachel Tiffen and Sandra Conchie

A man with no arms was caught speeding at 121km/h yesterday - using one foot to steer and the other to operate the pedals.

The man told shocked police he was born with no arms and said he'd never held a driver's licence.

The 32-year-old unemployed Waikato man was clocked on State Highway 2 at Papamoa at 10.30am.

He was given a $170 fine and has been forbidden from driving. Police say he will probably be charged with dangerous driving also.

Senior Constable Brent Gray approached the driver's window, spotted a foot up on the dashboard and noticed the seat was reclined.

Mr Gray told colleagues he thought the man had an "attitude". But then he noticed his armless torso.

"He was pretty shocked by that, as you would be," acting Senior Sergeant for the road policing unit, Deidre Lack, told the Bay of Plenty Times this morning.

The armless speedster told the stunned highway patrol officer he had been driving for years, without any issues.

Ms Lack said she had spoken to several officers with lengthy careers and none had heard of anything remotely like it.

She had nothing against people with disabilities who drove motor vehicles, but had absolutely no sympathy for this speeding driver.

"Obviously driving at a speed like that, arms or not, you're just waiting for an accident. You're asking for an accident at 120km/h, whether you've got arms or not. Look at the risk he was posing."

The incident was a particularly unusual example of the sort of ridiculously dangerous driving that police encountered while on patrol, she said.

Ms Lack had no idea how the man had driven for years - as he alleged - without being caught.

Tauranga double below-the-knee amputee, Pat Barry, said he was amazed to learn the man had been driving so long without being caught.

"For obvious reasons it was good the police stopped this man when they did before he killed himself or someone else, but there are avenues for this man to go to, to seek funding to get his car converted and modified, and quickly get lessons so he can obtain his licence to drive."

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES

**Flatcap** · 24th March 2006, 13:53

Usually it's people being caught legless

**SwanTiger** · 24th March 2006, 13:54

Fucken brilliant!

The man deserves an award.

**skelstar** · 24th March 2006, 14:12

$170!?!?
FFS, he'd better get a much bigger fine for that, or theres something very unjust going on.

**Colapop** · 24th March 2006, 14:13

Don't get on his case - It was just a bit of 'armless fun gov'ner...

**Swoop** · 24th March 2006, 14:43

I've been wondering if the policeman "put the cuffs on him"....

**sunhuntin** · 24th March 2006, 14:47

what the heck did he use to change gear, indicate, wipers, radio, newspaper, cellphone and eat mickey d's? gawd...id be impressed if ida seen it, but would slapped a bigger fine on the fucker....least theres no way he can give bikes a bad name!

**chickenfunkstar** · 24th March 2006, 14:58

Love the bit which says:

"Obviously driving at a speed like that, arms or not, you're just waiting for an accident. You're asking for an accident at 120km/h, whether you've got arms or not. Look at the risk he was posing."

She (Ms Lack) doesn't seem to have much of an opinion about the no arms bit.

I would have thought that driving with no arms would be more dangerous then driving 120kph...

**Wenier** · 24th March 2006, 15:09

Now that is a super effort, that man deserves a DB.

He could start a new Racing league for people with no arms now that could be exciting.

**James Deuce** · 24th March 2006, 15:13

How else is he supposed to drive you pack of Bigots? There is NO issue with him driving with his legs. None.

Half of you don't have vision that is good enough to pass the driving test, but you manage to wangle out of doing anything about, purely for vanity's sake, by going and getting a letter that excuses you for having monocular vision. I think lack of depth perception is a bigger disability to a driver than a lack of arms.

But I don't bitch about it in an internet forum, or place my assumptions about your fitness to drive/ride ahead of your need to use personal transport and even have fun.

I've seen thalidomide victims drive cars with their feet, quite successfully, thanks to having no arms. I've seen people with only a thumb and forefinger on the end of the only arm they have, operate heavy machinery to build the roads that you lot seem to enjoy riding on.

The dude should have gone and got a license. I guarantee you he could pass.

The people on this site wanting this guy off the road are as bad as the PC establishment most of them decry.

"I don't like it/understand it/it's creepy cos he's different/can't think of a way how I could do that, so it must be highly dangerous and needs to be banned."

FFS

**MSTRS:Me** · 24th March 2006, 15:18

Well said Jim2.
Anyway....no test will excuse monocular vision. It's other name is One-eyed-ness and the test for that is often aural

**Smorg** · 24th March 2006, 15:44

Mistread the question toodle

**Ixion** · 24th March 2006, 16:03

I do not see that there in any inherent danger in this. Some limbless people can do quite amzing things with the limbs they do have.

The test is surely an objective one? Can he control the vehicle adequately?

I don't see it makes any difference if he controls it with his arms, his legs, or his dick, so long as it is adequately controlled. Props to him for giving it a go I reckon.