Foo - Wastefulness...

Every day after I drop the girls off at school I stop at the Husky for a cup of coffee and kick back on the nicely kept grass as I plan the rest of my day and catch some of the sun's warming rays.

This is adjacent to the drive through car wash.

I have been amazed and apalled at the number of vehicles that come through here to get washed that are so shiny I can see my reflection in their body panels.

WTF?

I thought drive through food was bad but this takes wastefulness to a while new level... it's like washing a single pair of socks in your washing machine.

Some guy in a 4x4 came through today and all I could see was a little dust on the tailgate... the reflection off the chrome hurt my eyes.

Priorities:rolleyes:

Just think about the potable water crisis in many parts of the world...

What kind of cup is your coffee served in?

Priorities:rolleyes:

Just think about the potable water crisis in many parts of the world...

I was.

It's embarrassing to be a part of such a society.

What kind of cup is your coffee served in?

I most often use a thermos...it has it's own cup.

that dust on his 4x4 must have been hurting his aerodynamics and fuel consumption :innocent:.

Not to mention many of the vehicles themselves...


A few years ago I stopped by the post office and parked next to a huge dually diesel 4X4 pickup. As I walked by I noticed it was running. I grabbed my mail, got a slip for a package, waited in line, got the package and went back out to my truck, total of 15 minutes or more....and the dually was still there running. I glanced in the bed and it was as spotless and shiny as the outside. Considering it was our mud season, it indicated the owner lived in town on one of our few paved roads. I then realized that someone had started up this beast that wasn't even used for work to go pick up 4 oz of mail less than a mile from their home...and it sickened me.

I should probably turn off this netbook and save some energy too... although it is a more efficient unit than my desktop which has been seeing very little use at all.

Not to mention many of the vehicles themselves...


A few years ago I stopped by the post office and parked next to a huge dually diesel 4X4 pickup. As I walked by I noticed it was running. I grabbed my mail, got a slip for a package, waited in line, got the package and went back out to my truck, total of 15 minutes or more....and the dually was still there running. I glanced in the bed and it was as spotless and shiny as the outside. Considering it was our mud season, it indicated the owner lived in town on one of our few paved roads. I then realized that someone had started up this beast that wasn't even used for work to go pick up 4 oz of mail less than a mile from their home...and it sickened me.

we have anti-idling laws for that.
possible ticket for idling engine for 5 or 15mins, I don't remember, except in extreme colds.

I was.

It's embarrassing to be a part of such a society.

Those Canadians. I'll tell ya'. :innocent:

ok, so it's 3min, up to $5000 fine. exempt during extremely hot or cold days.

people just don't care. I can't stand when people let their cars/trucks ideal when its not extremely cold. Next time I'm jamming bananas in the tail pipe

Not to mention many of the vehicles themselves...


A few years ago I stopped by the post office and parked next to a huge dually diesel 4X4 pickup. As I walked by I noticed it was running. I grabbed my mail, got a slip for a package, waited in line, got the package and went back out to my truck, total of 15 minutes or more....and the dually was still there running. I glanced in the bed and it was as spotless and shiny as the outside. Considering it was our mud season, it indicated the owner lived in town on one of our few paved roads. I then realized that someone had started up this beast that wasn't even used for work to go pick up 4 oz of mail less than a mile from their home...and it sickened me.

Diesels operate incredibly efficiently at idle. It wouldn't surprise me that it used slightly more gas idling than it would have cost to fire it up again.

But yeah, the whole thing was a total waste.

I called City Hall about a month ago complaining about a bus driver that was outside her bus having a cigarette and then just took a break while the bus was left idling. I stopped my bike further up the road and timed it - 10 minutes. I guess busses don't have to shut down.

Don't most of those drive through car-washes recycle the water used? I mean 100% of the water isn't recaptured and they waste electricity and other resources but I thought it was better than washing the car in your driveway?

