To ask why people leave their engine running?

[Idontlikecheesecake]

I hate seeing people sitting in the cars, on their phone and the engine is running. Why do it? Do they not realise the climate is in crisis? And it’s wasting their fuel thus wasting their money. I walked through the car park at work today and I must have seen at least 4 cars with their engines running and the drivers were just sat on their phones. I was tempted to knock on some of their windows and tell them to turn the engine off, but I imagine that would be unreasonable (would it???). I genuinely want to know why people do it?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the fact that it’s illegal

*Get in, turn car on and then decide to check phone before pulling away? 10 mins can go by easily.

It’s non of your business though so I wouldn’t knock on the window.*

But it's both illegal to leave your engine running AND to use your mobile whilst the engine is running. Why on earth wouldn't you just check the phone before turning the engine on?

Air con/heating/charging a phone probably.

Yep, as PPs pointed out: dicks.

Air con/heating/charging a phone probably

Probably but you'd have to be incredibly selfish to think they'd be good reasons for polluting the air that everyone around you is breathing.

V selfish especially in residential areas at night

Air con? Heater? Music? Charging something?

Do it in our road dh asks you to turn it off. Live next to a primary. We find it’s only quite thick people that do it

Because they are selfish wotsits. Especially when also parked on pavements.

I live opposite a scholl and the number of oarents who arrive early and keep their engines on is astonishing. As is teh number of children who need collectong from 2 roads away but that is another thread.
I am currently waiting for DS2 and i know that can open a window, wear coat, take a book, charge my phone at home.
Take your baby out for walk.
None of the reasons given on this thread justify creating more pollution and damaging other people's lungs.
Selfish entitled dicks is right.

@Tess83 - in the winter it would be to warm the car up and put the wind screen heater on to melt any ice.

In the summer to put the air con on...

Phone might need charge too.

But it's both illegal to leave your engine running AND to use your mobile whilst the engine is running. Why on earth wouldn't you just check the phone before turning the engine on?

Not on your drive it isn’t!

"17:22Tess83

Air con/heating/charging a phone probably

Probably but you'd have to be incredibly selfish to think they'd be good reasons for polluting the air that everyone around you is breathing."
That sounds a bit ott if you ask me. Doubt people are dropping dead like flies from running your engine for 5 mins, suppose theyd been on the road for a bit longer, same outcome?!

Drives me mad, I live in block of
Flats right on the pavement. Vans cars will all come and run engines for 20-30-40min throughout the day and night. Just no need so close to people’s windows.

It's not ott @DoubleDolphin it's a simple statement of fact. I didn't say that people were ' dropping dead like flies from running your engine for 5 mins', if I had that might have been OTT but I didn't. I said that by running your engine you are polluting the air that everyone around you is breathing. Clearly that is the case. Whilst that pollution isn't likely to lead to people 'dropping dead like flies' immediately, air pollution is a significant factor in a range of serious diseases so stopping engine idling across the country is likely to save lives.

As to whether it is the same as driving for 5 more minutes well (a) the two aren't connected, idling your engine doesn't cut your drivng time so it is not relevant to the conversation and (b) it seems that idling your engine is more polluting that driving. Idling also concentrates the fumes in particular ares which is why it is so harmful outside of schools especially as children are particularly affected by air pollution.

Some of the comments on here make me laugh. MN hates cars. Hates them. 😆 I trust you all drive fully electric cars, yes? At the very least an efficient hybrid? No? Surely you turn your engines off in stationary traffic, then? No?

@DalzielandPaxo I drive a fully electric car, so I guess I'm allowed to have an opinion, yay!

I hate it, it's unnecessary and antisocial, and needlessly bad for the environment. Ridiculous that people can't cope with being a tiny bit cold, or hot, or bored for 5 mins.

@BoingBoingyBoing

Usually because they are inconsiderate dicks.

This. It’s illegal. And for good reason. Twice the pollution when it comes out of a stationary car.

Tess83....sorry to say it, but noone really cares. Prople will run their engines next week, next year, next 10 years.

@DoubleDolphin yep. If my baby is asleep in the car and that day’s clime requires air con/heat, I shall be running the engine to provide that and get a few minutes of respite from an unhappy baby. As a balance, my house is entirely self-sufficient and runs from solar, battery and ground source heat.

Tess83....sorry to say it, but noone really cares.

Well, to be accurate, some people don't care. Many do.

My neighbour does this! His car was running outside his house, I went out, came back 3 hours later and it was still running. Boyf confirmed it had been running the entire time! No idea why he didn't go and ask said neighbour. I went round and asked what he was doing and he said he was charging the battery!!! What a bloody idiot, leaving it running for 3 hours is t going to charge the battery, is it!!!

leaving it running for 3 hours is t going to charge the battery, is it!!!

That’s precisely what it’s going to do, although it wouldn’t need 3 hours to do so.

@captainprincess err...yes it would. Running the engine means the alternator provides electricity to charge the battery...

Car batteries aren’t like normal batteries which just run down with use...

It’s unspeakably selfish. And illegal. And selfish.

I don’t hate cars. They are useful. But, maybe other than the sleeping baby/only 20 minutes in the day to yourself thing, these excuses are all pretty rubbish. Charge your phone over night. Put a coat in the car if it’s cold. Park in the shade if it’s hot.