If you start it, better get going

Albany makes it illegal to let a commercial vehicle idle more than 5 minutes

Published on 12/22/2009 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer

ALBANY -- City lawmakers on Monday night made it illegal for any commercial vehicle's engine to idle for more than five minutes.

The new ordinance, which expands on existing restrictions on buses, stems largely from complaints out of the Mansion Neighborhood about the all-night noise from some trucks associated with shows and other events at the Times Union Center, said Councilman Dominick Calsolaro.

Calsolaro, who represents the 1st Ward, originally sought to limit idling for all motor vehicles, similar to broader restrictions already in place in New York City, but encountered resistance from some on the council.

The amended ordinance applies only to commercial vehicles as defined in state vehicle and traffic law and excludes emergency equipment and television news trucks.

Calsolaro cited environmental, public health and quality of life reasons for the ordinance.

"The people in the Mansion Neighborhood actually called the police," Calsolaro said of one event at the South Pearl Street arena. "They said there was nothing the Albany police could do to get them to shut their engines off."

A violation is punishable by a $50 fine.

In other business, the council also approved a resolution calling on MTV to cancel the show "Jersey Shore" for its negative portrayal of Italian Americans.

The reality show depicts a group of young adults -- self-described "guidos" and "guidettes" -- spending a summer awash in alcohol in Seaside Heights, N.J.

Last week, Councilman James Sano, who represents the 9th Ward and is on the board of the city's Italian American Community Center, joined national Italian heritage groups in condemning the show for perpetuating stereotypes about Italian Americans.

The show gained even wider attention for a segment of one episode in which one of the female cast members is punched in the face by a man in a bar. The actual punch was edited out by MTV, but video of it has gone viral on the Internet.

Sano's proposal drew a swift and, at times, nasty, reaction on the Internet, with many people lambasting the council for not taking on more serious issues. But there was no resistance among Sano's fellow council members.

Of the 14 present, 13 voted for the measure. Councilman Michael O'Brien voted "present" -- tantamount to abstaining -- because it had to do with "a show that I've never seen, probably never will see, and have no interest in seeing."

Sano noted the council passed a similar resolution several years ago in opposition to the popular HBO series "The Sopranos" for its depiction of Italian Americans in organized crime and made a comparison to yet another resolution the council passed earlier this year in opposition to a planned demonstration by the Westboro Baptist Church, known for its virulently anti-gay views.

"I didn't ask for this fight ... If I don't speak up, who will?" Sano said before concluding his defense of the measure by referencing the Christmas season. "Peace on earth starts with goodwill toward men. And I don't see any goodwill in this show."