Wasting other people's fuel - Fuelly Forums

Click here to see important news regarding the aCar App

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-04-2019, 12:15 AM   #1
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1
Country: United Kingdom
Location: West Yorkshire
Wasting other people's fuel

Most of us think a lot about what we can do to improve our own mpg figures. A post here got me thinking about how we drive affects others.

I can't find where it was but the gist was leave lots of room when parking so you don't have to waste fuel reversing. My problem with that is it is the kind of driving which turns on-street parking for four cars into space for only three. Put another way, if we park close up there might be up to 30% more parking spaces. Realistically even 10% more spaces would reduce the fuel wasted looking for a spot.

Of course you can't trace directly your actions to your mpg figure but on average more of that driving must reduce your mpg.

So then I've been trying to think of others. Now, I live about a mile south of Saltaire, a Victorian philanthropist's model village and world heritage site. So they're not going to bung a dual carriage way through to ease congestion. Traffic regularly queues back to the end of my road. What I've noticed is when you get to the traffic lights in Saltaire and they finally go green people 'save' fuel by accelerating gently. Add to that the dopey ****s who finish whatever text they were sending before pulling off and maybe 10 cars get through when 15 could. So is it worth spending a bit of fuel getting cars through the bottle neck to save on the petrol wasted in the queue? Again, only works if most people do it.

Just one more. I don't have a problem with the economical driver who sticks to a steady 60 mph on the motorway. But when they reach the inevitable lorry doing 59 mph their refusal to spend a little bit of fuel to get past quickly so often leads to congestion and a much greater waste of fuel (and time) for all the other cars waiting for them to get back into the inside lane (if they even do)

I'm quite aware this is a case of me finding a fuel economy argument to justify my already impeccable opinions about how everyone else should drive but I wonder what you think?
__________________

springswood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 12:59 AM   #2
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,461
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Danderhall
There is a parking bay out side the flats I live in that normally holds 4 cars. It can comfortably hold 5 and I have even seen 6 parked overnight. Unfortunately there is a doctors surgery right across the road so there is more often 4 abandoned than 5 parked.
People who get caught out when a light turns to green amaze me. A red light is only going to change one way! And here in the UK we even have the luxury of red and amber before the light goes green.
When I am travelling at 60 mph and come up behind a lorry doing 59 mph I am more than happy to slow down and sit behind him. Even a safe distance back you get a bit if drafting which can add a bit extra to your mpg.
__________________

__________________
2009 Skoda Fabia Elegance 1.4 16V
JockoT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 03:04 AM   #3
LDB
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Houston suburb
Posts: 1,358
Country: United States
If you want to significantly reduce fuel consumption ban drive through windows. Let the lazy mooks park their car and walk inside to order their food or do their banking or pick up their dry cleaning or whatever.
__________________
.
2023 Ford Escape ST-Line 1.5L Eco-boost AWD

LDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 05:28 AM   #4
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,461
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Danderhall
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDB View Post
If you want to significantly reduce fuel consumption ban drive through windows. Let the lazy mooks park their car and walk inside to order their food or do their banking or pick up their dry cleaning or whatever.
Not really a problem in the UK. A few McDonald's, but that's about it.
__________________
2009 Skoda Fabia Elegance 1.4 16V
JockoT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 10:34 AM   #5
LDB
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Houston suburb
Posts: 1,358
Country: United States
If I had the cost of the fuel burned in all the drive-throughs in the entire U.S. in a month I think I'd have 7 figures and maybe multiples of that. I can think of over 20 within 2 miles of where I'm sitting and I'm sure I'm missing some.
__________________
.
2023 Ford Escape ST-Line 1.5L Eco-boost AWD

LDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 11:13 AM   #6
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,385
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Mid Wales
No wonder people are so fat there haha
__________________



Please subscribe to my YouTube channel
Draigflag is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2019, 04:14 PM   #7
LDB
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Houston suburb
Posts: 1,358
Country: United States
Well, at least 9 of them are banks.
__________________
.
2023 Ford Escape ST-Line 1.5L Eco-boost AWD

LDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2019, 07:22 AM   #8
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,852
Country: United States
Location: north east PA
Standing in line at a bank is exercise for some people.
trollbait is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2019, 06:38 PM   #9
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 1
Country: United States
Location: Ohio
Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by Draigflag View Post
No wonder people are so fat there haha
So fat by Mc Donal LOL
__________________
My wife is Google
davidradio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2019, 03:29 AM   #10
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,461
Country: United Kingdom
Location: Danderhall
davidradio: Your signature got me thinking about my wife. She has so much stuff stored on her Favourites I always say that every time someone makes an enquiry of Google, Google checks her Favourites first, before search elsewhere!
__________________

__________________
2009 Skoda Fabia Elegance 1.4 16V
JockoT is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Fuelly iOS Apps
No Threads to Display.
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.