Leaving engine running outside Vets

Pippa22

What is it about bad behaviour that makes people frightened to point it out ? Obviously be sensible not to put yourself at risk but car engine running outside vets or school, of course you should say. It’s called being public spirited and we are all responsible for our environment.

My husband thought the same when he called out to some yobs vandalising cars. The dog danced around him as he was punched in the face. One yob actually called to another to get out his knife!

He was saved by another gang of boys who were passing and yelled “what are you doing beating up an old man?” and then set upon the first group. OH had only gone out to walk the dog round the block. Not sure what hurt most, being referred to as an old man or having a black eye and bloody nose!

I just remembered that when our dog had an operation at the vets recently we too were parked next to a car that kept its engine running and, given that it was a very small car park and all consultations were being held outside it really annoyed me.

Helgawills - that last comment of yours is a bit steep, sins of the fathers and all that!!

Your reaction seems a bit over the top to me in terms of enabling wrong doing. There may have been a legitimate reason to keep the motor running. While probably not an ideal thing to do I think there are far greater wrong doings to be concerned about.

"Of" the planet

If everyone thought "Live & let live" ( Taliya ) there wouldn't be much hope for the future if the planet.

Definitely ask the vet to put a notice outside ( should have been there already ). It will be interesting to see their reaction to that request. I'd visit their car park soon after to see if they've done that.

A neighbour of ours gets picked up in the mornings and at 5.30am the van that picks him up sits with its engine running until he comes out at 5.45. I'm not a very good sleeper these days so I marched out knocked on his window and said " excuse me but most of the people here don't all have to be up at this time of the morning so if you could be so kind and switch your engine off in future and turn the radio down a bit it would be much appreciated" smiles sweetly then tripped over my slippers as I walked away feeling like a champion praying under my breath he wasn't laughing at me in his mirror ?????

It annoys me when people park outside the local school and sit in their cars with their engines running and sometimes for 30 mins or more just so they can stay warm and get a parking space as they are too lazy to walk !!

I would have asked the veterinary staff to speak to them as it would have better coming from them.

I used to walk my little dog down near the village school in the afternoons, but have changed my route because I was always angry at the parents sitting in cars with engines running. In the summer it's so the air con can be on and in the winter for the heating. I'm asthmatic and it always made me cough, so I wonder what damage it was doing to kiddies in pushchairs and my Jack Russell who was just at exhaust height.
But like so many above, I was to afraid to say anything for fear if being told where to go!

If I was as bothered as you were I'd have said something and my husband would have known better than try to stop me

I think there needs to be political action on this. It’s not right to expect caring people to tackle this.

I would have asked them (politely) to turn the engine off. I don’t think it’s a case of live and let live if it’s affecting you. People who do this are no better than litter lotus IMO.

Where do you live? Here in Florida it's still in the 90's so we leave our vehicles running with air conditioning on when we have to wait in them. I'd never ask someone to turn their engine off.

I would politely have asked them to turn off their engine if they weren't intending to drive away.

A police car or ambulance left with its engine running is a completely different matter, Accidents must be prevented or attended quicly.

Greengran
Buses run on Diesel engines. Diesel engines are not start and go 30 seconds should be sufficient. But if it's freezing outside it will take longer.
Replacing one of these engines is hugely expensive, diesel is cheap.

It's not really any of your business is it. If you had said anything to the driver of the 4x4 it could have caused a scene. I think what this pandemic has done is made people more willing to be judgemental of others and feel they have a right to confront people. Live and let live is all I can say!

Wow, thank you all for your comments. Regarding Schools, many of which are over-subscribed, I wonder if the threat to expel a pupil, if parents persistently flout the advice given, could have the desired effect?

what people dont realise is that children in buggies are the right height to get a face full of petrol fumes.

i would have said something too. we get council people too sit outside my flat enginer running/ smoking / i leant out of my window and shouted either you going to poison yourself from gas fumes or kill yourself from cancer... he looked at me ..i said turn off your motor you polluting my space. he shot off down the road..

The law only forbids idling where it isn't necessary. De-icing ones windscreen is one of the "necessary". Waiting at red lights also isn't forbidden or putting the engine on for short periods on hot days etc. I'm not arguing that sitting for hours with the engine running is good, it certainly isn't but we do need to use common sense. Perhaps a call to the council to ask if areas outside schools could be visited and people warned might be a way forward? My understanding is that local authorities have the power to introduce further restrictions.

Btw I have severe brittle asthma so am very aware of the damage emissions can do, but at the same time I would run my engine for short bursts in a traffic jam to keep young children or the dog cool.
I think however that I would have a reasonable chat with a driver who flagrantly disregarded the law.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1808/contents/made

www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/environment-and-waste/vehicles-and-environment/vehicle-engine-idling

A council van was parked outside our house every morning for about a week. 2 workers inside eating sandwiches and drinking tea. Engine running. After a few days I returned from the school run and knocked on the window. ‘Would you please turn your engine off ‘ I got a bit of a look but it was switched off. If they hadn’t I was prepared to report it to the council.

I want to tell my son's in-laws how angry I am at them for flouting covid rules in the north and putting me and son/family at risk by coming into son's house while I was there doing the childcare. They had been gallavanting all day in a well known covid metropolis hotspot. They subsequently both came down with covid, my app alerted me (and so did my son's, him) and I have had to miss work (in school) and a long weekend in Cornwall. They are on the mend thankfully, but I am livid at their cavalier 'rules don't apply to us' attitude. Can't say anything or I'll be in trouble, but they do know we've had to self-isolate. I doubt they will change their customary rule-breaking mentality, especially as they've got off lightly and are so privileged.

I hate it when bus drivers leave their engines running while waiting to leave the terminus. As they usually have the doors closed it’s not easy to complain. When I have done they take no notice anyway. Apart from the air pollution it must add quite a bit to the Company’s fuel bill, which is then added to the fares.