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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to leave my engine running for ten mins at 6.45 each morning (M-F)?

801 replies

ThreeJumpersIsNotEnough · 16/12/2018 17:21

Neighbours have just come to the door with a Christmas card and a polite request to be more quiet in the mornings.

I usually leave at 7am to drop dd at breakfast club and get myself to work at 8am (I work Mon-Fri only - no weekends).

Now it's getting colder, the car is unbearably cold in the mornings so last week I started nipping out 10-15 mins earlier while dd was brushing her teeth so the car would be warm for us getting in and the frost/ice would be mostly melted from the window.

Neighbours have revealed that they are normally woken by me leaving most mornings at 7am but they can put up with it as I leave immediately so they are able to go back to sleep. However, they are not willing to put up with what I've been doing recently as they have found it impossible to go back to sleep having been awake for so long waiting for me to leave with the engine running ... Hmm

They have suggested I park further away from the house.

This is my first winter with these neighbours. They only moved in beginning of the year and we're polite to each other but not any more than 'hello' acquaintances. We live very rurally - just our two houses - in woodland area. Any noise carries and it is mostly silent (why I moved here - now I'm the one being a noise pest, it would appear). No street lights. 5 minute drive down our landlord's private (god awful road) onto the public road where there are other houses.

If I parked further away, that is further for me and DD to walk to the car each morning - in the pitch black - with our bags. Likewise, it is further for us to walk to the house each evening when we get back.

Not sure what the solution is. I told them I wasn't keen to park farther away (due to the above concerns) but they've asked me to give it a try at least for tomorrow. I've agreed to try it.

AIBU to ask for your ideas on what a peaceful resolution to this would be?

OP posts:
Hohocabbage · 25/12/2018 00:01

I always use deicer, dh warm water. I’m the only one who’s ever had a cracked windscreen, in 20 years.

PigletJohn · 25/12/2018 00:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Booksandwine80 · 30/12/2018 14:08

YABVU

How precious are you?! Put a jumper on Hmm

tonglong · 07/01/2020 17:34

Someone was killed because they did not clear the screen correctly. The police have launched a campaign to make sure everyone can see correctly before you move.

news.met.police.uk/news/met-launches-number-readyfortheroad-initiative-390967

BottleOfJameson · 07/01/2020 17:36

Just wear what you would wear if you had to wait at a bus stop. You can still de-ice the window without the engine running.

Thingsdogetbetter · 07/01/2020 17:46

Zombie

tonglong · 07/01/2020 17:51

No the car screen should be warm and clear before you move.

If you clear it by hand as soon as you drive off the screen will must up because it is cold.

Why compromise safety. Someone has died because they could not be bothered to wait.

The police will be pulling people over who have not got a clear screen.

mencken · 07/01/2020 17:54

zombie! With luck the OP's car has been stolen by now to solve this problem. It must have been really shit if it took 15 mins to clear, even my 15 year old car cleared its screen in two mins after I did the manual scraping.

TheGirlWithAPrince · 07/01/2020 18:09

I hate this, like why be so inconsiderate? Sorry your cold. Wear more layers dont disturb me. I used to work nights and have neighbors like this.

tonglong · 07/01/2020 18:18

Wow it's inconsiderate to make sure it's safe to drive.

I hope the police get those who don't care before more people are killed.

news.met.police.uk/news/met-launches-number-readyfortheroad-initiative-390967

Jomarchsburntskirt · 07/01/2020 18:18

It’s a traffic offence of quitting. Not to mention if your car gets nicked your insurance may not pay up.

Throckmorton · 07/01/2020 19:55

Zombie thread!

Yeahnah2020 · 07/01/2020 19:58

Yes . That would really piss me off.

user68901 · 07/01/2020 19:58

You’re pathetic. Put a coat and gloves on for gods sake . The car heats up more quickly when being driven.

Fr0g · 07/01/2020 20:00

you are being entirely unreasonable - amazed you even have to ask that.

hopefully someone will steal your car

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 07/01/2020 21:42

YABU.

Crazycrazylady · 07/01/2020 21:48

Agree it's unfair on your neighbours at that hour. To be fair cars warm up pretty quickly once you get moving

Pumpkinpie1 · 07/01/2020 22:03

I’m amazed you think doing this so early is acceptable

Rainbunny · 07/01/2020 22:05

I would hate it if my neighbours did this, the vibrations of a car engine is a far more disruptive sound than you might realise. For a few minutes of unpleasant coldness I would suck it up.

You could buy some cheap fleece blankets to wrap around yourselves and maybe a hot water bottle to carry if you think you need it. My neighbour bought a big cheap sleeping bag for her two children to cover themselves with in the back of her car on cold mornings, that seems to work well.

Throckmorton · 07/01/2020 23:00

ZOMBIE THREAD!!

VestaTilley · 07/01/2020 23:02

You're being extremely unreasonable and antisocial OP. Pack it in.

Throckmorton · 07/01/2020 23:40

ZOMBIE THREAD

tonglong · 07/01/2020 23:59

@Throckmorton if you don't like the topic why try shut everyone else down with your Zombie chant

Saying Zombie thread is in itself a Zombie like action.

1Morewineplease · 08/01/2020 00:03

Extremely unreasonable, environmentally unfriendly and socially unacceptable.
De-ice using a scraper / spray ( unfriendly I know) and sit in the car far a couple of minutes .
Leaving a car idling is also illegal.

Throckmorton · 08/01/2020 00:15

oh do sod off tonglong - I was trying to save people the bother of getting involved in a thread where the OP has long since resolved the issue.