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Langford councillor under fire for his posts on Facebook

A Langford councillor is facing a backlash after posting on Facebook that he talks on his phone while driving, and for criticizing a call made by a 19-year-old umpire. Third-term Coun. Roger Wade told the Times Colonist he’s sorry for his actions.
Roger Wade.jpg
Langford councillor Roger Wade says he’s sorry for his actions after facing a backlash over recent Facebook posts.

A Langford councillor is facing a backlash after posting on Facebook that he talks on his phone while driving, and for criticizing a call made by a 19-year-old umpire.

Third-term Coun. Roger Wade told the Times Colonist he’s sorry for his actions. “Have I learned my lesson? Yes, I have. You won’t see me on Facebook anymore,” Wade said.

On June 18, Wade posted:

“So I’m driving out the Pat Bay highway today in the slow lane going the speed limit talking on my phone. This idiot comes up beside me and starts taking my picture.”

The post goes on to criticize the other driver for an illegal lane change, tailgating and hogging the left lane.

In response to one of his Facebook friends, who told him to get off the phone, Wade wrote: “Sorry Steve but it’s not gonna happen.”

In a separate post over the weekend, Wade criticized a 19-year-old umpire from Parksville, disagreeing with her call at a Victoria Eagles and Nanaimo Pirates baseball game.

“So out. Way to go Chloe Elston. You suck,” he wrote.

Several of his Facebook friends came to Elston’s defence, saying that as a public figure, Wade shouldn’t shame a teenager online, while others took Wade’s side. Profanities were exchanged.

Elston, who said she once dreamed of being the first female major-league baseball umpire, said learning about the Facebook post wasn’t fun.

“Nothing’s going to deter me from umpiring. But it’s not great, it’s not something anyone really wants to hear,” she said.

Contacted by the Times Colonist, Wade said he was sorry and felt like the victim of a witch hunt.

“One thing I’ve learned in the last couple of days is that I won’t be on Facebook very much. I have a hard time fathoming this. I didn’t know that everything I did was for people to scrutinize,” Wade said.

He said he hopes the posts don’t overshadow other work he’s done for the community — such as raising $12,000 for Cops for Cancer three years ago.

Wade called his post about Elston a “mistake,” and said that he will apologize to her.

He said he does not believe he is above the law.

“Did I talk on the phone? Yes, I did, I’m guilty,” he said. “It’s not OK for anybody to break the law, but it does happen.”

Distracted driving is the second-leading cause of motor vehicle deaths, Insurance Corp. of B.C. says, behind only speeding. It represented one quarter of car crash deaths between 2009 and 2013, at an average of 88 people killed per year.

Sgt. John Price, of the Saanich police traffic safety unit, said the average time it takes to grab your phone, unlock the screen and read a text message is 4.5 seconds. “In 4.5 seconds at 80 kilometres per hour, you’re driving the length of a football field blind,” Price said.

The current fine is $167 plus three points, but the province is considering making it more severe.

“This is five-year-old legislation. It is no surprise to anyone that this is the law,” Price said.

Langford’s Acting Mayor Lillian Szpak, who chairs the protective services committee, said she didn’t want to comment directly on another councillor’s conduct.

“When you’re a public figure, I think you’re held to a higher standard. However, having said that, we all have done and said things we regret — we’re only human,” Szpak said.

But Coun. Matt Sahlstrom, who was first elected in 2002, rose to Wade’s defence. “He’s an adult. If he wants to talk on his phone, I’m not going to pooh-pooh him for something like that. It’s not like he’s running over kittens or anything.”

Sahlstrom said there are more serious things to worry about — like texting while driving.

“I eat a burger when I’m driving, I can drink a soda pop, change my radio station and talk,” he said.

“I’ve seen people break the law every day. There’s more serious things for the public to be worried about than talking on the phone.”

Sahlstrom said Wade is a great guy who is passionate about sports.

“Sometimes emotion overrides your common sense, that’s all.”

Dermod Travis, executive director of Integrity B.C., called the Facebook posts completely inappropriate and said elected officials have no excuse for breaking the law. “One of your duties is to uphold the laws that you not only pass on council, but other levels of government pass — and to show complete respect for those laws,” Travis said.

Kim Speers, assistant professor of political science at the University of Victoria, said the same public shaming that has happened to drunk drivers is now starting to happen to distracted drivers — thus the fellow motorist taking photos.

By breaking the law and posting about it, she said Wade is sending the message that he’s above the law.

“What does that mean for everyone else?”

Speers said social media have blurred the line between public and private lives, to the surprise of many politicians.

“We’re still learning as a society about what’s acceptable and not acceptable in the public realm,” she said.

John Barry, president of the B.C. Baseball Umpires Association, said umpire abuse is common to many sports. While there’s a fairly steady interest in becoming an umpire, public shaming could deter potential umps from trying it out.

Martin Winstanley, chairman of the Victoria Eagles, said he and the team are fully supportive of Elston.

“We didn’t lose the game because of the umpire. Nanaimo outplayed us,” he said.

“There is no equivocation in my support for Chloe Elston.”

asmart@timescolonist.com