Idling cars

[VegMam]

AIBU to ask people with engines idling to switch them off (primary culprits are workmen and parents at schools)?

It’s terribly polluting and totally unnecessary. Drives me mad and I don’t know why so many people do it (and seem miffed when you ask them to switch their engines off)?

I've done this twice, I never got a reply.

Council maybe?

@fakereview

Here:-
"To recap, Toyota hybrids generally contain two batteries: a 12-volt battery (which powers systems such as the headlamps and audio) and a high-voltage hybrid system battery (which supplies the power to start the combustion engine and drive the electric motors). We recommend you put the car in ‘Ready’ mode for about 60 minutes
During the time that that car is in ‘Ready’ mode, you may hear and feel the internal combustion engine kick in; this is a normal part of the self-charging process."

Sorry your knowledge of cars is not brilliant.

@daimbarsatemydogsbone Because most of my trips during the week, are using on average 75% EV power any way negotiating the 1 hour if I need to charge it and also the mileage I get far exceeds any ICE car. Also as pointed out Hybrids have 2 different batteries and the one that is used for EV is completely separate from the 12v batter that has been recharged.

My god MumsNet is a dim echo chamber at times.

@lanthanum

I had some sympathy for the guys working on the building site near us who, in very cold weather, sat in their car with the heating on. However I did let them know that the nearby library was open, so there was a warm space to go without polluting the street.

And what did the builders say about your suggestion?

@Stellaris22

Hybrids are pointless marketing rubbish anyway.

If you buy a hybrid because you care about the environment, buy electric.

Any facts to back this up or is all in your head, also I have no room for a charging point as i live in a terraced house and through my job and electric car would not cover the miles i need each day and would cost to much time.

Also FYI my job is vital to protecting the environment any way but that is for another day, all I can say is that i do more to protect the environment on a weekly basis than you most likely will ever do.

Also FYI my job is vital to protecting the environment any way but that is for another day, all I can say is that i do more to protect the environment on a weekly basis than you most likely will ever do.

How wonderful. How do you do that?

This pisses me off SO MUCH. Always see it outside DS’ school. I get there early sometimes for pick up - if it’s cold I use a blanket. It’s mindless and inexcusable.

Understand the PP though with the newborn and the heatwave.

Totally agree. My personal bugbear in our relatively small nursery car park, where people leave them running WHILE THEY GO INSIDE TO GET THEIR KIDS

Weirdly it's always people with expensive cars. If I had the cojones I'd get in and drive them off, then point out they wouldn't have been insured if I was an actual thief. Aside from the pollution and also the young children nearby who may have asthma etc, I find the cavalier attitude to the motor getting nicked the most peculiar aspect.

The scratters round here could easily have half a million quid's worth of cars in a morning's work at our nursery. It's totally bonkers.

This really winds me up. I live on a road with two schools are so many parents sit outside the school for ages with their engines running.
I try and avoid going anywhere at school drop off or pick up time, but it can be unavoidable.
I do wonder whether the parents even think about the fact that their own little darling is also breathing in the fumes. The poor small ones in prams too, with the fumes right in their faces

I honestly don't think these people make the connection.

It's the sheer ridiculousness of parents sitting in idling cars, with parents and kids in prams on the pavement directly next to them.

How would they feel if their kids were next to an idling engine?

This really winds me up as they always park so close to the gate and their exhausts are polluting the entire walk up to the gate the selfish gits.

I wish there was a way to stop it, can’t be good for children to breathing it in every morning and afternoon.

I find parents are particularly bad for doing this whilst waiting for DC at activities. I take Ds to swimming where you take them in, then leave and wait 30 min in your car and come back, no waiting inside. So many people leave their engines running the entire 30 minutes. It really makes me angry. When it's warm, I have to park in the furthest corner so that I can have my windows down without suffocating. The car AC doesn't even work well after a few minutes if you're not driving. Such twattish behaviour.

Likewise, collecting DD at dance late at night. Everyone parks in a U shape and leaves their engines running with headlights on dazzling everyone else.

We live on the edge of our village and get many delivery vans/ BT/ Sky/ utility vans parking in front of our house for lunch/ break. Nearly always leave their engine running the entire time.

The actor Nigel Havers is a big campaigner for this. I bet people are nicer when it's him asking them to switch off!

I deliberately chose a swimming club for DD that was walking distance. We get parents who sit the whole 30 mins with engines idling when there's a beautiful park directly next to the school.

It is the law here not to idle a car but it is mostly ignored, at least in my neighbourhood.

I live in a condo tower 9 floors up facing the driveway entrance we share with another building. The recycling truck comes twice a week and the operator leaves the truck idling while he brings the bins in and out from the garbage room. Takes about 20 minutes.

It STINKS of exhaust, straight into our apartment. Not to mention the noise loud enough to wake the dead.

Idling bans need to be enforced, but seriously where are the resources? We rely on people's sense of duty and participation in things that help the environment. Sadly some people don't give a darn.

I get that it's unnecessary, but as a proportion of total vehicle origin pollution, how much is really caused by idling cars? It won't be burning much fuel idling either. That's why I can't get too worked up about it, legality or not.

Try having asthma, or a child with asthma, where breathing in these fumes makes it harder to breathe.

You're allowed to ask but they're allowed to be annoyed that you're telling them how to live their life (rightly or wrongly...)

@lanthanum

I had some sympathy for the guys working on the building site near us who, in very cold weather, sat in their car with the heating on. However I did let them know that the nearby library was open, so there was a warm space to go without polluting the street.

I bet that went down like a cup of cold sick.

YANBU, it is illegal for a reason - air pollution is one of the biggest killers in the West. The fact that it is so common around schools as well - awful.

DD's gymnastics club sent emails to parents about doing it while waiting. Some people didn't pay attention and now they have said the police will be attending during class time and fining people (it is an £800 fine).

At the risk of being a fun-sponge: icecream vans are the worst for this

@Evergreenblue

Op I sit my with my hybrid car idling and if you said something I'd tell you to sling your hook and learn more about some cars.

Toyota give clear instructions to leave your hybrid in park mode for one hour minimum per week if you don not use them alot as it is essential to keep the battery topped up. So if I'm sat idling there is a completely valid reason. 🤔

Depends - where you do your sit doing your idling? Outside a school? Sling your hook! (Always suspected the Toyota hybrids green credentials were exaggerated)

It givese the rage, but I am rarely brave enough to say anything. Sometimes a death stare works.

I left my car idolling because I thought that it actually used more fuel to turn it off and turn it back on again rather than leave it running. Is this not right then?