To think parents idling their cars outside nursery are selfish?

[Anon778833]

Every time I pick my 2 year old up from nursery at midday, there are several parents all sitting outside idling their cars for 10 minutes before they pick their child up.

I think this is incredibly selfish and is not good for the environment, the health of the kids or the adults working inside.

I am thinking of mentioning it to the nursery because they are parked in their private car park. IABU?

We've had messages from our schools requesting that parents etc dont do this for the last 3/4 years. It seems to have stopped most but not all of it

You are absolutely not being unreasonable.
Ask Nursery to send home this flyer:
www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/engine_idling_leaflet.pdf

YNBU they need to enforce it. Who thinks it's a good idea for small children to walk through clouds of exhaust fumes !!

It's illegal so you have solid grounds to report to nursery, even apart from the health and environmental issues

I'd do it if I was cold.

They might need to keep he heating on

I emailed our local primary school, didn't get the courtesy of a reply.

Idling anywhere is selfish. If you're going to be waiting in the car somewhere cold take a hot flask or hot water bottle.

My childs nursery has a sighn about car fumes in the car park and to turn off the engine whilst sat in the car. They are a very eco friendly nursery, all company cars are electric and they are a plastic free nursery with all wooden toys

I see this a lot around our local primary school. From about 30 mins before school finishes there is a growing queue of cars parked up with their engines running.

@Aderyn21

They might need to keep he heating on

That's irrelevant, the effect on everyone else trumps their desire for warmth. As stated in the law.

You're going to get so many excuses for why someone MUST keep the car running.

You're right, but most don't give a shit, as you've found out. They'll likely be the ones complaining the most when things go tits up with the environment.

Thing is, as proved on this thread, lots of people just don't give a fuck.

Had this conversation at the gates today, staff put up big signs, send round notes to all paper's, parents still do it, everyone breathing it in as we wait outside for drop off. Nursery are putting new signs up.

@Triphazards

I'd do it if I was cold.

Why not just turn up on time?

YANBU, it's totally selfish and so bad for the environment.

When I worked at a secondary school I sometimes had to leave an hour early for midwife appointments, parents would be sat the big cars idling in the "best" spaces an hour before the end of school. All to prevent their kids, aged at least 11, from walking 100 yards round the corner. What a waste of time nd fuel.

Yanbu. Its absolutely awful and selfihs behaviour.

If people are cold they could - wear more layers,.bring a hot drink, get out and go for a walk around...

(I have an illness that means I can't regulate my body temperature very well and I have still never felt the need to keep my engine running)

Sometimes I arrive and genuinely forget. Some people will forget sometimes. Sometimes I have to give the car a burst of heat as my kid can't breathe if it's too cold. Some people have arthritis and can't deal with the cold. When it's 1 outside it takes about 2 mins for car to get cold. I agree if no medical issue then turn it off, esp around young kids. Sometimes it's necessary.

I’m cold when I have to walk to the nursery, now I also have to put up with the privilege of car fumes which trigger my son’s asthma.

I live near a shop and people outside my house do it all year round. So it’s not just a heating thing. Possibly for air con in the summer but ffs turn the car off and open the window!

Interestingly most of the people who idle for ages outside school are the same ones who live within easy walking distance. In fact that is probably why they haven't driven far enough for their car to have warmed up by the time they arrive.

Just asking past the Idling cars outside school regularly triggers my children's (otherwise well managed) asthma. So this is not a hypothetical or abstract impact on others. It's very real and very unpleasant

@Aderyn21

They might need to keep he heating on

No they really don't. I never, never do this. They wouldn't be able to do it if they didn't have a car wound they?

@Aderyn21 @Triphazards 10 mins sitting in an unheated car is not difficult. It stays warm for a bit anyway. People need to think beyond a little discomfort if we have any chance of saving our planet

YABU. Nothing will happen to anyone from a few car fumes. The issues are massively overstated in order to be able to apply more green taxes.

@WulyJmpr

It's illegal so you have solid grounds to report to nursery, even apart from the health and environmental issues

It's illegal on a public road, not sure for private car parks like the nursery