Wasting other people's fuel

[springswood]

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?

[JockoT]

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.

[LDB]

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.

[JockoT]

Originally Posted by LDB

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.

[LDB]

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.

[Draigflag]

No wonder people are so fat there haha

[LDB]

Well, at least 9 of them are banks.

[trollbait]

Standing in line at a bank is exercise for some people.

[davidradio]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

No wonder people are so fat there haha

So fat by Mc Donal LOL

[JockoT]

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!