***RED ALERT*** The Idler

In a rare first, "There are superheroes" is asking for your help to defeat one of the most vicious, pervasive villains of our time: The Idler. A.K.A: The Idler has the potential to influence any vehicle owner: friends, relatives, even yourself. The Idler's true identity is unknown.

The Idler is so dangerous, s/he has prompted a government campaign against him/her.

Powers: In spite of the damage caused to vehicles and the environment by the Idler, s/he persists. It is suspected that the Idler has the power to brainwash ordinary vehicle owners into leaving their vehicles running. The idler uses brainwashing techniques known as "misinformation" and "false justification". The Idler can strike anywhere, any time, without being seen by the affected individual. Limitations: The Idler only has powers over the drivers of vehicles with internal combustion engines. Status: Without question, the Idler is a villain. Super-Slogan: "I'll only be gone for a minute." Interesting Facts:

• Every day, the Idler is responsible for the senseless consumption of 1,600,000 L of fuel.
• If every driver of a light-duty vehicle in Canada could overcome the powers of the Idler, we would prevent more than 3,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to the Idler's schemes – they breathe faster than adults and inhale more air per pound of body weight. Health Canada estimates that more than 5,000 Canadians die prematurely each year because of air pollution. Many of those deaths are attributable to the Idler.

How to Defeat:

• Nobody sees the idler when s/he is using his/her powers, but it is easy to tell if you have become a target because, even when you know that you should turn off your vehicle, you will catch yourself having thoughts like:
• "The engine is cold - I'll just let it warm up." (Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.)
• "It's cold outside. I'll keep the engine running so the heater can warm up the inside of my vehicle." (Suck it up. Don't let the Idler's wimpy justification sway you.)
• "It's hot outside. I'll keep the engine running so the air conditioning can cool off the inside of my vehicle." (Suck it up. Don't let the Idler's wimpy justification sway you.)
• "I'm only stepping out for a second. It's not good for the engine if I keep turning it on and off." (Idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and exhaust systems.)
• "It uses more gas to start the car than it does to keep it running." (Idling for more than 10 seconds costs more than turning off your engine.)
• If you catch yourself having these thoughts as you prepare to leave your vehicle, use every ounce of self-control that you possess and take your keys out of the ignition, storing them in a secure pocket or purse. If you leave your keys in the ignition, the Idler has won.
• If you catch a friend, family member or stranger leaving or returning to an idling vehicle, point to them and shout as loudly and scornfully as you can: "IDLER! IDLER!" By doing so, you are letting the afflicted know that they are under the influence of the Idler and will scare the Idler's brainwashing out of their subconscious mind.
• Under no circumstances should you attempt to apprehend the Idler.

A well-intentioned government-sponsered advertisement that erroneously assumes that the vehicle 's driver has control over whether or not his/her vehicle gets turned off.

Many thanks to Mark Koepke of Smells Like Yukon for bringing the nefarious Idler to our attention.