German police apologise for fining one-armed cyclist for riding his bike with only one arm
A one-armed man in Germany has received a full apology and refund from the police after an overzealous officer fined him for cycling using only one arm.
But on 25 March he was pulled over by a police officer who, he says, told him he was breaking the law.
Under German road safety rules, bicycles are required to have to have two handlebar brakes. After a long argument at the roadside, the officer insisted that Mr Ionescu’s bike was not roadworthy and issued him with a €25 (£20) fine.
The incident was investigated by local newspaper the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, which discovered that with its modifications the bike was in fact entirely legal.
Last week police agreed to offer a refund – but disputed the figure to be offered. It said that while €5 of the fine had been related to the “missing” brake, the other €20 was for an allegedly faulty light.
Mr Ionescu did not let the matter lie there, though, and said he was able to prove that he had always had two functioning, pedal-powered lights throughout the episode.
But on 25 March he was pulled over by a police officer who, he says, told him he was breaking the law.
Under German road safety rules, bicycles are required to have to have two handlebar brakes. After a long argument at the roadside, the officer insisted that Mr Ionescu’s bike was not roadworthy and issued him with a €25 (£20) fine.
The incident was investigated by local newspaper the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, which discovered that with its modifications the bike was in fact entirely legal.
Last week police agreed to offer a refund – but disputed the figure to be offered. It said that while €5 of the fine had been related to the “missing” brake, the other €20 was for an allegedly faulty light.
Mr Ionescu did not let the matter lie there, though, and said he was able to prove that he had always had two functioning, pedal-powered lights throughout the episode.