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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to report my neighbour to his work for having his work van idle on the drive for over an hour every morning?

90 replies

Lifeisthememories · 10/08/2023 08:05

My neighbour starts his work van before 7am every morning and leaves it on the drive idling for over an hour. The environmental impact of that I’m sure is bad and also it’s noisy!
The other morning I took my car for a mot it was idling on the drive when I left and still there when I go back which was nearly 2 hours later!!
I really want to contact his place of work (whose van it is and who pay the fuel bill) and complain, however my husband says I shouldn’t. My neighbour wouldn’t take too kindly to me saying anything direct to him so I wanted to just anonymously report it.

OP posts:
JayAlfredPrufrock · 10/08/2023 08:45

I’d be tempted to get in and drive it round the corner. That’ll learn him.

Muststopeating · 10/08/2023 08:45

MikeRafone · 10/08/2023 08:22

Its the impact on health that the idling will affect

There was a woman locally lived in a flat above a mechanical garage. When she visit her gp the nurse did a test to see if she smoked - the lady didn't smoke but the outcome of the breath test had very nigh chemicals as if she smoked 40-60 a day. This was due to where she lived, above a garage with idling vehicles.

Its hardly ridiculous to say this person is doing something wrong, they are emitting dangerous chemicals into the air. Councils put out facts like this: Fact - An idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions as an engine in motion. An idling car can fill up to 150 balloons with harmful emissions every minute. Switching off your engine can go a long way to improving air quality.

Even the RAC put out information like this https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/emissions/idling/

To try and prevent people leaving their cars like this, which will affect everyone around them.

Show quote history

Wow!!! This is eye opening for me. I would often have my engine running in my drive (middle of nowhere so not a noise issue) when the children were babies to keep them asleep a bit longer. I had NO idea! It was also a very old car.

My current car is much newer and my children aren't babies anymore but I definitely still leave my car running more than I should... And will stop that immediately. I am quite ashamed of myself.

If nothing else OP, your post has now stopped one person from doing this!

Peony654 · 10/08/2023 08:45

Seems very odd, I understand it in the winter (but not for an hour,!) but not now. If you’re on good terms id mention it from a noise perspective as that might stop it, and maybe make a lighthearted comment about fuel consumption? If it doesn’t stop, id then go to his employer

Moonshine5 · 10/08/2023 08:45

Are you seriously suggesting that a little car engine idling on someone's driveway is going to kill all the Polar Bears?

Well it's not going to help the polar ice cap.
We all pay for pollution: financially and from a health perspective etc

Peony654 · 10/08/2023 08:46

I know councils which fine for idling, it’s so polluting and unnecessary, and fills the car with pollution so I’d especially never do it with kids in the car

SaturdayGiraffe · 10/08/2023 08:48

Vehicle idling is an offence against the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002. The law states that is an offence to idle your engine unnecessarily when stationary. If you fail to turn your engine off after being spoken to you may be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

seafronty · 10/08/2023 08:51

onefinemess · 10/08/2023 08:11

You have no idea why he is doing that. So it's a bit ridiculous for you to suggest he us doing something wrong. Modern vehicles are the cleanest they have ever been. Are you seriously suggesting that a little car engine idling on someone's driveway is going to kill all the Polar Bears? Christ, don't ever set foot near the Drax Power station, your head would explode with the stuff coming out of that place.

He's doing it because he's a dipshit but luckily your reply shows he's not in a minority of 1.

Cloudsandrainnotsunandsand · 10/08/2023 08:53

We have reported such idiots. Worked a treat.

billyt · 10/08/2023 08:54

CapEBarra · 10/08/2023 08:25

Might he be charging tools or equipment in the van and that why he needs the engine on? Similar to charging an iPhone in the car?

The only reason in this day and age for any one to have any vehicle standing idling and unattended for more than a few seconds when starting up is because they are selfish, arrogant, arseholes.

There is no reason on the planet why a vehicle is left running for an hour every day except the above.

@Lifeisthememories Report him to his company and maybe point out that the is exactly how vehicle thefts can happen.

ClairDeLaLune · 10/08/2023 09:09

That’s horrible. What a twat. Report him to the environmental department at your local council.

