To remind you to turn your car over every now and then

[DuckyMcDuck]

Friend's DH works for a breakdown company and they're getting loads of calls to dead batteries from cars that are only being started once in a while when people need to go shopping.

I read the title and thought you meant turn in the way you (are supposed to) turn your mattress

Being reliant on my car, I've already decided that, while I only do a main food shop once a month (there's a little Tesco nearby to get bread and butter as and when with no car park), I need to drive the car once a week for around 20 minutes to ensure that, when I go to do my main shop/collect click and collect order (if I can get a slot!) I'm not in trouble. I know there's people that would disapprove of that action, but I don't really have a choice. There's only me in the house, and the closest people who I could ask for help are abusive family members who I try to have as little contact with as possible.

If standing for a few weeks drains your battery to the point where your car won't start you need a new battery anyway. I own two cars (one is for things like harrowing fields). The 4WD can sit for a couple of months without being used and still starts first time.

Good idea. We’re rural so have to drive to the supermarket, no shops nearby, but won’t hurt to make sure the cars are working regularly.

Am I alone in being unable to understand what risk there is to anyone in getting into a car alone, driving it for 20 minutes and getting out again? The unthinking obedience to the last full stop of the rules is making me think people are even more stupid than I previously believed.

If standing for a few weeks drains your battery to the point where your car won't start you need a new battery anyway

Untrue. If you don’t drive a hybrid for a couple of weeks the battery’s flat as a pancake. Even if the car’s six months old.

The danger in taking your car out is that you’ll break down or have an accident and need the emergency services who are busy elsewhere, and will be using fuel which might be needed for essential work - if too many people in then supply chain get sick or have to self-isolate at the same time, then supplies might not be assured.

I haven’t had a car break down in more than a decade, why would it suddenly happen now? Particularly since the car’s less than a year old. The roads are deserted, there’s never been less chance of an accident. This is exactly what I mean about swallowing “the rules” whole without passing them through your brain.

Am I alone in being unable to understand what risk there is to anyone in getting into a car alone, driving it for 20 minutes and getting out again?

It's not the act of you getting in the car that's dangerous. The problem is if you break down, have an accident or similar and need the emergency services or a mechanic to come out - you're then increasing the amount of contact you have with other people unnecessarily.

This is exactly what I mean about swallowing “the rules” whole without passing them through your brain.

Go out then, but police here are fining people for making unnecessary journeys. They're pulling people over and asking why they're driving - if they deem your reason to be unnecessary you'll be turned around at best, fined at worst.

Fortunately we have one of the sane and rational police forces here which is devoting its finite resources to dealing with crime.

if they deem your reason to be unnecessary you'll be turned around at best

Yeh, because the cops are literally gonna follow everyone home aren't they to ensure that thats where they go because they have nothing better to do? Sheesh.

I despair sometimes.

Cars are VITAL for key workers like the NHS staff who may well be having a break/rest/recuperating/assisting family/going shopping.

Should they stay in too and not drive their cars for days on end?

The thought police, and the police can go and take a running jump. If people need to drive their cars, they should. There is no law against it.

Also people being out and about in their cars normalises it. At the moment it is so quiet out, you feel quite conspicuous which is what 'they' want if people start going out again for unnecessary journeys movement will pick up, and we will be back to street partys and bbqs.

YABU. Just disconnect battery while the car is parked up. No brainer.

My Yaris hates being moved short distances (2-3ft). Especially after I've finished a long drive. Engine ends up flooding. So yes, move your car about properly, not a quick shuffle.

my old car wouldnt stand just turning it over it needed to be driven a few times my battery died

new car doesnt seem to be aq sbad but i wouldnt still turn ot over and not drive it just incase

Just disconnect battery while the car is parked up. No brainer

That would mean dismantling the entire car if you’ve got a hybrid.

I don’t have a lot of diesel in the van. I’m going to leave it. If it won’t start I will buy a new battery.

If it won’t start I will buy a new battery.

Or just charge it up or jump start it.

I didn't know you could still charge batteries! I remember Dad having a battery charger but I've always had to replace mine if they've gone flat

Well in Dublin a Luas tram was derailed this morning by what seems like a construction truck having run a red light. A lot of the comments on the Dublin Fire Brigade’s twitter feed are along the lines of huge numbers of vehicles speeding and running red lights in the city now it’s so quiet.

So perhaps a drive around just to charge the battery is not such a good idea - not because of your own actions in driving the car but the actions of other twats on the roads thinking rules don’t apply to them (rules of the road, lockdown rules, general awareness of others rules, take your pick...)

@SoupDragon depends on mechanic advice. I managed to completely bugger up by old battery and it wouldn’t hold charge.

@pussycatinboots if you are keeping eggs for a long time, turning them over once a week, and turning them back over the next week, helps them to stay fresh and edible for longer than just leaving them standing on the same end. I have no idea why, but it’s something I learned from people who live on cruising yachts who have very limited fridge space and often limited chances to buy groceries. But it does work.

If you do this ( and learn to ignore “use by” dates), check if the eggs are still ok to use by putting into a jug of cold water.

If they lie flat on the bottom of the jug, they’re still perfect.

If the sit on one end on the bottom of the jug, they are still fine to use but need to be used very soon.

If they float to the top, they are gone off and shouldn’t be used.

(We use this trick with DMILs eggs from her own hens, as we only know she gives us the freshest when we visit but we want to make them last so tend to ration them - knowing if ones from a visit a number of weeks previous are still ok is very handy. Our visits are not so often these days due to very busy lives and now CV.