...to turn off a car that has been idling outside my window for over an hour?

[PrincessBuggerPants]

Because I did earlier, and my husband is shocked.

Neighbour left his cab idling, with the hood popped up for well over an hour, maybe two, outside my house. Seeing the hood popped up I assumed some problems with it, so ignored it and felt a bit sorry for him tbh.

Well over an hour later he is nowhere to be seen and the noise is really starting to grate as it is right outside the window to the room I am trying to work from. And it smells funny. I go out to have a look for him and can't see him in the street. I realise I can just turn it off by turning the key, so I did.

I go back inside the house. He appears 30 seconds later, looks miffed, pops hood down. Disappears again.

Reappears 10 minutes later and drives it round the corner. It is still sat there, turned off with the hood down.

WIBU?

@Ribrabrob

Bet you’re the busy body in the neighborhood aren’t you OP? You know, the one that gets involved in everybody’s business.

It’s ridiculous that a car with its engine running bothered you so much. I suggest a hobby :)

Ah I see. You are one of those people who thinks you have the right to make as much noise as you like and anyone who complains is a moany old whingebag.

A car idling for an hour outside their house would piss most people off I think.

youre meant to actually drive it for a few miles not idle it for ages

Only if you get caught!

Once I was arriving at my parents and I noticed their neighbours car was running on the drive with no sign of neighbour, I went to get something from my car about 25 min later and noticed it was still running. Thinking this was strange I walked over to check if she was there and saw her lying in her living room floor unconscious. I don't think you were wrong to turn the car off but I think you should have checked on the owner first.

@Ribrabrob

Bet you’re the busy body in the neighborhood aren’t you OP? You know, the one that gets involved in everybody’s business.

It’s ridiculous that a car with its engine running bothered you so much. I suggest a hobby :)

Bet you're the anti social neighbour that decent people can't stand

Get some courtesy and decent manners

I'm glad you care for the local environment. I hope I never need to use his cab.

I used to have to do this every morning with an old classic I had. Not for that long but it certainly was part of why I sold it.
I don’t have neighbours nearby but still!

Even if he was charging his battery, it is really antisocial to leave the engine idling outside someone's window. There must have been more fumes than oxygen in the air, it must have STANK! Never mind what that shit is doing to your lungs. Well done, OP, I wish I was as brave as you!

@PrincessBuggerPants

So he was charging the battery!

I did wonder. He should have told me though if he was going to leave it on outside my window for hours. Or at least left a note.

Well because unless it’s parked on your private property it’s none of your business. I wouldn’t think to tell my neighbours that I was charging my car battery

It would have been better for the car owner to have gone on a drive to charge the battery. Not antisocial then, and uses less fuel.

@fascinated

I was told it takes fifteen mins just to cancel out the impact of turning on the ignition and firing it up. Only then do you get incremental increases

That's interesting. Funny the different versions we all get.

This is the kind of thing I fantasise about when people leave their engines idling on a morning.

@Nottherealslimshady

That's ballsy and hilarious! Someone could have got in it and drove off just as easily, silly man.

Yes to this.

Just to flag a legal triviality. We are actually on a private road, so not entirely sure the police would have been relevant.

When you say private road, is it gated or barriered so only residents can access it? Or is it privately owned and maintained but open to access? If it's the latter, normal traffic laws still apply.

In any case, the cabbie leaving his vehicle with the keys in the ignition was stupid. When it gets stolen like that his insurance won't pay out.

The man can poison the air all he likes, and make as much noise as he wishes, and make up his own
law, ..... but only after he has moved to his own private planet.

The bus thing is odd. Why do they do it? Starting at dawn, here, outside a block of flats. Why?

It is open access though the road is privately owned by the freeholders who own houses on the estate, including us. That is interesting what you say about legal rules still applying.

Funnily enough another neighbour, a little old man decided to park his car in the exact same spot outside my window, to inflate his tyres with a hand held thingy at the exact same time today. It also involved leaving his engine running for two hours.

What is going on ??

Bizarre that you think he should have come and told you but you didn’t knock on his door to ask what was going on. Communication is genuinely courteous whatever side of the things you’re on.

Have you nothing better to worry about?

He was perfectly entitled to do what he was doing.

I don't like my neighbour starting machinery up to do his garden at 6:45 am in the morning but I've no control over it. It's discourteous at best.

Glad I’m not alone on this - idling grates so much - it’s inconsiderate and the pollution is awful