Does this drive you nuts ?

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When people leave their vehicles ( especially large ones ) running while eating , waiting , or other reasons . We seen several different people do so in fast food parking lot . One letting his S.U.V. run for over 15 minutes while waiting for someone in Mc D's ( still running after we left ) and a few young mothers coming out of Mc D's and then putting kids in car and turning it on while they had a cig outside of car . Even worse we've encountered many letting their vehciles run while pumping gas . Most have been under 30 . What's your take on this ? ;- )
 
Last week,I walked out to my car to go home during my lunchbreak. There was some dude in a truck sitting in it with it idling. I came back an HOUR later and there he was.........truck still idling!!!!!!! I was like,***???????
 
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I thought Canada was perfect.
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I asked one guy politely to have his woman turn off the car when pumping their gas next to us when I was filling tank . He told me to never mind my own business or he'll have to put his fist in my mouth . Just can't win . :- (
 
are people just getting dumber and more rude ? Or is it just my imagination ? :- )
 
Originally Posted By: smokey1
When people leave their vehicles ( especially large ones ) running while eating , waiting , or other reasons . We seen several different people do so in fast food parking lot . One letting his S.U.V. run for over 15 minutes while waiting for someone in Mc D's ( still running after we left ) and a few young mothers coming out of Mc D's and then putting kids in car and turning it on while they had a cig outside of car . Even worse we've encountered many letting their vehciles run while pumping gas . Most have been under 30 . What's your take on this ? ;- )


Well, a couple of decades ago, I live in Minnesota for about 7 years. I often let my vehicle idle while pumping gas. Many people did in the winter time. One time a young woman (probably about 18) who was a cashier at the station I went to said "You should shut your engine off while fueling". I reminded her that at - 25 degrees (the current temp at the time) gasoline would barely burn inside an engine under compression.

Personally why would you care if someone lets their vehicle idle while in McDonald's or anywhere else! It's their gas bill that is going up.
If you have the right to tell them to shut it off, then they should be able to tell you not to drive to the lake, bar, movies or where ever you want to go!
 
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There seems to be an implied courtesy or impatience when waiting for someone or something with one's motor running. IE waiting for one's girl/boyfriend.

That's why cabbies do it... so the fare can then immediately get moving without waiting the half second for the car to start.
 
The GF and I went to a local amusement park a few years ago. When we were walking through the parking lot I noticed that a parked car we passed was running. Nobody in it. When we left the park, 6 or 7 hours later, the car was still sitting in the parking lot, all by itself, still running. I don't know if they left it on by accident or on purpose but it struck me as very strange.

It does annoy me when I see people doing this. Yeah, it's their money, but it's also a waste of fuel and unnecessary air pollution. It's not generally hot or cold enough during the day here that people "need" to run their AC or heater while parked for a few minutes. Especially with nifty inventions around like sweaters and windows.
 
Originally Posted By: oldmaninsc

If you have the right to tell them to shut it off, then they should be able to tell you not to drive to the lake, bar, movies or where ever you want to go!



Sure, they have the right to tell you whatever they want, of course! It just bugs me a little because I don't understand what benefit they're deriving from letting the vehicle idle. I'm not talking about situations where it's too cold or hot to turn the car off.

People could also spend their money buying gas and pouring it out on the ground, but that's not right either.


I second the observation of the OP (I think) that most of the vehicles I see doing things are larger ones, for whatever reason. And around here it's definitely not restricted to younger drivers.
 
Their money - sure that's fine. But oil is a very limited resource, not to mention the unnecessary pollution it creates.

It is socially irresponsible selfishness.

Around here, I see cops idling their police vehicles while they munch on food in a restaurant during the winter time (Texas winter - which is pretty mild compared to the north).
 
Sometimes when I have to take a half hour lunch at work (instead of an hour) I will go get some fast food, return to work and proceed to idle my car for 15-20 minutes to stay warm/cool/listen to the radio. :p If you hate me, oh well.
 
I realize there is a certain tradition of ours to thumb our nose at people who want to nanny them - but my point that oil is a limited resource and that running our engines create pollution (you know, air we breathe) is a valid one. It has nothing to do with me being "better" than you, its to simply tell the truth.

I guess gas prices haven't become high enough for people to care or the health cost of having toxic pollution in city air become relevant enough (even though the problems are well documented and studied on) to make it an issue that trumps one's freedom to indulge without thought.
 
Originally Posted By: smokey1
are people just getting dumber and more rude ? Or is it just my imagination ? :- )


Definitely more rude. Dumb appears to be more universal too. Small existence bubbles seem to be the limits of perception.
 
I think it's stupid to leave your car idling for no good reason; but I could care less if it's a stranger.
 
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