I was driving around the other day running errands (trying to be good and get them all in one trip) and I noticed the craziest and most annoying thing. Cars idling in parking lots wasting gas and polluting the earth for no good reason!
First I went to the post office and noticed that there was some big SUV running in the parking lot with a teenager sitting in the passenger seat. Seriously, this girl couldn't go inside and enjoy the free post office air conditioning?
Then I went to the bank to deposit some checks and walked by a car that was EMPTY but running, presumably to keep the car cool while the owner was inside the bank??? The owner must have left the key in the ignition and used the remote to lock the car. I mean, really, you're in the bank for 5 minutes, you wouldn't want you car to heat up just a tad.
So, just when I was starting to wonder just how expensive gas was going to have to get before people started doing sane things like turning off their cars whenever they can (you know, saves money and the planet) I pulled into the Whole Foods parking lot. All looked ok, I didn't see or hear any cars idling in the lot. Whew, I'd found the sanity in Las Vegas. But, nope, it was too good to be true.
On my way out there was a huge SUV parked right next to me just humming away with I think a 7 or 8 year old girl in the back seat. Yep, I got to breath those yummy fumes while I packed my groceries into the trunk. I am totally flabbergast at this one. What possible reason could those parents have for leaving a young child in a running, gas guzzling car for what, at least a half hour? Obviously there wasn't a thought of safety (oh, I don't know, perhaps playing around with the gears and gas or turning the car off and getting seriously overheated) or the ridiculous waste of gas.
I realize that it's gotta be about 110 out there, but people, there are other options. Take the kids into the store with you, park in the shade, run errands early in the morning or late evening, get your windows tinted, put up sun shades. I am so not proud to be a Las Vegan right now...is it like this every summer and this is just the first time I've noticed?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
You Have Got to be Kidding Me!
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5 comments:
A friend here in the Arizona desert used to crack me up as she sought out even the tiniest sliver of shade in a parking lot. I laughed initially but now I'm a convert.
Speaking of fumes, why do grocery stores always put the bike rack right next to the employee smoking area?!
Amen. You would think $4.00+ a gallon would have more conservation converts!
Yep. It's every summer. It's actually one of the first things I noticed when I moved here. Shocking. Las Vegans alone are responsible for like 80% of global warming.
Ops...I wasn't done! Sad though, isn't it?
Also, Prince still needs a home! Are you back in town? I'll give you a call.
I have one better.... we went to the zoo yesterday for a class field trip. The teacher got off the school bus and instructed the students to sit tight as she went to purchase our tickets. She was gone a good 15-20 minutes and the bus driver left the bus running the whole time.
I know, I know, I should have gotten up and said something but I just haven't gotten up the courage to confront people with my environmental convictions:( I guess I need to work on some kind of nice way to suggest things like that to people!
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