Madison (WI) may ban restaurant drive-throughs in effort to combat global warming!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A member of the influential Madison Plan Commission wants to ban the restaurant drive-through -- or at least restrict the ubiquitous symbol of America's auto-centric lifestyle.

"Given the concern about all the carbon going into the atmosphere, I'm not sure we should be building more places for people to sit idling in their cars," says Eric Sundquist, who was appointed to the citizen panel by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz this spring.

A former newspaper reporter in Atlanta now working as a researcher at the UW-Madison's Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Sundquist notes that several cities in Canada have recently moved to ban the drive-through coffee shop or stand-alone fast food restaurant.

...

The issue came up last week during discussions over a conditional use permit for a new Starbucks coffee shop along a congested frontage road across from East Towne Mall.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/293046

[DeadPoolX 9]

A member of the influential Madison Plan Commission wants to ban the restaurant drive-through -- or at least restrict the ubiquitous symbol of America's auto-centric lifestyle.

"Given the concern about all the carbon going into the atmosphere, I'm not sure we should be building more places for people to sit idling in their cars," says Eric Sundquist, who was appointed to the citizen panel by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz this spring.

A former newspaper reporter in Atlanta now working as a researcher at the UW-Madison's Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Sundquist notes that several cities in Canada have recently moved to ban the drive-through coffee shop or stand-alone fast food restaurant.

...

The issue came up last week during discussions over a conditional use permit for a new Starbucks coffee shop along a congested frontage road across from East Towne Mall.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/293046

In that case, I suppose we won't be constructing (or repairing) any freeways in the near future, huh?

[Nagishkaw 510]

A member of the influential Madison Plan Commission wants to ban the restaurant drive-through -- or at least restrict the ubiquitous symbol of America's auto-centric lifestyle.

"Given the concern about all the carbon going into the atmosphere, I'm not sure we should be building more places for people to sit idling in their cars," says Eric Sundquist, who was appointed to the citizen panel by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz this spring.

A former newspaper reporter in Atlanta now working as a researcher at the UW-Madison's Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Sundquist notes that several cities in Canada have recently moved to ban the drive-through coffee shop or stand-alone fast food restaurant.

...

The issue came up last week during discussions over a conditional use permit for a new Starbucks coffee shop along a congested frontage road across from East Towne Mall.

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/293046

Good Grief!

[sara..... 371]

wow that is like killing off the small business that give this service that has about 90 percent of their customers as drive thru

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

wow that is like killing off the small business that give this service that has about 90 percent of their customers as drive thru

Maybe that is the real agenda here.... to destroy business.

[DeadPoolX 9]

This is typical, really. It's a band-aid solution.

Instead of eliminating drive-thru options, how about attempting to educate people on healthier eating and lifestyles? Drive-thrus are mostly available at fast-food restaurants and while going to McDonald's or Burger King is okay every so often, you shouldn't be there on a regular basis. In addition, having affordable and easily accessible public transportation might limit the amount of automobile emissions emitted regularly, so if (and when) people do line up at a drive-thru in their cars, the addition to global warming would be hardly noticed.

[SteveLaura 0]

This is typical, really. It's a band-aid solution.

Instead of eliminating drive-thru options, how about attempting to educate people on healthier eating and lifestyles? Drive-thrus are mostly available at fast-food restaurants and while going to McDonald's or Burger King is okay every so often, you shouldn't be there on a regular basis. In addition, having affordable and easily accessible public transportation might limit the amount of automobile emissions emitted regularly, so if (and when) people do line up at a drive-thru in their cars, the addition to global warming would be hardly noticed.

Eliminating McDonalds et al from Madison is next on their list. Followed closely by meat-eaters, sweatshop garments and Republicans.

