Hamilton’s idle-free zones are anything but

RE: ENVIRONMENT

As I sat waiting for a buddy at my local Tim Hortons, I read the recent article in The Spec about cancelling bike projects that were planned for our city as a result of Ford’s decision to end cap and trade. I couldn’t help but wonder how, in a city that claims to be “Idle Free,” can I count 11 cars waiting in a line, engines running, for someone to serve them a cup of coffee?

And, to make matters worse, the van at the front of the line ordered four coffees and four breakfast sandwiches for the group inside while the 10 cars behind choked our air with their exhaust.

I then asked myself, “if people can’t muster up the energy to park their car and walk into a building to order their coffee and breakfast, why would they hop on a bike and start pedalling in the first place?”

Do the math people. I was at ONE establishment and saw 11 cars idling in an “Idle Free”city. Multiply that by all of the other Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, KFCs, Harvey’s, RBCs, CIBCs, TDs, etc., in not just our city but across our beautiful country day in and day out and ask yourself: Do people really care enough to initiate environmental change at the expense of their own comfort and convenience?

Hamilton, don’t claim to be “Idle Free” if you aren’t going to back the claim.

Mike Tabone, Stoney Creek