It’s just another fine and dandy day in the life of the motorist. In case you haven’t heard the news and ergo have no bloody idea what I’m talking about, let me fill you in. I’m referring to the idea that motorists who leave their engines running whilst stopped could be fined £20 under new anti-pollution plans.
Traffic wardens have been told to look for “offenders” who pull up at level crossings and on busy streets, presumably causing congestion and of course emitting all that nasty CO2 into the environment. It could even go further, with drivers stuck in traffic jams with their engines running if they are seen to be idling ‘too long’.
Of course, the astute amongst you will point out that surely this is madness. After all, if you are stuck in a jam, then you don’t want to be there in the first place, so receiving a fine for being in one with your engine running is like a slap in the face. So, the ‘kindly’ warden will give you a warning first.
I’d be interested to know how they’ll do this. Especially if it is a slow-moving, but nonetheless moving, queue. Are they going to look at the driver, hoping that each one will wind down their window to be given some verbal abuse from a government official just waiting to slap them with another fine simply because they had the audacity to be sitting behind the wheel with their engine running?
In this day and age, I find it really hard to believe that ANYONE actually leaves their engine idling for any longer than strictly necessary. Just look at the price of fuel! If you run a gas guzzler, then this is going to be especially true. On top of this, some engines are actually quite inefficient at the on/off process, especially when cold. Ergo, they’ll consume far more fuel by being turned off than they would when being left to idle – at least for a short period.
Perhaps what is most telling of all is that buildings produce “nearly half of the UK’s carbon emissions” (source: http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/epc/) which is “almost twice that of cars and planes” (source: ibid). So, by the government’s own admission, buildings produce a huge amount more of the nasty stuff that is apparently giving the greenies a case of the meanies. So, what’s next? A fine for those who leave their heating on “irresponsibly”? A massive tax for those who don’t get their house double glazed? No, I didn’t think so. Let’s just stick another tax on the motorist…
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