I called City Hall about a month ago complaining about a bus driver that was outside her bus having a cigarette and then just took a break while the bus was left idling. I stopped my bike further up the road and timed it - 10 minutes. I guess busses don't have to shut down.

Our city bus drivers shut down their engines when they have to wait more than a few minutes... although they may be very efficient at idle there is no reason to run a modern diesel once it has warmed up.

I called City Hall about a month ago complaining about a bus driver that was outside her bus having a cigarette and then just took a break while the bus was left idling. I stopped my bike further up the road and timed it - 10 minutes. I guess busses don't have to shut down.

they do in japan.

all the new buses are equipped with diesel electric hybrid engines, quick fire-up diesel and auto kill if idling for more than 45 seconds.

I was wondering if the restart took more energy than letting the engine idle, but apparently it's an off-shoot of hybrid diesel + electric engine that somehow doesn't use up a lot of energy to restart.


what doesn't make sense is that the traffic signals are timed so that the bus can move 10secs after the auto kill cuts the engine off.

*shrug*

Some people live in places where it's difficult or impossible to wash the car themselves (I have to drive into the backyard to get access to a hose, apartment dwellers may have no hose, or rules stating that doing such things in the lot is verboten) Taking a car through a wash doesn't use that much more water than doing it in the driveway. Think of people leaving the full-blast hose running as they scrub the car...

Wastefulness bugs me too, but car washes don't do it for me. I'd use one if I didn't drive a convertible.

I was talking about washing cars that were already clean enough to eat off... I have yet to see a really dirty car pass through this car wash.

We have had a long drought, very little rain when it has rained, and at worst... a car might get a little dusty.

In defense of car washes... if it has a reclamation system a car wash does not become a point of contamination for groundwater and is superior to washing your car in your driveway as this puts contaminants into the ground and local drainage systems.

Sounds like they could easily make do with just one of these:

http://pureadrenalinemotorsportsnh.com/store/images/woodduster-final.jpg


A similar thing happens here in the spring, when all the pollen turns everything greenish-yellow. You can wash your car, but it'll still be green in less than an hour. A duster works wonderfully!

Oh noez! My car iz dusty! Call 911!

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/panic-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/runaway-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/panic-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/runaway-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/panic-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/runaway-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/panic-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/runaway-1.gifhttp://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/panic-1.gif

In defense of car washes... if it has a reclamation system a car wash does not become a point of contamination for groundwater and is superior to washing your car in your driveway as this puts contaminants into the ground and local drainage systems.

We have a water shortage in SoCal and are supposed to take cars to the car wash instead of washing them at home.

That being said, mine hasn't been washed since mid July and I'm starting to have trouble seeing through the windshield. :o

What is truly bizarre is that they are water rationing in the Central Valley of Costa Rica right now. :eek: Given it is located in what was a rainforest in the past... it just goes to show what happens when you have no trees.

We have a water shortage in SoCal and are supposed to take cars to the car wash instead of washing them at home.

That being said, mine hasn't been washed since mid July and I'm starting to have trouble seeing through the windshield. :o

take it to the gas station and just use those squeegees with soapy water to clean off the windows and lights.

Roll through a truck stop some time, and see how many big rigs are idling (usually all of them, for various reasons).

My understanding is they let their trucks idle because sometimes they won't start back up, and that strands them for quite a while and puts them behind schedule, which costs them $$. So for them, it's cheaper to burn a bit more gas leaving it idling than to face the possible risk of the truck refusing to start.

Overnight, they will also leave the trucks on to take advantage of the A/C system, in addition o the reason mentioned above, and so the engine doesn't have to warm back up the next morning.

ok, so it's 3min, up to $5000 fine. exempt during extremely hot or cold days.

Holy Moly! Wow!!!

Every day after I drop the girls off at school I stop at the Husky for a cup of coffee and kick back on the nicely kept grass as I plan the rest of my day and catch some of the sun's warming rays.

This is adjacent to the drive through car wash.

