Lowering speed limit would not be effective
Comments made by Brad Thomas in regards to reducing the speed limits in regards to the elk problem is total nonsense. I travel this road every Thursday night to play cribbage at the Legion hall in Lake Cowichan. On my way up to Lake Cowichan and back to Duncan, everyone is passing me, even if I am driving at the posted speed limit.
Kind of funny with these drivers passing at high rates of speed when there is no ferry to catch, and rushing home just to turn the TV set on. These idiots fail to realize that the race in life is long, but it is only with themselves. Also their chances in life are only at half mast, so is everyone else’s. I also go to play tournament crib at the Nanaimo Legion on the third Sunday of every month. From Duncan to Nanaimo, I am doing the posted speed limit and everyone is passing me. We have players that come from Qualicum and they say the same thing. Everyone is passing them too.
We are living in a age of impatience. Why?
When studying for your driver’s licence, the booklet states that pedestrians have the right of way. No more. Just try to cross the roadway at a crosswalk. When walking, I now wave at the car that stops for me, because that is rare today. In two lanes of traffic, and someone is signalling to turn, in the opposite direction, I will stop to allow them to turn and the cars in the other lanes next to me just keep driving on.
One day last month in Victoria, the police issued 10 tickets in one hour for cell phone violation at a cost of $597 fine. Does not curtail the problem. They do it again just to pay another $597.
I myself do not drive the posted speed limits when it comes to fog, ice, snow, heavy rain, and elk. It is better to be safe than sorry. I appreciate these idiots that drive over the speed limit driving to Lake Cowichan, because in the dark, they light up the highway in front of me, just like an airport runway. With all of that lighting in the dark in front of me, I can prepare if a elk decides to cross the highway, without getting into a accident.
In summary, when it comes to speeding, I never see a police highway patrol car either way on my drive to Lake Cowichan, or on my drive to Nanaimo and back both ways. Also the people from Qualicum never see a highway patrol car either.
We as taxpayers have to be very cautious about the idea of building a fence to control the elk. Why? The inland island freeway north of Qualicum also has elk crossing the highway. The inland highway freeway was built by the NDP government under Glen Clark. The NDP later on after the highway was completed, decided to build some fencing to control the elk problem. The fence was built only to find out, the fence was built on the wrong side of the highway from where the elk problem was. Presently we once again have a NDP government under John Horgan. The same could happen again. Remember, that the inland island freeway cost $50 million more to complete than the Coquihalla highway because of the wage agreement policy of the Glen Clark government. The John Horgan government have now put this policy into place also. Unbelievable!
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan