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Idling with a commercial truck–or leaving it running while parked or making deliveries–is illegal in 30 states and many cities. States such as Texas and Washington D.C. allow citizens to report idling trucks and then will fine the owners. But NYC–as always–does things a little different. Concerned citizens who make a report can pocket 25% of the fine. That currently comes out to $87.50.

A shockingly low number of NYC residents are taking advantage of this opportunity. I previously reported on the 2019 law, which is called the NYC Citizen Air Complaint Program. I can only assume The Daily Show reads my stuff, because they just dispatched a correspondent to New York City to try and make some cash.

Desi Lydic’s segment is a bit tongue-in-cheek. She meets with the “Idle Warriors” in a bar’s back room to get the scoop on “cashing in on this green gig.” She repeatedly brings up credit card debt she’s trying to pay off. Finally, she spits out her martini when someone admits that it could take her two weeks to get paid.

Brown UPS delivery truck navigating traffic in a crowded Tims Square in New York City
UPS delivery truck in Times Square | Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images

Amongst all the slapstick is an interesting segment. These “Idle Warriors” include two of the most important figures in the history of NYC idle laws. The city passed its anti-idling law in the 1970s, but with no real enforcement. Samara Swanston is the environmental attorney who wrote a draft of the NYC Citizen Air Complaint Program. George Pakenham is a documentary filmmaker, featured on Vice News, who lobbied NYC to pass Swanston’s law.

After a drink, these Idle Warriors take to the steets. They show Lydic how to download the city’s official complaints app and take a video of an idling commercial truck or bus. The video must also capture identifying marks, such as a company name and a license plate. It must show the vehicle idling for over a minute in a school zone, or three minutes elsewhere. And the vehicle can’t be an armored truck or a bus actively loading/unloading–those vehicles are exempt.

The skyline of New York City complete with buildings, traffic cameras, and pedestrians.
The New York City skyline | TomasSereda via iStock

Parkenham admits he’s pocketed $9,000 in bounties. He even mentions a friend who reports trucks like a full time job and made $100,000 in a year. Wow. There must be a ton of vehicles idling all the time. Obviously, you’d hope concerned citizens would report idling trucks just because air pollution kills seven million folks every year. But as Lydic jokes, it takes some cash to move New Yorkers to action.

So why aren’t more folks taking advantage of this “green gig?” Perhaps they are worried about confrontations with truckers. Maybe NYC just does a poor job advertising the whole thing. Or maybe $87 isn’t enough to turn your average New Yorker into a snitch. So would you report an idling truck for an $87 bounty (paid after the city fights a legal battle that could take two years)?

Honestly, the city might not need human whistleblowers for long. Read about the automated noise complaint cameras ticketing loud NYC cars, or watch The Daily Show segment in the video below:

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Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.