I have been amazed and apalled at the number of vehicles that come through here to get washed that are so shiny I can see my reflection in their body panels.

WTF?

I thought drive through food was bad but this takes wastefulness to a while new level... it's like washing a single pair of socks in your washing machine.

Some guy in a 4x4 came through today and all I could see was a little dust on the tailgate... the reflection off the chrome hurt my eyes.

Don't know about the laws and regs in Canukistan, but in the US, car washes have to reycle the water they use. Here in Hillsborough County (Tampa) Florida, we can not even wash our cars in our own driveways. The only place cars can be washed are the car washes. Who is wasting water now?

Don't know about the laws and regs in Canukistan, but in the US, car washes have to reycle the water they use. Here in Hillsborough County (Tampa) Florida, we can not even wash our cars in our own driveways. The only place cars can be washed are the car washes. Who is wasting water now?

whatever happened to watering billions of acres of green grass for golf courses and retirement homes? :innocent:

whatever happened to watering billions of acres of green grass for golf courses and retirement homes? :innocent:

Can't water but one day a week. But a funny thing here in the community I live in; The irrigation is controlled by a central computer and we get water twice a week. The gate guards do not let in the water police so I guess that is why the community can get away with it. The last home we had I thought I was being smart by running the sprinklers twice a week in the middle of the night. The water police caught me (with a photo showing my address and sprinklers spewing water) and I had to pay a $150 fine.

I called City Hall about a month ago complaining about a bus driver that was outside her bus having a cigarette and then just took a break while the bus was left idling. I stopped my bike further up the road and timed it - 10 minutes. I guess busses don't have to shut down.

A lot of big turbo diesels have comments in the owners manuals about letting them idle for 15 minutes in order to cool the turbos (oil cooled). Personally, it doesn't seem to matter much, but it's one of those things like Shimano saying to check your quick release before every ride (which I actually do anyways). It's usually not needed, but there's no reason for the manufacturer to rescind the statement, and it's an excuse to ignore the warranty.


Don't most of those drive through car-washes recycle the water used? I mean 100% of the water isn't recaptured and they waste electricity and other resources but I thought it was better than washing the car in your driveway?

Yep, I know a guy who owns one, almost all of the water is recycled.


they do in japan. all the new buses are equipped with diesel electric hybrid engines, quick fire-up diesel and auto kill if idling for more than 45 seconds.

That's really clever


The thing that I find funny is that the people obviously want their car looking spotless, but most automatic car washes will make your car's paint job age quicker, rubbing all those grains of sand and dirt repeatedly over your paint *shudders*. People who really care for their paint and chrome would never use a typical auto car wash.

I'm betting that the people washing their cars once every couple day aren't keeping them long enough to wear the paint/chrome.



and see how many big rigs are idling (usually all of them, for various reasons).
That's actually a good point. The truckers I've known have been fairly conscious about their fuel consumption for financial reasons. If they're leaving them on, they've got a reason for it.

To go back to the first post. When I was a kid I WALKED to grammar school, then took the BUS to Jr High and High school. I live near a school now, and it seams like nobody takes the bus anymore. Hundreds of over protective parents wasting thousands of gallons of gas and polluting the air, driving their kids to school instead of letting them take the bus. While I was walking or taking the bus to school, my parents were pouring themselves a cup of coffee from the coffee maker into coffee cups that they would wash and re use instead of adding a cup to the trash everyday.
In other words you're anoyed by people being wastfull, while you're busy being wastfull also?

Running a turbocharged engine is a little different from a straight diesel or gasoline engine... they can spin at speeds of 25,000 rpm and shutting them down while hot can damage them.

An inter cooled turbocharger needs less cool down time as they run cooler than a non water cooled turbocharger.

I called City Hall about a month ago complaining about a bus driver that was outside her bus having a cigarette and then just took a break while the bus was left idling. I stopped my bike further up the road and timed it - 10 minutes. I guess busses don't have to shut down.
We have three Expeditions that run unattended in their parking stalls. The MCTs will run the batteries down if we shut them off. I usually get a call a week.

