Car waking us up at 6:30am. What would you do?

Posted by Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 53 comments

We live in a first-floor flat in a city-centre listed building complex. Parking is limited and shared between residents, Airbnbs, and a few businesses in an enclosed gated area. It costs money to park in the complex even if you are a resident. About a week ago a very loud “supercar” started parking directly under our bedroom window. Normal traffic/engines here never wake us, as people come and go all the time, but this one does due to how loud the engine is. Every morning since they have been here, at 6:30am (including Saturday & Sunday) they start it, let it idle for about 5 minutes, I see them checking their phone in the car from our window, then leave. It’s loud enough to wake us up. We’re not sure if it’s: 1. A new resident with a parking space 2. An Airbnb guest using one of the guest spots We realise they can’t change their engine or the time they need to leave, but we’d rather not keep getting woken up at 6:30 on a weekend. What would you do? A) Try to speak to the driver and ask if they could park elsewhere (not under our window) - there are only limited spaces so this may not be possible. B) Ask our landlord/building manager if it’s a new tenant or Airbnb guest - if a tenant they would maybe talk to them for us. Airbnb guest would be leaving soon so we would just put up with it. C) Leave a friendly note on the windscreen asking if they could use a different space - even just on a weekend as we are usually up before 6:30 on a weekday D) Try Ignore it for now since it’s only been a week and we’re being dramatic What would you do?

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53 Comments

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Dr-Moth@reddit

I would (A) very politely talk to them. My car starts quite loud and you then should wait a bit for the engine to calm down before moving off. However, if someone mentioned it was causing them trouble I would try to park elsewhere or not leave it idling for as long. Although if someone comes out confrontationally shouting and angry, then I'm going to sit and idle it extra long. So approach it with the aim of making friends and not enemies.

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Maty612@reddit

The main reason for a cold start is to warm up the catalytic converter quickly. The engine returning to 800rpm happens after the cold start is finished doing its thing. Start the car then put on your seatbelt and set up your music, by then even if the car is still in its cold start it is ready to move off.

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Dr-Moth@reddit

In my case I believe it is getting the oil properly pumped around the supercharger. Given how much it costs to repair the damn thing, I'll wait a minute on the chance it makes a difference. It gives the slow computer in the infotainment system a chance to load properly too.

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Maty612@reddit

I didnt think about supercharged cars, makes sense.

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sprucay@reddit

I know of someone who pushed their 1000hp skyline a good way down their road to avoid waking up their neighbours

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

100% agree - any conversation would be friendly :)

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surfermark99@reddit

F. Get a very visible hanging bird feeder to hang out of your window. Then fling some dollops of mayo out in the middle of the night.

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SillyStallion@reddit

Can confirm - birdseed on the roof and along the base of the windscreen wipers works well

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Worldly_Let6134@reddit

Use blueberries and blackberries for added yick.

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

to be fair there are some very aggressive seagulls which nest on the surrounding roofs. they attack without provocation in mating season. getting the bins out is a nightmare

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EBfarnham@reddit

Problem solved. Put those gluttonous thieves to work!

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Rtnscks@reddit

Honestly this is genius. I wouldn't even bother with the mayo. The birds will be up earlier than 6.30.

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hauntedathiest@reddit

Years ago I knew an old lady who found out her husband was having an affair so while he was sleeping she stuffed potatoes up his exhaust. When he went to start the car the day after there was an almighty bang and all the doors blew off. No I wasn't there at the time. It could have been a lie I was only young and green as grass.She did, however, have a fiery temper.

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Littlemisszoe24@reddit

Definitely not true 😂 I've done it before where you block someone's exhaust, it just chokes the engine and it'll stall out. It can destroy the cat if they have one too, or just destroy the engine due to built up gasses. Doesn't blow the doors off though 😂

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hauntedathiest@reddit

Well I was only young definitely not old enough to drive. What I knew about cars you could written on the back of a stamp. Plus the fact I'm so bloody gullible.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. To be honest she used to scare me because she practiced voodoo I'm not sure if that was true either.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Littlemisszoe24@reddit

I'm just saying she definitely lied to you 😂😂 If she practiced voodoo you'd think she'd use that to spite her husband rather than a potato in a exhaust 🫣😂

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hauntedathiest@reddit

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Well she will be long gone now I'm talking many years ago. She did have some hilarious tales to tell though.

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dbxp@reddit

You'd think he'd wake when she shoved them up there

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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

There’s not really a lot you can do. He’s not doing anything unreasonable. He’s not deliberately making noise

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

yes he is - it will be an illegal race exhaust

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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

OP hasn’t said anything to suggest that it is

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

If its that loud ie noticeably louder than other cars then it certainly is an illegal exhaust. Noise li9mits apply to all cars.

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Remote-Pool7787@reddit

I don’t think you realise how noisy cars can be and still be within legal limits. Especially when they are right outside your window

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

Nonsense. if its noticably louder than other cars its illegal

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Any-Skill-5128@reddit

You clearly have no idea 😂 some cars are naturally and legally noisier especially older ones

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

Only pre emissions controls vehicles are allowed to be that noisy. Its not me that has no idea. I run a pre emissions control vehicle. Plonker. Its obviously an illegal exhaust. report it to the police. V6s do not have a differnt emissions test

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Any-Skill-5128@reddit

But you’ve just pulled that out of your ass mate you don’t have a monkeys what it is

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Any-Skill-5128@reddit

You do not know that

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

If its louder than most cars then it certainly is. Noise limits apply to all cars

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thequestioningkat@reddit

Not deliberately making noise? If it is a tenant it's pretty deliberate to buy a car you know is noisy if you don't live in the middle of nowhere. Extreme opinion; but if it's one of those boy racer types that is loud for the sake of it, they just shouldn't be manufactured. I'll never understand why it's okay for people to cause a noise nuisance to hundreds of people just so they can indulge in an aesthetic. Okay, rant over, might be a bit peeved with some of the boy racers in my area... Also, surely they can at least not idle for 5 minutes at that time in the morning?

