Gripe : ‘A Truck Going Nowhere and Polluting’

I was strolling the other day through Westwood and I saw a truck towing two billboards pasted back-to-back, extolling the virtues of Budweiser beer. “The Rolling Billboard,” it called itself, 1-800-835-ROLL. Just what we need: a truck going nowhere congesting and polluting.

I sat in the sun, read the paper, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and watched the Bud truck go around the block several times.

About 45 minutes later, armed with just enough caffeine, I stepped up to a street phone and called 1-800-835-ROLL to register my distaste.

“By golly,” said the Mr. Cheerful who answered. “You’re the first person who’s ever objected.” Oh, sure. As if a committee hadn’t spent hours weighing the balance between consumer complaints and all the exposure their clients would get. It does expose them, that’s true. Expose what they care about--congestion and pollution.

Then he told me that the truck met emission standards (oh, goody, goody), and that there’s cargo space between the billboards so the truck can make deliveries. Right. The cargo space is two feet wide, the truck spends an hour circling the block, and I’m supposed to believe it’s making deliveries.

Here we are, separating our trash, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling, each of us trying to do our bit to reduce pollution. To see this thing lumbering through the streets is an insult to all of our efforts. And Mr. Cheerful’s answers to my call were an insult to my intelligence.