Contributed by Auggie
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Now I’m no card-carrying member of Green Peace, and I don’t buy carbon credits to offset my consumption of fossil fuels, but I’m at least somewhat conscious of my actions and how they impact the environment and/or our dependence on foreign oil. That’s more than I can say for some people.
Recently I’ve noticed an annoying behavioral pattern. Whenever I go to the local supermarket (which is quite often since I’m void of the meal-planning-ahead gene), I find at least one car idling in the parking lot. And I’m talking about a 68-70 degree pleasant evening, so I doubt these people are keeping their cars warm/cool for comfort. Sometimes the car is empty and sometimes there’s a person in the passenger seat. I can’t help wondering about the motivation for leaving your car running while shopping (it’s illegal in many places). I would ask one of these people, but I’m afraid they would sense my contempt like a dog senses fear and promptly twack my Adam’s apple with a four-bevel architectural scale.
Surely the reason is not, no . . . it can’t be! Someone please convince me it’s not pure laziness. That would be absolute zero of the laziness scale.
I can't believe you wrote this -- I had it in my mental cue, building up angst until it would have one day soon exploded into a blog.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I have honestly never seen a cop car that was not idling and have been searching for the appropriately polite manner of asking them if it is part of their policy (never know when they will need to make a fast move).
I was in Gorham, Maine today and I idled my butt off all over town. I was going to go into your town just to idle on your lawn. But instead I stayed in Gorhan and searched for Ed Libby's house.
ReplyDeleteYou sure are lucky that Boo Hoo is still in Africa and not reading this nonsense.
No one is falling for that JR. I once recall a passionate speech on the indecency of litterbugs. Deep down you're kind hearted. RF
ReplyDeleteshortly after I got my lisence I asked a cop about this and it turns out it is part of their policy (well, in maine at least). I also asked why they can drive 15 mph faster than everyone. he said, 'because i have a gun.'
ReplyDeletehere's a tip i learned, i think from mythbusters or something, 30 seconds of idling uses more gas than turning your car off and then back on.
So, i say, under 30 seconds, idle your auto, over 30 seconds, well you ought to not to
PATENT PENDING ON THE RHYME