AIBU?
To ask for advice on how to tackle this situation
pam290358 · 30/04/2021 09:26
We moved here recently and are near to a secondary school - closed during lockdown so not really any problems until kids went back to school after Easter. Since then one of the mums on the school run parks outside our house in the morning for drop off and afternoon for pick up. The issue is this. She turns up about twenty to thirty minutes or so minutes before school begins and before home time and sits in the car on her phone with the engine running - it’s a diesel car.
It started out as mildly irritating but I didn’t realise it would be every day and now it’s becoming a problem. It’s a loud engine and the fumes from the exhaust are coming in to the front lounge and bedroom. Problem is, I’ve mentioned this to a neighbour further down the road and she had the same problem with this person and asked her to either turn off the engine or move away from the house. She was met with abusive language and for the next couple of weeks loud music was added to the exhaust fumes before she moved to another spot. It’s really becoming a problem as my elderly mum is in the front bedroom and she’s really not well - she’s mentioned noise from the engine as well as the fumes coming in and I’ve shut the window as a temporary measure, but with summer coming, keeping windows closed won’t be an option. I know this may sound trivial to some, but how would you tackle it ? I think I’ve read somewhere that it’s against the law to sit with a car engine idling, but not sure. Advice please.
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 30/04/2021 09:33
It’s actually a breach of the Highway Code and you can be fined for it under the Road Traffic Act.
www.confused.com/on-the-road/driving-law/fines-for-idling
pam290358 · 30/04/2021 09:39
@ChazsBrilliantAttitude. Thanks for the link. I thought I’d read this somewhere but wasn’t sure if it was law or just a proposal. She’s just moved away after 40 minutes of noise and fumes so I think maybe I’ll print off this info and tackle her when she comes back for pickup.
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 30/04/2021 09:45
Here are the regulations
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1808/made?view=plain
See section 6.
pam290358 · 01/05/2021 11:16
@fdsit21 Am going to see what happens on Monday’s school run. I wasn’t sure if the law was with me on this one but have printed off the relevant section from the link very kindly provided upthread. It’s my intention to video her from when she turns up and throughout any conversation with her and then if she refuses, I can take it further with police. Can’t park my own car there as I have mobility issues and walking back would be problematic - I usually use a wheelchair outdoors and it’s not really a safe place to use the hoist, certainly not on any long term basis. She turns up early to get the parking space as we are nearest the school and if she left it later it gets really busy as parents turn up. I don’t have a problem with parents parking there but so far she’s the only one who leaves the engine running and I know it probably sounds trivial but it’s really causing problems with the fumes.
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