The in basket: I noticed a sign I’d never spotted before on the railing at the Southworth ferry terminal while waiting for the ferry one recent Sunday.
“No idle zone,” it said. “Waiting? Turn off engine.”
Idling one’s car unnecessarily is a known pollution cause, so the reason for the sign wasn’t hard to imagine. But I wondered if I’d simply overlooked it before, whether Southworth was the only terminal displaying it and whether disobeying it could incur a fine.
The out basket: Marta Coursey of the ferry system says, “The ‘No Idle Zone’ signs were installed within the last year system-wide (at every terminal) at the specific request of Assistant Secretary David Moseley.
“We have received a number of customer and community comments about the issues around idling cars for long periods of time, including the discomfort of our customers and the related air pollution in the surrounding communities.
“Mr. Moseley charged our terminal department with posting the signs in order to encourage our customers to stop idling their cars unnecessarily. They are advisory signs and we do not enforce the policy.”
I’ve noticed the “no idle” signs at Bremerton, and at Coman Dock in Seattle. I wish the policy WAS enforced!
Don’t push your beliefs on others. If you choose to be a tree hugger, be one. I choose not to be so concerned with petty things.
No wonder people don’t pay attention to signs if they are not enforced.
Unless the signs state they are advisory only, its only another sign folks learn to ignore. It won’t take long to learn its not enforced.
The wasted pollution kills lungs forced to breathe the tainted air.
Doesn’t seem right. Enforce it. Please.
Sharon O’Hara
I’ve always shut my engine off while waiting at the ferry. Seems like a no brainer to me, why waste expensive gas?
If you can’t afford the gas to idle whenever you want to, get a better income. Just saying.
How about all those who say “enforce it” also say “enforce it” when the signs on the ferries state to wait for permission to start engines. I believe it would be a loooooong time unloading ferries if we all waited for permission to start our engines.
“No idle” signs sort of reminds me of “Stop” signs. Should we stop or not? Should we idle or not? For those taxpayers without one iota of common sense, how can they know stopping at a stop sign might prove to be a prudent decision?
What is the point of spending taxpayer dollars on signs if they are without meaning?
I don’t recall seeing signs for cars to wait for permission before starting their engines. We normally start when our line moves forward.
Nice to know we have choices.
Sharon O’Hara
Sharon, one need only look on the bulkhead. They are there, believe me.
Enforcing the directive on the sign would prevent one from running his engine to keep the inside of the car warm during long waits for a ferry to arrive on a cold day, or the air conditioning to defog the windshield. I doubt that enforcement would be possible.
I hate this rule. Because it’s either raining or snowing 75% Of the time, and I’d like to use my heater.