Ranting About Idling Vehicles
I guess the first irritant should be a big one and I have to say this one is right up there for me: Idling Vehicles.
I walk my dog Annie 3 times a day and everyday I encounter vehicles needlessly spewing out their toxic gases while idiot owners chat on the phone, text, put on makeup, nap, pick their nose – whatever. Or the car is empty because the owner is in the house waiting for it to warm up. I cannot tell you how many running cars, trucks, vans I see outside banks, convenience stores, coffee shops, or in drive-through line ups. Then there’s the parents who wait outside day care centers and schools in running vehicles for 10, 15, 30 minutes. Don’t even get me started on vehicles running at train crossings. What are they thinking?!
I could give numerous examples – one of my ‘favorite’ moments one morning was coming upon a rather large woman, sitting in her running car eating a bowl of cereal. She stared at me jumping up and down in front of her mimicking the hand motion for turning off the ignition. She shook her head NO and continued eating. Just loved her.
For some reason, many people actually think their vehicle is their own personal heating or cooling machine. It really has nothing to do with what the vehicle needs – it’s all about the owner who thinks that whenever they get in their car, it should be the perfect temperature. And they also think because it’s their car, they can do what they want.
Facts:
Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.
Every 10 minutes of idling uses at least ,75 litres of gas and up to 2.65 litres for an 8-cylinder engine. Every litre of gas used produces over 2 kilograms of carbon dioxide.
For more info go to:
http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/idling/why-idle.cfm?attr=8
I see vehicles from blocks away as I patter down the street – the running lights are on and exhaust curls into the once fresh air. I prepare myself and at least 3 or 4 times a day, winter or summer, I knock on a window or wave madly in front of a windshield and choose my approach, all the while trying to smile and be pleasant:
‘Please don’t leave your car running.’
‘Do you mind turning off your vehicle?’
‘Is it necessary for your car to be running while you sit here?’
‘Did you know this is an idle free zone?’
I am always coming up with new lines and am open to any ideas. The responses I get are varied – a lot of “Fuck Offs’, a few sarcastic ‘Thanks for that note’ and even some genuine thanks. Many reach over and turn off the engine, some cheerfully, some begrudgingly. At least everyone I challenge can no longer look in the mirror and tell themselves they didn’t know.
Some even ask me ‘why?’ and then I get to launch into other one liners:
‘Because it poisons the air’
‘Because it’s bad for the environment’
‘Because I’m trying to breathe’
‘Because we share the air”
‘Because my ferocious Jack Russell Terrier will take a bite out of your tire’ (I have to run like hell after that one)
Unfortunately I live in a country that gets cold and worse in a city that is backwards beyond description so we do not yet have anti- idling laws. Nothing to back me up – yet.
I encourage others to speak up.
End Idling.
March 1st, 2010 at 2:21 pm
You know……Many of us felt just like that little dog of yours…..often dragged along, by you, in some idle chatter, half-baked musing, or poignant blurt.
…xo Marv
No, didn’t hurt us either, mostly enjoyed it….. but never, never, NEVER, could we, or at least me, call it what it was….. a friggin rant.
Thank you for now calling a spade a shovel!
Thank you for liberating us all.
Thank you…Thank you…..
When I have time I’ll explore your friggin site and take a another turn on your friggin shovel!
May 6th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Does your city have an anti-idling by-law? Mine does. If your city does have such a law, you could call the by-law office about persistent idlers.
June 8th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
City anti-idling bylaws are just a feel-good distraction and address about 2% of idling problems. The real issue is poorly designed traffic systems that leave 10s, 100s, 1000s of cars idling for no good reason at traffic lights. Day in. Day out.
The problem is that don’t like to prioritize where impacts are meaningful, and end up with useless eforts like anti-idling bylaws.
September 11th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Your site is a lovely oasis. I found it by searching for “outraged by idling.” I am your doppelganger in America. I have lived in Japan, which probably made both of us more aware of national frugality…and I go through paroxysms (practically) of outrage when I pass by all the g.d. idling trucks, buses, SUVs, etc etc that line our streets. In fact I’m fixing to make a tiny little movie of my own, for youtube kinds of ends, where I get my 8 year old daughter to walk up to people and ask them: WHY? You say people ask you why when you tell them to shut if off, but try asking them why they need it on. Most of the time people come up with the lamest excuses, after staring at me for minute. Or they don’t even try to explain. “You’re the first person that asked me that in 6 years of coming here” said the ice cream truck man, spewing out fumes onto the 4 and 5 year olds lined up at his truck (he didn’t need the power for the cold, btw). He said you’re right, I’ll turn it off…(next day he’d forgotten).
One of your comment-leavers says what a waste of time to pursue idling, the big guzzle is from cars stuck at badly planned traffic lights. We understand this — the waste is built into every layer of modern living, and it’s vast, and it’s impoverishing us. The reason to stop idling is that it’s right there in front of everyone, the lowest hanging fruit. People start to notice how nice it is not to have the noise. It begins to dawn on them that they could find other ways of avoiding waste…There is a continuum and we can introducing reason at any point we wish.
Your rant, and the lovely pissing commercial, inspire me and reassure me I’m not alone. We do need to form a union of anti-idlers.
October 1st, 2010 at 2:20 pm
farafield – thank you so much for your note. It also encourages me to know there are others who notice and care. I could write a BIG article about the responses I get and will be ranting more about it soon. Love to hear about your film if you do it.
Angry Sue