Having said that, the current social trend of environmental bandwagon jumping approaches the nauseating and ridiculous when public officials begin to suggest that, at minus-15, you should only idle your car for 10 seconds, and that above that, 30 seconds should suffice.
This is, of course, rankly stupid to anyone who doesn't own a garage; that includes a lot of Edmontonians and disproportionately targets people by income. It's the kind of dumb idea that comes from listening to environmental zealots -- the far-extreme of the green movement, not the average person who has some concern.
In fact, the average car heater isn't going to need less than about three minutes -- and in some cases five or six minutes-- to get to a temperature that will keep windows free of frost at -20 C. And if you can't see, you can't drive.
The only conservative, Mike Nicols was dumped by the university elites in Ward 5 for ultra lefty Iveson.
I met this guy during the campaign, the only thing he had done was force ALL university students to pay for transit passes, whether they used it or not. A truly lefty dream, make everyone pay for the few. He was actually proud of making all students pay the way for only those students who use the transit. This was his crowning glory! Oh, and his wife told me that all post secondary education should be free!
Now, he's out to make a name for himself, by imposing a 30 second idle rule in Edmonton. Today, it is -25 in Edmonton, try warming up your car for just 30 seconds. Iveson appears to think that driving with only a tiny peep hole defrosted is a good thing, and let's just bundle those kids up better, who care if their little noses get frost bite, IN THE CAR!
Now the left-wing zealots at city hall -- the same happy gang that brought Edmontonians a 7% tax hike and jacked up user fees -- seem determined to bring the state into the driveways and carports of the city.
Word leaked out of silly hall that a "tough" idling bylaw is being readied by the bureaucrats. It's being urged along by rookie Coun. Don Iveson, determined to set himself up as council's Kyoto Kult high priest.
Iveson, a former student radical who appears never to have had a real job, now thinks he has the left stuff to run a billion-buck city, and impose his wonky idea of how the world works by having bylaw enforcement officers hand out fines to taxpayers who get caught warming up their vehicles.
Here is my solution.
1. All Edmonton city councilors must park their cars on the street.
2. They may NOT use extension cords to keep their blockheater's warm, this is against a city bylaw that prevents cords across sidewalks.
3. They can only warm up (idle) their cars for 30 seconds.
4. They can not drive their cars unless all windows are frost free and their license plates are clearly visible. (another city bylaw)
5. Because after 30 seconds idling, their cars will not be frost free, they must proceed to the nearest bus stop. Iveson should be in full support of this step, after all he loves the transit system.
6. If the bus does not come in 30 seconds, they must proceed to the next bus stop, and wait 30 seconds for that bus, if it does not arrive in 30 seconds, off they go to the next bus stop.
7. Once they have walked to work in -25 weather, because we all know, that no bus is ever going to arrive in 30 seconds, maybe their heads will thaw out enough to start thinking about real issues.
I suggest Edmontonian's enforce these 7 rules on all our city councilor's and let's throw some of the bureaucrat's on the list as well.
It will not take me 30 seconds idling to vote NO to Iveson next election, heck, if Mike Nicol's runs for Mayor, I would run in Ward 5 to beat these lefties. Here is a comment from way back during the election:
I agree -- Mike Nickel needs to be ineffective and negative somewhere else. Any councillor that can vote down a nine- year old's proposal for anit-idling in front of her school, and even an anti-idling educational campaign, needs to go. As well, I was amused to hear that Mr. Nickel wanted transit prices in edmonton to be on par with other larger canadian cities. Too bad Edmonton transit does not offer the same accessability that Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto do. So, we should not be paying the same prices unless we are receiving the same service.
Posted by: Mark | September 29, 2007 08:29 AM
The fix was in, and it was mainly university lefties that voted for Iveson, the same lefties who got another greenie, the NDP MP here in Edmonton elected, Duncan. Where is she lately, in hiding after wholeheartedly supporting the coalition?
Time to take back South Edmonton from the university weenies, who are only in this area for 4 years, then leave to do their damage elsewhere, while we are stuck with the likes of Duncan and Iveson.
30 second idling, an econuts dream. Let them protest today, in -25 weather, then I might start listening, but they must go first and lead the way!
16 comments:
It is very important to let your engine idle long enough for the oil to warm up. Even sythetic oil should be at least at room temperature before putting your engine under much load. That takes about ten minutes when it is very cold out.
If you don't you increase the wear on your engine greatly. It takes a heck of a lot of energy to make a new motor, never mind the expense to the owner, so it is NOT ecologicaly fiendly to drive your vehicle before it is warmed up.
What is up with us electing "lefties" in our Alberta, cities. I know, they act like normal people while campaigning and fool us, after.
I just want to know 2 things.
What about waiting in the car with the kids before the bus arrives? Oh and it is -35 and the bus is late? Freeze the kids, that's it!
Who will police this initiative? The 4 bylaw officers? (sarcasm)
Most normal people do not idle unless absolutely necessary anyway.
Crazy "make like your working", project!
Darth Vader,
Ha ha, very good, point!
A double dip. Bailing out the Big 3
by destroying our vehicles, faster.
