h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, I've done one. My first!

The Beeb had some idiot (Quentin whatsisface) telling people to start their cars, lock them up and wander off, leaving it to defrost itself. The point of him was he was telling people how to lock their car, ie using a spare key.

Can't believe it! It's against the bloody law, at least two sodding laws! They did eventually start saying they didn't know if it was legal or not, then that it was probably okay on a driveway but they weren't sure. Then even mentioned that some people can't lock their doors with a key when the engine is running, and said it was 'a safety feature'. Surely that should have given them a clue!

I wasn't very happy.

I feel very strongly that there are enough idiots on the road already, without him creating more.

It wasn't Quentin who used to be on Top Gear was it? I thought he was more sensible than that.

As I walk through the complex on the way to the bus stop on any morning that's even slightly chilly I walk past several cars with the engines running and no-one inside, all spewing fumes into the atmosphere. My driving instructor taught me that the best way to warm up an engine is to start driving it straight away. These people just don't want to sit in a cold car for all of the five minutes it takes to get the engine coolant hot enough to start working the heater.

Quention Letts perhaps? It sounds almost stupid enough to be one of his ideas.

Quentin Willson, that's who I'm thinking of http://www.nmpmanagement.co.uk/clients/quentinwillson/quentin-willson.jpg

Of course, there is the problem in the depths of winter when it's cold and your breath condenses on the inside of the windscreen until the windscreen demister is warm enough to start working and dry it off. Not sure what to do about that problem, but driving around with a windscreen you can't see through and have to keep wiping with the back of a gloved hand obviously isn't a good idea.

I thought Quentin Wilson, as you say, would be a tad too sensible for that.

Letts, on the other hand, is a barn pot.

Wilson yes, that's his name. No idea who Letts is. I wanted to type 'Crisp' but was pretty sure that's not who it was!

It's more efficient to drive straight off, there's no benefit to the car to sit there warming the engine up.

I use a motorhome 'silver screen' on my van, it is thick, thermal, and keeps the front side windows clear as well as the windscreen. It's the last thing I take off before starting the van, because when I take it off first, in this weather the screen started frosting up where there had been some seepage, or condensation or something coming through. I've got internal screens for the same windows as well, but the suckers aren't very good so I don't think they'd stick all night.

This is one of the few vehicles I've had where I don't have to scrape the inside of the screen. Some days I do need to give it a bit of a scrape, but it's not too bad. Amazing, considering the leak from around the headlight which soaks the carpet on the passenger side every time it rains!

Quentin Letts writes for the Daily Mail. Nuff said.

I have to run the engine for a bit to keep the inside windscreen clear. If there's a solution to that please say! I wipe it but it mists up again. I usually just keep the engine running while I scrape the windows (roof, lights etc) - also lets the rear screen ice melt so less scraping.

I didn't know it was against the law to lock the car with the engine running

Mol

That's why they shouldn't be allowed to give out that stupid advice on the telly.

It's illegal to get out of the car while it's running, but a blind eye is turned to someone scrapping the windows while they leave the windscreen heater & rear screen demist running, because that's part of clearing the car of snow & frost (also illegal *not* to do). What this bloke was advocating was leaving the car running to warm up & defrost while the driver went back indoors and completely left the area.