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Original poster

Why is the woman next to me sitting in her car with the engine on?

163 replies

couchparsnip · 20/09/2022 19:57

Just that really.
We've dropped off our kids at dance school and we're just waiting in the car park for the class to end. She's been sat there with her engine running for at least half an hour. I don't get how anyone can waste that much fuel! Does she not realise? I'm not going to tell her but does anyone else.do.that - and why would you?

OP posts:
COPPER3 · 20/09/2022 21:51

Just cannot believe this thread...some very privileged, ignorant people on here. Charge your phones at home and THINK about your planet, future and kids...It's my massive bug bear..a running engine.. disgusting!

HappyMackerel · 20/09/2022 21:51

Idling is a waste of fuel and very bad for air pollution! Which affects all our health and impacts children's lungs development. I think its illegal actually.

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 20/09/2022 21:52

Stellaris22 · 20/09/2022 21:06

I don't get it.

We walk to DDs swimming class and it's next to a lovely park. I don't get why you'd sit in a car for 30 mins when you can cross the road and sit in a park instead (or use the time for a walk).

You must really struggle with life if you think everyone's life is like yours?!?!

nearest swimming pool for lessons 12 miles. Not opposite a park.

I don't want, or need, yet another walk at 7pm.

FitFat · 20/09/2022 21:52

They are very selfish people. Completely unnecessary pollution.

RedSoloCup · 20/09/2022 22:00

All these people!!! Charge your phone before you leave home or get a few power packs!! I manage and have never done this!!

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:02

How do I stay warm in that case? Serious question. You're not supposed to wear a big coat in the car (same as kids in car seats) and I can't get in and out of the car without it being a major literal pain.

OakMoss · 20/09/2022 22:09

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:02

How do I stay warm in that case? Serious question. You're not supposed to wear a big coat in the car (same as kids in car seats) and I can't get in and out of the car without it being a major literal pain.

Could you not wear layers, a scarf, a hat? The thing is, irreversible damage from pollution is happening here and now, not in some other place. People genuinely don’t seem to realise how serious this is, and what the consequences for all of us will be, and soon.

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:11

I do wear layers. Lots and lots of layers.

I have sensory issues so I don't wear a hat. A scarf seems like it would interfere with my driving but I suppose I could try it.

I don't like gloves because the only ones I can get on my hands are woollen and I don't think they give me grip on the wheel.

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:12

I am disabled by the way - I have physical disabilities that affect my mobility, arthritis, thyroid issues and ASD and ADHD.

OakMoss · 20/09/2022 22:14

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:12

I am disabled by the way - I have physical disabilities that affect my mobility, arthritis, thyroid issues and ASD and ADHD.

Fair enough, and sorry if I sound judgemental.

bellac11 · 20/09/2022 22:19

These threads always go like this, someone being judgemental and not understanding why there may be reasons why something is happening the way it is

Then someone comes along and says well I do have x,, y,, and z and this is why

Then other posters say oh well of course I dont mean you, of course not you, not you

So why take that attitude in the first place

JassyRadlett · 20/09/2022 22:21

For the vast majority it's fucking antisocial. 'I don't care about kids lungs because I can't be arsed to buy a battery pack to allow me to do those work meetings in the car/can't be arsed to bring a book or magazine/frankly the idea of being bored briefly is far more serious than all the documented negative health and environmental effects.'

There will be extreme exceptions but let's not pretend that's why the vast majority leave their engines idling. Abysmal behaviour.

(I regularly have an hour to wait for one of the kids in the car on winter nights. I'm generally sitting on my coat, having slipped it off the top half of my body, so I slip it back on again, Chuck on the scarf that I've put on the passenger seat, maybe gloves. I'll have dressed appropriately anyway because I know it's going to be cold. I quite like noodling about on my phone, doing Duolingo, whatever. I charge my phone while I'm driving so it's generally fine. On the rare occasion it's run out of battery I've had a book in the car or just sat with my thoughts for a bit. It's what we used to do, and it's actually not damaging to health...)

JassyRadlett · 20/09/2022 22:22

bellac11 · 20/09/2022 22:19

These threads always go like this, someone being judgemental and not understanding why there may be reasons why something is happening the way it is

Then someone comes along and says well I do have x,, y,, and z and this is why

Then other posters say oh well of course I dont mean you, of course not you, not you

So why take that attitude in the first place

To be fair though I think there have only been a couple of proper exceptions on this thread. Most who admit to doing it are folk who are disorganised/thoughtless/terrified of being alone with their thoughts for five minutes.

