I suspect you are correct that motorcycles are not very clean on a per gallon basis; however, that’s not an important thing.

How are motorcycles on a per mile basis?

How about instead of this “idling” law, they make a law that REQUIRES cat converters on ALL motorcycles. I have even had friends LOOKING for one for their sportbikes & can’t find one.

Supposedly this is coming in 2010/2011 (phase 1) and it’s supposed to reduce co emissions by 50%. Estimated cost per motorcycle? $50.

Maybe, just maybe, a plurality or majority of the folks that care and are active in local politics in Westchester County have asked for this! IF you are not active in politcs and have a contray opinion it is your fault that it is not being considered.
It is a given this plurality is not made up primarily of auto-enthusaist. That is why a say we must give a little to be able to enjoy what we love.
The folks that make the laws can not make assumptions that every car on the road is new and is good repair. There are still many, many older cars on our roads that are not as clean as the newer models. All it takes is one “bad” car with a old exhuast system and burnt out cat to reek havoc on a confined street with hundreds of apartment dwellers injesting said fumes and pollution. I have not even factored in the weather conditions.

There are also far more vehicles on the road today than in the past. Lets now factor in the amount of “non-passanger” cars that are being used as everyday vehicles today that are not subject to the same emission standards as your average new sedan. Correct me if I am wrong but SUVs, Pickups, and CUVs classified as light -trucks do not have to meet the same standards as passanger cars.

Now lets factor in dozens of lding cars and “light-trucks” (of all vintage) within a two block area (common in many commercial districts) and needless to say it starts to add up.

If todays newer cars are so clean than why not put your face right at the tailpipe and breathe in the exhaust for a good 3 minutes and than tell us how well you are feeling afterwards. A 2009 model car is still putting out enough carbon dioxide to kill you in an inclosed place, am I not correct? So it is a given that what is coming out the tailpipe is NOT all that clean.

My point is why argue of a simple flick of the wrist or a push of a button? I can remember when we still had a lot of folks that refused to wear seatbelts, claiming it is their “Right”, forgetting that they carelessness was only raising all of OUR insurance rates and consuming public resources to scrap their smashed up body off our street after they managed to eject themselves through their windshields.

Now dont get me wrong I am NOT a “bleeding heart liberal” BUT I do respect the fact that I do share this world with billions of other people that also has rights and personal desires just like me. I also know that the people that do not appreicate the stuff I do have their only power to make my life less fun and happy. As an auto-enthusaist I KNOW I am outnumbered by those that could careless about the love of cars.

For this I will give them the benefit of the doubt and simply turn off my car and not idle it.

Where are these mythical schools? In HISD, they are simply not allowed to walk or ride bikes until 5th grade unless accompanied by a parent. Bus availability or not. The student patrols have been replaced with fully paid crossing guards decked out like police without a gun. I suspect within a few years, if not already, the guards will be unionized on expecting a pension.

I was referring to those schools with kids that live 1 mile away, yet don’t cross any major streets so the kids have to walk. They aren’t offered rides on the bus.

Would your hatred be different if it were a dad in a 90’s Lumina instead of a mom in an Escalade?

This law reeks of stupiditiditiditishionous.

No, they are smart enough to recognize an ineffective, feel-good measure that is overly intrusive and just plain silly.

whatdoiknow1: The reason that “big brother” is constantly biting you in the ass is becuase you guys appear to be unwilling or incapable of acting in a responsible manner on your own.

Again, no. The idea that cars idling for more than three minutes is causing unacceptable levels of pollution is nonsense.

A modern car is extremely clean. New cars, in particular, are not a problem when it comes to air pollution.

This is more about professional busybodies who want to appear to be “doing something” than actually cleaning the air.

whatdoiknow1: I guess you guys have never sat in a playground with your children smelling and beathing car exhaust!

Yes, and today it is negligible. Go to a classic car show when the cars start up and leave at the end of the show – then you’ll smell real exhaust.

The idea that if some regulation is good, more regulation is better is nonsense. We need to move beyond this sort of foolishness.

Polluted air?

Which one do you value more?

Personally I prefer clean air, water, and land to the dirty kind.

I get the impression that many here are still too immature to care about the world they live in or the rest of the people they share it with.

The reason that “big brother” is constantly biting you in the ass is becuase you guys appear to be unwilling or incapable of acting in a responsible manner on your own. Freedom DOES require responsiblity and accoutability. You cant have freedom if you are unwilling to do the right things without government forcing you to do so.

Why do we need a law for this is the first place?
Idling your car/truck is simply dirtying up the air around you and your family as well as everyone else around you.
As Car guys WE should be the force promoting everything that aides our passion in the face of the MANY, MANY folks in this world that do NOT appreciate cars the way we do.
All you have to do is turn your damn wirst a half turn, or push a button and the job is done! What is so difficult about that?

I guess you guys have never sat in a playground with your children smelling and beathing car exhaust!

What about those people with more than 2.5 kids? Do they have to take their vehicle off-road to avoid massive fines or would the layer of dirt on the INSIDE of the vehicle count?

Ha! Yes, if any 6×6″ location of the interior of the car is either a) sticky enough to support the weight of the latest Stephen King novel, or b) so soiled as to make it impossible to tell the original color without consulting the owner’s manual, the driver gets a free pass.

Appeals may be submitted if driver can show evidence of more than 150 pounds of toys, baby accessories, or actual children.

All kidding aside, as soon as an SUV law passes, I’m rioting. I may think you’re a complete idiot for purchasing a 12-MPG vehicle for commuting to work, but I will defend to the death your right to do so.

…and cut you off.

Instead of worrying about how long someone’s car is idling, how about worrying about how to reduce the crime rate that’s been steadily rising ever since the law enforcement community started putting a laser focus on laws that bring in fines and other revenue dollars.

Not too many years ago experts recommended leaving a car running if a restart would be required within five minutes. They said a restart consumed more fuel than idling.

I admire proponents ability to produce amenable trendy experts regardless the cause.

They do, they do… Because they can afford BOTH the SUV AND THE GAS since they actually make money in this evil capitalist country. :)

Sooo…a legally licensed driver lawfully idling in a legally registered automobile for – let’s say – 15 minutes in a legal parking area is now the same as “chucking garbage out the window …onto the street”?

….hmmmmm. …missing. something. here.

…all part of living in a representative democracy.

Another notable part of living in a representative democracy are these things called laws, that, in theory at least, are designed to protect the common good and the rights of individuals. It’s hard to argue that an individual has the “right” to sit in his car idling for long periods of time anymore than he has the right to chuck his garbage out the window of his car on the street.

What about those people with more than 2.5 kids? Do they have to take their vehicle off-road to avoid massive fines or would the layer of dirt on the INSIDE of the vehicle count?