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Don’t warm up a car or it may be dealt for a ‘fentanyl lollipop,’ says Lawrence police

By Pete Grathoff

December 04, 2017 02:46 PM

The Lawrence Police Department encourages people to scrape their windows and not let the car’s heater do that work.
The Lawrence Police Department encourages people to scrape their windows and not let the car’s heater do that work. Lindsey Bauman The Associated Press
The Lawrence Police Department encourages people to scrape their windows and not let the car’s heater do that work. Lindsey Bauman The Associated Press

The unseasonably warm weather was expected to leave Kansas City on Monday when a cold front moves through.

It’s a reminder that we all face months of chilly mornings, icy windshields and the long wait for the heater to kick in while in our cars.

Almost all of us have faced the same temptation to start the car while we escape back into our warm houses.

But here’s the thing: in some cities, that is illegal. And in all cities, it can lead to the vehicles being stolen.

The Lawrence Police Department is aiming to avoid that situation. On Monday, it tweeted a pledge for people to sign. Clearly, it was done in good humor, because this is what people are asked to agree to:

I pledge to not leave my car running with the keys in the ignition just because I’m afraid of being a little cold for the first 3 minutes of my drive to work/school, or because I am too lazy to scrape the windows. I realize that breaking this pledge will undoubtedly result in my car being stolen by some jackwagon who will trade it for a fentanyl lollipop.

By the way, the police department said it wasn’t trying to be offensive when it mentioned the fentanyl lollipop.

Watch the NOAA weather outlook for the winter of 2017-18 to find out the overall forecast for areas of the country.

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Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff

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