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.

it is illegal to do so in other european countries (I know it is in germany). also, running the car like that doesn't really make it warmer inside. and if you go back into the house for a cuppa while the car is running, someone might just take a ride in it...

Does the noise really bother you that much? All my neighbours run their cars (as do I) for a while in the mornings, but I can't say I've ever taken much notice of the noise, I live in a cul de sac so all the cars are close too. Just turn your telly/radio up a bit louder and don't worry about it.

OP - As you obviously feel that YANBU why don't you do something about it?

Speak to each of the offending car owners and point out how they are inconveniencing you and pollutiong the environment. I'm sure that if you are eloquent enough then your problem will be solved once and for all.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on won't you?

entropygirl the first page or so consists of the OP somewhat glossing over the 5 mins vs 30 mins aspect and her telling us all to boil the kettle and get a rag out on the inside windows... hence the responses she got.

Thank you stuckup and southeastra

I know that plenty of people think I am being unreasonable, but for up to half an hour?
Well, it's a personal gripe of mine. The noise does drive me nuts. I don't have to get up until 6.45am and I don't want to have to listen to the constant hum of car engines every friggin' morning.

So I thought that perhaps if drivers knew how much they were potentially pissing off their neighbours, we might have a few more considerate drivers who pledge to stay with their cars and only leave the engine running enough to clear the windows.

Because sometimes I appreciate that people don't realise that what they do as a habit every single morning is very very annoying to other people. And close neighbours might not appreciate the fact that you want the car toasty and warm before you get in.

AceKicker - my very first post says this "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?"

'Snot my fault if you can't be arsed to read all of my post just as you can't be arsed to de-ice your car

I also throw hand hot water over the windscreen, have done so for years with no harm.

I do start the car and leave it running for 5 minutes or so whislt I go back in the house - like others say to make sure the inside of the windscreen is clear. I would have to sit in the car for 5 mins anyway, may as well go back in the house.

I don't worry about annoying the neighbours - the houses opposite and next door do exactly the same.

YABU.

We all do the same here - tbh it is less noisy than someone scraping their car - now that noise I do hear.

Half an hour is bonkers though.

It's part and parcel of community living innit, give and take and all that

IWish - I have done. I once got out of bed, after being up with a poorly ds all night, and turned off the engine of a neighbour's diesel van.

Then 20 mins later when he came back, I confronted him.
He was very apologetic and had no idea how much it was affecting neighbours. He used to leave the engine running on his van every single morning from 5.30am.

In this neighbourhood we have already had words with a neighbour who did it in the summer. We were very reasonable and so were they, they accepted that parking your car outside someone else's house and leaving the engine running for half an hour in the morning in the summer was not on.

I can understand why people do it in the winter. But I can't understand why they would turn the engines on and walk off.
I think it's inconsiderate.

get earplugs!!

why do they walk off? if I were a car thief, this would be a great opportunity!

Your handbrake had frozen???
Where do you live? Siberia?

Never had a frozen handbrake before!
Coldest place we had to defrost the cars was actually southern France in the winter, first thing in the morning.

Someone said that leaving a car engine running was illegal in other European countries, which is interesting because I noticed the French never did this.

Oh look, from DirectGov "The Driver and the Environment. 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. However it is permissible to leave the engine running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic or for diagnosing faults."

Ha! You're all breaking the law!

Oooh frozen handbrake...I know all about that! It's not a Vauxhall is it?

entropy "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...."

Well, if you read back you'll be a few of us who agreed 30mins is unreasonable. Cearly your IQ is lacking this monday morning, as well as your manners.

I'm with you OP- its noisy and polluting.

Get out there and scrape, or use kettle water and i won't laugh when your cars knicked you prats, Oh no

This is an American website but it states that leaving the engine running actually has NO benefit to a car whatsoever as most modern engines do not need to warm up first.

Seems if you google "car engine running" you get a lot of info about how it is illegal over here and other countries if the car is left unattended and how people could be fined for it.

Useful stuff to know.

I hate it as well. It's completely unnecessary. It's easy to get rid of ice in a fraction of the time.

We all have to deal with the things that other people do. If you don't want to hear other people's engines, buy a detached house with an acre of land on all sides. Nice. Surely living in close proximity to other people necessitates a little consideration? What a lovely argument - "if you don't like anything antisocial I do, then buy a detatched house with an acre of land. Suck it up." Sounds like something a horrible little twat would say.

Sympathises with Dizzy...I think it's quite common among Vauxhalls, many a time I've seen my husband drive off with the back wheel locked! We either don't put the handbrake on when it's cold *(luckily we live on a very flat street) or put it on very lightly and hope it doesn't roll away.

Ah I'm not on a public road

I leave mine running to demist it but I'm with it, I don't go back inside. It's a lot better to do this than try and drive off down the road unable to see.

I can also guarantee that my car wouldn't annoy you as it is extremely quiet even when being driven, ticking over you would barely know it's on. Most modern cars are unless they're diesel.