Back in early October I posted about two parking spaces at a local synagogue designated for vehicles that are "environmentally friendly" or that "reduce America's dependence on foreign oil". The spaces were placed practically as close to the building as handicapped spaces, as incentive for congregants to purchase a hybrid or whatever.
Well, it's now the middle of February and I have to report that in the dozens of times I've been to this synagogue I have not seen one car occupy these spots. The spaces sit there empty like pathetic neglected wallflowers whom nobody asks to dance. All around them sit regular sedans, minivans, and SUVs.
That is, until last week. For the first time since keeping track, I spotted a Toyota Prius in the parking lot ... but it was not parked in a green space! It was simply interspersed in the regular part of the lot among all the gas guzzlers.
Maybe it was a visitor who parked before realizing there were these "green" spaces, I reasoned. But then this week I saw the same Prius ... again parked in a regular parking space!
The custodian happened to be doing some maintenance outside when I arrived so when I got out of my car I asked him if he's ever seen a car parked in the green spaces. He said no. "So why do they have them"? I asked incredulously. "I don't know," he casually answered. Then I pointed at the Prius halfway down the parking lot, yards away from the green spots. He just shrugged. What was he supposed to do? Wasn't his idea.
I wonder how many more months these empty berths will be taking up space in this parking lot. (Maybe the synagogue should offer free membership too.)
I also wonder how many other houses of worship that have installed these green spaces are faring.
Meanwhile, just this past month we've learned that the polar ice caps aren't melting anywhere nearly as quickly as the alarmists have warned, the Mt. Kilimanjaro's supposedly imperiled snowcap is growing, and Europe is undergoing such a deep freeze that Venice's waterways are icing up.
Just sayin'.
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