First, a note about emissions testing. I've received a lot of questions about the new testing schedule for vehicles in model years 1996 through 2004, which need to be tested only every other year, staring this year. Previously, these vehicles were due for emissions tests annually.
Many people have wondered whether they are due for testing this year or next year, and do not want to wait until they get their registration renewal materials in the mail.
For the most part, vehicles with a vehicle identification number ending in an even number will be due for emissions this year, and then those ending with an odd number will be due in 2010. However, there are many exceptions, and circumstances vary from vehicle to vehicle. To make sure, check your vehicle registration renewal materials when they arrive, or call the Tucson office of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality at 628-5651.
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Now, on to my topic of choice this week: cars idling.
I've always been annoyed that people idle their cars when they run into a coffee shop or convenience store. It seems lazy to me.
It's not so hard to turn off the car, get your coffee, newspaper or candy bar, then get back to the car and start it again. You never know if there will be a long line or some other delay.
Also, I can't imagine what happens if your car is stolen and you have to admit to your insurance company: "Well . . . yeah . . . I left the keys in the car, engine running. Yes, then I walked away from the vehicle. That's correct."
So that's just a pet peeve of mine to begin with.
But it seems that people are celebrating the below-$2-per-gallon gas prices by wasting more gasoline. I recently enjoyed a brisk morning on the patio of a coffee shop, my warm beverage in hand, when I noticed a car running in a spot in the parking lot.
Fine. Everyone makes his or her own decisions, and the driver was still sitting behind the wheel. A few minutes went by, still idling, and my annoyance growing.
Eventually, I left the coffee shop to run some errands, but the car, which was still running when I left, had been running for at least 20 minutes. I never saw anyone get in or out of it, and the driver was in the car the whole time.
Just because gas is cheaper doesn't mean we should all go around wasting it — and pumping pollutants into the air.
Also, just because gas was near $4 per gallon and now it's less than $2 does not mean it won't rise again. Making that cheaper gas last a little longer could help you in the long run.
Not to mention: Demand is one of the things that drive oil prices up, and burning gas when you're not going anywhere just adds unnecessary demand.
Need for emissions testing will vary; idling is pet peeve
Road Q
Question: "(Recently) I drove to the ski area on Mount Lemmon. I encountered a sign that said that only cars with four-wheel drive or chains were allowed past the sign. Since I was driving a car with two-wheel drive, I stopped and put on my chains. I then proceeded to drive the remaining 15 miles to the ski area on bare, dry, pavement. The weather was clear and there was no snow in the forecast. . . . Are they going to keep that sign up all winter? . . . On days when there is absolutely no snow or ice on the road, would I get a ticket if I ignored the sign?" James Kruse wrote.
Answer: The Pima County Sheriff's Department places those signs as necessary. When there's no snowfall, the sign is taken down. If there is no snow or ice, but the sign happens to be up, the deputies would not enforce that law, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, spokeswoman for the department.
