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.

Oh and I have considered car getting nicked. It would be horribly bad luck and I am aware that we'd get no insurance. Given I have tried other alternatives (as other posters have) - it is an informed choice.

but back to your OP you are not concerned about your neighbours' cars being stolen, or their insurance or the ozone - its the fact that you are woken no?

surely everyone knows that if your keys are in the ignition and its stolen your not covered for insurance.

your "concern" is false. so either say it to the neighbours to please stop leaving their cars running in the morning as it is waking you from your slumber or put up.

Freudian, actually I walk my ds the mile to school and back in all weathers.
We live in a rural area so yes, a car is necessary but your argument that if I was concerned about the environment I wouldn't have one is pants. You can be concerned enough to want to lower your impact and not force other people to breathe in fumes unnecessarily. Like turning the engine off when stopped.

I do have a valid argument as I don't leave my car engine running. Not even for 5 mins let alone half an hour. And this is not just about air pollution but noise pollution.

Driving a cold car causes far more damage than warming the engine. The engine needs to be warm, the moving parts can be damaged if driven cold, warming the engine (not for half and hour though!) makes sure the oil has warmed and spread through the engine.

Its BETTER to warm your engine.

My DH waves back at Worra

My car is very unlikely to be nicked, but the cold DOES affect the central locking, so after an experience with being locked out of my car whilst its engine was running for 2 hours I now keep the door open/window down enough to be able to reach the keys... it still defogs the windscreen.

It not a waste of fuel either because you're using that fuel to get your car ready to drive.

It may annoy neighbours, but neighbours are annoying anyway. Fair's fair.

It harms the environment less than actually driving about (or de-icer) so in my opinion theRhubarb you've lost your argument

I still don't think YABU for being annoyed by it, lots of reasonable things annoy the life out of me. (Ill DH's being one of the most immediate gripes)

With regards to entropygirls question >How bizarre that people would rather be told that they are behaving antisocially rather than illegally....is this generally the case?

For me it about the honesty of the person approaching me. In Rhubarbs case, she's not really concerned with whether the person is going to be arrested for leaving their car running, so why bring it up? She's being disturbed and that's the real issue, so stick with that instead of pretending you're doing it for their own good.

entropy - I am liking your style - would you leave a chocolate as well and wear a black polo neck like the milk tray man?

Again scuzy - I have said that I am mainly concerned about them waking me up morning after morning and filling the air up with the smell of petrol fumes.

I could not give a toss if their car was stolen, I think that comes through in my posts? No? So no false concern from me.

And I have already said that I will have words. You may need to find a different AIBU for your Monday morning punch-up, sorry!

second everything aldiwhore says. yes you are NBU to be annoyed but what else are you to do!!! so like i said either go arund individually asking them your neighbours not to do it or else put up.

Always been told NEVER to throw hot water over an iced windscreen.

Ooops, just seen that scuzy's post says pretty much what mine did, sorry.

lol TheRhubarb why do you think i am gunning for a fight? i am repsnding like everyone else? i am replying to this thread as it is something i have done or experienced simple as.

Myth #1: The engine should be warmed up before driving. Reality: Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.

www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/idling.html

it can actually damage your engine

Aldi - the links I provided all say different.

I am providing good reasons for posters NOT to do this themselves. Or if they do, to stop doing it. Because it is illegal and does leave your car at risk and various websites like Haynes and Green Flag say it's unnecessary and wears the engine.

My own personal pov is that I think it's fair enough that I do not wish to be subject to the constant drone of car engines from 6am by drivers who leave them running for half an hour whilst they go back inside their houses across the road.

I think that is unreasonable.

just point me in the right direction.....

If you're not supposed to warm your car up, that begs the question why exactly my car has a remote starter...so I can warm the engine without actually leaving the house. Heavenly.

Well I hope we have all learned something useful today....

scuzy, lol back atcha babe!

Will you lot QUIT it with the HOT water? WARM water guys, WARM not HOT, WARM. Got that?
I know the bit about the kettle is confusing so instead let's say you fill up a JUG of warm water to defrost the car windows. I believe the Green Flag site said that this is acceptable and it has certainly worked for dh and I on the dozens of cars we have owned together and he has owned separately.

thecat surely that is not the first high-tech-gadget solution to a non-existent problem that you have come across?

that begs the question why exactly my car has a remote starter.

So you can damage the engine and they can sell you another, it will keep them in business

oh dear some people have far too much time on their hands, i couldn't get care less me, and yes i leave my engine running to defrost it, but i do sit in it, it takes me 5 mins! One i do have mobility issues, so can't manually scrape the bastard and the de-icer thing to press down, doesn't always work for me with my dodgy hands, too little for me to grip

I appreciate it breaks the law, but it's a minor to me, most of us break the law in driving, at one point or another?!

Tho i agree half a ruddy hour is alot to leave the car running for, i've never had to sit longer than 5 minutes?!

warm water drizzled over the roof line onto the windscreen. Or better still a sponge and rubber gloves and give the windscreen a quick wash over with warm lovely water - the rubber gloves are to get the neighbour going as he has a fetish

Lisa, you are not breaking the law if you stay with your car. You are only breaking the law if you leave a car unattended on a public highway with the engine running.

Here's some more info about idling and the myths surrounding it. It says that the only way to warm your car up to the required temp is to drive it.

Yes of course you need to de-mist windows and if that means 5 mins of being in the car with the engine running then that's fine. What I am talking about is just turning the engine on and then walking away for up to half an hour.

Does anyone here actually do that or think that this is at all necessary?

This thread makes me very grateful for a drive and and the fact I live in a completely normal neighbourhood where we all leave out engines ticking over in the mornings!

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ok so your point is valid to some extent but really your lecturing is not what is it achieving if you are not going to do something about it

instead of arguing your point on here print some leaflets up and post them through your neighbours doors they are probably not giving it a second thought

or do nothing and carry on having a moan on here