'We are prisoners in our own house': Neighbours fuming over new Popeyes traffic backlog

A Calgary couple who lives close to a new U.S. chicken franchise is fit to be plucked after traffic congestion has at times trapped them in their own home.

"Right now it sucks," Calvin Wingert told CBC News Thursday.

"We are prisoners in our own house."

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Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opened earlier this week on 17th Avenue S.E. to a huge response. Lineups weave out the front door with, at times, dozens of cars waiting to hit the drive-thru.

"For the last three days, they have been blocking 17th Avenue," Annie Wingert added.

"They have been right past the end of the street here, blocking the alleys. The garbage man had to go around the corner to get in to get the garbage.It is just absolutely stupid. Hopefully this is a short-lived fad."

The couple has lived in their Forest Lawn home for about 20 years and this volume of traffic is something new to them.

"We are hostages, you can't get in, you can't get out," Annie Wingertsaid.

Calvin Wingert said calls for help have led nowhere.

"There is not a thing we can do. We phoned our councillor, we phoned the police, we phoned the parking authority. So what do we do?" he said.

"So basically we got to grin and bear it."

While restaurant customer Jeff Chiew can empathize with the Wingerts, he also wanted to check out the product.

"I would hate it. I would have no parking anywhere, it would just be a mess. I would absolutely hate to live here," Chiew said.

"I think it is just something that we have never had before, something that we hear a lot about in movies and television, now that it has come to Calgary, I think everybody just at least wants to try it out."

Chiew said he waited in line for about half an hour Thursday afternoon.

Some diehard fans of the franchise, however, say the wait is secondary.

"I have been waiting a long time to get Popeyes chicken," Paz Greco said.

"They have the best chicken by far, by far the best chicken. Everybody loves fried chicken and this is just the best place."

For the Wingerts, meanwhile, the quality of the biscuits and gravy is overshadowed by the traffic and at times, abuse from customers.

"If I wanted to get my vehicle away from here, nobody is going to let me out because I will get in front of them. We are afraid to go anywhere," Calvin Wingert said.

He said he confronted one man on his street.

"I said, 'You realize you are blocking a driveway and he said, 'I will only be there a couple of minutes,' and then he swore at my wife," he said.

Calgary police say they have responded to a few calls since the restaurant opened but didn't observe anyone breaking the law.

Police say as long as intersections and crosswalks aren't blocked, no laws are being broken.

For the Wingerts, they hope the popularity will die down soon.

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