Why would someone regularly leave their car running idle on the driveway?

[-]

firthy@reddit

my very first conversation was "why do you constantly leave your car running?

I mean, he's leaving his car running for hours on end - it wouldn't be that weird to ask him. Seems a reasonable first interaction under the circumstances.

[-]

Splodge89@reddit

One of the old lads at work is very deaf and very forgetful. He often leaves his car running - he doesn’t notice the engine noise when he walks away.

We have considered stopping him driving… perhaps we should.

[-]

It’s the first thing I did when I got my car, disabled the keyless entry and keyless push-button start.

[-]

JeffSergeant@reddit

Won't be long until the human race kills itself.

Next gen is fucked

I suppose I was wrong to assume this concerns you!

[-]

Th3H1Ghlander@reddit

Not sure, sounds possible :)

[-]

llufnam@reddit

“luckily it was a Waitrose.”

Hope you live and park somewhere safe. Because someone rifling through your car and finding the spare key and taking off with your car (or even just the key, to take the car later, some time you know you left it locked) will void the insurance. Your car is being smart, not shit, by stopping you locking the car when a keyfob is inside, it's to stop you locking it with the keys inside by accident. That said, maybe it's a feature you or your dealer can disable.

[-]

Bigallround@reddit

Do you think I got a car this fucked from a dealer lol? I couldn't afford anything like that. I'm aware it voids my insurance but like I said, it's simply not worth stealing.

Many cars have keyless start and auto locking when you walk away.

Just saying, while yes newer cars (2010s and onwards) dont need more than 10 seconds to heat up the engine enough before putting load on them, people still advise just for longevity if your not in a rush to just let your car warm up past the 50°c before putting load on the engine.

Noon_Specialist@reddit

Trickle vents are small vents built into window frames to allow a controlled flow of fresh air in. This improves air quality and reduces condensation, without the need to open the window. Most new windows come with them built in, and it's possible to retrofit them. It's still a good idea to open your windows for a short period during the day, but it negates the need to have your windows open all night.

[-]

Greedy-Mechanic-4932@reddit

Less than 5% of UK homes have air conditioning (source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1019896/cooling-in-uk.pdf ). There's a pretty good chance that OP (or contributors to this post) doesn't have air conditioning.

Trickle vents are often inefficient at removing carbon dioxide, especially in modern homes (source: https://cambridgecarbonfootprint.org/balancing-energy-saving-and-ventilation/ )

One particular study, Effects of window opening on the bedroom environment and resulting sleep quality (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23744731.2021.1927177 ), summarised:

These results suggest that sleeping with windows open can provide some benefits by increasing ventilation with outdoor air, reducing CO2 concentrations, improving air quality as indicated by the subjectively rated air freshness and some of the parameters defining sleep quality, but it may also result in some discomfort if there are episodic loud noise events outdoors.

You argue fairly - as the previously quoted report, did - that "noise... influence(s) sleep quality" - and here we are debating the fact that a neighbour of OP is idling a vehicle overnight, which (needlessly, in this case) introduces noise to the environment.

So, I'll ask again: why wouldn't you want to sleep with an open window (assuming you don't have a vehicle idling at 1100rpm outside your bedroom window after midnight)?

[-]

Fropoom@reddit

Trickle vents are nowhere near as effective at reducing CO2 as opening a window and that’s ignoring the fact that half the population doesn’t even have them. Opening your window during the day will also have no effect on CO2 levels overnight. An hour after shutting it the levels will end up back in the 1000ppm+ range which are not good conditions for sleeping.

And yes let’s all turn on our air conditioning that the UK is so famously known for. But, again, are you familiar with personal preference?

[-]

Taimed@reddit

I reckon it's a slightly different question.

[-]

Noon_Specialist@reddit

Not really. Why practice opening windows at night instead of the day? Vs Why practice praying to someone who doesn't exist?

[-]

neilm1000@reddit

Why practice opening windows at night instead of the day?

Thats the point, you don't have to. Also the guy you're badgering can choose to open his windows at night if he wishes too.

I can't believe the concept of someone wanting to do something they want to do it would make anyone so insufferable but here we are.

[-]

elevashroom@reddit

Fresh air? I have my windows open all the time, all year. Maybe not much at night time, especially in the colder months, but I'm forever letting fresh air in

[-]

walking_chemist@reddit

I find it’s the low droning sound which makes its way through the walls then when the car is switched off I feel the sudden calm and my headache goes away

[-]

Despondent-Kitten@reddit

YES! I love that feeling!

[-]

Despondent-Kitten@reddit

You're kidding right?

chrisElrick@reddit

Why dont you mind your own business

[-]

romanmr1@reddit

Maybe the engine is doing a regen?

[-]

TheArduinoGuy@reddit

Because they are f** morons

[-]

Tehfoodstealorz@reddit

My neighbour does this too.

They struggle to get their baby to sleep so leave it in the car, with the car running. Apparently the engine puts her to sleep.

Timely_Title_9157@reddit

They have a refrigerator in the car

[-]

pobrika@reddit

I had to move my car for a delivery once during winter and my car was frozen solid. I drove it about 20 meters down a private road to a turning space whilst the van was parking up to unload a new sofa and left it running to thaw out. I went back and helped the guys unload. Once sofa was in the house I ended up setting up the sofa and one thing led to another forgetting all about my car.