[almaty 19]

great idea..let those lard azzes get a little exercise by exactly walking into the greasy burger joint and picking up a sack full of heart attack, to come///

Edited June 25, 2008 by almaty

[Saddle Bronc 124]

wow that is like killing off the small business that give this service that has about 90 percent of their customers as drive thru

Maybe that is the real agenda here.... to destroy business.

Edited

[almaty 19]

no, they want the people to get some exercise....

[Amby 490]

great idea..let those lard azzes get a little exercise by exactly walking into the greasy burger joint and picking up a sack full of heart attack, to come///

wow. I was going to say something very similar. thanks for saying it so I didn't have to

[sara..... 371]

well i was thinking more along the lines of espresso's how fast would they go out of business if people had to walk up to them early in the morning??

thats what keeps me going sometimes and getting out of the car to walk up to one and stand in the rain or the cold nope

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Here are some reader comments on madison.com:

*****

Does that mean that they should ban stoplights as well, since cars are idling there?

*****

We are losing our liberty an inch at a time.

*****

Ask mothers with little kids how they would feel if instead of driving through, they had to unload the little urchins and haul them into the McD for their happy meals.

Ask McD patrons the same question.

*****

How anyone can take these morons seriously is beyond me. I just wish we could move Madison out to California. Wisconsin would be a much better place if we could rid it of this cancer on the state.

*****

Yes, yet another poorly thought out, silly proposition, based on vague assumptions, without considering the ramifications of the action. But hey, it will make you 'feel' like you are doing something.

*****

Banks with drive thru tellers will be next.

*****

The Global Warming disciples of the left are as scary as the most hardcore Bible beating Armageddon supporters on the right, and they are far more dangerous to the cause of liberty because they market themselves in a far better manner....

*****

I like the idea of banning traffic lights. While I'm not a fan of banning heating and air conditioning in general, maybe we should start with the mayors office. BTW: I wonder how government employees drive city, county and state-owned cars. That might be another good place to start reducing carbon emissions.

*****

Can you imagine a mom with 5 kids coming home from a T-ball game just trying to get 6 drinks and snacks? She will just pass it by. What the heck is wrong with the Government? Mind your own damn business.

*****

The liberal locomotive that is gradually erasing our liberty is picking up speed...

*****

Trees need carbon dioxide. Stop cutting trees for print media. Use the internet. Save the environment.

*****

Has anyone here read Atlas Shrugged?? The looters are in power in Madison...

*****

Wisconsin is cold, but if you're chugging starbucks or mcdonalds, you might want to move those little leggies and walk into a store instead of sitting all the time.

*****

Banning drive-throughs, yet another infringement on our rights by the gov't. Add it to the ever-growing list of violations:

They violate the 1st Amendment by opening mail, caging demonstrators and banning books like 'America Deceived' from Amazon.

They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns during Katrina.

They violate the 4th Amendment by conducting warrant-less wiretaps.

They violate the 5th and 6th Amendment by suspending habeas corpus.

They violate the 8th Amendment by torturing.

They violate the entire Constitution by starting 2 illegal wars based on lies and on behalf of a foriegn gov't.

Support Dr. Ron Paul and save this great country.

*****

I propose a law in Madison in which breathing(a major carbon output) is banned. Anyone caught breathing will be forced to rent a breathing containment apparatus from the state. This would be transparent dome, sealed around the head that would prohibit the transfer of gasses between the dome and the atmosphere.

[HAL 9000 96]

B!tch about a drive thru but don't b!tch about illegal eavesdropping by law enforcement... priceless. Blame the liberals!

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Can you imagine a mom with 5 kids coming home from a T-ball game just trying to get 6 drinks and snacks? She will just pass it by. What the heck is wrong with the Government? Mind your own damn business.

Are they being sarcastic or serious? Is it really that big of a friggin deal?!

To be honest, I don't care. I don't eat fast food more than probably twice a month, so forcing me to go inside for 10 minutes out of a month's worth of time is not going to kill me. I would support it if they adopted it here.

Edited June 25, 2008 by Wacken