Jump to content

Instant fines for drivers idling engines


Sue

Recommended Posts

Well, if companies get large fines, they may spend a bit more time and trouble telling their drivers not to leave their engines idling.


Of course it can't be policed everywhere, much like using mobiles when driving, but at least if it gets publicity and there is more awareness, some people might think twice.


Every little helps, and all that :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Will that also apply to the little spy camera cars

> who are the main culprits

> when it comes to leaving their engines running.



The main culprits??


How many of them are there??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

singalto Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I passed several cars today with their engines

> idling. I cannot believe how many parents park

> near their children?s school and leave their

> engines running. Drives me mad.



And me.


And the school which used to be the old police station, at the bottom of Whateley Road, has (or had, not sure if it's still there) a large banner asking cars not to do this.


I passed it once with a van sitting directly in front of the banner - with its engine running and, if memory serves, the driver on his mobile.


I didn't do anything. Sometimes I go and ask them to turn the engine off, but too many times I have had the same sort of response as Seenbeen above, so now I only do it if I'm pretty sure I will be able to stay calm and polite.


Which has not been possible on the occasions when they park outside my house and pump fumes into my living room, GRRRRRRR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Save your energy and look for battles that you can win. Believe me I've tried for years on this one. It is not practically enforceable and whilst turning off you engine is a no brainer, there are clearly an enormous amount of drivers with no brains. Write to your MP, lobby the political parties to have some hard interventions on drivers, increasing fuel duty, road user charging. No longer should we drive what we want, how we want, where we want and when we want. There are some small victories out there. The ULEZ is a bit of a sledgehammer, there are many other things that can be done on a national, regional and local basis. And start with your own actions!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

But if this comes in, it will make a difference.


It may make a small difference, but it will make a difference nevertheless.


Yes of course there are things which will make a bigger difference, but that doesn't mean there can't be this too.


As I said above, it will increase awareness, plus if large fines are brought in for company vehicles, then those companies will take whatever steps are necessary to avoid paying the fines - ie training their drivers to turn engines off when parked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

singalto Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I passed several cars today with their engines

> idling. I cannot believe how many parents park

> near their children?s school and leave their

> engines running. Drives me mad.



Singalto...did you not know that if you're dropping off or collecting your children from school, you are allowed to ignore all road rules and do whatever the f#ck you want....."Just picking up my kids" is apparently a valid defense for any amount of rudeness,lack of consideration or law-breaking....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's piffle. Comes up every few years. You get a higher fine for dropping litter in Westminster than leaving your car idling. I've worked there for years and never seen an enforcement officer do either. This is the same Westminster that will not ban vehicles from Oxford Street as they don't want to offend their core voter.


This forum is interesting when there is proper debate rather than "oh yes I agree with you, how awful". There needs to be more fundamental change and I've told you the sort of things you can do. This forum and thread is not going to end up in a critical mass.


I've also shared my frustrations and that all I've ever got by tapping on windscreens is abuse. My favourite being the police who seem to have no interest at all whilst they eat their sarnies - I've got the video. So from time to time I complain to the IPCC, or today with the ambulances running outside Kings, to the hospital.


Gove is just doing all he can to make a mark as the next PM. Sociopath - whilst the media target Graying as he is the soft target.


It's not just parents - again an easy target particularly due to the school run, but most motorists. Back to my fundamental change.


Anyway here's an article on 20mph zones - quite an interesting read (not sure if I agree with all of it) http://content.tfl.gov.uk/speed-emissions-and-health.pdf Shame this work doesn't get more publicity - a failing of GLA/TfL and boroughs to do more publcising their actions and the reasons/benefits.


Oh and credit Camden for traffic free zones around schools http://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/ban-on-rush-hour-through-traffic-at-primary-schools.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Will that also apply to the little spy camera

> cars

> > who are the main culprits

> > when it comes to leaving their engines

> running.

>

>

> The main culprits??

>

> How many of them are there??



Sue, you know not to ask, just take it as fact and move along.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > DulwichFox Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Will that also apply to the little spy camera

> > cars

> > > who are the main culprits

> > > when it comes to leaving their engines

> > running.

> >

> >

> > The main culprits??

> >

> > How many of them are there??

>

>

> Sue, you know not to ask, just take it as fact and

> move along.



Yes, obviously I know it's pointless asking as no reply (or no sensible reply) will be forthcoming, but sadly I just can't let some statements go unchallenged.


It would be like accepting that fake news is true :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This 'Fish' is not biting. Sorry.



I wasn't fishing.


I was just asking a perfectly reasonable question in response to your statement about "spy camera cars".


As Seabag notes above, for me to ask the question was pointless.


It appears to me that when you don't actually have an answer to a question you just don't reply to it.


But hey ho, fool that I am, I will keep questioning statements you (and others) make which don't appear to be founded on any evidence.


Because if nobody calls false statements out, that's when a new "reality" spreads round the world based on completely false premises.


If you feel your statement was actually based on fact, then all you have to do is say what your evidence is.


Easy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TheCat, I agree. I live near that school and double yellow lines ?don?t apply if you are dropping off/picking up children? and I actually pointed out the ?no idling? sign to a woman parked in the loading bay by the school. She ?hadn?t noticed it.? Presumably her kids wear gas masks on the way to the 4x4 she was driving!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could put the law in place but it wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference. The coaches outside Alleyn's have been reported loads of times (to the school, the council, the police) for sitting there engines thumping away for hours as they're waiting to pick the kids up after school and Southwark Council's "enforcement team" said there was nothing they could do and (in response to one complaint) actually said it was OK because (and I quote) "the pollution blows away"


!!??!!