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:23

I genuinely didn't think you were supposed to sit on anything in the car except a booster seat for a child? I thought it interferes with crash protection?

Not that I could slip a coat up anyway 😂 but from a safety pov I didn't think it was allowed?

OakMoss · 20/09/2022 22:32

bellac11 · 20/09/2022 22:19

These threads always go like this, someone being judgemental and not understanding why there may be reasons why something is happening the way it is

Then someone comes along and says well I do have x,, y,, and z and this is why

Then other posters say oh well of course I dont mean you, of course not you, not you

So why take that attitude in the first place

Because I feel it is only fair that I acknowledge that in an online conversation with strangers, you never know their circumstances, and things can be complicated. It doesn’t change my ‘attitude’, which I feel is more of an opinion, expressed in a discussion. My opinion is that keeping an engine running because a person cannot bear to be without a phone is short-sighted. Of course, sometimes that opinion can be changed by someone explaining their circumstances, and this seems normal to me.

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:34

It's usually for heat in my case. To be honest. Not my phone.

Although I do get anxious if my phone isn't at least 30% because it's old and seems to go from 30% to zero really quickly.

allboysherebutme · 20/09/2022 22:36

Keep warm.

Tippexy · 20/09/2022 22:43

couchparsnip · 20/09/2022 20:05

No baby in the back. It's not that cold either. I'm sat here in a shirt and don't need the heater on.
Charging a phone doesn't need the engine to run -neither does listening to the radio. I'm doing both with my engine off!
FFS now someone else is doing it - and he has his lights on as well. What's the matter with everyone?

I can’t imagine having so little theory of mind!

Wow! It’s amazing to see it in action!

BorisJohnsonsHair · 20/09/2022 22:47

The Highway Code states:

‘You MUST NOT leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road’. Generally, if the vehicle is stationary and is likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should apply the parking brake and switch off the engine to reduce emissions and noise pollution.

scrufffy · 20/09/2022 22:50

First of all, I am or was in a car park so the Highway Code doesn't apply as it's not a public road and second it's necessary for me to be warm.

Kaiken · 20/09/2022 23:01

I hope that all those enraged for the harm to the planet and environment didn't have eggs for breakfast , ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and salmon for dinner because the impact would be far greater than a car idling for an hour (2 kg CO2)

Kaiken · 20/09/2022 23:02

Or even worse lamb.

Not saying a car running whilst parked is right, but before you jump on your high horse, look at your plate.

Why is the woman next to me sitting in her car with the engine on?
BocolateChiscuits · 20/09/2022 23:10

I don't think people understand what air pollution is doing to their health.

There was a study in 2018 that estimated the health costs of air pollution caused by cars and vans to be £6billion a year. If you live in a densely populated area you'll be doing the most damage - a car in London is estimated to cause £8k of health costs in its lifetime. (www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/cars-air-pollution-cost-nhs-vans-vehicles-health-bills-lung-disease-a8384806.html)

We think it's all children with asthma - and that's shocking enough with children in polluted areas of Tower Hamlets having 10% smaller lungs than you would expect children of their age to have, with effects that may last their entire lifetime (romanroadlondon.com/tower-hamlets-war-air-pollution/). But air pollution is linked to lots of problems that adults people have too. It can cause lung cancer (www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/sep/how-air-pollution-can-cause-lung-cancer-non-smokers-revealed). It's linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia and serious mental health problems. (www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32024727, www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/risk-factors-and-prevention/air-pollution-and-dementia, www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/27/air-pollution-linked-to-more-severe-mental-illness-study).

Air pollution is even suspected as one of the causes of rapid insect decline, which makes a lot of sense really, if it gives us cancer, it'll be harming little things too. (www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/is-air-pollution-contributing-to-the-insect-apocalypse-yes-experts-tell-dte-81268)

If you'd like some more information - from people who actually know what they are talking about (I don't) - then there's a great group called Mums For Lungs.

BadNomad · 20/09/2022 23:10

It's hypocritical for car owners to use the "environmental impact of idling" as criticism of others! Cars are bad for the environment full stop.

I'm an occasional idler. I only use my car once or twice a month, so if I turn my engine off after every short journey, the battery is going die so fast. I learned this the hard way. So I keep the engine running while I'm waiting, and I bet my "environmental impact" is still less than most of the people here whining.

Saz12 · 20/09/2022 23:29

Some people are the exception of course. But the majority of the time people shouldn’t idle engine for ages (particularly outside school, children’s clubs, etc). People choose to do it because they have an “out of sight out of mind” attitude to children’s health and the environment, or because they’re staggeringly ignorant or selfish.