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What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 4:46:54 PM

Baroana

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If you heard a car running in a closed garage?

Let's say it's in a row of single car garages in an apartment complex.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:17:35 PM

littlewonder

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hhmmm...I would probably first listen to see if it was for a short amount of time or continued. If it continued well past a few minutes, I might go to the home that was connected to the garage and knock on the door just to see if everything was alright.

If no one answered....I dunno to be honest. It could be someone working on a car and has some other kind of exhaust connected because of the cold weather or could be they are testing something on the car. I dunno. That's a hard call. I guess if you're really concerned, then knock on the door. If no one answers you could call 911 with the concern.

There was an entire week here in my neighborhood where everyday I walked by this one rowhome, the front window was completely covered with flies but there were no lights on and didn't look like anyone was home for that week. I didn't know whether I should go to the home and make sure everything was alright. I walked by the home everyday with that concern lol. After the week went by though the lights were on and I'm guessing they were away and something died in their house.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:19:43 PM

JstAnotherSub

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I would beat on the door, and if no answer, I would get the apartment manager or call the cops.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:21:20 PM

Baroana

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No homes connected. It's just a row of garages standing alone. There are interior walls dividing them, and there is an exterior door into each one.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:22:19 PM

littlewonder

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knock on the exterior door? If no answer, 911 or whoever manages the garages.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:25:33 PM

Baroana

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I don't want to spoil the suspense by giving too much away, nor do I want to taint people's answers, which I am genuinely interested in.

But just so no one calls the cops right now, I'll share that the incident is over and no one is hurt.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:32:58 PM

poise

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Depends on where you live. I'd guess they started the car to warm it up,
and went back inside to finish getting ready for wherever they were going.
I think there are some cars that can actually be started by remote these days too.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable enough in my assumptions though, so I might
make an effort to find out what's going on, for safeties sake.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:43:31 PM

Baroana

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quote:

ORIGINAL: poise

Depends on where you live. I'd guess they started the car to warm it up,
and went back inside to finish getting ready for wherever they were going.
I think there are some cars that can actually be started by remote these days too.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable enough in my assumptions though, so I might
make an effort to find out what's going on, for safeties sake.

Well this here is part of why I'm asking. It this simply normal? Should one be able to run a car in a closed garage without expecting to alarm anybody? If so, then that's news to me. I've always regarded a running engine in an un-ventilated space as a "Holy Shit!" moment.

Is this overreacting? Did I miss a memo? I mean, who does that? Not only is that garage filling with CO, but it's also seeping into the adjoining garages (namely mine).

< Message edited by Baroana -- 1/2/2013 5:49:43 PM >

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:44:54 PM

NuevaVida

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I can see starting a car and letting it warm up if it's in the driveway, or if the garage door is open. But a closed garage? Just doesn't seem smart to me, and it would alarm me a bit, too. I'd have knocked on the door and if no answer, I'd have called 911 with a concern.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:47:30 PM

littlewonder

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with the new remote starters I think there are people out there who forget that the door should still be open but maybe they figure that since no one is actually in the garage and there is no connected home, they are just not so concerned.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:54:05 PM

NuevaVida

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True but don't they then have to go INTO the carbon monoxide filled garage to get to their car? Just seems generally unwise to me.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:55:21 PM

poise

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According to studies, even with the door wide open, it can be harmful (although not in the immediate sense)

In an Iowa State study, warming up a vehicle for only two minutes with the overhead door open raised
CO concentrations in the garage to harmful levels. Ten hours after the car had been backed out of the garage,
there was still a measurable concentration of CO in the garage. Persons working in the garage for a long period
of time would breath a dangerous amount of CO.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:55:52 PM

Baroana

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quote:

ORIGINAL: littlewonder

with the new remote starters I think there are people out there who forget that the door should still be open but maybe they figure that since no one is actually in the garage and there is no connected home, they are just not so concerned.

I think you hit the nail on the head with regard to what some people are thinking. However, as NuevaVida just said, someone would then have to open up the garage and go in there. Moreover, are people now just supposed to ignore the sound of a motor behind a closed garage door and figure it's nothing?

