Politicker reports:
First he came after the cigarettes. Then the trans-fats. Then the super-sized drinks. Now, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is coming after the elevators.
City officials announced a new initiative this afternoon aimed at encouraging office workers to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Under legislation proposed by the mayor, all new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovation would be required to give occupants access to at least one stairwell, as well as post signs near elevators pointing to nearby stairs.
I’ve spent as little time as possible in NYC, but most buildings I’ve noticed in other places have stairs marked. I’ve been able to find stairs in every elevatored building I’ve been in should I choose to walk.
As for being brutal to the poor, elderly and sickly, the greens believe we need to reduce excess, costly population and what better places to start.
Perhaps the most dangerous activities that can be considered ‘climate related’ is shovelling snow. An estimated 1,200 deaths annually are due to heart attacks precipitated by snow shoveling. I wonder how many heart attack deaths will be precipitated by stair-climbing occasioned by ‘energy-conserving’ measures that shut off air conditioning and elevators during heat waves.
The Greens are brutal towards the poor, elderly, and sickly.
Objecting always to mandates — mandates, like rents, are guilty until proven innocent — I like the idea of making stairs more useful. I prefer to use stairs for two or three floors and it can be faster than waiting for elevators, or waiting out several stops on elevator. Without mandates, though.
Hmm, maybe start with the city employee offices then branch out to the union halls. Seems I remember a story about a 400lb union local head….