A Queensland woman has been fined for the unconventional way she transported her dog by motorbike: strapped to her chest with a harness from Temu.
Footage released by Queensland Police show an officer from Sunshine Coast Highway Patrol ride up alongside the 35-year-old woman and her four-legged friend at Alexandra Headland.
“You know you can’t do that,” the officer is heard telling the woman in the video.
“So you can’t ride with the dog on the bike.”
The cop was – understandably – amused by the situation.
“I must say, it’s the first time I’ve seen it with the whole harnessing thing before,” he told the woman.
To which she responded that she wasn’t aware she wasn’t allowed to travel with her dog in that particular way, adding, “I bought this off Temu.”
“Well, unfortunately you can’t be riding around with the dog in between your arms,” the officer said.
“I know your dog is probably trained, but if he starts moving around or trying to chase stuff, anything could happen.
“Then that’s obviously gonna cause you to crash.”
The woman was ultimately issued a $376 traffic infringement notice, police said, for ride with animal between arms.
Carrying a dog in such a way, Sunshine Coast Highway Patrol’s Senior Sergeant Shane Panoho said, can obstruct a driver’s clear view of the road and proper control of their vehicle – which is required at all times.
“We know how attached some people are to their pets, but it’s best to apply a paws-off approach when it comes to our roads,” he said.
“The rider had purchased the harness online and did not think through the safety implications, particularly if the dog was to react to other road users, pedestrians or animals.
“This could place the rider and her pooch in harm’s way or put other motorists at risk.
“Although the dog seemed to be comfortable on the bike, we urge riders to practice safe and responsible behavior on our roads.”
