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AIBU?

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Original poster

White man van and early mornings

58 replies

Chefpig · 30/12/2025 07:28

Hello, there's a neighbour with a van and he starts it up anytime between 6am and 7am each day. Slams doors on the van and then keeps it running for a good five minutes before leaving. It's noisy and wakes me up. He's a nice man to say hello to, etc. Aibu to think he could be more considerate of his neighbours, especially me who is trying to get as much sleep in the mornings as possible before the dreaded very early mornings for work start again next week?

OP posts:
Kimura · 30/12/2025 09:01

What would you like him to do instead?

PersephoneParlormaid · 30/12/2025 09:00

GoodQueenWenceslaus · 30/12/2025 08:54

You're risking cracking your windscreen using that tactic.

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It’s mildly warm water and I’ve been doing it for many years, also better environmentally.

Shade17 · 30/12/2025 08:58

13RidgmontRoad · 30/12/2025 07:47

Keeping a car running for a short while in cold weather and letting the engine warm up and windscreen defrost is what we all should be doing - it’s better for the car and safer for the driver. You could ask him not to slam the doors but this all sounds quite normal to me. I empathise - we have a (not hugely pleasant) tradie with a van over the road and his van is parked badly immediately outside his block of flats. I can’t imagine they love him.

It is NOT better for the car. The best thing for the car is to start it and immediately drive off, using moderate engine speeds until fully warmed up. This ensures quickest warm-up time and the least wear to internal components.

Buttcraic · 30/12/2025 08:57

Yabvu; the poor bastard has to be up to leave in the dark and cold at 6, and you're still tucked up warm in bed and complaining about it!

PeonyPatch · 30/12/2025 08:55

Ear plugs

Applecup · 30/12/2025 08:55

Chefpig · 30/12/2025 07:28

Hello, there's a neighbour with a van and he starts it up anytime between 6am and 7am each day. Slams doors on the van and then keeps it running for a good five minutes before leaving. It's noisy and wakes me up. He's a nice man to say hello to, etc. Aibu to think he could be more considerate of his neighbours, especially me who is trying to get as much sleep in the mornings as possible before the dreaded very early mornings for work start again next week?

What’s the poor bloke supposed to do? He needs to get to work. Maybe he should tell his clients he won’t start working until mid morning so his entitled neighbour can have a lie in.

GoodQueenWenceslaus · 30/12/2025 08:54

PersephoneParlormaid · 30/12/2025 07:31

Ah yes, I’ve a grey van man like that. Also, my immediate neighbours who feel the need to run their (3) cars with the windscreen wipers at full pelt for 5 or so minutes when the car is iced over. Unlike me who chucks some water over and drives off.
Luckily the milkman with a diesel van has gone electric.

You're risking cracking your windscreen using that tactic.

Ladyymuck · 30/12/2025 08:44

I can’t see how your neighbour is doing anything wrong and it’s a normal time to be up and about for going to work.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:42

Beenwhereyouareagain · 30/12/2025 08:32

Yes, me too. When I read the title I assumed the thread was about creepy behaviour and fears of kidnapping. Glad to know I was wrong.

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It was definite click bait! 😂

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:41

Meadowfinch · 30/12/2025 08:34

Normally a self employed tradesperson. White vans, ie those without signage or special colours, are the least expensive so are the most commonly chosen..

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Thank you! I figured this was a particularly British or regional generalization of some sort.
Here, I think I/we would just say, Neighbour's work van and that would conjure up an image of a white van. 😂
🇨🇦

LaurieFairyCake · 30/12/2025 08:39

Completely unavoidable and nothing to complain about. If it was 4am maybe but that’s a very normal work time.

Meadowfinch · 30/12/2025 08:34

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:24

I'm curious about, White man van.
What does that mean?

Normally a self employed tradesperson. White vans, ie those without signage or special colours, are the least expensive so are the most commonly chosen..

Beenwhereyouareagain · 30/12/2025 08:32

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:24

I'm curious about, White man van.
What does that mean?

Yes, me too. When I read the title I assumed the thread was about creepy behaviour and fears of kidnapping. Glad to know I was wrong.

Meadowfinch · 30/12/2025 08:31

That's a fairly normal time to go to work,OP, especially if in the trades. He needs to get in the van, start the engine and dedefrost. Our neighbour is a plumber and does the same.

Ear plugs if you are that bothered. I just make an early coffee and take it back to bed with me. It's quite nice to have a leisurely few minutes before I have to get up. 😊

Twirlyhockey · 30/12/2025 08:30

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:24

I'm curious about, White man van.
What does that mean?

She means white van man

Rewis · 30/12/2025 08:27

Annoying, yes. But also normal sounds of the world.

mydogisanidiott · 30/12/2025 08:26

Those sliding doors on a van are unbelievably noisy when you are having a nice sleep!

it’s annoying when it’s everyday. When I was little I lived in a semis detached and I could hear the neighbours kettle every morning. So annoying!! Unfeasibly loud.

mamajong · 30/12/2025 08:26

Yabu, this is normal going to work behaviour. I leave at 6am and run the engine to clear the windows cos its better fir the car than chucking water on (so im.informed) - i dont go out of my way to make noise but thats just me going to work each day. Get earplugs or play white noise. If soneone spoke to me i would emphasise but not sure what i could actually do about it tbh. What do you want him to acrually do?

Mumtobabyhavoc · 30/12/2025 08:24

I'm curious about, White man van.
What does that mean?

vanillalattes · 30/12/2025 08:21

How else is he supposed to defrost the windows and demist the car?

X123x321X · 30/12/2025 08:19

He has to work. Buy earplugs.

BadgernTheGarden · 30/12/2025 08:18

Between 6 and 7 is quite a normal time to be leaving for work I thought you were going to say 4 or 5 am. Do you want him to work less hours? Will you pay him the difference? Do you know if you keep him awake by being up late when he is trying to sleep to get out early? A bit of give and take between neighbours surely. And as said closing van doors is always loud, nothing he can do about that and I assume if he's an engineer he keeps his tools indoors at night to prevent them being stolen, so has to load the van every morning. Sounds like a nice hard working man.

WhereIsMyLight · 30/12/2025 08:18

Van doors are slightly different to car doors. You have mechanisms that keep them open while you load/unload things. There isn’t really a way to close the doors without slamming them. I think engines running to demist the windscreen is also unavoidable. My old van would take forever to demist, a cloth would really help either as it must would just comeback.

This is only bothering because you aren’t at work and you’re trying to get some lie-ins before your own early mornings start. So you know people head out to work at this time, if not earlier. You’re probably louder than you think when going to work and there’ll be times that he isn’t at work and your early mornings have disturbed him. It’s part of having neighbours. Get ear plugs.

pinkblueyelloworange · 30/12/2025 08:08

I leave 6.15am car on for 5 mins or more to defrost my windscreen can’t do much about it. Just needs to not slam the doors

bloomchamp · 30/12/2025 08:06

Dh leaves our house at 7:30am. Gets in his van. Starts up, waits five mins for the screen to clear or scrapes ice off. No one has ever complained. Probably because he’s just trying to get out and do his job. I don’t see how he could reduce the noise or any solution to him needing to do this tbh