Man is Arrested for Talking on His Cell Phone While Driving - a Horse

Image courtesy of Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

When you’re driving in America, you might get a ticket if there’s a cell phone in your hand.

You should probably use your car’s hands-free option.

The same goes, as it turns out, for Australia’s New South Wales.

If you’re driving, you might get a ticket if there’s a phone in your hand. You should be using both mitts to hold the reigns.

Of your horse, of course.

As reported by the Tenterfield Star, a 30-year-old man was pulled over for galloping while gabbing, or riding while radioing, or, cantering while calling.

Apparently, he should’ve used his horse’s hands-free option, which might’ve consisted of speaking to the horse and having him relay the message.

The unsuspecting equestrian was trotting down a rural road in October with a phone to his ear when he got popped by the popo.

The Mudgee Local Court magistrate laid down the law:

“Under the road rules, a horse is a vehicle…and he didn’t have a hands-free device fitted to the horse.”

Drats.

Apparently, they don’t get a ton of horse cases:

“I’ve had someone charged with being drunk on a horse before – but just one.”

The man’s attorney, Tim Cain, said his client pleaded guilty “because he concedes that the horse was in motion.”

In his defense, having a phone is paramount: What if you get a flat hoof?

Want more juicy criminal details? Get your filly:

The 30-year-old, from Hill End in the NSW Central West, was seen riding the horse along the Hill End Road at Tambaroora, north of Hill End, at 11.08am on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

While travelling at an estimated speed of 10km/h, he was seen to be holding the phone up to his right ear, before police stopped him.

What a reckless rider.

It was noted that at the time the traffic on the road was light.

Shew.

Police prosecutor Kris O’Brien tendered the paperwork to the court for the charge of “Driver use mobile phone when not permitted,” and noted “it’s not made clear in the charge, but the vehicle is a horse.”

Fortunately for the phoning felon, if he keeps his nose clean for a quarter of a year, the misdeed’ll be expunged: