Aibu to ask parents to shut off their engines whilst dropping kids at nursery

[Higgeldypiggeldy35]

Real bee in my bonnet today because for the 4th day in a row when dropping off my toddler at nursery and trying to wrestle him back into his shoes/coat, some thoughtless parent has left the engine running on their car whilst dropping off their kid and having a chat with staff. I'm pregnant so maybe I'm a bit more sensitive to the smell of car fumes but it was making me gag, by I'm more concerned about the little toddlers running around at fumes height. I've asked them to request parents turn their engines off when in the car park. Now I'm worried I'll be seen as THAT parent haha. I think their should be signs up in the car park because I'm sure most parents don't want their and other folk's kids exposed to toxic fumes, but why don't they just think?!

People get out of their car and leave it on? Is that really a thing? Doesn’t that just mean someone can steal their car because surely they can’t lock it? I’m assuming insurance wouldn’t cover it because they’ve virtually given the keys away!

I had to ask this at our nursery because parents were backing up to the fenced off play area so their exhaust fumes were going through and over the fence where the children were and leaving their engines on.

Baffled me how the parents couldn’t see this fact ! Idiots

remember it's dangerous to wear a thick coat under a seat-belt, and if you're going to have to get out to wrestle a coat on then get back in, you've just lost half the heat out of your car to do it.

Blankets and / or hot water bottles. We had freezing fog yesterday, I still wouldn't sit with the engine running.

then you might have to turn it on to warm a car up and then turn it off again after a bit - especially if other children are in the car.*

That just baffles me. It is dangerous to leave the engine on when you’re just sitting in the car, especially for children.

The police frequent a cffee shop on my road in their breaks. They leave the cars idling. Something to do with the computer running but it is absolutely ridiculous that they do this. There will be four big cars running and hey are inside getting coffee

People get out of their car and leave it on? Is that really a thing

Yes it is. Every single delivery driver does it. Leaves the van in blocking the road or just stops anywhere and never bothers the switch off the engine or the blasted Kiss FM or whatever it’s they have blaring.

You don’t need your engine running to have the heating/radio on. The average wait for pick up or drop off is probably about 15-20 minutes.

OP - search for Idling Action, they have toolkits for schools/businesses and printable posters with info about things like how long you can run heating etc without engine running as well as information on enforcement of penalties for idling vehicles.

Be that person, vehicle emissions are the cause of early deaths and lung conditions.

but probably have done it when getting cash or dashing for a takeaway.

No. Why would I do that? Having already had a car stolen (not my fault at all) I would never leave my engine running to get cash or a takeaway.

I agree with the suggestion to mention it to the nursery and ask them to contact all parents requesting that they switch their eingines off, aslo to point out it is illegal to leave them running.

@TreestumpsAndTrampolines why is it dangerous to wear a thick coat under a seat belt? I have never heard of this.

That just baffles me. It is dangerous to leave the engine on when you’re just sitting in the car, especially for children.

How? I'm there, so they're not going to knock it into gear - do you mean fumes coming in? That's really not a thing.

And again, I don't mean continuously, I mean I'm there for 45 minutes waiting for the eldest, with the younger one in the car. So yes, if it gets cold in the car after 20 mins, I'll put it on for a couple to warm us up again. Just like at home, if we get cold, I'll boost the heating, which will similarly burn oil to give us heat.

@Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone it's TWOC taking without consent, still illegal

why is it dangerous to wear a thick coat under a seat belt? I have never heard of this.

Because the padding now means that you can slip out as the belt isn't as tight against you. Have a google, or watch the youtube crash videos.

Not to mention restricted movement for adults if you're in something bulky, so you can't look behind you as easily for instance.

@audhvamm thanks for the info

FFS it's not Antarctica!
Crank you heating up as you drive there, then the car temperature will stay for decent for 10mns.
Radios can run 15mns with no engine.

