Stow your trash properly, or be prepared to pay at $160 fine.
That’s the message coming from Thunder Bay police, as free dump week arrived at the John Street Landfill. Even after five years on site during the annual event, when tipping fees are waived for residential customers, not everyone is getting the message.
Police pulled over a steady stream of violators Monday afternoon, citing them for unsafe loads and a whole host of other infractions.
“It’s very busy, and yes there are quite a few people who are getting the message, but there are still quite a few that aren’t,” said traffic division Sgt. Glenn Porter, minutes after issuing a ticket to a man driving a pick-up truck overloaded with garbage, not a protective strap in sight.
Porter said not taking effort to secure a load can be very dangerous, pointing to an armchair he saw in a ditch along the side of the road on the way to the dump as a perfect example.
“It could be something very small, or it could be something very large,” Porter said.
After a slow start Sunday, Porter said traffic has ramped up on Monday, thanks in part to warmer weather.
“People aren’t out doing the yard work that we expected that they would be at this time of year. But it’s picking up. This is the first nice day and things are definitely getting busy.”
Officers aren’t just looking at drivers’ loads, Porter added.
They’re checking for all manner of infractions, including licence and insurance, registration and overall safety of vehicles in line.
A pick-up driver was cited for his tinted windows and not having mud flaps, another for driving on a suspended licence and a third for exceeding load restrictions by 1,590 kilograms.
Porter said taking a few minutes to properly tie down or cover your load will save plenty of heartache upon arrival at the landfill.
“The goal is to keep the roads safer and cleaner,” Porter said.