This type of nonsense only works if you let it. What are they going to do, put everybody in jail? They have enacted the same ridiculous bylaw here in Red Deer and everyone I work with has said the same thing; enough is enough! No one votes for a politician to act as a lifestyle interventionist. They can give me tickets until hell freezes over. I will idle my car whenever and as long as I feel is appropriate and there is no way on earth then can make me do any differently. It's high time citizens took back control of their personal lives!
Good point Powell, what they are doing is called "Social Engineering". I read an article on line how Google has tailored their search engine to filter out content they find objectionable.
No.... it wasn't pornography they were worried about rather political views and websites that they didn't agree with especially during Obama's campaign.
What are dem little thingies with the plug ends danglin' in front of yer cars? Thought them wer ta plug them thar heater things in?
Your city council are still loons after all these years. When they finish off city hall don't they end up in the Leg for the Libs and dippers? Where is the one that used to ride his bike all the time?
Prime example of a "Bloc Heater"!
Darth: The EPA and Cummins engine recommends 3-5 minutes -- not 10. Facts, baby, facts.
Idling for long periods of time puts particulate into the air. Problem for kids with asthma. Won't someone think of the children?
Seasons greetings WCT.
What about those taxis at the airport and bus stations.
And what if the guilty decide to go to jail rather than pay a fine.
South Quebec,
I doubt the EPA or Cummins are refering to -32 degree weather like we have right now in Alberta.
Do you operate heavy eguipment or repair the same? A car engine isn't much different.
Plus when it's minus 30 not to many people have their kids standing outside behind their car!
Darth, you don't have to suck on the exhaust to be bothered by particulate
Besides all of those very valid points, we do not ALL go out and buy a new car every couple of years.
We tend to save for a rainy day, put money away and drive OLD vehicles.
It is the Conservative way.....
Kids are extremely healthy, BTW.
Out here in neanderthal land, we make them walk (over 7 or so)get jobs and contribute to society and charities. No time for allergies!
(sarcasm/off)
When it's 35 below I can't see out of my front window unless my window vents are heated up -- in other words, it takes about ten minutes. I scrape the outside, but it gets all foggy on the inside. Am I supposed to drive when I can't see?
It's idiotic. I read a comment from a tour bus driver that says it all: he said he needs to warm the vehicle up for his passengers, so if he can't idle his vehicle, he'll just have to drive around the block for a half an hour.
Are the econuts going to use GPS to see if a bus driver is driving around off-route?
Just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Ah, Edmonchuk. Was it not the city of Edmonton which wanted to jail a little old lady because she didn't clear the public (paid by property taxes and owned by the city) sidewalk in front of her house? As a former Manitoban, I know cold and 30 seconds is not nearly enough. I wonder if the city by-laws enforcers will have to shut down their cars while they are writing out a ticket for people who idle their cars more than 30 seconds. I wonder if buses will shut down after 30 seconds. What about city snow ploughs, transit vehicles for the disabled, dump trucks...etc. Thirty seconds? Give me a break. I think your city council is smoking something pretty suspicious - and I thought the Ottawa city council was out to lunch.
I can see 5 or 10 minutes, but 30 seconds? Good Lord. I have the feeling that this Iveson character parks his car in a heated garage, if he owns one. And, of course, heated garages are very environmentally friendly.
As for particulate - I am asthmatic and I highly doubt that idling cars contribute to the ill health of children any more than 18-wheelers, dump trucks, delivery vans, city-owned vehicles...etc. Let's face it, our atmosphere is polluted - mostly from pollution from Asia - and warming up cars is not going to make a huge impact.
SQ - I don't know if you've ever been to Edmonton, but it's a heck of a lot cleaner than Montreal or Quebec City, I can tell you.
Are all those waiting at traffic lights supposed to shut off their cars. How about the guy delivering pizza to your front door. Everyone should get a stop watch and record how long they wait, in idling cars at lights, or how long it takes to get out to a cab, or load a w/chair in a cab or bus. Bet it is over 30 seconds to unload a passenger and luggage at various stops. Stupid is as stupid does.
When are municipal elections coming, vote these idiots out.
What a laugh! So this entire post is based on a Sun article that says
Word leaked out of silly hall that a "tough" idling bylaw is being readied by the bureaucrats.
"Word leaked out"? Are you kidding? And then you simply fabricate silly idling limits to try and sell your case that some of the councilors need to be voted out. Do you have ANY documentation that people will be expected to idle 10 seconds at -15C? Or is it just some ranter putting words in someone's mouth?
Is it your position that there should be NO idling limits? That it's ok for diesel trucks to idle all day in warm weather?
Why not find out what sort of limits they are suggesting and see if they are reasonable? Most idling laws are intended to stop all the pollution from people who sit in their parked cars having lunch, working with the blackberry, listening to the radio and spending a lot more than a few minutes of warmup time. Being in the car, they can sit in a parking zone and not pay, they only have to stay out of no stopping zones.
So get the reasonable warmup time allowed, especially for mid winter and have the law for dealing with idle-loitering.
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