Yeah, that's why I only wash my car once or twice a year. I live in the desert, after all.

I was.

It's embarrassing to be a part of such a society.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7392/mc4g.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/i/mc4g.jpg/)

To go back to the first post. When I was a kid I WALKED to grammar school, then took the BUS to Jr High and High school. I live near a school now, and it seams like nobody takes the bus anymore. Hundreds of over protective parents wasting thousands of gallons of gas and polluting the air, driving their kids to school instead of letting them take the bus. While I was walking or taking the bus to school, my parents were pouring themselves a cup of coffee from the coffee maker into coffee cups that they would wash and re use instead of adding a cup to the trash everyday.
In other words you're anoyed by people being wastfull, while you're busy being wastfull also?

Humph, when I was young, we walked to school, 15 miles up hill, both way with snow over our heads.... and we liked it! Unlike the generation today...

Just kidding, though I did walk to school. I honestly think that people can't figure out what is a real risk and what isn't. The media loves to scare people to death. Anytime a subject about a protective device comes up, there will be more than a few that figure it is worth it because what if something happens? Yeah, and my sheep my charge me and nibble me to death too. :notamused:

But, with so much fear mongering, people will think you are a neglectful parent if you don't bubble wrap you kids. It is very sad when bad things happen to kids, but you have to balance that we a generation of very fat, very unhealthy kids who are going to have serious medical problems later.

Yeah, that's why I only wash my car once or twice a year. I live in the desert, after all.

I do the same thing usually just before winter and maybe in the spring

That being said, mine hasn't been washed since mid July and I'm starting to have trouble seeing through the windshield. :o

They do have those squeegie things for windows at the gas station. ;)

Hard to imagine why an apparently clean vehicle would be run through an automated car wash. Maybe it was a company owned vehicle and weekly cleanings are required.

My g/f and I began harvesting rainwater runoff from our roofs this year to use for landscape irrigation. Within three years we'll reach break even on the cost of collection drums, labor and other materials assuming normal rainfall throughout the spring and summer.

My understanding is they let their trucks idle because sometimes they won't start back up, and that strands them for quite a while and puts them behind schedule, which costs them $$. So for them, it's cheaper to burn a bit more gas leaving it idling than to face the possible risk of the truck refusing to start.

Overnight, they will also leave the trucks on to take advantage of the A/C system, in addition o the reason mentioned above, and so the engine doesn't have to warm back up the next morning.

There is a huge number of trucks that come by my town and/or stay overnight. The air quality here is bad. But my town just recently made it illegal to idle a commercial vehicle for more than 10 minutes. Bout time.

jim

To go back to the first post. When I was a kid I WALKED to grammar school, then took the BUS to Jr High and High school. I live near a school now, and it seams like nobody takes the bus anymore. Hundreds of over protective parents wasting thousands of gallons of gas and polluting the air, driving their kids to school instead of letting them take the bus. While I was walking or taking the bus to school, my parents were pouring themselves a cup of coffee from the coffee maker into coffee cups that they would wash and re use instead of adding a cup to the trash everyday.

In other words you're anoyed by people being wastfull, while you're busy being wastfull also?

I guess I failed to mention that while other parents are driving their kids to school my girls and I commute 14 km a day by bike.


I don't drive a car.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7392/mc4g.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/i/mc4g.jpg/)

Yes.

There is a huge number of trucks that come by my town and/or stay overnight. The air quality here is bad. But my town just recently made it illegal to idle a commercial vehicle for more than 10 minutes. Bout time.

jim

So they park the next town over. :(

If it makes you feel better, I have only washed my car once in the nearly 7 years I have owned it. And it looks neat, too; I just take advantage of the rain. :)

talk about wasteful

YouTube - Someone threw away a perfectly good white boy...