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I have an Idea, but first I want to tell you a bit about how I got it.
We're addicted to oil: People think that driving is an inalienable right, not a privilege. People drive around the block to buy milk at the corner store rather than walk. On the news this morning there was a story about the rising price of flour, which, they said, is largely due to farmers switching their crops from wheat to ethanol/corn to create that gasoline additive which allows us to stretch out our gas consumption even more. Our addiction to oil is having an impact on the price of the bread we eat, yet people still scream for cheaper gas.
While buying a coffee at Tim Horton's with my wife this morning, I counted 8 cars idling in the drive through, and an empty mini-van running in the parking lot (We notice this van idling every morning unless there's a cop in the lot…) My wife told me about walking into a Timmie's on the weekend only to find a sign saying that the cash's were not working, and to please use the drive through. I find it disgusting that they actively encourage the use of the drive through even when the cash's do work… (Ever notice that there's usually one, maybe two, people up at the front and 5+ people hovering around the drive through window, often doing nothing?)
Ok: Tim Horton's wants us to use the drive through. They want us to idle our cars, waste gas, and spew carbon into the atmosphere because they decided it's more convenient…
Which brings me to my Idea:
You know all those "Lets boycott brand X service stations to lower the price of gas!" emails you always get which lead to nothing? This is similar, but with a twist:
On Tuesday May 20th, I want everybody to support Tim Horton's. If you drink coffee, I want you to buy it at Timmie's*. Go several times during the day if possible, and use the drive through.
But walk.
If the intercom is only set off by the weight of a car, try organizing groups of 10 or more people and order individually: The more the merrier. Bring lots of change… Ignore the honking cars and threats: there's no bylaw stating that you cannot pay for your coffee at the drive through if you're on foot… You're a paying customer, after all, trying to get a quick coffee…
I have chosen May 20th as it is the day after a long weekend; it should be a nice day for a walk, and people will be desperate for their caffeine fix to get them through work after partying the previous three days...
I think that we can send a message to Tim Horton's and all the people who insist on using the drive through that the damage they cause, the money they waste, the gas they burn, isn't worth the "convenience" of ordering your coffee and bagel while sitting on your ass in your car. Even if the only outcome is that we receive better service at the counter afterwards, we have achieved something.
Many who use the drive through are the first to bitch about the price of gas: These are the people who believe that owning a car and burning a carbon based fuel is a right, not a privilege. These same people feed into the cycle which ensures that the price of oil continues to rise. The conditioning of thinking we need to be a "Car Culture" needs to be broken.
This shouldn't be difficult: If anti-carbon burning activists can organize nude bicycle rallies, then people who agree with this Idea can pull this off…
If you do agree with this Idea, please do not simply forward this to everyone you know: First copy the text, paste it into a new email, then send to yourself and BCC everyone you think would participate... People don't need to receive this twice and I don't want a this email list falling into the hands of a spammer… In fact, people should do this with everything they feel the need to forward… Stop being so bloody lazy and providing spammers with all their leads!
If you don't, simply delete this email. Just don't be upset if on May 20th there's 30 people on foot in front of you in the drive through.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your coffee.
Cameron
*(To our friends in the States, please feel free to do the same at Starbucks or McDonald's…) |
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