A Montreal man was surprised to be issued with a $102 (about £61) spot fine for carrying his cross-country skis on the Montreal metro in Canada.
Mathieu Simard told CBC News he used the skis to ski to work when the city was blanketed in snow and was carrying his skis home as he had done regularly for the past 10 years without a problem. He was approached by two ticket inspectors and issued with the fine, which he says he will be contesting.
The fine was issued under a bylaw that forbids passengers from bringing bikes, skis, sleds or snowboards on the Montreal Metro during rush hour.
Mr Simard said that he and people around him were surprised by the fine being issued. He said he skied to work but could not ski home as the snow was cleared by road workers, but that when it was snowy it was easier to ski than ride his bike to work. After he was fined Mr Simard had to walk home.
“Skis and other items are not allowed during rush hour because they are bulky and sharp objects that, for example, could hurt someone during a sudden stop,” a Montreal Metro spokesperson told CBC, adding that the bylaw prevents people from carrying skis and other items on the Montreal Metro between 6 and 10am and 3 and 7pm weekdays.
