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SASKATOON — A Saskatoon man is demanding an apology and refusing to pay a $175 ticket for not wearing a seatbelt, because he has no arms and can’t fasten one unassisted.

Steven Simonar, who drives using a specialized wheel and stirrup, was pulled over in a routine police spot check last Friday. The RCMP officer noticed he was not wearing his seatbelt, so Mr. Simonar explained he can’t fasten it when driving alone.

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When the Mountie requested his licence and registration, Mr. Simonar stepped out of the car and asked the officer to retrieve the documents from his pocket.

He said the officer was prepared to let him go, but a Saskatoon Police Service sergeant overseeing the operation instructed him to issue a ticket.

“He became very ignorant, and said, ‘Well if he can’t put his seatbelt on maybe he shouldn’t be driving.’ That’s what really made me mad.”

‘It never dawned on me I’d get a ticket’

Mr. Simonar, 55, lost his arms in an accident 28 years ago. He was hauling a sailboat out of a lake when the ship’s mast struck an overhead power line, sending electricity through his arms. “Five or six operations later … they had to take my arms right off.”

The accident has not kept Mr. Simonar from driving. He has rigged five vehicles with a special wheel and stirrup that allow him to steer with his left foot.

“It never dawned on me I’d get a ticket, because I’ve been stopped numerous times and I’ve never had an issue,” he said. “You just have to look once to figure it out.”

Mr. Simonar has been asked by the police to visit the station Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Postmedia News