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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think someone driving their car round the corner might encourage them to think....

36 replies

Fedupofballs · 12/11/2019 07:10

Every morning I leave the house between 6:15 and 7am and every morning, without fail, the engine of a neighbour’s (unoccupied) car is running. It might be a coincidence that they happen to have a schedule exactly the same as mine and only run it for 5 minutes to warm it up! Am I being unreasonable to wish someone would move their car a few hundred feet just so they think twice....? This wouldn’t be me as I’m too much of a chicken (and don’t want to break the law!)

(Additional information for anyone interested - the car is a diesel Range Rover and this is in summer as well as November)

OP posts:
Livedandlearned · 12/11/2019 07:20

It probably won't be long before their car is stolen anyway

AmIThough · 12/11/2019 07:28

Yeah YABU because by the sounds of things it has exactly 0 impact on your life.

I'd understand if it was a Subaru at 2am but if you're leaving your house anyway, what's the issue?

Cue the 'it's bad for the environment' comments.

honeyloops · 12/11/2019 07:28

I wouldn't be able to resist doing something - partly because you're not supposed to leave your car idling anyway! Put something inside it. Then you're not moving their car, taking anything, etc, but they get the message. Maybe a creepy face mask on their dashboard or a note saying YOU'RE KILLING THE PLANET FASTER YOU DICK.

Alarae · 12/11/2019 07:30

Are they demisting their screen?

I have to sit in my car for five minutes during the winter due to condensation on the inside. I can't drive off as I can't see..

AloeVeraLynn · 12/11/2019 07:30

Yanbu it's really fucking obnoxious. Our neighbour has a grotty old Subaru that "needs to warm up". Everyone on the street hates her.

EntropyRising · 12/11/2019 07:31

Cue the 'it's bad for the environment' comments.

Well, yes.

How do you know the car isn't locked?

It's unsociable and bad for local air quality.

Wildorchidz · 12/11/2019 07:31

Yeah YABU because by the sounds of things it has exactly 0 impact on your life.

Are you really that clueless???

LolaSmiles · 12/11/2019 07:33

YABU but surely if you've got a coat on and are dressed appropriately surely you just sit in your car for a couple of minutes until you've got clear windows and then go.

It's only a matter of time before their car gets stolen or something happens to it.

Winterdaysarehere · 12/11/2019 07:34

It is an offence. Report him.

AmIThough · 12/11/2019 07:35

@Wildorchidz I've re-read OP's thread and I'm 99% sure she wants them to realise someone could steal it rather than the environmental implications.

megletthesecond · 12/11/2019 07:35

Yanbu.
I'd report it to the council. No-one is meant to leave a vehicle idling.

megletthesecond · 12/11/2019 07:35

If you're somewhere in a town the parking warden might deal with it.

PlanDeRaccordement · 12/11/2019 07:49

I think RRs have keyless remote ignition and immobilisers so even running, it cannot be stolen so long as the key is outside it. On snow days, I have coworkers come into my office and use their remotes to start their RRs in the car park the last ten minutes of the working day.

NewtonPulsifer · 12/11/2019 07:54

Some high end cars have a setting where you can schedule them to start up to warm up, demist etc on a timer, without you even getting out of bed. The car stays locked and immobilised. Horrible for the environment.

Original poster
Fedupofballs · 12/11/2019 08:12

That explains it then. The environmental impact is horrendous. It must be running for a good 45 minutes some mornings, even in summer when it doesn’t need de misting. I’ll just continue to be silently judgemental!

OP posts:
Nighttimefreedom · 12/11/2019 08:14

Particulates from exhaust fumes are contributing significantly to ill health and damaging to the environment.

cookiemonster5 · 12/11/2019 08:25

High spec cars can be remotely started to warm up and demist. How do you know they don't have that feature? Me and hubby will go out and start our car in the winter to de-ice and demist then lock it, get the kids ready then head out.

It's not an offence at all so nothing to report like a pp claims.

thecatsthecats · 12/11/2019 08:25

I think a lot of city born people have no idea how foul the air is because they're used to it.

I grew up in the countryside, and also went for a month long trip to NZ. I felt like wearing one of those Japanese face masks my first week back in the UK.

Kazzyhoward · 12/11/2019 08:28

What would the difference be if he was actually sat in whilst warming up/demisting or whatever it's doing? Would you feel happier if you could see a human sat at the driver's seat? Perhaps the owner should put in a cardboard cut out?

EleanorReally · 12/11/2019 08:30

45 minutes?
that is ridiculous

EleanorReally · 12/11/2019 08:31

leave a note on the windscreen, i dare you

Tensixtysix · 12/11/2019 08:32

Even my 15 year old Mazda has electric windscreen and mirror heaters. Don't need to run the engine for long to demist.

JonSlow · 12/11/2019 08:33

I have a car from the same make. I can start it from my phone to heat up.

GummyGoddess · 12/11/2019 08:34

I'm pretty sure it is an offence to leave the car idling, we had leaflets this time last year from the council telling us not to.

alittlequinnie · 12/11/2019 08:34

I thought it was an offence according to the Highway Code to leave the car running unattended and to leave the engine running at all. I'm sure the HC states if your wait is going to be more than a couple of minutes you should turn the engine off.