Being neighbourly didn’t work out for one Winnipeg man, who was stuck with a fine of almost $300 for helping a neighbour move branches and logs – in the aftermath of the storm that smacked the province – to the dump.
Bill Peters said he was cited for having an unsecured load while moving the branches and logs to Brady Landfill.
According to the Highway Traffic Act, a load must be bound, covered, or secured in such a way that no portion may become dislodged or fall.
Peters says he didn’t bind or cover the load, but that he was very well-versed in how to safely secure it, having grown up with a father who owned a tree removal service.
“From a very young age, my brother and I would be loading the truck and taking it to the dump,” Peters, a retired writer, told 680 CJOB.
“I guess while I was driving down Brady Road, (the RCMP officer) saw that there was a one-foot section of a 150 lb log that was the last thing I put in the truck to hold the load down.
“I tied a Team Canada scarf around it… and I guess he saw the scarf, saw the log, and decided to pull me over.”
Peters said another driver was pulled over immediately behind him, and when he was leaving the landfill, he saw a third driver getting ticketed.
RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said he understands the frustration and the perception that it’s a ‘cash grab’ on the RCMP’s part, but that it’s really all about safety.
“Very few charges were actually laid, with the amount of vehicles that were in there,” Manaigre told 680 CJOB.
“Just imagine the amount of vehicles going to the dump on a daily basis. On this particular weekend, we only issued five tickets for an unsecured load.”
Manaigre said the RCMP receives frequent calls about issues like unsecured loads, especially on the Perimeter Highway, and that officers will respond as needed.
Officers are also able to use their own judgement about whether a driver should be ticketed or not.
“We have discretion on anything under the Highway Traffic Act,” he said.
“Obviously the more serious the offence, you’re going to take matters more seriously.”
Peters said he intends to fight the ticket in court.
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