Next day I couldn't find my car keys anywhere then it hit me, ran down to where I had left the car, it was still there, no longer running but warm inside. It had been idling for 24 hours until it ran out of fuel, and the entire tank of diesel was empty. I would have thought one of my neighbours might have clocked it but there you go.

[-]

nanomeister@reddit

Maybe he hopes someone will steal it so he can escape from his PCP. He’ll be sorely disappointed when the insurance doesn’t pay up

[-]

Jeremys_Iron_@reddit

He’ll be sorely disappointed when the insurance doesn’t pay up

Perche lo po fare

[-]

blizeH@reddit

Might get done for driving without insurance though!

[-]

Normal-Internal164@reddit

Not exactly environmentally friendly now is it

[-]

Thalamic_Cub@reddit

Likely for a similar reason my neighbour idles their car for 2 hours from 5am.

Ive got range rovers with blacked out windows, quad bikes, dune buggies and once there was a jetski on the front lawn.

My old man used to do this because he was paid by the hour and had a very rudimentary tracker in his vehicle. It was more at the end of the shift rather than the beginning but would essentially claim the hours from the moment he turned the engine off.

Public-Guidance-9560@reddit

I think you'd have to ask.

I reckon if its got Stop-Start that maybe he pulls into his drive and the engine goes off and if he's faffin about collecting up bags or phones or whatever, just forgets that he hasn't actually turned the car off. It doesn't help that modern stuff will leave the lights and everything on for you (so called "follow me home" feature) for a period of time after stopping.

The car should beep at you if you leave the thing on and disappear with the key (key-less go I am going to assume). But whether people actually pay attention to that or simply can't put 2 and 2 together when the car starts making a random beeping noise is another matter.

Feisty_Baseball_6566@reddit

another amusing alternative to this is; and because you don't want to speak to him would be :-

Go to Amazon
Search for "chsyoo pack of 6 giant baloons"
Place phone in window and press record :- THIS KEY FOR OUR AMUSMENT
Stick one over the exhaust
Run
Post result

[-]

Traditional_Seesaw10@reddit

Charging his phone on the company car..

MMH1111@reddit

On a related note, it surprises me how many suggestions for dealing with stuff involve criminal damage. Or 'report it'.

[-]

Rude-Possibility4682@reddit

Or drive it round the corner, so he gets a shock, when he finally goes to get it.

[-]

PsychologySpecific16@reddit

I would literally just ask him.

Not for hours but I would leave my old car to "cool down" after a spirited drive before I got a turbo timer. This looks to modern for that and the length of time seems excessive. So not a clue.

[-]

OddPerspective9833@reddit

Quite a lot of people get home and sit in their car and play on their phone or listen to music for a while before going inside. I've done it and it seems most people I know have done it too.

There's a good chance that's all it is and they leave the car running because they don't want a battery

Only time I leave it running is in winter (shame auxilliry heaters aren't as common as the 'standheizung' in Germany) because we have a little kid and I am doing the nursery and school runs.

Having said that - I managed to keep my car running a couple of times when going to the shops. The reason is keyless entry ...

[-]

dartiss@reddit

I now live on the same road as a young lad - bit of a "boy racer" - who has a modified Golf (lowered suspension, big exhaust, etc.). It makes a hell of a noise even when idling. He leaves for work at 5:30am and often leaves it idling for a few minutes before heading off. All of which makes a hell of a racket.

He actually lives up the road but after a while of this his girlfriend had obviously had enough of the noise, so makes him park it further up the road. Opposite my house.

[-]

Winter_Feedback3792@reddit

This is something that feels very American and/or very ADHD.

[-]

occasionalrant414@reddit

Sometimes I will leave my fun car running for 15mins before I drive it, especially in the winter to make sure the oil is warm before I get on the motorway and to make sure it's warm. Not often, but occasionally.

Some older people are under the misconception that if they don't drive their car for hours, the battery will go flat. I'd guess it might be this.

It is actually illegal and and antisocial but I can't imagine anyone being interested.

[-]

AnonymousTimewaster@reddit (OP)

He's a pretty young looking guy. Looks to be in his 30s.

[-]

gash_dits_wafu@reddit

I get on with my neighbours so they'd see the funny side in my actions, but if one of my neighbours did this I'd move the car down the road.

[-]

lopolow@reddit

I had a neighbour do this. I assumed they maybe had domestic issues and dreaded actually leaving the car to get into the house, but could be many other reasons.

[-]

the_hair_of_aenarion@reddit

knock knock

"Hi I'm your neighbour, just thought I'd tell you you left your car running. It's been idling for a while..."

[-]

sihasihasi@reddit

Excellent question. I've not read the two references. Not sure if either applies on a private drive.

[-]

OneEmptyHead@reddit

The only “logical” solutions are battery issues as others have mentioned, or he’s using the A/C to dry out the cabin. You mentioned it’s a BMW so there’s a high chance he felt over confident in the recent flooding…

[-]

FatBloke4@reddit

I could understand this happening once or twice but not regularly.

I normally drive an EV which doesn't have a power switch and locks itself when I leave. When I have rented cars on business trips abroad, I have a couple of times parked up in a hotel car park and walked off, leaving the engine running, keys in the ignition, etc. But on both occasions, I realised my mistake after a few steps.

I'm sure it must be on purpose, there's no way you wouldn't notice your car running when you exit it. Perhaps put a note through their door and highlight the huge risk they're taking? Thieves have taken cars that have been left unattended for less than a minute, never mind hours at a time

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

Please help keep AskUK welcoming!

When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!

Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.