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Original poster

Neighbours sat in car for hours on end with engine running. It this weird

304 replies

greenishredblue · 24/05/2025 08:00

Names changed as could be outing

we got some new neighbours across from us about 6 months ago. A man and a women. I was talking to another neighbour and she asked if I had noticed they sit in their car for hours on end with the engine on. Now I had noticed them a few times sat in the car but though nothing if it. The car is parked outside this neighbours house a lot.

Now the neighbour has said to me DH and I have been more aware of it, especially with doing lots of work in the garden. And the fumes from the car as well have been more noticeable since we have been outside a lot. Neighbour is a bit nearer so has noticed them doing it during the day and at night as well. Usually between midnight and 6am.

Basically they sit in the car sometimes it’s the man, sometimes the women, sometimes both. The engine is running all the time (yesterday it was about 7 hours). They seem to be always on their phones and then one of them will get out go in the house and then come back out again into the car. Sometimes they will just get out of the car, walk round it and get back in.

yesterday the other neighbours husband went out and asked them to turn the engine off as his son has asthma and the car is right outside his window and was told very forcefully to mind his own fucking business.

now if it was not for the engine being on all the time I probably would just shrug and think “each to there own”. But this is very strange is it not?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
AlorsTimeForWine · 24/05/2025 09:27

Totally antisocial and 95% likely drugs

Report away

WonderingWanda · 24/05/2025 09:27

That's really weird. Are they using someone else's WiFi from the car? Maybe get all the neighbours to switch theirs off when they are in the car. Do they work or otherwise leave the house?

HappyNewTaxYear · 24/05/2025 09:26

sashh · 24/05/2025 09:01

There will be some reason.

Maybe they don't have a radio / music player in the house.

Maybe they don't have any heating in the house. Or aircon as someone else said.

This probably won't apply but some religious people (JWs and I think Mormons) are not allowed to be alone together before they get married so if one owns a home the other can't come in without a third person so they sit in the car.

None of these reasons explains seven hours in an idling car

lissie123 · 24/05/2025 09:24

We had a similar situation at the end of our road with a turning space was turning space -we could only access our drive by turning in the space to access our drive. Local drugs gangs would park there for hours hot boxing or selling weed. It was particularly bad over lockdown. I never reported though.

Tonsilitittis · 24/05/2025 09:21

Chiconbelge · 24/05/2025 09:04

OK so we have drugs (doing or dealing) and lack of internet signal in the house. Two good theories. Some more not so good theories from me which are all about the house itself - most inspired by MN threads.

They could have some terrible problem in the house that you don’t know about - an infestation, a bad smell? They could think there’s a ghost and be terrified of staying indoors? They could be part way through doing it up and have made it uninhabitable. Your other neighbours could be making some very irritating noise that you can’t hear? They could have no furniture to sit on.

I agree with the poster who suggests contacting the local police either via the non-urgent number or calling in. I think that could be a way of disrupting the situation without it being traceable back to you individually. As pp have said, round here sitting in cars with the engine on is drug-related.

There is also the religious couple theory and the spies escaping listening devices theory. I’m invested and want to know!

CloserNotGone · 24/05/2025 09:19

I would honestly contact crime stoppers anonymously. 🤣
Either their house is haunted
They have someone locked up in their house they are avoiding
They don’t live there really and are spies
They are doing some major drug deals in the car ( not sure why, but someone will )
They are really staking out, you or a neighbour.

Brefugee · 24/05/2025 09:18

i thought it wasn't allowed in UK? Here (not UK) the police would give you a huge fine. (and i would have called the police after asking them to stop it)

BertieBotts · 24/05/2025 09:17

DH used to do it with a sleeping baby about 1-2 times a week. Engine on so he could keep the heater/air con running. Not ideal, but not for hours at a time - 30 mins or so so they could finish a nap, after they outgrew the carry type car seats. We lived in a flat so carrying them inside was too long and noisy and they would wake up.

It would drive me mad if it was for hours at a time every day and I would def report to council for noise and pollution reasons.

Cherrysoup · 24/05/2025 09:12

Police and council. Pretty sure most areas say this is against the law.

Alternatively, banana up the tail pipe!

Judiezones · 24/05/2025 09:11

The house is infested with fleas/cockroaches/ghosts and they are too scared to be inside and the engine noise is a comfort blanket.

I agree with pp, council and police is the way forward.

SheridansPortSalut · 24/05/2025 09:08

Perhaps they're running a generator from the car to boost the power to the cannabis farm inside.

I'd be inclined to ask the police their opinion.

CrispyMonkey · 24/05/2025 09:06

Their house is haunted.

Or they are haunted but only when inside a house.

Chiconbelge · 24/05/2025 09:04

OK so we have drugs (doing or dealing) and lack of internet signal in the house. Two good theories. Some more not so good theories from me which are all about the house itself - most inspired by MN threads.

They could have some terrible problem in the house that you don’t know about - an infestation, a bad smell? They could think there’s a ghost and be terrified of staying indoors? They could be part way through doing it up and have made it uninhabitable. Your other neighbours could be making some very irritating noise that you can’t hear? They could have no furniture to sit on.

I agree with the poster who suggests contacting the local police either via the non-urgent number or calling in. I think that could be a way of disrupting the situation without it being traceable back to you individually. As pp have said, round here sitting in cars with the engine on is drug-related.

larkstar · 24/05/2025 09:04

My mother used to do this. She had COPD due to a life long smoking habit (which she eventually died from) - in hot weather, even mildly warm, she couldn't breathe so used to retreat to the car to use the air conditioning to try and cool down.

FloppySarnie · 24/05/2025 09:04

I think drug related too. Do they ever spend any time in the house?

LakieLady · 24/05/2025 09:03

landoflostcontent · 24/05/2025 08:31

Airconditioning? Has it been warm where you live? Just a thought, not suggesting it is a good idea🙂

I was going to suggest this. I was seriously tempted to do it myself during a heatwave a few years ago, when I had a car that had ferociously efficient air con.

Bigpaintinglittlepainting · 24/05/2025 09:03

I'd !

Bigpaintinglittlepainting · 24/05/2025 09:03

Drug related, if report to police, especially as he seemed aggressive

BowPasta2098 · 24/05/2025 09:02

Something must be happening either in the house or in the car. I think the latter - and one of them has to be in it to ensure it’s going according to plan.

How about calling the non emergency police line on 101 if you suspect criminal activity or feel unsafe?

Amberlynnswashcloth · 24/05/2025 09:02

Maybe the power is off in the house so they use the car for internet and heating.

Or they have mice and are afraid to sit inside.

marshmallowfinder · 24/05/2025 09:02

MyOliveHelper · 24/05/2025 08:05

They coukd be chatting about their problems or escaping someone inside the house.

Show quote history

Well they can do it with the engine off

sashh · 24/05/2025 09:01

There will be some reason.

Maybe they don't have a radio / music player in the house.

Maybe they don't have any heating in the house. Or aircon as someone else said.

This probably won't apply but some religious people (JWs and I think Mormons) are not allowed to be alone together before they get married so if one owns a home the other can't come in without a third person so they sit in the car.

ohfourfoxache · 24/05/2025 09:00

Sorry, not RTFT but it would be worth calling 101

Happened with a neighbour of my parent’s - turned out that the house was FULL of cannabis plants and they were essentially living in the car

merrymelody · 24/05/2025 08:56

Idling is illegal where I live as well as being extremely polluting. I guess they’re trying to hasten the demise of our planet.

TessTimoney · 24/05/2025 08:53

This is very odd behaviour and worth investigating. I'd report this to the police.