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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with the person next to me in the car park

77 replies

SpottieDottie · 06/06/2014 14:33

It's a lovely sunny day, nice and quiet in a small car park about to collect the DCs from school and the idiot in the black BMW next to me has been sitting with their engine running for the last ten minutes, really, thus spoiling my quiet time and polluting the air as well.
I wish I had the guts to say something....

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 06/06/2014 22:05

Oh, that's good. Probably just an entitled person. Grabby too, no doubt. There are lots of them about.

TheFairyCaravan · 06/06/2014 23:33

It might be the UK, but it still gets hot in cars on hot days. I take medication that makes me hotter, so winding down my windows isn't always enough.

If I get to the college 3 or 4 minutes before DS2 comes out and decide to leave my engine ticking over, for the sake of my well being, I will. I am not entitled, nor am I grabby! Hmm

Catsize · 07/06/2014 05:29

Do the people who leave their engines running a lot also leave them on if someone is washing their car at one of those drive-through-wash-cars-by-hand places?

RubySparks · 07/06/2014 05:39

It is an offence under the road traffic act 'stationary idling' and you can be fined with fixed penalty notice... Good thing just applies to cars!

FatherDickByrne · 07/06/2014 05:40

YANBU. I particularly hate it when lorries park up & leave their engines running for ages. The noise & pollution & waste of fuel & general disregard for the environment/anyone else make me ShockAngry.

MargotLovedTom · 07/06/2014 07:34

I said upthread "Why doesn't he get out of the car if it's that hot?". I'll rephrase it for those people on the thread who sit with the engine running and air con going: Why don't you get out of the car if it's that hot?

LynetteScavo · 07/06/2014 07:38

Yanbu

People who leave their car running really wind me up for some reason.

adsy · 07/06/2014 07:51

I hate it when people leave their engines running.
I was sat in a lovely spot overlooking a lake once and the nobber next to me had his engine on.
I tapped on his window and asked him to switch it off which he did with good grace

Lanabelle · 07/06/2014 08:00

maybe hes just had a jump start, cant switch his engine off incase the bugger wont start again, been in that position plenty times. stop being so bloody whingy - if you don't like cars running then don't take your quiet time in a car park

Billynomates71 · 07/06/2014 08:03

I do this sometimes. And I have a black BMW Blush

But I only do it for either the air on, or if I am in the middle of a telephone call on the hands free, am worried that switching the engine off will cut me off the hands free?

Didn't think I might be offending anyone .... Sad

TheFairyCaravan · 07/06/2014 09:15

Margot I am disabled, standing cause me a lot of pain. Getting in and out of the car causes me a lot of pain.

It's not always as easy as just getting out of the car!

Mim78 · 07/06/2014 09:21

Bad for the environment so from that pov he was unreasonable.

Mim78 · 07/06/2014 09:23

So is air con so I agree with get out of the car if hot. Air con should be used sparingly IMO anyway e.g. When stuck in a traffic jam on a really hot day.

Original poster
SpottieDottie · 07/06/2014 09:23

If it's an offence under the road traffic act then IWNBU :)

OP posts:
lljkk · 07/06/2014 09:26

Proves that petrol really isn't that expensive, doesn't it.

Freckletoes · 07/06/2014 09:38

I'm another one with you. Switch your engines off and open the windows or doors!! Charging a phone is no valid reason either. I bet all those people who leave engines idling are the same people who drive to and from places for distances of 1/4 mile!

heraldgerald · 07/06/2014 10:48

I'm amazed by how rude alot of the responses are on this thread- last time I checked the local car park wasn't full of cars running their engines. Which I do judge. I think it's selfish to others and polluting. You leave your car running to charge your phone?! Any one seen idiocracy Confused

Sparklingbrook · 07/06/2014 10:53

Do you have to have the engine running to charge the phone. Wouldn't it charge with the key in the position where you can listen to the stereo but not have engine running IYKWIM?

Cuteypatootey · 07/06/2014 12:51

Maybe they are enjoying time to themselves and you are annoying them by being judgy?

Sparklingbrook · 07/06/2014 12:55

Only if they are also mind readers Cutey.

Nicknacky · 07/06/2014 13:01

Do people actually care what others do to the extent they judge them on running their engines too long? I don't pay enough attention to what others are doing, would cross my mind to care at all.

Sparklingbrook · 07/06/2014 13:04

No, people probably don't notice everything that annoys them. Just occasionally you notice something that does that's all. Especially when you want some quiet time and folk are being needlessly noisy. Grin

Nicknacky · 07/06/2014 13:06

Like a few others said, if I was looking for quiet then I wouldn't be sitting near cars lol.

Sparklingbrook · 07/06/2014 13:09

That's why the OP ventured to the park with her Kindle presumably.

JohnCusacksWife · 07/06/2014 13:12

YANBU....idling cars are one of my pet hates. I think it's symptomatic of how "I'm alright, Jack" our society has become.