Cyclist in Russia who hit pothole gets fined for damaging it

A cyclist in Russia who was left bruised after he hit a pothole was fined by police … for damaging it.

The unfortunate rider was thrown from his bike as he cycled home from work last November in Penza, around 400 miles southeast of Moscow, reports Lenta.ru.

The pothole was covered in snow, and the impact resulted in three spokes of the bike’s front wheel being broken, as well as the rear mech.

The cyclist, Andrei Chikin, did not wait for traffic police to arrive because it was too cold, and instead made a diagram showing where the crash had happened, together with details of witnesses, which he took to the local council.

But he was summoned by police to give an explanation and fined 800 Roubles, equivalent to £9, after being found guilty of “violation of traffic rules by a person in charge of a bicycle” under part 2 of Article 12.29 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.

Chikin appealed the fine, saying he had not created any danger or impeded traffic and highlighting that there were no road works near the pothole.

Olga Ivashinka of the Oktyabrsky District Court confirmed to Lente.ru that “the proceedings of the case were terminated due to the insignificance of the offence.”

The council was reported to have subsequently repaired the pothole.