idle thoughts

[da]

Saturday's globe and mail had an anti-idling editorial by David MacFarlane (actually, I guess it's a new Saturday column on urban etiquette). David tried to get a SUV idling for 15 minutes outside his house to shut off its engine, and failed. He states: yes, it's illegal, with a $130 fine. Yes, there are enforcement officers, but no, the police aren't going to be much help if someone won't stop idling near you.

Do you happen to know: are the police allowed/pre-disposed/required to accept photographic and video evidence of this kind of illegal activity? ...What would happen if the Toronto anti-idling enforcers got handed a big pile of videos every day, complete with license-plates, dates, timestamps, and statements by the observer?

Could cell-phone cameras have some practical social use after all?

I just realized I have a bit of history with videotaping wrong-doers, though that wasn't at the front of my mind when I started thinking of this.

Anyway: I don't know about the laws in this situation, specifically for Toronto or Canada as a whole. Do you?

Comments

[nobodyhere.livejournal.com]

I'd suggest calling by-law enforcement -- they're not as busy as police, so they might have more time to explain the legalities to you. (As far as I know anti-idling laws are by-laws.)

I just wish I were bold enough to ask people not to idle. I realize most of the time people will refuse, but I like to think there's the occasional person that doesn't realize what they're doing is illegal.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Hm, that's an idea. I'll try that, if I have time.

I just wish I were bold enough to ask people not to idle.

Me too, occasionally. I don't think I've ever done so. There are few things I'll actually talk to people about; most of them have to do with bicycling. Or, possibly, smoking.

I like to think there's the occasional person that doesn't realize what they're doing is illegal.

I guess that's the right tack to take approaching folks, though; "hey there, did you know... yeah, wow, but it is a big deal to me because smog is just getting worse... etc. etc."