# Another Moment in Stupidity: I left my car running all night **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041 "2007-06-30T14:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/41 "2007-07-01T16:46:14Z")
Reading comprehension seems lacking in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/42 "2007-07-01T16:56:19Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] Reading comprehension seems lacking in this thread. [/QUOTE] So does niceness, eh. Where’s **Miss Manners** when you need her. 😉 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/43 "2007-07-01T18:51:54Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] So does niceness, eh. Where’s **Miss Manners** when you need her. 😉 Peace, mangeorge [/QUOTE] She joined a cult, they’re waiting for the sign that the alien probes will commence shortly. Tom Cruise wants to go first, but she called dibs. Note that I did not quote you specifically, there were many instances, much more than typical. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/44 "2007-07-01T19:08:45Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] She joined a cult, they’re waiting for the sign that the alien probes will commence shortly. Tom Cruise wants to go first, but she called dibs. Note that I did not quote you specifically, there were many instances, much more than typical. [/QUOTE] 😃 Oh, I don’t think **LouisB** , or anyone else, took umbrage at my gentle joshing. At least I hope not. And I liked the OP’s story. I frequently leave my oven on. Luckily, it eventually shuts itself off. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/45 "2007-07-01T19:41:00Z")
[QUOTE=anamnesis] Thanks Ruby, nice to know at least you know where I’m coming from. Between the failure to actually read the thread and the inability to forgive me my misdeeds, the actions that led up to my foible seem lost on some here who know better than I do what the best technique to turning a car off is. At what point in the turning-off process do I remove my seatbelt, guys? :rolleyes: [/quote] Whatever. Don’t post a story with “stupidity” in the title and then get all butt hurt when someone actually agrees with you. This was a very stupid thing to do. You left your car running while you contemplated whether or not you were going to use it again. Then, while thinking about it, you were distracted and left it running all night. It was pretty damn stupid, and excuse me for not understanding how it is even possible. I was just looking for clarification. You can roll your eyes as much as you want, but remember it was _you_ who left your car on all night. > [@](#): > > … but I guess it wouldn’t be the Dope without at least one faultfinder chiming in about how inconceivable it is that a car can idle (on one’s personal property) without someone being in it. And I guess it wouldn’t be the Dope if someone didn’t tell a story about how completely idiotic they were, and then got surprised when the whole world isn’t equally as stupid or understanding of their foul-up. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/46 "2007-07-01T21:25:15Z")
**anamnesis,** I can relate to leaving the care running. When I go to the store to grab beer or Skoal and I have MrsSgtSchwartz in the car, I leave it running so the A/C stays on. (I also tend to lock the doors, as I use the pushbuttons on the door instead of the keys, so I have to punch the code to let myself back in) When the Mrs is not in the car, I remove the keys, throw them on the floor, and get out. I have mixed this up before, and turned off the car and dropped the keys when she is in the car, or left it running when she is not. I don’t have my house keys on my car keyring because my car keys stay in the car. My house keys are in my pockets usually. The longest I left my car running was for about 30 mins when I first got home. I had to make 3-4 quick pit stops with the wife in less than an hour. We got home, she got out, I was on my cell phone. I finished the call, forgot I left the motor running, got out and went into the house. Fortunatly, the trash had to go out and I walked past the car on the way to the Dumpster. Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/47 "2007-07-01T21:30:02Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] You’re lucky someone didn’t drive it off. [/QUOTE] A quick perusal of the odometer may yet reveal an extra 625 miles… :eek: The car may have been running all night but it sure wasn’t standing still. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/48 "2007-07-01T21:41:43Z")
[QUOTE=Ruby] In Post #20 the OP explains that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go back out again and simply got distracted. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I read that. It’s the part I don’t understand. Basically he parked the car and thought, “Hmmm I am not sure if I will be going back out in the next 15 minutes or so. I think I’ll just leave the car running while I go in the house and figure it out. If I decide to stay home, I’ll just go outside and turn off the car. If I want to go out, then it will still be running, so I dont have to turn it on again. Boy, turning that car back on sure is a pain in the ass. So, anyway, I wonder if I’m going to leave here or just go back and turn it off. Maybe I’ll… oh the phone is ringing…” But thanks for pointing out his post as if I couldn’t read it myself the first time. Despite what the self-proclaimed idiots in this thread believe, I am not failing to read the thread, nor do I lack the ability to forgive someone’s misdeeds. I just can’t understand the train of thought that puts a person in such a situation to begin with. When asked for clarification, all I get is a bunch of “Didn’t you read the post!?” and “You’re such an asshole!” type replies. ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/49 "2007-07-02T01:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Basically he parked the car and thought, “Hmmm I am not sure if I will be going back out in the next 15 minutes or so. I think I’ll just leave the car running while I go in the house and figure it out. If I decide to stay home, I’ll just go outside and turn off the car. If I want to go out, then it will still be running, so I dont have to turn it on again. Boy, turning that car back on sure is a pain in the ass. So, anyway, I wonder if I’m going to leave here or just go back and turn it off. Maybe I’ll… oh the phone is ringing…” [/quote] Actually, I thought “I’m probably going to be dropping this stuff off and then be headed right back out again”, but thanks for the overdrawn guess at what I must have been thinking. