I’ve seen a few of these around my neighborhood and have long meant to share one with you. And so here it is, in case you’re thinking of sitting at this curb with the engine on and polluting this fine little stand of bamboo, grass and weeds.
I don’t have a shot, but there’s also a number of “Don’t Spray Here” signs too, as if anyone was going to come along and spray pesticides randomly, like back in the days when we used to see the trucks driving down the street like with giant DDT sprayers in an attempt to save the Elm trees from Dutch Elm Disease. I remember riding my bike right under one of these in action, and feeling the sticky mist on my arms and face. That probably explains a few things about me.
Maybe it’s subliminal, but these do rather remind me of the disinfectants being sprayed in the streets in China and some other places. Fun times…
People really don’t understand carbon dioxide. Public education seemed like a good idea at one point. Do these doomed sheep think that farm production started falling when Ford started selling tractors? Also, once bamboo is established, stopping it is incredibly challenging.
Does sign apply to bio-diesel ?
CJinSD writes: “… Also, once bamboo is established, stopping it is incredibly challenging… ”
Yes indeed – very true words.
Do not plant any type of bamboo, spreading or clumping, contained or not contained, in the ground of a populated area unless you want grief, potential lawsuits, and big bills for repeated eradication efforts.
This is unfortunate because Bamboo does grow very VERY fast, is beautiful to behold, and in some ways could help repopulate the earth with carbon eating and oxygen generating vegetation, but not in a land of half acre residential plots inhabited by litigious homeowners.
Above ground six inch thick concrete pots may be the only safe way to plant and enjoy bamboo.
And finally beware of bamboo sellers. They charge you for the plants, and then charge you much more to get rid of the established in ground results.
Ask me how I know.
A few years ago a woman in my neighborhood went ballistic when a gas company crew idled their truck near her house and ate lunch there. She said they were polluting her backyard garden. She made a big deal of this on a neighborhood message site, and evidently reported this to the gas company. I bet that woman has one of these signs.
I’m not a fan of diesel truck idling, and there are regulations limiting idle time for vocational and delivery trucks. If the truck was diesel, the crew MAY have been in violation.
However, the regulations reflect a concern over diesel particulate emissions, which have a measurable impact on human health, not gardens.
Many cities here only allow diesel powered commercial vehicles meeting the Euro 4 and up emission standards (current standards: Euro 6).
In practice, this means that these cities are no-go-areas for anything older than 15 years now. It speaks for itself that these regulations are becoming stricter in the upcoming years (like Euro 6 only).
Apart from this, full EV city delivery trucks, garbage trucks and such are becoming more and more common. That includes tractors towing a semi-trailer.
Is that the eActros from Mercedes you are referring to? I knew they were testing some and have a couple in the real world with a customer or two for real-world feedback but wasn’t aware they were even remotely common or in use. After a lot of news re the Tesla Semi it seems to still be in test mode but supposedly will start production and delivery to customers later this year.
Yes, the Benz eActros is one of them. Some others are the Volvo FL/FE Electric and the DAF CF Electric. Heavy and existing worktrucks, not just wannahave toys.
Naturally, lighter (factory) EV commercial vehicles are also available, like the big Renault Master Z.E. cargo van, see below.
“I remember riding my bike right under one of these in action, and feeling the sticky mist on my arms and face.”
In the fifties, my father milked cows on the family farm, and prior to milking they would spray DDT around the milking stall (with the cow standing there). As he tells it, “The flies dropped right out of the air.”
As far as the “no idle” signs go, automotive exhaust in the leaded gas era was a much greater hazard. A Yale University study released in 1976 defined the issue:
“(All) vehicles release approximately 80 mg of lead/km to the atmospheric compartment in the form of inorganic lead salts.”
Removing lead from fuel didn’t just improve catalyst performance- It was an absolute good simply by reducing atmospheric lead pollution.
The story of leaded gasoline is a strange and tortured one. Certainly a good thing to get the lead out.
I for one hate excessive idling. I live on a corner and have a long solid fence along the side. People frequently park to talk on their phones, or even just take snap and leave their engines idling for 5, 10, even 30 minutes. Drives me nuts and I have gone out and asked people to turn it off or move. I’ve never had anyone push back – they are clueless. There is a reason many new cars have start-stop and many towns, including ours, have anti-idling ordinances.. OK, rant over. But get off my lawn!
“but, but, but mah FREEDOM!”
I hate just idling, period! 🙂
Can’t put my finger on it, but it must be my inner cheapskate-eco freak. And yes, people idle their cars much more nowadays, often for very long periods of time. I’ve even seen folks leave their cars idling while going into the store or such. Quite obnoxious, especially when it’s a big diesel pickup. And FWIW, they seem to be the worst offenders.
Oregon actually has an anti-idling law, targeting commercial trucks. And in front of schools is a specific no-idling zone.
I didn’t mean to imply that I’m pro-idling with this post; it’s just the “food growing zone” aspect that’s a bit humorous.
