You know what bothers me to no end? Cars who idle in front of my apartment! You know what I mean... they just park there, with their cars running and their music blasting ruining not only my peace and quiet, but also my fresh air! (Well, as fresh as it can be in the city anyway!)
I decided to look into it after spotting many offenders day after day and found out that it's actually illegal and you can get a ticket for it! Who knew?
Apparently idling engines not only hurt the environment by creating air pollution, but it also increases rates of asthma and heart disease and contributes to global warming! Who knew something so small like keeping your car running unneccesarily could have such a huge health impact?
As it turns out, if your engine is idling for more than 3 minutes, you can be issued a ticket by the NYPD. This law is even more strict near schools where you can be ticketed for idling more than one minute!
Something that I also learned is that leaving your car engine idling for more than 10 seconds actually uses MORE fuel than stopping and restarting your car! I always thought it was the other way around!
Anyway, I also found out that I can call 3-1-1 next time I notice someone idling their car outside my apartment to report them. I don't want to be breathing in their exhaust! I want fresh air and to protect myself the kids who live in my neighborhood from asthma and heart disease!
Oh, and I want to pick my own music to listen to.. instead of theirs!