No idling or face fines

This article caught my eye today.

Mpls. limits vehicle idling to 3 minutes The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved changes Friday, to the city’s vehicle idling ordinance that aims to reduce air pollution. The ordinance limits most vehicle idling to three minutes, except in traffic.

Check your area’s idling laws HERE

The newest study has shown that with fuel injection systems, idling more than 10 seconds is a waste of fuel. Not like the old carburetors where it was more like 30 secs or a minute. If I just miss a signal, I shut it down now, especially at the signals that I know are long. If its just a signal change for that lone driver turning right, I won’t but if all directions of the intersection are full, I shut it down.

Not quite to the point of hypermiling but you never know…

GEE: What’s next???

Police “check points” to:

See if our tires are properly inflated?
Our most recent tune up?
We are using the right “grade” of gasoline?
Our windows closed for better areodymanics?
Tail gate down? (see windows)

There must be a bogus study somewhere that states the amount of mllions of barrells of oil we will save, much like the bogus 55mph mandate of years ago.

Does this also apply to meter maids, traffic officers, While writing tickests,patrol men, hideing behind trees running radar with their A/C running.

But, just think of the revenue opportunities:

“Warming” up your car in the middle of winter, Cooling it down in the summer.
(there will probably be a 800 number to turn in your neighbor)
Stop lights, set at 3 minutes, 10 sceonds.
McDonalds drive thru: want a ticket with those fries?

The only ideling I am concurned about, is the idle tme our elected officals have on their hands to come up with such BS. Maybe they should take up knitting!!!

All of this and more, brought to you by the mommy earth, global warming, eco freeks.