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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:
Noodles1234 · 10/08/2023 14:12

I think it is illegal to leave a running car unattended. A few people do it in the winter to defrost and warm up the car, but that’s 2 minutes not hours.

you could contact is it 101 or something? Weird to do that as noisy, smelly and bad for the environment. Must make the inside of your house smell a bit?

NevergonnagiveHughup · 10/08/2023 14:14

His van most likely has a tracker on it from work and they’re monitoring engine on time, equating it to the time he starts work.

We have this in our work vans too - but we can also track van movements via GPS, so in our would be obvious that he isn’t moving it. His work may not be tracking movement as a metric though.

He’s probably claiming overtime or whatever from when he starts the van.

Hufflemuff · 10/08/2023 14:19

Lifeisthememories · 10/08/2023 08:15

He is difficult, we have had issues with anger from him in the past and I know the other neighbour has too so was a bit scared to ask him directly 😬

Ok so what's worse.

1 - Him being a bit annoyed when you talk to him about it f2f nicely (and you might discover a mechanical reason as to why he does this).

2 - Him being furious because you tried to mess with his livelihood by dobbing him into work. You really cant do this anonymously either so he will either come right to you or go to other innocent neighbours in a rage over it.

Just have some balls and opt for option 1 - so what if he shouts at you, you're a grown adult so I am sure you can brush off this confrontation.

NevergonnagiveHughup · 10/08/2023 14:25

If it were me, I’d get on to his work and report him. Don’t see why you can’t do it anonymously, assuming you’re not his only neighbour.

snowdropinwinter · 10/08/2023 14:26

This reply has been deleted

This user is a troll so we have deleted their posts and threads.

TequilaNights · 10/08/2023 14:30

We get calls like this often at my place of work.

It's always addressed swiftly.

Make the call, you don't need to identify yourself, just the reg of the van, time and location.

onefinemess · 10/08/2023 14:34

EmeraldDuck · 10/08/2023 08:16

It’s illegal and a criminal traffic offence, I’d be tempted to take a video and report him to the police. I doubt his employer will care.

The worry is where you live and is clearly a wanker and might key your carnin revenge or similar.l so makensure he doesn’t know who reported him.

Only in a public place. Otherwise they'd have to fine every mechanic in the country!

😂

Stop making up Laws that don't exist.

onefinemess · 10/08/2023 14:35

Duchessofspace · 10/08/2023 08:20

report Him daily to the police for a traffic offence - ring doorbell would do the job for you - upload the footage every single day

Show quote history

What "traffic offences" ?😂😂😂😂

QuestionableMouse · 10/08/2023 14:40

billyt · 10/08/2023 08:54

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.

Show quote history

I sometimes have to sit with mine running in the winter to clear the window. Have a squeegee which helps but it's not the quickest process unfortunately. That's only five or ten mins max, and I hate it!

CirreltheSquirrel · 10/08/2023 14:41

NevergonnagiveHughup · 10/08/2023 14:14

His van most likely has a tracker on it from work and they’re monitoring engine on time, equating it to the time he starts work.

We have this in our work vans too - but we can also track van movements via GPS, so in our would be obvious that he isn’t moving it. His work may not be tracking movement as a metric though.

He’s probably claiming overtime or whatever from when he starts the van.

Our trackers report idling time (and have GPS) so it would be counterproductive if it was fitted with one of those!

tattygrl · 10/08/2023 14:54

Cars idling is very damaging environmentally. It's also very antisocial to consistently be doing that. I'm never normally one for reporting people, but in this case I think you're more than entitled to do so.

DixonD · 10/08/2023 14:59

EmeraldDuck · 10/08/2023 08:16

It’s illegal and a criminal traffic offence, I’d be tempted to take a video and report him to the police. I doubt his employer will care.

The worry is where you live and is clearly a wanker and might key your carnin revenge or similar.l so makensure he doesn’t know who reported him.

It’s not a criminal offence unless it’s on a public road. It’s legal on private property, although it shouldn’t be.

goldensquaresofjoy · 10/08/2023 15:01

Is it a refrigerated van?

MikeRafone · 10/08/2023 15:03

It’s legal on private property, although it shouldn’t be.

I thought it was a grey area from the links I posted, where do you get that this is legal behaviour?

tictactoe1234 · 10/08/2023 15:03

Tell his work that their vehicle is left ticking over and unattended

This may void the insurance

He sounds like a massive twat

Flakey99 · 10/08/2023 15:24

Presumably as the engine is running, the key is inside too?

You need a dodgy teenager to “collect it” for you and take it for a joyful ride.

girlfriend44 · 10/08/2023 15:40

Report him.

Poppysmom22 · 10/08/2023 16:55

From someone who has lots of experience of unreasonable neighbours trust me he will find out it is you DO NOTHING.

LlynTegid · 10/08/2023 16:58

If the van is being left on to claim being at work, then it is fraud. Which the company should know about.

The best option to me is that if the van door is unlocked, going in and turning the engine off. Second time, removing the key and leaving it outside the vehicle (say under the wipers). Third time, removing the key and taking it to the company if they have a local office.

backtogrey · 10/08/2023 17:16

LongStoryLong · 10/08/2023 08:09

So many people around here do that in the winter. They leave their cars running on the driveway until all the ice has melted off the windscreen. Whatever happened to ice scrapers? Or covering your windscreen at night? And how do they afford the fuel?! Drives me insane, and if I had someone I could report them to, I would.

This is the safest thing to do and also results in less engine wear as it is warmer when it is under load.

Kwasi · 10/08/2023 17:30

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?

That’s exactly what I thought.

Squeaky2023 · 10/08/2023 17:34

@LaPerduta Grin

Kwasi · 10/08/2023 17:35

It’s illegal to film someone else’s property with a Ring Doorbell.

gogomoto · 10/08/2023 17:36

I'd ask him politely. It's possible he's charging tools for instance

Maddy70 · 10/08/2023 17:42

I would contact his company tbh if he is difficult