One-armed man fined for riding bike with only one handbrake


A German man with one arm has received an apology from police after being fined for riding a bicycle with only one handbrake.

According to German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Bogdan Ionescu was riding his bicycle on March 25 when was pulled over by an overzealous police officer.

Ionescu was told he was breaking a German law that requires bicycles have two handlebar brakes. After an argument, Ionescu was fined the equivalent of $34, according to the Huffington Post.

Ionescu argued he had modified his bicycle to operate one of the brakes with his foot. The newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger investigated and found his modifications made his bike legal.
On Tuesday police told Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger they offered a full refund and an apology to Ionescu. The Independent quotes a police spokesman as saying: "We only hope something like this never happens again."
Cologne police also said that the bike was completely roadworthy, according to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.