“Billy Never Idles”: Billy Idol joins Mayor de Blasio to Declare “War On Idling”

h. nazan ışık—

27 February 2020—

If a rock star joins Mayor de Blasio to announce a publicity campaign, what to expect from that press conference? Is it entertainment, excitement? And what about a message? Well, we got them all!

The rock star was environmentalist and three-time Grammy nominated Billy Idol, and the campaign was “War On Idling.”

Welcome to “play on words”.

“White Wedding”, singer Billy Idol’s famous song from the 1980s, was coming from the big speakers when Mr. Idol and Mr. Mayor came out from City Hall toward the lectern. Mr. Idol, with his signature smile walked as if he was on a stage.

Rock star Billy Idol and Mayor de Blasio joined at a new anti-idling advertising and publicity campaign on 27 February at City Hall Plaza. (Photo: h. nazan ışık /NKENdiKEN)

“It’s a nice day to start again,” Mayor de Blasio started his speech, with a line from the “White Wedding” song. Mr. Idol looked enjoying it.

Billy Idol, and Mayor de Blasio at a press conference on “War on idling” at City hall (Photo: h. nazan ışık/NKENdiKEN)

“Idling is just stupid. We all do it but we don’t need to,” said the Mayor, “sitting there in a car, not going anywhere, and running the engine anyway. It makes no sense.”

Mayor de Blasio: “Ending unnecessarily idling in the city is the equivalent of taking 18,000 cars off the road each day.…New York City, we are declaring war on idling.”

“Billy Idol never idles and neither should you,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

‘Billy never idles” he repeated, “Billy never idles”

Then, including Billy Idol, everybody chanted. “Billy never idles!”, “Billy never idles!” (Photo: h. nazan ışık /NKENdiKEN)

“Why does idling matter? It does matter, because it chokes our air, hurts the environment, and is bad for New York. We’re sending a loud message with a Rebel Yell: turn off your engines or pay up,” de Blasio said.

This new anti-idling advertising and publicity campaign aimed at boosting public awareness on the harmful effects of idling, and encouraging individuals to file citizen complaints.

City law allows trucks and buses to idle maximum 3 minutes while parking, standing or stopping anywhere, but legal idling time is just 1minute near school facilities. New Yorkers who capture more than 1 minute of (cellphone) video of a truck or bus idling near a school and more than 3 minutes elsewhere can file a complaint with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and collect 25% of the penalty.

“Billy Never Idles, Neither Should You. Shut your engine off, “ campaign advertisement will appear on billboards, gas stations, television, radio and social media, and will cost one million dollars,” Environmental Protection commissioner, Vincent Sapienza said and continued: “Mr. Idol is donating his time and likeness to the city for appearing in the advertising campaign.”

Billy Idol who lived in Long Island as a child until family went back to England, and then in 1980’s moved and lived in New York and became a solo artist said: It is my privilege doing this, great way to give back to the city.

Idol/idle! “Yeah, it’s a fun play on my name,” said Billy Idol.

“If you can shut off your engines it saves my health, help my lungs. I need my lungs to breathe and sing,” said Mr. Idol,” Shot it off, shot it off”,” Billy never idles” leading a chorus of “ Billy never idles!”

Mr. Idol, who lives in Los Angeles, said he drives a car but mostly rides a motorcycle and he doesn’t idle, because “it can overheat.” Everybody laughed.

Mayor de Blasio said idling pisses him off, and announced: “In 22 months (when he leaves office at the end of 2021) I will not own a car and I will never own a car again.”

Well, it remains to be seen.