BigPussyEnergy · 10/08/2023 09:09

Is it a chilled van? Just thinking that’s the only reason he may need to start it up before driving it.

PP’s idea about running fuel down to claim overtime wouldn’t work if he wasn’t actually driving it. Nobody claims based on fuel instead of mileage.

ClairDeLaLune · 10/08/2023 09:11

onefinemess · 10/08/2023 08:11

You have no idea why he is doing that. So it's a bit ridiculous for you to suggest he us doing something wrong. Modern vehicles are the cleanest they have ever been. Are you seriously suggesting that a little car engine idling on someone's driveway is going to kill all the Polar Bears? Christ, don't ever set foot near the Drax Power station, your head would explode with the stuff coming out of that place.

What a stupid and short-sighted comment. If everyone had that attitude the polar bears would indeed be dead, not that OP was suggesting that anyway. We should all be doing our bit to improve the environment.

MrsSkylerWhite · 10/08/2023 09:13

onefinemess · Today 08:11

You have no idea why he is doing that”

There is not a single good reason why a car needs to idle for an hour every day. Don’t be silly.

Sarahconnor1 · 10/08/2023 09:18

The only reason in this day and age for any one to have any vehicle standing idling and unattended for more than a few seconds when starting up is because they are selfish, arrogant, arseholes.

It really depends on what his job is. Many works vehicles have Run lock so equipment in vehicles can be powered up or retain power while there is no one in the vehicle

Emergency services use it, many delivery vans are now fitted with it.

billyt · 10/08/2023 09:32

OP didn't say he was Emergency Services or deliveries so big assumption

BigPussyEnergy · 10/08/2023 09:35

billyt · 10/08/2023 09:32

OP didn't say he was Emergency Services or deliveries so big assumption

She didn’t say he wasn’t a delivery driver either. Jeez why so snippy. It’s an add thing to do so people are trying to consider why he might be doing this to save her the hassle of him kicking off if she confronts him or reports him only to find he has an actual reason why he does it. Doing it for fun doesn’t make any sense at all if he’s not even sitting in the van to enjoy the air con or anything.

BigPussyEnergy · 10/08/2023 09:36

Odd thing

Sarahconnor1 · 10/08/2023 09:36

I was responding to the claim that anyone who leaves an engine running is a selfish arrogant arsehole.

Sammysquiz · 10/08/2023 09:38

SaturdayGiraffe · 10/08/2023 08:48

Vehicle idling is an offence against the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002. The law states that is an offence to idle your engine unnecessarily when stationary. If you fail to turn your engine off after being spoken to you may be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

Only on a public road. He’s on a drive so now doing anything illegal unfortunately.

HumourReplacementTherapy · 10/08/2023 09:46

I can't think why he's doing it.
Maybe his van is fitted with some kind of tech that alerts his employer when he uses his van. So they think he's working from 7am when actually he's eating his cornflakes and watching TV?
No idea but I'd report him- Just say I'm a neighbour or I live in the same road as Eric Idoling Engine dickhead and see where it gets you. Don't let him bully you.

LaPerduta · 10/08/2023 09:57

onefinemess · 10/08/2023 08:11

You have no idea why he is doing that. So it's a bit ridiculous for you to suggest he us doing something wrong. Modern vehicles are the cleanest they have ever been. Are you seriously suggesting that a little car engine idling on someone's driveway is going to kill all the Polar Bears? Christ, don't ever set foot near the Drax Power station, your head would explode with the stuff coming out of that place.

Yeah, I expect he's powering his granny's life support machine, or maybe running a hob to heat soup for the homeless. 🙄

DottyLottieLou · 10/08/2023 13:53

Do you know any dodgy people. Get them to nick it 😉

BodenCardiganNot · 10/08/2023 13:58

I recently reported a work van idling for an hour every day at lunchtime. He was subcontracted to fit smart meters so was in the area for quite a while. I received an apology back from the company and a request to let them know if it continued. It didn't.

Northernladdette · 10/08/2023 13:59

I wouldn’t say anything to him directly but would definitely report him to his company, pretty sure they won’t be happy about that!

Loulaa1977 · 10/08/2023 14:00

If you report it anonymously he will know it's a neighbour and bang on all your doors till he finds out who. If he's got anger issues and there have been issues with him before, I'd personally leave well alone