Stuart is a one-armed man who lives in South Wales. Why does that matter? Well, one night Stuart decided to go out driving in an “unadapted” car. That is, a stock car with a regular gearshift lever and turn signal, engineered for folks with two arms.
You might say, “That’s his business, why does that matter?” Well, Stuart decided to have a few drinks. Quite a few drinks. Then drive home.
Stuart might have gotten away with all of this, but he wasn’t done yet. The Swansea police caught him running a red traffic light. When they began to pursue him, they noticed he was illegally holding a cellphone up to his ear.
For those keeping count at home, that equals zero remaining hands for piloting the car.
The year was 2001—Apple CarPlay wouldn’t come on the scene for over fifteen years. Tough times to be trying to work the phone and the car with only one hand. But the police weren’t impressed. They suspected Stuart was driving drunk and subjected him to a BAC test.
The result? Stuart blew twice the legal limit.
I’ve heard friends describe folks who always have a beer in one hand as a “one-armed bandit.” I honestly didn’t consider what that looked like for folks who always have a beer in one hand—and only have one hand. And then I read about Stuart. The Swansea police prohibited him from driving for 18 months. Here’s to hoping he got a hands-free headset when he hit the road again.
