OK, there are many bad ideas. But, is there a worse use of petroleum than banner towing aircraft (BTA)? Leave a comment if you can think of one.On summer weekends, a BTA flies overhead every few minutes. We have to suspend conversations whenever that happens. For a few months after September 11, they suspended the BTA. They have started up again, and now there are more than ever.
I suggest a boycott of all businesses that hire those noisy, polluting and wasteful things.
Aside
When I was on bedrest during the summer of 2000, the FAA allowed the BTA to fly at 2500 feet instead of 4000 feet, in order to create more of a separation between them and the jets at LAX. I told Mark about the noise, and he told me I was only imagining that the planes were worse. He said it was pregnancy hysteria. Then we read in the paper about the failed experiment; the plane noise exceeded safe decibel levels on the ground. Hysterical indeed.
I think it is particulary intense this weekend due to the AVP event. We had skywriting over our neighborhood yesterday too, advertising a new Tori Spelling show. It said "Tori & Dean," and as much as it is a waste of fuel, I was kind of impressed watching the guy write the "&" in the sky. Talk about acrobatics!
ReplyDeleteOh, I saw TO but not the rest yesterday morning.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding, an ampersand in the sky? Wow.
I think the mobile truck ads are worse. I see them on 101 all the time. Not only the pollution factor, but they add traffic to the already congested freeways. As far as I can tell, they aren't running on CNG nor electricity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.citi-mobile.com/
Forgot to say that they also don't carry cargo, but just driving around randomly. Oh sorry, according to their sales pitch, "targeted campaigns." Yeah, whatever.
ReplyDeleteI think I saw one of those mobile billboards in LA traffic, too. How high would gasoline and jet fuel prices have to get before abominations like BTA and citi-mobiles make no economic sense?
ReplyDeleteAnd how about we charge citi-mobiles for clogging up the streets and BTA for using airspace?
We can charge everyone for using airspace below, say 5,000 feet, and base the charges by how many people are within earshot. That would cut down on the number of take offs and landings in heavily populated areas, the very places where airspace is tight.