To be annoyed at people who sit and run their engines

[Amusedatlife]

Waiting for my supermarket click and collect and the car next to me is just sitting with engine running. Why? It’s just pumping fumes out into the environment. I don’t get it. It’s neither hot nor cold so no need to sit and run heating or aircon. I find it word behaviour. And against the law yet people do it all the time!

Someone in our road does that. I’m sure he’s removed the silencer or whatever from his sports car. He sits in it and revs it for ages before setting off and he does it every time. Particularly annoying when we have windows open in the heat.

It’s not illegal in a car park though, only on a road.

Totally agree.

yeah, hate it but I don’t think people understand the issues, either that or they think the reason they e got their engine running is the acceptable one.

My car engine automatically cuts out when you put the handbrake on and engage neutral. Makes me think he's sitting there with his foot on the brake which is dangerous. DH does this and creeps forward at traffic lights. Drives me MAD.

I have been known to tap on the window then ask please don't idle

YANBU and it's usually the fuckers who are parked on the yellow zig zags outside a school.

Oh my goodness this is one if my pet hates - especially atm. It's so anti social, from an environmental point of view and a noise nuisance point of view.

My neighbours have lots of visitors and I get their cars parking in the street directly in front of my house, sometimes as many as three at a time.. There are 2 visitors in particular who regularly sit with their engines running . I'm talking about for half an hour at a time. It drives me mad. I'm not saying anything to them because I know I will only get abuse.

Used to be terrible at our village infants. They’d all sit there idling their engines to keep the heating running in winter or a/c in summer. It was awful on a damp foggy morning, especially as the school is at the bottom of a narrow valley surrounded on three sides by steep banks so it would just end up sitting in a smog of diesel fumes.

Hardly see it anymore thankfully as now most of the parents have electrics or hybrids with automatic start/stop.

YADNBU.
At best I can feel puzzled at people who do this, how do they not notice?

Petrol must be very very cheap.

Maybe babies sleeping and if they turn the engine off baby will wake

Yeah this annoys me too. The amount of times I've done the nursery pick up or drop off and someone is just hanging out in the carpark with their engine running gassing us as I try to get my DS in and out of the car. I am particularly sensitive about it now I have an electric car mind since mine no longer has any fumes!

It's because people can't hear the engine while inside their car so they are totally oblivious to the level of noise.

I generally agree. But. This was me a couple of days ago. (Who knows, I might even have been the person next to you!) The car was booked in at the garage for a new battery (plus a few other bits) but I needed to collect something first. If I'd turned off the engine while waiting, there was a fair chance it wouldn't have started again. It's all sorted now but for a day, I was that really annoying person. Sorry!

Maybe worth knocking on the window to remind the driver, like someone suggested? If they have a good reason, they'll apologise and tell you, I'm sure.

Yeah I agree @Amusedatlife A woman who visits her mum once a week (her mum lives near me,) and takes her out shopping, waits outside the house for 5-6 minutes while she's waiting. (With the car on tickover.) Then I see her sometimes on the car park at the supermarket later (if I go up to town,) waiting for her mum in the car (with the car on tickover again!) I have also seen her waiting outside Iceland on the high street, while her mother does a small shop in there. Ignition on, and car on tickover still.

I was sat on a bench by Iceland the other week (having a rest and a drink of water,) and she turned up with her mum. So I timed her. Her mum was in Iceland for 12 minutes, and the daughter was in the car waiting (with the car on tickover,) for 15 minutes. The 12 minutes her mum was in the shop, and the 3 minutes it took her to put the shopping away in the car boot.

It's actually against the law to do this. She is parked on a public road, with the car on tickover. I really do want to report her, but they'd have to catch her at it. So they'd need to know where she's going to be at any given time, and hope she has her car on tickover.

Same, some dipstick revs his chavvy car up repeatedly and lets the engine tick over for ages. He's modified his exhaust so it is extremely loud and he affects dozens of houses with his racket. He doesn't care though

My neighbour gets dropped off at 7.30am and sits and chats with the engine running for at least 15 mins.

So annoying.

But WHY would you do that? Do you not have children? Are you not worried about how climate change will affect their future

Do you live in my road? Is it a Porsche? I once had a go at the guy as he'd had the engine running for 20 minutes. I fucking hate unnecessary noise.

It’s not a good enough excuse and usually there is def no baby

winds me up OP. My dad does it sometimes, claims he can’t set up the satnav otherwise. One of my pet peeves

only solution is going electric which we did years ago.

I never said that I do it, only that it’s not illegal. I did 100 litres of super unleaded on a track day last week though 🤣

My neighbour sometimes does this- right below my bedroom window while chatting to someone very loudly on hands free. I dont think she realises how loud it is and it must be deafening in the car!

What is the joke

Its not a good enough excuse in YOUR opinion but I know plenty of women who could only get a minutes peace when their baby was asleep in the car.

So drive around then?