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I see more and more people sitting in their cars with the engines running while using their "mobile devices." It seems more prevalent with smartphones than plain old cellphones, either due to the Internet distraction factor or because more people own them now. Once I saw it go on for at least 30 minutes, with the idler also leaving her lights on the entire time in a parking lot. Do these people give a second thought to waste in society?
It tends to occur more often in uncomfortable weather but it can be just marginally uncomfortable. A thinking person would blast their heater before they park and notice that the car retains ample heat for 5 or 10 minutes (the heat permeates the interior and keeps radiating). Park away from windy areas to maximize that effect. You will survive some mild discomfort and your life will go on! On hot days you can often find shade trees to park under, which saves on A/C fuel waste when you drive again. At least don't park with the windshield facing into the Sun.
People seem to think any risk of non-luxury time is an excuse to waste fuel and spew CO2. The worst offenders are slouches with big V-8s who'd probably yell about "property rights" if you questioned their idling habits. Now, with shale oil abetting a temporary a price drop, and winter coming on, smug smartphone idling will probably increase.
People also spend too much time warming up engines in general. Many are stuck on old stories from a time when engines had more slack and clearances took longer to mesh. It's more efficient and better for the engine to warm it up under load by driving slowly for a few minutes. The transmission is also less strained or shocked, along with the engine. Modern diesel engines only need to be idled for a few minutes for warm up or turbo cool down.
I see people start their engines in the morning while absorbed in their smartphones, then they get distracted and the warm up time becomes much longer than its already excessive period. Get a clue, people. There is less oil in the ground every second and AGW still looms.
When it was nice out and waiting for my kids to get out of school, I would shut the truck off and wait for them with the windows down. I usually have my phone charged up before I leave the house... And I think I could leave the truck off and my phone plugged in for days before noticing a difference. FWIW, The lights on most cars are on - DRLs - you have to intervene to turn them off and then you forget to turn them back on... DRLs should turn off when you go into PARK - some do - most don't. I actually wish my super duty had DRLs since it is illegal to drive with your lights off, day or night here. Back to attempting to create the muscle memory to turning lights on and off, something I haven't had to do in 25 years of driving.
Now to my point - it is in the low +20Fs here. My truck when turned off will keep the radio and interior lights on for up to 5 minutes after I turn off the key. WAY WAY WAAAAAAAAAAAAY before that happens, it feels like I never had the heat on. I actually start to feel cold with my jacket on (but not zipped up) in about a minute. I'll time it next time. NO way I am doing this in single digits or colder. Once you get to the below zero stuff, turning your car off presents another potential challenge called restart. It just might not...
I was driving before cell phones were in use at all. And the behavior is the same. If it is marginally uncomfortable out, people will wait in their cars with them running. I don't see how the smartphone has changed this - other than making the wait in the vehicle more enjoyable. When my mother went shopping or had to stop at work, I would stay in the car and *GASP* read a book while I waited in the vehicle.
Yes, it is wasteful. And since I don't like pointing out problems without solutions, here it is. Several countries have anti-idling laws to the point that the VEHICLE must automatically turn OFF when you are stopped or are in PARK. My wife's Volt does this, unless the battery is really, really low.
Back when I had to pick up kids from school and events, I left my vehicle idling while waiting if it was about 20 degrees or colder. I did not have a phone back then. I read in the car while waiting for the kids to come out. If it was warm to hot out, I just rolled down the windows.
I often leave my car idling (when I'm in it) to recharge the cell phone. I hate to do it, but this new car (Prius) that I just bought won't charge my phone with the engine shut off. The engine itself will automatically turn on and off as needed to keep the interior warm, but if I push the "off" button, no cell charge. And yes, I do need to charge my cell phone, as I use it constantly throughout the day for work, often taking several hundred pictures. That runs the cell's battery down in a hurry, and it usually won't recharge during the time it takes me to drive from one location to the next.
Funny, eh? I trade my F250 diesel for a Prius to save fuel costs, but, unlike the F250, the Prius must be "on" to charge the cell phone.
Buy a cell phone with removable batteries. There are some good ones that let you swap batteries. If you have an iphone you're stuck though and their batteries don't last very long.
People sitting in cars in very hot or very cold weather tend to leave their engines idling to heat or cool the car, whether they are using a cell phone or not.
I have lived where the law is that idling an engine more than 5 minutes, and the law is generally ignored when it is 100 F outside. Even by city vehicles.
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