What has gotten shopkeepers at Block 157, Meiling Street fuming mad?

Provision shop owner Jackie Ng, 44, and his staff are literally sick and tired of inhaling exhaust fumes emitted by vehicles "waiting" in front of their shop. Drivers simply leave their car engines running, while they pop in to the Singapore Pools outlet inside Mr Ng's shop to place their bets.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ng was driven to action and spent half an hour painting two banners in English and Mandarin, urging drivers to turn off their engines.

"If there is a passenger in the car, the driver usually leaves the engine running so the other person can enjoy the air-con, but we end up suffering because of it," he complained.

One of his employees, Madam Kang Swee Keng, 47, who is stationed at the cash counter on the footpath outside the shop said: "The car exhaust makes it very hard to breathe. It's like taking in second-hand smoke. Even if there are empty parking lots here or in the multi-storey car park next to our shop, drivers will want to save on parking coupons."

Of the four car park lots outside the shop, two are for loading and unloading goods, while the other two are for handicapped parking. Shop staff say that traffic usually peaks after work on Wednesdays, and on Saturdays and Sundays before the lottery results are drawn.

"Most of the time, I work inside the shop, but I can smell the exhaust fumes too. Sometimes the smell is so strong, it makes me gag," says long-time employee Teo Boon Chong, 45, who has approached drivers to ask them to turn off their engines. "We have asked them to do so nicely before. Sometimes people will listen to us. Otherwise, we have to just walk away."

Another employee, Kang Swee Hua, 43, says they even entertained the idea of donning face masks but, "In the end, we decided we not to because it might remind people of Sars and scare them away. "The vehicles which run on diesel emit black smoke, leaving a layer of soot on our goods. We can clean the items, but we have to breathe in the smoke."

Staff claim the worse offenders are taxi drivers, who also often head to the nearby hawker centre for a quick meal. These cabbies leave their engines on because it saves them from having to display parking coupons, a practice cab companies disapprove of.

Mr Ng says he has gone to the extent of covering exhaust pipes with cardboard boxes a few times, when drivers did not return after more than 15 minutes.

"I was hoping it would re-direct the exhaust away from the shop towards the car park," he said.

According to Mr Ng, the problem arose after upgrading works in 2000, when the parking lots were moved closer to his shop. The neighbouring shop has also been affected.

Said shop owner Chan Yew Wah, 48 : "It's been a problem for as long as I've been here, which is seven years. The exhaust fumes diffuse along the row of shops."

The good news is - some drivers are beginning to heed the message after the sign was put up.

One of them, who delivers medical supplies and only wanted to be known as Mr Sim, 60, said: "I don't turn off the engine as I need the air-con for the supplies, but now that I've seen the banner, I'll turn the engine off the next time since it's just for a short while."

Most other drivers just park with their exhaust pipes away from the shop now.

Says Madam Kang, "They find the sign amusing, but not everyone takes notice of it."

For the full story, read today's The New Paper.