When I collect my daughter I park and wait 10ish mns. There are always at least 8/10 huge BMWs/SUVs with engines running.
Drives me mad and I judge big time-
I feel sorry for people who live near schools.

And again, I don't mean continuously, I mean I'm there for 45 minutes waiting for the eldest, with the younger one in the car. So yes, if it gets cold in the car after 20 mins, I'll put it on for a couple to warm us up again.

If you know you're going to be waiting for 45 minutes and it's a cold day then plan ahead, take blankets, a hot water bottle or flask of tea. Or get out for a walk to stretch your legs.

Good luck with that. People are selfish and/ or clueless. Don’t give a shit.

@treestumpsandtrampolines it really is a thing. The fumes of course will make their way into your car and affect yourself and your other child not to mention any people near by. If you can't take a hot drink, wear gloves and coat/hot water bottle etc then it would be better to drive home and come back to be honest. Or get out the car and go for a walk to warm up.

Keep a couple of small fleecy blankets in your car. They go over car seat straps or over you.
@TreestumpsAndTrampolines

It’s illegal. Always has been. Ridiculous behaviour.

It’s a revolting and selfish thing to do, I’d definitely have asked the nursery to remind people not to do it.
I loathe the smell myself now as we’ve driven full EV’s for the last 6 years charged via our own renewable electricity (polishes halo )

How? I'm there, so they're not going to knock it into gear - do you mean fumes coming in? That's really not a thing.

Firstly it is a thing (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160825084841.htm), and secondly it’s possible that the poster means the safety of children OTHER than your own. I know - mindboggling! I’ve noticed the worst culprits nearly always drive SUVs as well.

Anyway YANBU OP. I can’t see any compelling justification for it anywhere really (‘I might get a bit chilly, sob’ isn’t hugely compelling), but especially not outside a school or nursery - given the risks of this are so well-documented: www.childinthecity.org/2020/04/29/children-face-three-times-more-air-pollution-during-school-drop-off/?gdpr=accept

then it would be better to drive home and come back to be honest.

Now I've heard it all! Better to drive the car around using much more fuel than turn it on for a couple of minutes to warm it up!?!

We have to stay close anyway, the rules are that we're not to leave, and they've requested that we don't all get out and wander around the side of the pitch because of social distancing. So we spend the time doing the little one's homework/reading in the car (so no gloves)

And again, the hot water bottle (assuming it was still hot an hour after we'd left home) would have come from me burning oil at home instead. And with no toilet facilities available until we're home over an hour later, hot drinks are a bad plan.

Leaving it idling sitting in traffic jams, or when going into get a takeaway, pointless. When you are in the car, using it as basically a mobile room, then using the engine as the generator it is, to make some heat as required is entirely reasonable IMO. Vs making a picnic/hot water bottle and sitting there immobilised by coats and scarves.

Pollution levels inside cars were found to be up to 40% higher while in traffic jams or at a red traffic light compared to free-flowing traffic conditions

So they advised you turned the fans off, and shut windows. ie. it's sucking in the fumes from the exhaust pipe right in front of you, not from your own, which is firing out the back to the people behind you in a jam.

A car parked in the carpark at the football pitch is different to nose to tail traffic in a queue obviously.

It's called "idling".
I remember my children's primary school sending out a specific text to parents requesting that they NOT do this.

Just awful for the air quality.

I think it doesn't occur to some people until it is explained to them.

I wonder what the legal position is if you just open the car door of the unattended vehicle, turn off the engine and just shut the door and walk away?

People running their car engines while stationary is polluting the atmosphere, adding to global warming, using up fuel resources and is bloody irritating when done outside my house at night, or early morning while the owner is scraping frost off the car. Tourist coaches running their engines for ages while passengers board are a real problem (pre-COVID obviously). Just bloody stop it.

In some countries it is actually illegal - eg. Canada, there are notices everywhere telling you the penalties for doing this. In this country it is only advised not to, but not a prosecutable offence. The law should be changed.