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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

601 replies

shinysnowman · 04/12/2019 07:12

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!)

OP posts:
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5
Trewser · 04/12/2019 10:46

It is only illegal on a public road. And even then noone cares.

pipnchops · 04/12/2019 10:47

Not sure I understand the argument that making a hot water bottle to put in your car to defrost and demist it is wasting water and energy when the alternative is leaving your car running, which is wasting petrol and adding fumes to the environment Hmm

Skyejuly · 04/12/2019 10:49

Mines an older car and it does take so much longer. I honestly dont care if I hear anyone doing it outside? Who cares? It's not me out in the cold so I dont get annoyed!

adaline · 04/12/2019 10:50

Why are people suggesting pouring water over their cars?

If it's that cold, it will just freeze on the road/pavement and turn into sheet ice, which is absolutely lethal - both for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Our old neighbour used to do this - never affected him as he lived at the top of the hill - while those at the bottom had to deal with his water freezing outside their house and turning the road into an ice rink!

Aridane · 04/12/2019 10:53

@Trewser - exactly! Still, it's something perhaps to log with 101 Grin

Quebeth · 04/12/2019 10:56

Hot water bottle is a faff. Just switch on the demister 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dementedmagpie · 04/12/2019 10:56

adaline
This what I thought. Creating extra ice on the pavements is just as, if not more, unsociable than running the engine.
And I can't understand why a car running with the engine on with no one in it is any different if the person was sat in there. Surely if we're complaining about unsociable noise and fumes they are the same if the car is occupied or not?

Sirzy · 04/12/2019 10:59

Hearing neighbours defrosting their cars is a good clue that I need to get up and out early!

pipnchops · 04/12/2019 11:00

Popping out to put a hot water bottle on your dashboard is no more of a faff really than going out and turning your engine on?

SoundofSilence · 04/12/2019 11:00

I start my engine and work my way round the car scraping the side and back windows, then by the time I get to the windscreen, the ice has started to soften and it's easier to scrape where I struggle to reach. It had never occurred to me that the minute or two of idling was enough to cause anybody a problem and I thought that using chemical de-icer was more of a environmental issue. I like the idea of the bag of hot water, going to try that tomorrow instead.

OhMsBeliever · 04/12/2019 11:02

I have a lovely new car and timed it warming up and defrosting and it took 3 minutes to get rid of the ice on the windscreen, and I didn't even scrape it.

In my previous cars it took ages, scraping the ice, waiting for the fans to warm up, waiting for the windows to demist etc etc. 3 hours later........ (slight exaggeration)

It was bliss to just get in and wait a few minutes and go and be warm in the car while waiting!

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 04/12/2019 11:02

Surely if we're complaining about unsociable noise and fumes they are the same if the car is occupied or not?

It started out as "ugh, noisy people disturbing me for no reason!" then moved to "Ugh, fumes!"

It's now a matter of social responsibility, and preventing crime, because it is an criminal offence don't you know, and people are really just worried for the social good of our heathen, demisting souls.

Expect a wide scale police crackdown imminently for this scourge on our society.

Grin
OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 04/12/2019 11:03

My old car was terrible, ice outside, ice inside. I have reynauds too so after a little bit of scraping my hands stop working. Even after scraping the ice from both out and in I'd have assy least 10 min wait with heater on full blast to clear enough mist to see. Even if I wiped the mist it would come back. I leave for work at 5.30 so I was an early engine on person.

I now have a fiesta with a heated windscreen. It is my fave thing in the whole world. I wish the side windows were heated too!

Vulpine · 04/12/2019 11:05

If its before 7am that would really annoy me

ChorleyFMcominginyourears · 04/12/2019 11:07

My car has a heated windscreen so I only need a minute or so with the engine running to demist the inside, I use de-icer on the side windows which then only needs wiping rather than scraping, job done.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 04/12/2019 11:07

I walk to work so rarely use my car first thing in the morning. This weekend when it was -2 on Sunday I needed the car and was amazed how long it took to defrost the car. I got all the ice off quite quickly but the windscreen took forever to demist with the engine running and the fans on. There's not much else people can do. Would you really want them setting off not being able to see?

Original poster
shinysnowman · 04/12/2019 11:08

@Vulpine it was 5am, 5:35, 5:50 and 6:15. All for a ridiculous amount of time. By the time it went quiet and I thought I could go back to sleep, the next started.

OP posts:
Careradvice2019 · 04/12/2019 11:12

Those doctor beckmann carpet cleaners with the brush ..y'know the ones the size of a flash bottle .. fill with warm water and use the brush to wash it off
Otherwise. Like me , invest in a cover for the windscreen, very cheap on groupon and they do work , I pull mine off in the morning and it's clear!!

snowybaubles · 04/12/2019 11:13

I start the engine, turn the fan on window full blast, order the read windscreen button and then get out and scrap all of the windows.

And lights. Scrape your lights. People often overlook them.

userxx · 04/12/2019 11:15

I'm guilty of doing it. I prefer cars running to the sound of scraping, that makes me want to stay in bed.

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 04/12/2019 11:16

I pull mine off in the morning and it's clear!!

Yes, I have a cover too and there is no ice, BUT the inside of the glass is foggy and needs sorting. That seems to be a significant problem for many of us on this thread. Bloody chemistry doing its thing first thing in the morning, disturbing OP on purpose!

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 04/12/2019 11:18

Does having a cover on the outside reduce the fog build-up on the inside?

Sirzy · 04/12/2019 11:19

I’m pretty sure it annoys the owners of the car having to be defrosting their car at 5am! Nobody does it for fun.

Pinktornado · 04/12/2019 11:19

Someone pinched my grandma’s neighbour’s car when he left it running in the drive and went in to have breakfast. We lolled a bit (he got the insurance).

Hingeandbracket · 04/12/2019 11:23

If only house builders would build a garage we could fit a car into......:
A lot of electric cars can be warmed noiselessly via an app.

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