"No shoes, no shirt, no service" is a phrase that reportedly became popular in the 1960s and 1970s (along with similar variations) when businesses sought to regulate their patrons. It has since opened the gates for all sorts of rules dictated by businesses — some less blatantly pointed than others.
A shocking TikTok video originally posted by Truly (@trulyknowsmusic) was recently reposted in a subreddit community dedicated to the harmful effects of cars while supporting alternative modes of transportation.
The video captures a sign on the door of a gas station in Tucson, Arizona, that says, "No walkers allowed. Must arrive in vehicle to enter store. We have the right to refuse service to anyone."
The overlay of the video reads, "That's messed up."
In a country where cities are largely designed around cars, we now know the negative environmental impact of the auto industry. Discouraging people from walking or using other forms of transportation is extremely counterproductive to the cooler climate we all need.
According to analysis from researchers at Virginia Tech and Rutgers University, the United States has one of the lowest walking rates in the world, with only 12% of all trips taken being walked. It's an eye-opening statistic — especially when you factor in that 30% of all trips taken in the U.S. are under 1.6 miles, as Big Think reported.
Gas-powered transportation is a major contributor to the overheating of our planet, accounting for more than 20% and close to 30% of all Earth-warming air pollution in the U.S. annually, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists and Statista. A report by the United Nations found that phasing out dirty energy for clean energy sources such as wind and solar is essential to healing our planet.
Walking or any other type of active transportation, when possible, is much better for our health and the planet.
If anything, this country could use signs that encourage and reward people for not driving their cars instead of the opposite.
One Redditor commented, "When you think America can't get any more ridiculous."
"How could this possibly be legal?" another asked.
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