“No shoes, no shirt, no service” is a phrase that supposedly became popular in the 1960s and 1970s (along with similar variations) when companies attempted to regulate their customers. Since then, it has opened the doors to all kinds of rules dictated by companies, some less obvious than others.
A shocking TikTok video originally posted by Truly (@trulyknowsmusic) was recently reposted on 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 reads: “Pedestrians are not allowed. You must arrive in a vehicle to enter the store. We have the right to refuse service to anyone.”
The video overlay says, “That’s wrong.”
In a country where cities are largely designed around cars, we now know the negative environmental impact of the automotive industry. Discouraging people from walking or using other forms of transportation is extremely counterproductive to the cooler climate we all need.
According to an analysis by 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 made on foot. It’s an eye-opening statistic, especially considering that 30% of all trips taken in the US are less than 1.6 miles, as Big Think reported.
Gas-powered transportation is a major contributor to our planet’s overheating, accounting for more than 20% and nearly 30% of all Earth-warming air pollution in the U.S. annually, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists and Statista. A United Nations report found that phasing out dirty energy in favor of clean energy sources like 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, rather than the opposite.
One Redditor commented: “When you think America can’t get any more ridiculous.”
“How could this be legal?” asked another.