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.

Ariel - I wonder if they'd be happier if someone got in and stole their car?

Actually on a public road it is illegal to leave the car engine running whilst unattended so if I were to remove the keys and post them to the local police station, I would be acting within my rights. Shame that.

Not that I would, I would try the reasonable route first and so far those people I have accosted about this have been very polite and nice and we've remained friends.

I love the smell of exhaust in the morning. Smells like... selfish bastard neighbours which reminds me how great I am

If one of my neighbours asked me to stop, I would. I actually only started doing it because all my neighbours did it, tbh.

Not parked on a public road here, btw.

when i lived in a town i had to be on the road at 5.45am. i would start my car and watch it,. wouldnt dare go back into house for fear it would be stolen. ticking over for half an hour is nuts. i left the car defrost for 5 mins.

you would have some cheek to sit into my car or open the door and turn it off.

i thought it was disturbing your sleep all these cars ticking over? why do you want to open windows?

When my dad was retired but mum was still working, he used to run a wee fan heater on an extension lead from the house to the car to de-ice and warm it up for her going to work

thankfully now living in the country i dont have th problem of "neighbours".

I don't u derstand why anyone would do it for half an hour. If it is really frozen I start the car while I loads all the bags and musical instruments etc, so about 10 minutes max.

If you tried to steal my car you would have to open the gates at which point I would set my dogs on you.

aw shesparkles thats sweet!

scuzy it IS disturbing my sleep. Listening to car engines from 6am isn't pleasant. And our windows are opened a fraction during the night because we get a lot of mildew due to condensation so we open our windows to try and dry the windowsill, also to air the room.

If you are with your car letting it defrost for 5 mins then tbh you wouldn't bother me at all. However there is nothing more annoying than hearing car engines running, looking out of the window and seeing a deserted street with two cars that have a fume mist hanging over them. I have timed them and it's been half an hour before I hear the car doors shut and the cars drive away.

My dh has to be out of the house at 5.45/6am too but he wouldn't wake the neighbourhood by leaving his engine running. Our car is diesel so know it's noisier than petrol cars and I'm always aware of other people. I don't beep my horn, I don't have the radio blaring out of windows and I don't stand outside other peoples houses late at night having loud conversations. When you live in a small community it just takes a little bit of thought for other people and unfortunately that seems to be in low supply round here.

well then i'm serious - get earplugs. is it worth getting into a war with your neighbours over this?? or close your windows and get a dehumidifier to help with the mould or something.

I do for 5 mins on the coldest mornings, because I have a heated screen and is far the quickest way. I hope my neighbours aren't near enough to annoy.
Anyway I think they have had a power saw of DHs since before Xmas

what time do you get up yourself?

6.45 scuzy, so once I'm woken by the engines starting that's it.

And actually, no I'm not going to invest in earplugs or a dehumidifier when all that needs to happen is that said neighbours should find a quicker way to defrost their cars and not be so soft about getting into a cold car (boo hoo poor them). It actually wears your engine, wastes fuel and is bad for the environment. There are alternatives to just letting your engine run and I'm sure that if I did approach the neighbours they would be fine and if they are not, well then they are arses but at least if I say something they might think twice and my mornings can go back to being peaceful again.

well if you are up anyway at 6.45 your sleep isnt disturbed that much. and the fact that you are out peering out the window to see who it is makes me think your gunning for a fight over it.

and they could also feel boo hoo poor her seeing as they are the ones going to work and your still in the bed!!

anyways i think you need to chill over this because it seems to me your the only one who is stressed over this and making your own life a misery.

*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 grin*

I'm not one of the half hour brigade though! Yes your first post does say that but I also read a lot of the first few posts as being in general we should just chuck water, wipe the window and be off - like a few of the first posters I was making the point that 5 mins or so (sometimes it may be a bit more) is necessary to demist properly. Fully take your point that half an hour is unacceptable but I've never seen that round where I live (probably because all on-street parking so no-one has the option to bugger off inside and leave their car).

But your kettle water runs off and creates an ice rink for your neighbours. What would you say if they approached you about that?

I use de-icer if I need to. But then I only really use the car on the weekend, unless we have the rare medical/dentist appointment.

Rubbish skuzy she's not the only one.

Others have agreed, it's polluting and antisocial.

I knew you'd say that.

I don't appreciate having car engines as an alarm clock that goes off 45 mins before it's due.
And every single morning then yes, I am bound to look out of the window to see if I can spot which cars are the culprits and if there is a legitimate reason for them to be running their engines for so long, like trying to get small children in or waiting on an elderly relative. But no, they are not even with their cars.

And just because they have to go to work at that time does not mean that I should put up with being woken up by them. Perhaps at the weekends when I'm up with the kids and they are not, I should park my car outside their house and leave the engine running because I am up and they are not.

I posted a question, I got answers and I will have a word with the neighbours. Sorry, did you want something a little more unreasonable? More of a fight? Tough!

Petrol cars are not an issue, diesels on the other hand? Grrrr, like having a bloody TAXI outside your house. My neighbour used to come home at night after work, sit on his drive in his car with the engine running at gone 1am while on the phone...AGGHHHHHh.

Addiction - why would the neighbours be walking/driving at the edge of the kerb where my car is parked so they can slip on the frozen water? I don't pour water all over the road and pavement you know, I pour it onto the windscreen with the wipers going and it runs into the drain. Hardly an ice-slick.

AceKicker - it's all onstreet parking here too. Cars park where they can find a space and as we live on an end terrace, we sometimes end up with 2 cars parked outside and a further 3 at the side of the house. The drivers often live over the road, so they come out of their houses, they traipse over to their cars outside OUR house, turn the engines on and then traipse back into their own houses for half an hour.

If they stayed with their cars for 5 mins to defrost then I wouldn't mind. But it's the constant hum and drone of engines that is really really annoying and the smell of petrol fumes first thing in the morning - lovely.

lol will you relax woman! you posted in AIBU, was i supposed to agree with you? its my opinion. you asked. do as you please.

No but you seemed disappointed in my responses somehow, as though you wanted more of a fight. Understandable on a Monday morning.

I tip warm water over my car roof, I don't see how this is dangerous. If I want to boil the kettle and add to a watering can with some cold to do a quick defrost of the car surely that is my business - after all it is my drive and my property - can't see the problem.

How bizarre that people would rather be told that they are behaving antisocially rather than illegally....is this generally the case?

I would have thought the illegality angle is easier on everyone as 'a higher power' is making the rules and it isnt just about who deserves more sleep in the mornings or peoples opinions on what is reasonable.

There is some twat on our road who picks someone up every other day and rather than stop the car and either get out and ring the bell or phone from the car they honk their horn (because apparently everyone in the street nees to know it's pick up time).

One of these days I will go out there and ask what the problem is that he would like my assistance with....

you have an alternative solution - either a post a leaflet of how cars get stolen from the running of the engine brigade and the insurance refuse to cover the car with keys inside.. regardless of whether the car was locked or not it is not payable if the keys are inside the car