Seriously, when you have an attitude like that in local Government, all the laws in the world won't matter. Personally, if I was in charge of a council and was seeing my annual budget slashed under "austerity measures" year on year, I'd be caning every possible method of fining misdemeanours, especially if it made the borough a more pleasant place. Litter, pollution (like idling engines), anti-social parking. An extra few million ?? there for a council implementing all of that.


What's worse is that most modern cars now have start/stop technology - roll to a stop at the lights, kerb or whatever, the engine cuts out (while still running things like air-con, power to your vital phone charger etc) and then starts again when you press the gas to move off. There shouldn't be any excuse to be idling the engine in any modern car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

exdulwicher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Starting the engine possible produces more

> > pollution than an engine idling for a few

> > minutes.

> > Stop / start stop / start is not good.

>

> Source?


I was also told this in relation to older engines as they need more umph to turn over when starting


Not sure it's the same with modern more efficient engines

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TheArtfulDogger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> exdulwicher Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > DulwichFox Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Starting the engine possible produces more

> > > pollution than an engine idling for a few

> > > minutes.

> > > Stop / start stop / start is not good.

> >

> > Source?

>

> I was also told this in relation to older engines

> as they need more umph to turn over when starting

>

>

> Not sure it's the same with modern more efficient

> engines


I think the new ones are optimised for start/stop - systems power some parts of the car (water pump ?) when the engine is off temporarily (not sure how all this works).


Old cars LOL - I had to pull out the choke to start my car 20 years ago and it immediately released a cloud of pollution :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • you know when you take your pro-cash stance too far? yeah....
    • Easter Bunny Bonus Week 29 fixtures...   Saturday 30th March Newcastle United v West Ham United AFC Bournemouth v Everton Chelsea v Burnley Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace Sheffield United v Fulham Tottenham Hotspur v Luton Town Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers Brentford v Manchester United   Sunday 31st March Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion Manchester City v Arsenal   Tuesday 2nd April Newcastle United v Everton Nottingham Forest v Fulham AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur   Wednesday 3rd April Arsenal v Luton Town Brentford v Brighton & Hove Albion Manchester City v Aston Villa   Thursday 4th April Liverpool v Sheffield United Chelsea v Manchester United
    • A repetitive tried and tested cycle that seems to be slowing down in London thankfully. Brixton was the start. Councils consciously and purposely let an area decline until that area is next on the list for social and ethnic cleansing and ultimately gentrification. In come the first wave of arty/ creatives to squat and house share. A few coffee shops and cool but inexpensive cafe/ bars and art spaces open up. The crackheads, dealers and other assorted criminals who were once left to operate openly and brazenly to sell, shop lift, mug, beg, purchase,  publicly consume on decent folks doorsteps, stairwells,in bin sheds and without fear of the law begin to be targeted, rounded up and moved on. A few more jaunty and sustainable coffee shops/ bars appear . The Guardian and other facilitators in the media jump on the bandwagon, first claims of vibrancy are rolled out. Next step a few cool retro clothing shops pop up selling ' reclaimed Levi's for more than they originally cost and ten times the price of what the recently departed charity shop charged. Foxtons open a branch and the arty types and first wavers/ drivers have there first moan about there initially paltry rents going up. The guardian do a generic lets move to Brixton, Dalston, Hackney, Deptford, Walthamstow type double pager. Interview a graphic designer or two who have just bought a former crack den on the manor for next to peanuts. They will later bemoan the next wave who have more money than them. Cool, edgy and vibrant are now the buzzword bingo must use lingo. Few more coffee shops ( how original ) Pop up everything,. Organic and sour dough move in. The night time economy starts to thrive, more cool bars and eateries open. More squats and the last crack house that was once one of many are cleared out. Second wave is around the corner.   All of a sudden there's a visible police presence again and the streets are safe for fun seekers with plenty of disposable cash to chuck about on a dose of vibrancy with added coolness. By this stage even the locally brewed beer is organic. There's queues outside the newly arrived organic, sourdough, artisan and sustainable bakers. Instagram has Brixton trending. The greasy spoon of thirty year has gone cause the lease is up and the landlord has hiked the rents up by 60/70%. Followed by small family run independents that served the community  for decades and more.  The local characters, activists, eccentrics are getting less and less. There's a new show in town for a week or two and until the next brand arrives. Brewdog move in. Former job centres are converted into bars but peak edginess means it's still called the job centre. Followed by a couple more chain eateries. The resident DJ'S and music venues are replaced by another generic brand boasting guest chefs. The Guardian lifestyle section is now on it's fifth or sixth orgasm. Turn a few pages and hypocrisy is rampant with articles on the evils of gentrification, foxtons, capitalism, social cleansing and unaffordable housing. The middle classes continue to arrive in there droves to buy into the vibrancy and multiculturalism supposedly on offer. There isn't much multiculturalism going on at the packed latest place to eat, drink and fart. The multiculturalism on show comes in the form of bar staff, doorman and cheap as chips uber drivers and delivery workers. Rice and peas, jerk everything, red stripe at six quid a can from some hipster haunt that is currently flavour of the month and the place to be seen. The first wavers are now blaming the latest hedge funded brand that's pulled into town for driving gentrification and there soon to be hastened departure to be first wavers again somewhere else. Less cool but up and coming here we come. Covid has certainly helped/ been a factor in slowing down the process of gentrification. I also think it may be the driver for almost putting a stop to it. Remote working, less need to move to London to be near an office, less disposable cash, sky high rents, worthless degrees that relied on that disposable cash , different priorities, knife and gang crime and a large dose of much needed realism has put a huge spanner in the works for the shitty process and cycle that is/ was the gentrification and social cleansing of working class London. Manchester and Liverpool is next on the list for the planners. Thankfully.
    • Can you just queue up to withdraw cash or are other transactions like stamp purchasing required?  Do M&S do cash back?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...