To ask for ideas on dealing with a neighbour

[glitterelf]

This woman is driving us insane with her revving engine every morning from 5.20 - 5.40 trying to warm her car up. My husband has been moaning about it for a couple of weeks now but as he's already up and getting ready for work he tries to block it out. However this morning it's woken me and the noise is horrendous and totally unnecessary. I'm really pissed off as I grabbed my dressing gown and went outside only to reach the gate as she pulled away
I need to catch her later but how would you handle this situation ? Because right now my thoughts are pretty dark

Those suggesting windscreen covers and ice scrapers are missing the point that presumably she’s clearing the inside of the windscreen and windows. I never use anything to wipe the inside of the windscreen because even ‘non smear’ cloths do actually leave smears

Nope. I said I used a spot of deicer on a chamois and that sorts out ice on the inside. No smears either.

What I dont understand is why she is doing this even when there is no ice?? That’s just bonkers!! Is she terribly old fashioned (from the days when cars did need warming up or running in etc?) or is her car ancient? She is being terribly inconsiderate! I would print off from the web info regarding the fact that warming cars through is now nonsense, the fact that idling is illegal and a note that says that she is disturbing the entire road but if she feels she reallly must have the car on for 20 mins (eerrrrr environment? Hello?? ) then please just idle - no need for the bloody Lewis Hamilton style revving!!

You won’t have a problem soon as she’ll ruin her engine and not be able to drive it.

I don’t get how some people just do this kind of thing. Do they not think about others or do they not care

I think they just don't give a shit.

I was on a thread a few weeks ago defending the running of cars to defrost. I got loads of advice and have now totally changed my mind. It’s totally unnecessary. You need to write this list and hand it to her.

Pre icing spray (spray at night before the frost)
Front and rear screen covers (put on at night before the frost)
Ice scraper
RainX (it’s a product found in the car aisle in supermarkets/Halfords) anti-fog stuff for inside the windows/screens
Socks filled with rice on dash and parcel shelf
Mini dehumidifier boxes that fit under the front driver and passenger seats.

Honestly my mornings are so much quicker now I do these things. I literally jump in and drive once I’ve taken the covers off.

Buy her an ice scraper and tell her you aren't allowed to leave your car running like that.

From the OP at 0718:
it's not just a couple of days a year and there was no ice on the cars this morning just rain water.

It’s not just when she needs to dei-ice though - that’s what I cant get my head around!!

She’s defogging the inside of the windscreen. That was my problem. She needs the RainX and rice in socks. Rice in socks are magic

I find opening the windows works better at defogging the windscreen. Its cold but works.

With magic socks it doesn’t fog up in the first place can you tell I love my rice socks?

I'm grumpy and tired and I'm assuming she's working a 6-2 shift so I will try to catch her this afternoon when I'm on my second whim. I'll give her all the advice you brilliant lot have given

Does rainx work without having to wipe? It’s the defogging which is clearly the issue, not ice. I’ll buy rainx if it genuinely works. But I have never ever found a way of wiping with anything, including ‘non smear’ cloths, which genuinely don’t leave smears

What I did with the RainX was I cleaned my inside glass with window and glass cleaner and buffed it all so there was no cleaner left on the screen then put the RainX on with a new cloth and then buffed it off. It works for me. But I also have the socks.

The lad across the road from us used to do this, with added music. At 3.30am.
We did attempt to speak to them about it, but we didn't christen his father 'Uncle knob head' without reason. In the end I had a word with our local PCSO who paid him a visit.
From then on he became quite capable of getting into the car, starting it and leaving all within a few minutes. Miraculous.

IloveMaxBondi rice in socks?!! Do you mean just some bog standard rice in an old sock? Or is it some specialist thing you buy in a car place? I am intrigued as have never heard of it!!

Just knock on when she gets home and speak to her about it politely. Just say that the revving is really loud and it wakes you up.

If she doesn't stop doing it then I guess you either have to live with it or report her? Up to you which path you take.

Yes just bog standard rice. I bought a 4kg bag in ASDA and it’s filled two over the knee socks. one across the dashboard and The other on the parcel shelf. Admittedly it looks like I’ve dismemebered a woman and am taking her legs to work but the screen is permanently fog free

Oh so you dont wipe with them - just let them lie there? That is genius! Thank you!

I bought a dehumidifier bag from Amazon. It made no difference whatsoever.
In the end I used the old biker trick of fairy liquid rubbed on to the windscreen. It's like the cheap version of the rain x. It does work.

Yep just let them sit there. I’ve been brining mine in and putting them in the hot press over night once or twice a week to take any moisture out of them.

Oh that’s good to know ghost!

How do you do it? You dilute it with water?

ILoveMaxiBondi
I cleaned my window, put a blob on kitchen roll and rubbed it on. It went a bit smeary at first but the dried clear. I shall get some proper Rain X at some point but this does in a pinch.

Thanks alan!

Glitterelf did you manage to speak to your neighbour earlier?