to think you shouldn't leave your car engines running?

[TheRhubarb]

First thing in the morning all I can hear from around 6am through until 9am is the sound of car engines runnings.
It provides a constant hum in the background and pollutes the air.

Can I ask why people don't cover their car windows with sheets? Or invest in de-icer?
My dh gets up at 5.15am to leave for work at 6am but he wouldn't dream of letting his car engine run, thus disturbing our neighbours. He throws the kettle over the car and sprays it with de-icer. Yes ok it's a trifle cold when he gets in the car, but it soon warms up.

So what is it with these selfish people who come out of their houses, start up their cars and then leave the engines running for half an hour whilst they have a cup of tea? How can they afford the petrol?

If you do this, please stop. It pollutes the air and I can guarantee that your neighbours are thoroughly pissed off with it.

WARM WATER DOES NOT CRACK THE WINDSCREEN I HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS WITH VARIOUS CARS not boiled water, but you fill the kettle up with warm water from the tap, you turn on the wipers and there you go.

As for the inside, you get a cloth and wipe the windows on, turn on the blowers.

It's not rocket science. But of course, leaving your engines running is easier. I'm just saying that it is also very very annoying for those who live nearby who then have to listen to your car engine for the next half hour and also when you walk past the fumes stay heavy in the cold air so I get a lungful.

I have my engine running for about 5 mins before I leave, it's got sod all to do with warming the engine up and everything to do with demisting the inside. I put the engine on, set the rear window heater and front blowers on max - getting rid of the ice takes about 1 minute, the rest is waiting for the car to demist, in my experience wiping the insides off creates more problems later on, especially once it gets dark and you have headlights reflecting off smears etc.

Driving off with no visibility would be extremely dangerous, I try very hard to be considerate about my neighbours but I'd prefer to have one running their engine for 5 mins than pull out and smack into me or another car as they pull off with no clear view.

Nick a car a day until everyone gets wind of the crime spree and stops doing it. Or just ignore it.

They might not crack if you put warm water over them, but in this weather you will probably end up with a drive or pavement like an ice rink and I personally wouldn't want to be responsible for someone falling on it. De-icer smells worse than car fumes. Half an hour is probably a bit long but 10 mins is perfectly reasonable. I wouldn't go back inside though in case someone, nicked the car, although you could use the spare key to lock it. I find by the time I've scraped the ice, locked the front door, put stuff in the boot the car is usually de-steamed enough to get going.

This isn't about leaving the engine running for 5mins whilst you sit inside and clear the windows.

This is about people who turn their engines on and then walk away for half an hour.

There are around 5 or 6 cars where we live which are left like this in the mornings including one diesel van.
It was the same in our previous house.

So actually quite a lot of people think it is acceptable to leave the engines running with no-one in the car for up to half an hour.
Is that reasonable?

I just get a smeary wet windscreen if I cloth wipe, that steams up again straightaway because it's still cold and I am breathing warm air in there. You need the blowers on a while to warm up.

I wouldn't pour water as it does crack windscreens - all it takes is a weak spot.

It really doesn't take long to warm up the car and clear the windows.

As someone said, by the time you've stuffed things in the boot and got ready to set off, the windows have de-misted. There is no reason why anyone should need to leave the engine running whilst they head back inside for a brew.

THAT is what I think is inconsiderate.

Oh no. I agree there. I only do it for about 3-4 mins while the quick clear screen and rear demisters clear the screen and I can see to drive. I am always sat in the car too while this is happening.

leaving the engine running for that long would irk me too, it's the low hum, i remember my mum really losing her temper with the same thing. some people are just more sensitve to noise

This appears to be one of those AIBUs where this happens:

OP: AIBU?

Pretty much everyone else: Yes, YABU

OP: IANBU.

I agree about not wiping the insides with a cloth, if the heating isn't up to temperature they will re- mist up anyway and it's bad news when you drive into low winter sunshine or go out at night and finding your windscreen is covered in smears. The police sometimes sit at the end of our road and nab people who either haven't cleared their windows properly or left thick layers of snow on their roof.

I leave my car running for 5-10 mins coz I dont want DS (or me) getting in a freezing cold car!!

Pouring water from the kettle on the windscreen is madness...you'll either get a cracked windscreen or a cracked rib!!

Yep, I think it is perfectly acceptable for me to leave my engine running on my own car on my own driveway (not for half hour tho) .....and if my neighbours have the cheek to complain about it I would simply tell them how their dogs barking for an hour a night in the garden piss me off no end!!

In my area if you buggered off and left the engine running someone would nick the car.

Well why don't you stick a letter throught the neighbours doors who are doing it? If we all said YANBU it still wouldnt change the fact that this is a major gripe for you. Don't complain to us...complain to them!...ps leaving the car on for 30 mins is mental!!!!

A tip from mumsnet I read ages ago..... Have a spare key cut so you can leave engine running and lock the car safely whilst you go indoors for a coffee!

OK, so I didnt see the half an hour part of your OP . No, half an hour is not really acceptable - I think 10 minutes should be more than enough, except in the coldest of circumstances (-9 here one day last week, I was shocked)

So YWBU if you meant someone doing it at all.
YANBU to think 30 mins is taking the piss.

Note to self...get spare key cut on way to buy coffee machine :o

I use a windscreen cover but I still run the engine to demist and warm it up.

I might indeed be inside having a nice hot cup of tea, but I'm not sure it makes any difference to the sound of the engine and the pollutant fumes if I were to be sat inside it

Never never never never never have any of our cars (and we've been through plenty) ever had a cracked windscreen because we've poured warm water on it. Never.

Not once.

And both dh and I use this method to clear our windscreen. All the time.

I have never ever ever ever ever not been able to see out of the windscreen after I've wiped it with a cloth and had the blowers on it.

These are just excuses.

I appreciate that most of you only leave the engines running enough to clear the windows - I have no qualms with this. I am pissed off at those who make NO attempt to clear the windows themselves. Who just start the engine, close the doors and leave the car running whilst they go back inside the house. Not for 5 minutes, but 20 to 30 minutes.

The fumes hang around outside their cars like a fog. If you wanted to open a window to get a bit of fresh air in and clear the condensation, you couldn't.
And listening to a car engine humming away for half an hour at 6 in the morning is a bit shit too.

YABU despite de-icer and water the condensation inside my old banger car demands that I leave the engine running for a while before I drive off.

Hey OP YADNBU. But good luck getting this lot to acknowledge the difference between 5 mins to clear the mist and 30 mins to have breakfast.

Apparently the collective IQ of MN isnt up to much first thing on a Monday morning....

I dont touch my windscreen, I wait for it to clear

Try shouting 5 mins would be okay but 30 mins isnt see if anyone pays any attention

No no, I got the half an hour thing