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 5:57:38 PM

Baroana

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quote:

ORIGINAL: poise

According to studies, even with the door wide open, it can be harmful (although not in the immediate sense)

In an Iowa State study, warming up a vehicle for only two minutes with the overhead door open raised
CO concentrations in the garage to harmful levels. Ten hours after the car had been backed out of the garage,
there was still a measurable concentration of CO in the garage. Persons working in the garage for a long period
of time would breath a dangerous amount of CO.

Interesting!

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:05:14 PM

littlewonder

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to be honest, most people don't pay much mind to anyone else or their neighbors. For example, you hear the alarm go off for someone's car, most people just get pissed off and hope it shuts off soon. You hear yelling and screaming from your neightbor, you think they are having a couples squabble. You get pissed hoping they stop soon so you can get some sleep. You see people on the streets doing things you think are dangerous or weird or suspicious, you just keep walking along and shake your head.

Most people really are not paying attention to what's going on right around them. The concern is on what they have to do for the day or that it's just something typical that you're used to hearing or seeing or someone else just being a jerk and not their problem.

Around here, gunshots are so common that most people just kind of ignore them and shake their heads and think "there goes another one".

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:08:08 PM

JstAnotherSub

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I am so glad that I know my neighbors well enough to know when I do need to be a nosy neighbor, and they know the same about me.

I would rather have someone check on me unnecessarily, than need it and folks just ignore the signs.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:13:47 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Baroana

If you heard a car running in a closed garage?

Let's say it's in a row of single car garages in an apartment complex.

I'd nail the doors shut.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:21:59 PM

TheHeretic

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I'm not big on random acts of sticking my nose into other people's business at any opportunity. If it continued for an extended period, I'd call the manager, but simply hearing something running in someone else's garage isn't going to hit that level. It could easily be an air compressor, kicking on to maintain the pressure in the tank (and yes, I know someone who had the cops show up at their door, precisely because some ignorant busybody assumed they were hearing a suicide attempt).

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:39:29 PM

Baroana

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How warm and fuzzy......

So, to recap Chapter 1 of this story, I pull into my garage and turn off my car. Only, I get out and it sounds like the car is still running. I double check, and then I realize that the engine sound could be coming from the adjacent garage. So I walk outside to take a look. I find the adjacent garage door closed, but it definitely sounds like there is a car engine running in there.

Chapter 2

It is dark and 30 degrees outside. I am in the midst of suffering from a cold. I'm also starving and just want to go inside. However, someone might be dying or dead here. I see that the garage door appears unlocked, so I open it up and yell to see if anyone is inside.

These garages, by the way, are unlit and very narrow. I see nobody. However, parked with the front end facing out is a sedan with some serious front end damage. Did the accident just happen? I don't know, but the engine is running. This is getting weird, and I decide to call 911 to make a report.

I get off the phone and wait for the police, still very cold and hungry. A minute later, a woman comes towards the garage. I ask if this is her car, and she says yes. I explain that I just called the cops, because I thought something awful might be going on. It turns out that just as littlewonder surmised, the woman had remote started her car from inside. After she drove off, I then had to call the police again and try to explain. I don't think they followed me that time, or the first time. I think they think I'm a nut. I also think that 911 might be a joke in my town.

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RE: What would you do.... - 1/2/2013 6:43:06 PM

Baroana

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quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

I'm not big on random acts of sticking my nose into other people's business at any opportunity. If it continued for an extended period, I'd call the manager, but simply hearing something running in someone else's garage isn't going to hit that level. It could easily be an air compressor, kicking on to maintain the pressure in the tank (and yes, I know someone who had the cops show up at their door, precisely because some ignorant busybody assumed they were hearing a suicide attempt).

These are apartment garages. There is no ventilation or electricity, and nothing should be running inside. I don't regret opening it to check. If someone was in fact inside breathing CO, then waiting for an extended period would be fatal.

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