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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think parents idling their cars outside nursery are selfish?

126 replies

Anon778833 · 25/01/2022 18:05

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?

OP posts:
Laiste · 25/01/2022 20:35

We have the entitled twat's car fumes AND parking ON the fucking pavements here.

Community PC not interested and neither is the school :(

Laiste · 25/01/2022 20:38

Sometimes i wish i could slap a big fucking awkward to remove sticker on these twats windscreens with Don't Keep Parking on the Pavement and/or Turn off Your Bloody Engine.

bigred22 · 25/01/2022 20:41

@waterlego the OP's post talks about the private nursery car park which is why it's been mentioned I would imagine

blueberryporridge · 25/01/2022 20:41

YANBU. And the selfish parents who do it don’t seem to realise (or else care) that they are pumping toxic fumes into their own children’s playground/school.

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 25/01/2022 20:43

Completely unacceptable. It wont kill you to have the heating off for 10 minutes. There is no need to idle the engine like this.

truthfullylying · 25/01/2022 20:44

@Laiste

We have the entitled twat's car fumes AND parking ON the fucking pavements here.

Community PC not interested and neither is the school :(

Over and over again the government suggests they may ban pavement parking and then they back off from doing it. No government ever actually does anything to tackle these things that a minority of people do and which drive most people round the twist.
lanthanum · 25/01/2022 20:44

They can blast the heating on the way to pick up, and that should be enough to keep them warm in the car park. If the journey isn't long enough for that to work, then they shouldn't be picking up by car anyway!

Definitely talk to the nursery about it. Perhaps they could refuse parking to persistent offenders.

waterlego · 25/01/2022 20:47

@bigred22, Apologies, I had missed that detail and focused instead on the other replies concerning school pick ups. So not illegal in the situation described by the OP, but hopefully the nursery will respond appropriately by banning idling in their car park.

Mummyoflittledragon · 25/01/2022 20:48

YANBU
I do not leave the engine running. However, certain comments are grating. Some people can’t just get out of the car and move around due to disability. Or if they can move (as in my case), I can’t move far enough or fast enough to actually get warm.

Morechocmorechoc · 25/01/2022 20:51

@waterlego not illegal at all and clearly you have no medical issues in your family, congrats

Higgeldypiggeldy35 · 25/01/2022 20:55

Because they're selfish thoughtless twats. I've mentioned it to our nursery manager and nothing was done. Some parents leave the car running, then queue up for several minutes to pick up their kid. All the kids at our nursery are handed over at the door and then they give you a few mins run down of their day. So during that time you're breathing in fumes. The nursery has to keep windows open for ventilation so the fumes go in the nursery. One super twat reversed his car in so his exhaust pumped fumes directly where I was waiting outside for my turn to pick up my son. He was on his phone, churning out loads of toxic gas over me and all the other people waiting. So I asked him to turn the car off, he did but very grumpily. Twat. As you can probably tell it really pisses me off.

waterlego · 25/01/2022 21:01

@Morechocmorechoc

It is illegal to run a vehicle’s engine unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road.

Also, it’s hilarious that you think you know about the medical conditions of my family members.

Snoken · 25/01/2022 21:03

@Mummyoflittledragon

YANBU I do not leave the engine running. However, certain comments are grating. Some people can’t just get out of the car and move around due to disability. Or if they can move (as in my case), I can’t move far enough or fast enough to actually get warm.
If you live in the UK you are not going to get frost bites from sitting in a slightly cooler than comfortable car for a little while. Sure if you lived where the winters get -30 degrees but not here. There is no excuse.
Duckerbizzle · 25/01/2022 21:05

Oh this makes me so irritated. When picking up DS there are signs on the road by the school saying please don't sit running your engines. Yet well over half of them still do. All sitting like zombies on their phones with the engine on for about 45 minutes for no reason. Isn't it technically illegal to be doing stuff on your phone when your engine is on as well? Pretty sure it's classed as you not being in full control of your vehicle or something. I honestly just switch mine off as soon as the car is parked, even if it is cold.

Saintandsophia · 25/01/2022 21:09

Lots of people are thick, even more are selfish so there is your answer.

Snoken · 25/01/2022 21:25

@Duckerbizzle

Oh this makes me so irritated. When picking up DS there are signs on the road by the school saying please don't sit running your engines. Yet well over half of them still do. All sitting like zombies on their phones with the engine on for about 45 minutes for no reason. Isn't it technically illegal to be doing stuff on your phone when your engine is on as well? Pretty sure it's classed as you not being in full control of your vehicle or something. I honestly just switch mine off as soon as the car is parked, even if it is cold.
That’s a good point. It’s 6 points on you license if you are found to be idling whilst using your phone.
RobertSmithsLipstick · 25/01/2022 21:32

I live near a senior school and have the same issues.
Parents arrive half an hour before the end of school, so they can get as close as possible, all pull up on the pavements, then sit with their engines on, waiting.

Itsnotover · 25/01/2022 21:33

@Higgeldypiggeldy35

Because they're selfish thoughtless twats. I've mentioned it to our nursery manager and nothing was done. Some parents leave the car running, then queue up for several minutes to pick up their kid. All the kids at our nursery are handed over at the door and then they give you a few mins run down of their day. So during that time you're breathing in fumes. The nursery has to keep windows open for ventilation so the fumes go in the nursery. One super twat reversed his car in so his exhaust pumped fumes directly where I was waiting outside for my turn to pick up my son. He was on his phone, churning out loads of toxic gas over me and all the other people waiting. So I asked him to turn the car off, he did but very grumpily. Twat. As you can probably tell it really pisses me off.

Yep this is exactly what's going on at our nursery too. It's f* annoying.

Triphazards · 25/01/2022 21:47

Triphazards
I'd do it if I was cold.

"Why not just turn up on time?"

Then I wouldn't be cold, so it's not relevant to the situation.

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 25/01/2022 22:16

Presumably people idling their engines outside schools are people with kids. Too bad they don't give a crap about children's health or their future in an increasingly overheated world. But hey, if you are cold, don't worry about that then.

As a PP said, the people who think it is ok are either stupid or selfish. Both of which seem to be represented on this thread. Being cold for a few minutes wont hurt you.

saleorbouy · 25/01/2022 23:11

If you're worried about the environment don't have more than two children either, this will have a more significant effect on the environment for the next generation than running your engine. Population increase will kill the planet.
.

AuntyBumBum · 25/01/2022 23:20

@Wheresmywoolyjumpers

Completely unacceptable. It wont kill you to have the heating off for 10 minutes. There is no need to idle the engine like this.
This is not necessarily true at all. @Morechocmorechoc has explained Sometimes I have to give the car a burst of heat as my kid can't breathe if it's too cold.
TheGoogleMum · 25/01/2022 23:48

Yep really annoying happens at DDs nursery too (I never do this). We also get the odd person who decides their car needs 2 spaces immediately outside the nursery, when there are only 5 spaces there (lots more space around the corner but this type of selfish person doesn't like to walk. Neither do I but I'm not taking 2 spaces!)

PinkSyCo · 25/01/2022 23:58

I'd do it if I was cold.

Good to know you care about your own comfort more than your child’s or their classmate’s health.

Clymene · 26/01/2022 00:28

Sorry, your child can breathe outside but can't breathe inside, even though it's warmer than outside?