Turn it off - save gas - save money - save the environment

Lately there has been a lot of talk in the blogs about ways to save money. Here's something we've been doing for a couple years now - and we've noticed a difference in the amount of gas we have to buy each month.


While waiting in line for construction on the hiway last week


we noticed all the cars with their engines running. It was not cold enough outdoors to be uncomfortable without the car heater running - but yet the cars still had their engines on. We had turned our car off, sat in the quiet, with the sun streaming in the windows - and waited for our turn to pass. We didn't mind waiting - they were repaing a section of the road that had washed out during the floods here earlier this month. And in 20 minutes of waiting - each direction - we cut down on gas used and on pollutants put into the air.

Whenever we wait in line - at stop light (if it looks to be long wait),



at drive-up banks,



at drive -up restaurants, in construction lines



in those long coffee lines - we turn off our car. In the long lines we just turn it back on, move forward a car length or two and turn the car off again. Just think, if everyone in that long line last week had turned off their car while waiting.


Think of the gas that would be saved - think of the money that would be saved - think of the pollution that would not be emitted into the environment. Modern cars don't use a lot of gas to re-start their engines. It used to be said that if your car was going to be off for less than 3 to 5 minutes you would save gas by leaving it run - but that isn't true with modern cars - they are more efficient because of the type of starters used.

So come on world - Let's Turn It Off!! And help our planet!! Thank you!