Monday, February 23, 2009

Man vs. Beast

Most of you know I am NOT an animal person. I don't necessarily hate animals, I just feel no kinship toward them. I've never had a desire to pet a dog or cat, let alone live with one. And if someone asks if people are more important then pets, I don't hesitate in saying people. That's why this new law in New York really pisses me off.

New York state has just passed a law prohibiting truck drivers from idling their trucks while they are parked unless they have a pet inside the truck. This means that New York recognizes how cold or hot in can get inside the trucks overnight without heat or air-conditioning. New York also recognizes that this can be dangerous for animals who may be inside the trucks overnight. Apparently though, they don't care about the PEOPLE who have to sleep in those trucks. Last night K slept in his truck in New York in below-freezing tempertures. A cop came by and enforced this law - made him shut off his truck because it's only a person sleeping in it, not a pet. Yes, he can run his tri-pac to get some climate control, but in extreme tempertures it's not enough. What is this legislature thinking?? Apparently the environmentalists and animal-rights activists have more influence than people's-rights activists. And of course this law will stay on the books until a truck-driver actually dies from exposure inside his truck.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds ridiculous. How do other truck drivers deal with the cold? This tri-pac thing sounds entirely inadequate, yet it seems financially prohibitive to get hotel rooms (and who ever sees trucks in hotel parking lots?).

CJ said...

Yeah, some hotels allow truck parking for paid customers...but it is WAY too expensive. Plus, if you have an expensive load you are not allowed to leave your truck.