Salt Lake City has joined Philadelphia as toughest in the nation with its 2-minute anti-idling ordinance. A handful of other cities in the country have 3 minute limits. However, bowing to the pressure of business interests, idling at drive through windows is exempted if the business owner posts an educational sign encouraging drivers to turn off their motors. Idling at stop signs is also allowed, so the two largest contributors to idling pollution are not affected (in Switzerland, idling at stop lights is a no-no).Not idling is a win-win-win: The environment benefits, drivers save money at the pump and on engine wear and tear, and most important of all, the lungs of nearby cyclists and pedestrians get a break.
Good for SLC! The little boys and I were outside raking grass after Chuck mowed the other day and a visitor at our neighbor's house sat in her car with the engine idling for at least the ten minutes we stayed out there. I had to resist the urge to go physically reach over and turn her car off.
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