Mad as hell

Dave Nixon protests high speeds and lack of enforcement on the roadway near his home.

Speed limits go unenforced on Loyalist Parkway, says resident

I know I am not popular,” says Dave Nixon as he stands beside a busy stretch of the Loyalist Parkway on Monday morning. He is holding up a hand painted sign that reads “Drag strip” and “No police protection.”

He is angry that traffic, particularly in the summer, whizzes past his home. Many are travelling at well above the speed limit. Worse, this stretch of road between Wellington and Bloomfield offers one of the few long straight sections that afford drivers an opportunity to pass.

Other neighbours complain that motorcyclists congregate late at night on the straight flat stretch of roadway for impromptu drag races.

Most early mornings Nixon can be found walking his Jack Russell terrier along the road shoulder, as far away from the road as he can. A recent confrontation with a coyote has discouraged him from venturing too far off the roadway.

“Instead of being killed by a coyote,” said Nixon, “my dog is at greater risk of being killed by a BMW.”

He is particularly upset that police won’t respond to his calls for increased speed enforcement along the Loyalist Parkway—a roadway he says is made more unsafe due to inadequate maintenance of brush along the roadside.

One westbound car goes by Nixon almost every week day between 7:45 and 8 am travelling at more than 110 kilometres an hour by his estimation. If his estimate is accurate, this driver sails past at more than 30 kilometres over the posted 80 km/h speed limit. It would earn the driver a $180 ticket and four demerit points. There would also be an impact on the driver’s insurance.

But despite calls and letters to the OPP, Nixon says nothing is being done to enforce speed limits on this stretch of road—particularly on busy weekends.

“Anything goes,” says Nixon. “I have called. Written letters. Presented them myself to the detachment. Yet nothing happens. I have been out here on the side of the road with my sign and I still haven’t seen any sign of the OPP.”

Nixon stops mid-sentence to confront two cars passing a third. All three are moving at a high speed heading his direction. The cars slow as they see the lone protester venturing into the roadway. Nixon is shaking, he is so mad.

He fears for his own safety, but more so for the wildlife that live in or around the wetland nearby. A snapping turtle, deer or fox doesn’t stand a chance crossing this stretch of road according to Nixon. He is particularly fearful for his small dog.

Nixon lives alone with his dog. He never married and has no family. He is 68. It is just him and his dog. He says he would be devestated if anything happened to his dog.

“He means the world to me,” said Nixon.

He isn’t averse to confrontation. He says that while most people just shrug their shoulders and move on—he is the one in 25 to complain.

“People are too scared to fight the system,” said Nixon.

He admits he can be aggressive—he isn’t welcome in the local bank or a Picton food store—but he says it is his right to expect the police to do their job.

“I am a responsible person,” said Nixon. “I didn’t just wake up this morning and decide to protest the speed on this road. I went through the process. I called the police. They did nothing. I expect a young officer to come by eventually, to yell at me for standing by the roadway.”