“No One Told Me It Was Illegal”, Says Instagram Offroader

In an Instagram story, influencer Alexander Tikhomirov—who sparked widespread criticism for offroading in Iceland—offers his side of the story.

As reported, an Instagram post from him shows him posing next to his vehicle after he got it mired in the soft, fragile soil around Mývatn.

Offroading is damaging to Iceland’s topsoil and illegal, punishable with a stiff fine. In Alexander’s case, that amounted to 450,000 ISK. He has attracted numerous comments, from Icelanders and Russians alike, who criticised him for his carelessness.

In a recent Instagram story, captured by Vísir, Alexander did not offer an apology so much as several excuses, and some criticism of his own for his critics:

Offroading is a major problem in Iceland. The reason for this is because Iceland’s topsoil is very young, geologically speaking, and thus very fragile. The cost and labour of repairing vehicular damage to the soil invariably falls upon locals, and while fines are supposed to offset that cost somewhat, that depends on being able to find the culprits every single time it occurs.

If you visit Iceland and rent a vehicle, we implore you to keep all four tires on marked roads at all times. It could save you a considerable amount of money, and it’s just good manners.