A DAD who was born with no arms wows motorists by driving his Sprinter van – using just his feet.
Richie Bates, 41, often shows-up parents on the school run with his parallel parking skills.
Richie Bates, 41, was born with no arms but still manages to drive his Sprinter van with his feet
Simon Jones – Commissioned by The SunThe dad has driven across Britain for 20 years and still hasn’t had a single accident[/caption]
He opens his Mercedes’ door using his toes – before hooking his seatbelt into place with his digits.
Flexible Richie is able to start his car with his feet and has total control over his unmodified motor.
Footage shows him turning with his left heel, while using his right foot to turn corners and indicate.
The dad-of-two has driven across Britain for more than 20 years and still hasn’t had a single accident.
Richie, of Chichester, West Sussex, was assessed by the DVLA at 17 to check his reaction time.
He sat in a simulator with pedals and a steering wheel hooked up to a computer like in training for Formula 1.
After passing the trial, Richie was taken for a spin in a Nissan Micra where he wowed invigilators.
The driver was permitted to take lessons and completed 10 before passing his test first time aged 18.
Motor-mad Richie now carries a regular licence – and pays a standard rate for his insurance.
But he dreads being pulled over by cops, because officers aren’t always immediately understanding.
Richie said: “I consider myself lucky. If I wasn’t born like this I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
“I began learning to drive early when my dad made me a modified go-kart to get around his farm.
“When I was older a local charity called the Lions Club paid for my driving lessons.
“I drive my kids to school and I’ve driven on dangerous roads across the country.
“But I’ve been stopped loads of times. Loads of times.
“They [cops] can be understanding, but it depends who stops you. It can be frustrating.
“I know I’m not doing anything wrong, but I don’t like driving near police because they could stop me.
“If I saw someone driving with their foot I’d think it’s dodgy. But being pulled over is something I worry about.
“I’ve been driving for 20 years and I’ve not been in a crash.
“Insurers can’t charge me more because they can’t discriminate. My record speaks for itself.”
Richie was born the eldest of four kids with a rare condition called Phocomelia which left him with no arms.
But he prefers to say he has “got bits missing”.
The disorder can happen as a side-effect of pregnancy drug thalidomide, but can occur randomly.
Richie makes a living buying and selling vehicles and is a TikTok star with more than 120,00 followers.
He makes video showcasing his ability to do DIY, cook dinner and ace trick-shots in games of pool.
The dad converted his Sprinter into a camper van, complete with a sink made from an old beer barrel.
He used an old bookshelf to make the sideboard and even upholstered his own mattress and pillows.
And The Sun reader finished the job by covering the walls with pages of his favourite newspaper.
He added: “I get a lot of negative comments from people taking the p**s. You’ve got to ignore the haters. Some people leave a really nice message and that makes you feel good.”