A one-armed man was drunk trying to drive a car and hold a mobile phone in his hands

Stewart is a one-armed man who lives in South Wales. Why does it matter? And so one evening Stewart decided to drive a “non-adapted” car. That is, a standard car with a normal gear lever and turn signal, designed for people with two hands.

You might say, “It’s his business, why does it matter?” Well, Stewart decided to have a little drink. Quite a few drinks. Then go home.

Stewart could have avoided it all, but he wasn’t done yet. Swansea police caught him running a red light. When they started chasing him, they noticed that he was illegally holding a mobile phone to his ear.

For those keeping count at home, that equates to zero hands left to drive.

It was 2001—Apple CarPlay hadn’t appeared on the scene in over fifteen years. Times are tough trying to operate the phone and the car with one hand. But the police were not impressed. They suspected Stewart was driving under the influence and gave him a BAC test.

Result? Stewart was twice over the legal limit.

I’ve heard friends describe people who always have a beer in one hand as a “one-armed thug.” I honestly didn’t think about what it looks like for people who always hold a beer in one hand — and only have one hand. And then I read about Stewart. Swansea Police banned him from driving for 18 months. Hopefully he’ll get a hands-free headset when he hits the road again.