To think people can defrost their cars without running their engine all morning?

[shinysnowman]

I start work in a couple of hours. I have been awake since 5am, due to a steady flow of neighbours who have sat in their car with their engine running, one actually revving their engine constantly, waiting for their car to defrost. The first at 5am, each for a good 15 minutes each. It's been the same every day this week.

Don't people scrape their cars anymore? Is it wrong for me to be annoyed and think that they are being inconsiderate?

(Apologies to those with DC who are dragged up with them at this time!)

People have said "bollocks" and other various comments but does anyone have a solution?

I would also love to know how it's possible to demist the inside without turning the car on. Other than witchcraft I can't think of how this is possible.

Maybe we should just drive away and use the force.

"just get a cloth or some kitchen roll and wipe it"
This wouldnt work. Its ice inside aswell as out.

Stupid question... I don't have one of those proper windscreen covers but would a blanket or towel over the windscreen over night stop the ice? Realise I'd have to ensure it was bone dry first.

Even when it's no ice inside (like this morning) wiping only clears them for an instant and then they mist back up. So you either drive along constantly wiping or you wait a few mins.

I don’t know how people manage to demist the inside without having the car running. I wipe mine down really well, but until the fans have had a bit of a go, it just mists up again. It’s an old car and it is a real problem.

Given that every minute running is costing me money, it’s hardly something I do for fun and I certainly don’t go back in for a cuppa, I’m outside chipping at the ice!

It's so cold where I am that I have to properly heat the windscreen. Wiping off the mist on the inside won't cut it, because if the screen isn't heated enough it starts refreezing as I drive down the road and visibility quickly reverts to shit.

My 07 plate Vauxhall takes about 10 minutes to clear the windscreen, it's a bloody nightmare.

Couple of hot water bottles on the dash as soon as you get up. By the time you've showered and had breakfast etc they should have melted most of the ice and warmed the inside of the windscreen so no fogging up.
I read this on MN a few years ago and do it every winter now.

Do windscreen covers work to prevent the outside icing up?

I think what’s more worrying if the amount of drivers who don’t take the time to make sure that their car is properly clear (and not about to mist up again just up the road) before setting off

Then you might consider walking, if you cannot deal with your car.

Why should pedestrians put up with your fumes? I choose to walk, why do you feel that the right of your children to sit in a warm car outweighs my and my children’ right to clean air?

Why would I go outside and scrap when I can be inside and press a button on my phone and my car will be clear and warm when I go out.

Electric car, so very quiet and live on noisy busy road.

I used to fill a hot water bottle and put on the dash 15 minutes before I left for work, it cleared inside and out and then I jumped in and put the hot water bottle on my lap on my drive to work, lovely and toasty!

Uh-huh, I’ll just walk 7 miles along country lanes with no pavements with a four year old. 👍

The inside of my windscreen takes forever to clear. I scrape the outside of the windows but the inside has only just started to clear by the time I've done that. And if the car is not warm when I set off, my glasses steam up and i can't see where I'm going! So I'm afraid I have to run my engine - although I'm not doing mine until 8.20. I'd rather annoy the neighbours and pollute the atmosphere than be a danger like some if my neighbours, who drive off without clearing their screens properly, get around the corner and realise they can't see a thing so randomly pull up somewhere dangerous or risk running someone down on the road which has no pavement!

As per pp, it's not the outside, it's the inside. No other option I have found.

Hard thinking?

Because I think people have the right to breathe clean air?

My car is old and doesn't have AC and the fans aren't great either. I cover mine when it is frosty so there is no ice to scrape on the outside.

But I still have to scrape ice off the inside; and as pp says, the windows are misted up. Driving off with foggy windows is obviously ridiculous.

As for the hour, well tough shit. That's when I go to work. I'm not hanging about in below zero temperatures just to spite you, just as those who wake me up late at night don't do it to spite me.

(And like flouncyfanny, I lock mine up with the spare key while I go and get my bags and coat together)

Hot water bottle seems like a good idea, going to try that

I turn on my car to demist whilst I scrape. The back door freeze (sliding) so I have to warm the car. I'm guessing this thread is telling me to get up and check if I need to scrape

Then you might consider walking, if you cannot deal with your car.

Sure! I'll walk as soon as they let pedestrians wander along 40 miles of motorway twice a day. I think my employer will be fine with it too.

Why do you seem to think we can't "deal" with our cars when we are doing exactly that?