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Mezcalico@reddit

I guarantee if you scrawled “be quiet” in faeces on the bonnet there’d be no more noise.

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MissKLO@reddit

If someone did that on my car without speaking to me nicely first, it would escalate very fast

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Mezcalico@reddit

Escalate to what? Nothing trumps shit on the bonnet.

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chewmypaws@reddit

I wouldn't live in the centre of a city if I wanted peace and quiet.

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

Completely agree. Hard to explain without giving away location, buts its a gated complex, with security & clearly signed “quiet hours” 11pm-7am. Not a typical city centre flat (which unfortunately is reflected the amount of rent lol!). There is definitely some expectation of quiet and the rare problem tenants are got rid of quickly. All professionals/no children etc so quiet is the ‘norm’. We have lived here a couple of years now.

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behemuffin@reddit

If it has quiet hours, you need to speak to the building management about enforcing these.

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Whisky-Toad@reddit

What do you want them to do? Push the car out into the street?

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SorbetNo7877@reddit

You could have him on the quiet hours thing then. You need to establish whether his car is loud enough to not be considered "normal" and would constitute a noise nuisance. They would then not be allowed to drive it in and out of the carpark inside quiet hours, just as you (rightly) would not be allowed to stand down there running a chainsaw etc.

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

thank you for the reply :)

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chewmypaws@reddit

Like a mews? I think I know the set up you mean. I always wanted to live in a similar place when I was younger. To be honest I doubt there's much you can do, not just because of where you are physically located but because someone starting their car up would be seen as reasonable noise. You could try blocking the sound out with white noise from a fan or a smart speaker.

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

Yes similar to a mews. Thanks for the reply :)

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Mrs_B-@reddit

Why not go down and ask him to turn the engine off until he's ready to go?

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AdonisCarbonado@reddit

I think the most pertinent question to begin with is - What time do you wake up usually? How many hours or minutes of sleep is this having an effect on. You say quite hours until 7 am? What time would you be happy with?

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

Weekdays, we’re up at 6/6:15am. No bother there Weekends more the issue - wouldn’t mind getting through until 7:30/8am (particularly on a Sunday) if possible without noise - one tired teacher! Normal cars come and go in this time and don’t have any effect on our sleep. Enough parking spaces on a weekend for them to be able to park nearer the businesses therefore not disturbing residents. At least not directly under our bedroom window as is happening now. Reasonable to ask them to move? Is that a reasonable time to ask for on a weekend? Unsure on that one, enter the reddit post

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SuccessfulVacation31@reddit

report it. an exhaust that loud will be illegal

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PrideThin8179@reddit

Sitting warming up your engine isn't good for it as gearbox and diff fluids remain cold, ideally you should fire up and move off slowly after 20/30 seconds.You can print out the articles regarding this and leave a copy on his windscreen. If it doesn't have the desired effect try again using a heavy object to hold the printout onto the windscreen.

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PepsiMaxSumo@reddit

Problem with cars like that is you can’t drive them for at least 5 minutes when it’s cold (and ideally anytime but especially when it’s cold). It damages the vehicle. I would speak to them, it may be that they have a setting on the exhaust to turn it down as many more modern supercars do. Assuming it is actually a supercar and not a 1.2 Corsa with no back box.

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Boboshady@reddit

TBH there's nothing you can do, unless the car is making an illegal amount of noise. It's possible, but you'd have to gather evidence of it, it's doubtful the police or the council are going to come around to do anything about it, especially if they're not being active dicks about it (revving it etc). If you ask them to move, you're just making it someone else's problem. They're running it on idle to warm it up btw, so they don't screw their engine over revving it whilst it's cold. I know such recommendations are always divisive, but try some earplugs. Not just the sleep orientated ones, try ones made for industry and live music too, as they all cut out different frequencies and you might find the right set for you (industry ones are dirt cheap, too). You could also do some extra layering on your bedroom window - a thick blanket, an extra layer of glazing etc. It all helps, to a degree. Then if it continues for ever more, you can either raise a noise complaint with the building manager, or you could 'encourage' them not to park there by making it look like it's a space likely to get cars damaged. And I really, really do not mean actually go out and do damage here, I just mean make it look like damage might occur. You'll be amazed how quickly proud car owners stop parking in places that might attract a scratch, or even just bird shit. So, maybe up a sign up that alludes to a birds nest being above the space, and please don't disturb them (don't make it about the parking or noise, make it about the birds etc).

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Aggressive_Brush_169@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the thoughtful reply :)

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these_metal_hands@reddit

Sometimes you have to accept this kinda stuff when you live in a city centre.

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Mysterious-Sock39@reddit

D,maybe Airbnb guest doubt he lives there right with a super car

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AccomplishedRain9@reddit

Ear plugs for now and if it doesn't go away after about a week, reassess.

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