A 67-year-old man has been fined for riding his bicycle on the Brussels Ring, VRT reports.
Christian Duchâteau, from Uccle, reportedly took the decision after his car became stuck in traffic on his way to an appointment in Drogenbos. He subsequently parked his car in a parking lot just off the Ring road, got out his folding bike, and proceeded to weave his way through the snarled-up motorway traffic.
"I came back that day from Valenciennes in France," Duchâteau explained to VRT. "I had an appointment at 19:00 at the Carrefour parking lot in Drogenbos. But the traffic on the motorway was solid and I was going to be hopelessly late. So I parked my car at a parking lot along the Ring in Ruisbroek and there I switched to my folding bike."
Duchâteau was soon spotted by police officers, who quickly pulled him over. "I immediately admitted that I was in the wrong but they were really angry and made a report. Still, they admitted that it's a good thing to cycle at my age. I thought I would just get a fine but then a subpoena followed."
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Duchâteau was summoned to court in Halle, where prosecutors intended to hand him a fine of €320 and a 15-day driving ban. He was eventually fined €80.
"He rode a bit on the hard shoulder, then a bit in the first lane, and then continued on his way on the hard shoulder," the prosecutor said. "There was heavy traffic, but the defendant considered it normal to move there with his bicycle. He failed to see how serious the danger was."
Yet Duchâteau was unrepentant: "In the end, I arrived on time, so actually I don't regret my decision," he laughed.
