Posted on 03/24/2006 2:12:13 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
Armless man caught speeding in NZ
A man with no arms has been caught speeding at 121 km/h (75 mph), according to police in New Zealand.
The driver, who used one foot to steer and another to operate the pedals, told officers he was born with no arms but had been driving for years.
The 32-year-old had passengers in the car when he was stopped on a highway near Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty area.
Police fined the unemployed man NZ$170 (£60) and banned him from driving, local media reported.
'Shocked officer'
The driver, whose name has not been published, was going well over the speed limit of 100 km/h (60 mph) when he was stopped by police on Thursday.
Map The driver was caught speeding near Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty area
Senior Constable Brent Gray approached the driver's window, saw a foot on the dashboard and noticed the seat was reclined.
Mr Gray told colleagues he thought the man had an "attitude", then noticed the driver had no arms.
"He (Mr Gray) was pretty shocked by that, as you would be," acting Senior Sgt Deirdre Lack was quoted as telling local newspaper the Bay of Plenty Times.
The driver told police he had never held a driving licence.
Ms Lack said the motorist had been a danger to fellow drivers because he was breaking the limit.
"Obviously, driving at a speed like that, arms or not, you're just waiting for an accident," she said.
thanks, al. it is good to be back.
At the time, if the client was employed, and owned a vehicle, the State of Massachusetts would pay up to $35,000 for the vehicle conversion.
We had one client - a thalidomide baby, whose hands were connected to his shoulders, without arms.
With his magic ring, he would wave at a certain part of the van, and the door would pop open, he'd climb into the driver seat, and be automatically strapped in, slip off his shoe, and insert his foot into a holder on the floor mounted steering wheel, and a row of toggle switches on the floor relayed everything from the dashboard, even to the bass/treble radio balance to be operated by his toes.
Should'a seen this guy drive. Absolutely amazing. He could even zip up his jacket by hooking a toe in the zipper pull, up to his throat.
This job gave me a whole new perspective of the adaptability of people.
"And I'm STILL trying to figure out how he gave me the finger!"
Well, of course. The murder suspect is always the ONE armed man.
I had a friend lose his leg in a motorcycle accident & had a conversion bike built. He still rides.
But he was armless.
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