Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Dumbest Law Ever, at Least So Far.

So I am innocently going to Dunkin Donuts the other day when I notice this sign in the parking lot.
WARNING
NEW JERSEY STATE STATUE MAKES IDLING OF VEHICLES FOR MORE THAN THREE (3) MINUTES A VIOLATION OF THE N.J. CLEAN AIR ACT

Really?! Are they serious? I certainly hope there isn't a line in Dunkin Donuts because if you send your significant other in for a coffee and a donut, you can't wait in the car more than three minutes before you are breaking the law. They want you to turn the car off and sit there with no air, no heat, no music. I guess when I go to pick up my son I can't arrive four minutes early because I might be breaking the law. So those other fifty cars of parents (some of which show up twenty minutes early) are, that's right, breaking the law. Funny, I haven't seen any officers walking around giving tickets for this. Probably because it is the least enforceable statute ever written since the no driving and texting law. Or perhaps it's because all those speed traps the police love to set up? Yeah, they involve breaking that same law.

8 comments:

Liz Mays said...

That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! I mean New Jersey is pretty into emissions testing and clean air and all that but COME ON!

family of 4 on the move! said...

That is the law here in Germany also. I have never seen anyone get a ticket for this but you will get some very dirty looks if you do let your car idle so we just don't. I really don't like dirty looks! LOL

Ian said...

Its bad enough you can't go three feet without paying a toll and those goddamm jughandles...now this?

Macey said...

I don't even want to think about this. So stupid! I mean, hello, I just burped...are they gonna come get me for toxic emission? Pretty soon they will! Geesh!

shortmama said...

People would die of heat stroke if they had that law in AZ. What happens if you are idle in traffic? Oy vay! LAME!

Stacy said...

That's just stupid! I use a remote car starter in my car, I guess that would be against the law too right? I wish they'd come up with better laws!

ScoMan said...

They'll start enforcing it soon. Don't worry.

They're just making sure everyone gets plenty of notice.

Anne said...

Our schools are very big on no idling. If you are waiting for a child, you can't let your car idle while you wait.