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I just can’t understand the train of thought that puts a person in such a situation to begin with. When asked for clarification, all I get is a bunch of “Didn’t you read the post!?” and “You’re such an asshole!” type replies. It’s okay, obviously you’ve never mistakenly forgotten anything in your life and are consequently beyond reproach when it comes to remembering to do things, which makes you the perfect judge of how others do things. I’m sure the vibe you’re feeling about those clarifications is just a result of the fact that deep down, I resent how much smarter you are by being such a pragmatist, and I appreciate your letting me know. I’ll take it under advisement and govern myself accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/50 "2007-07-02T01:44:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, I thought “I’m probably going to be dropping this stuff off and then be headed right back out again”, but thanks for the overdrawn guess at what I must have been thinking. [QUOTE=anamnesis] My excuse? I came inside last night with my hands full, **expecting to go back out to turn the car off** and shut the garage door, only to completely forget upon entering the house and getting sidetracked by a dozen other things. [/quote] Wow! Where did I ever get such an overdrawn guess as to your intentions?? How could I ever have assumed that you left your car on with the expectation of returning in a few minutes just for the purpose of turning it off. I guess I didn’t read that somewhere. My bad. > [@](#): > > I really deserve a good punch on the bracket. Yes, you do. But you have a hard time taking it, even when you asked for it. > [@](#): > > It’s okay, obviously you’ve never mistakenly forgotten anything in your life and are consequently beyond reproach when it comes to remembering to do things, which makes you the perfect judge of how others do things. The stupidity of your actions was not that you forgot you left the car on. It’s the fact that you think it’s a good strategy to leave it on in the first place. There’s no point in leaving it on. I asked you if there was a point or a reason (maybe your car takes a long time to start or maybe you wanted to leave the AC on) but all you did was get pissy. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/51 "2007-07-02T01:47:53Z")
First you say that you left it on with the intent of going back out to turn it off. Then in post 20, you say you left it on while you were _deciding_ whether or not you wanted to go back out and drive it again. Now you say that you actually _were_ intending to go right back and drive it. No wonder you forgot your car was running. You can’t even remember what the hell you were doing. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/52 "2007-07-02T01:57:12Z")
Why is such mundane pointless stuff shared here so important to you, **Bear\_Nenno**? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/53 "2007-07-02T02:04:37Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Why is such mundane pointless stuff shared here so important to you, **Bear\_Nenno**? [/QUOTE] When did I say it was important? ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/54 "2007-07-02T02:08:11Z")
Still can’t \*not \*think tiddy Bear\_Nenno. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/55 "2007-07-02T02:12:25Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] Still can’t \*not \*think tiddy Bear\_Nenno. [/QUOTE] LOL. Classic! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/56 "2007-07-02T02:25:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] When did I say it was important? [/QUOTE] Well, you keep hollering (metaphoricaly) at **anamnesis**. He simply came to us with a little story. This is the forum of little stories. You _seem_ to take his as some kind of challenge. It’s just a story. Not testimony. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/57 "2007-07-02T02:31:02Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Why is such mundane pointless stuff shared here so important to you, **Bear\_Nenno**? [/QUOTE] It has been my experience that officers of the United States Military are very analytical. That explains why NCO’s sometimes have difficulty sneaking things past the commissioned officers. 😉 Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/58 "2007-07-02T02:37:43Z")
Nah. I was just a little curious as to why a person would leave a car running for seemingly no reason. I thought he might have an answer other than “Easy: put it in park, open the door, and get out.” But I guess not. I’m not the only one baffled here. The difference is that I’m not baffled that a person could be so absent-minded. I can definitely relate to that. I understand how a person could become side-tracked and forget to go do something and then fall asleep. The part that made me go “HUH??” is why he leaves the car running while he puts things away and decides to drive the car again or not. If he left the top down on his convertible or something, I get it. But to leave the car running? It’s not even lazy, because it takes _more_ effort to do it that way. To make an unnecessary trip to the car simply to turn it off? Sorry, it really threw me. And rather than explain it, he got all offended. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/59 "2007-07-02T02:40:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sgt Schwartz] It has been my experience that officers of the United States Military are very analytical. That explains why NCO’s sometimes have difficulty sneaking things past the commissioned officers. 😉 Sgt Schwartz [/QUOTE] Ah! **Bear\_Nenno’s** not your CO, is he? Nah. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041/60 "2007-07-02T02:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=Sgt Schwartz] It has been my experience that officers of the United States Military are very analytical. That explains why NCO’s sometimes have difficulty sneaking things past the commissioned officers. 😉 Sgt Schwartz [/QUOTE] Analytical, sure. But I’m a Staff Sergeant. Not an officer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-moment-in-stupidity-i-left-my-car-running-all-night/410041.md?page=4)