I didn’t think you were pro-idling, and “inner cheapskate eco freak” is a good way to put it. My daily driver is far from economical (well, my feet are my most regular form of transport, but my Tacoma is no gas-sipper). But something about folks idling in drive-thru lanes, or people idling while they peruse their phones, or just driving five times around a giant parking lot so they can walk 30 feet less to the store entrance, just drives me NUTS. Then again, my inner cheapskate (not eco freak) is also amazed at the number of cars filling up at my neighborhood Chevron station, when the independent across the street is 40 to 60 cents a gallon cheaper. I still remember passing by the 36 cents/gallon stations to get $1 worth of Ethyl at a 34 cents/gallon station, when I was in high school.
I think a part of the reason for the idling is some newer cars (one of our current ones and one we sold a couple of years ago), when you are just in it listening to the radio or have the phone plugged in or have the seat heater on but without the engine actually running, will flash a warning that the battery is being run down and to please either turn it all off or start the engine. Of course the warning is there to make sure the battery doesn’t die on you (and it should take much longer than the elapsed time before the warning flashes) but the natural response is to turn the engine on while just sitting there if you want to use the features.
I also hate idling. It’s terrible for an engine, it’s not good for the pocket book, and generally wasteful. Living in an area that gets very cold winters, means I am surrounded by perpetual idlers. Some of my neighbors will warm up the cars for 30 mins. Even it it is -20C here, I don’t warm up my vehicle, which sits outside. I use a block heater on a timer along with 0 weight synthetic oil could to help reduce cold start wear, and will warm it up by driving it gently. I did this even when my daily driver was an old carbureted V8. If it is very cold, something like -30, I will let it run a few minutes just to get everything flowing, or if I have to clean the snow off the truck, I will let it run as a clean it. Otherwise I generally never idle. Even if I drop someone off and wait outside in the very hot summer or very cold winter, I will shut off the vehicle. My dad always was strongly opposed to idling, which is probably where I got my habits.
It find it interesting that today cars have advanced EFI, and all cars can run from stone cold without driveability issues, yet it seems more people idle longer then ever to warm up their cars. Add to that, many cars have heated seats, steering wheels, etc, to help increase comfort, but many people I know still refuse to enter a cold car, especially if they have kids. Dress appropriately and you will be fine. I don’t understand why anyone why anyone would idle are car during non-extreme weather. That seems to be just laziness.
Most newer diesel commercial trucks have automatic idle shutdown after 5 minutes of idle time. Often times with public utility and municipal trucks what appears to be idling is actually operation of P.T.O. driven auxiliary equipment. I agree, no reason to idle and engine for no reason.
I wonder if many commercial drivers keep the engines in their diesel powered trucks idling as some kind of throwback to the era when diesel trucks were more difficult to start after sitting shut off?
Though I suppose it could also be to keep the cab cold or warm…depending on the time of year
I remember the “smudge pots ” on Guam. Cannonball like torches that sat on the ground and were lit at night. I always thought they looked really neat.
We had those when I was growing up in Louisiana, as well. I’d forgotten about them until I read your post.
I remember them not for their agricultural use but as highway road construction markers back in the 60’s when my Dad used to drive a lot at night, and of course lots of roads were being constructed or changed, these were pretty common. Not sure when the change happened to regular “battery operated” warning signs/lights, but it has been years since I’ve seen smudge pots along the road.
I’m easily annoyed by excessive idling too, even during sub zero weather. I am also an inner cheapskate, but my main concern is the environment.
The bamboo in the pic will likely be more problematic than idling, but that sign is a friendly reminder that any urban garden potentially can be on a brownfield site. Lead from household paint and leaded gas stay in the soil a remarkable long period of time and can attach to root veggies like carrots. I’ve unearthed old bottles gardening in Chicago from the days when people buried some of their trash and I’m sure a Model T or two parked over a couple places that I’ve gardened at.
I’m old enough to remember the DDT trucks. My parents first house was near the shore of Lake Monona in Madison WI kids would run after the misting fog as trucks sprayed for mosquitos. Humans owe a lot to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”!!
“Humans owe a lot to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”!!”
Like bedbugs? 🙂
I’ll keep my eyes open for signs like these next time I’m in Portland- there’s bound to be some there, too. I’ve seen quite a few houses there where people grow vegetables in their front lawns.
There was clearly a magnificent small crop growing there – just look at that picture in the sign – until an ill-tuned 8 litre Malaise-o-Matic idled for ten minutes there two weeks ago, leaving the mere weeds you now see. Hence the sign.
Back in the days when Australia had a car industry, Holden Caprices were sent in decent numbers to Saudi Arabia. I believe they had a few mods, because in the time before remote starting, these V8 beasties would be parked outside at work in the morning, a/c roaring in the heat, and driven home at night – but not turned off in between.
That’s why there’s a desert there, you see.
My dad used to leave his ’65 Bel Air idling during his entire 8 hour shift at Bethlehem Steel. He said it would be toasty warm when he got off, and only burned a quarter tank.
I am no gardener, but I am not seeing much to eat here.