How long can you let a car sit idle?

Ugh, this whole "how long can you let a car sit idling?" thing is something I've actually wondered myself, you know? Like, last week I was waiting for my friend Sarah, who's always late, and I sat there in my little Honda, engine humming softly, feeling guilty about wasting gas. Twenty minutes? Was that it? Seemed like a long time.

I mean, most cars can probably handle twenty minutes of idling, right? That's what I read somewhere. Short bursts, like, you know, waiting for someone or grabbing a coffee? Probably fine. Totally harmless. But, sitting there for ages, just burning fuel and doing nothing? That seems... wrong, somehow. I'm pretty sure it's not great for the engine, and definitely not great for the planet. Remember that documentary I watched about car pollution? Yikes.

So, I guess the answer isn't a simple number. Twenty minutes is a decent rule of thumb, maybe. But if you're regularly idling for longer than that, you're probably doing your engine no favors, and your wallet – and the environment – will definitely feel it. My dad always told me about his old pickup truck, how he’d kill the engine if he was stopped for more than a couple of minutes – swore it saved him a fortune in the long run. Maybe he was right! Maybe I should be a bit more mindful. I should probably set a timer next time, instead of letting my phone-scrolling-induced procrastination take over.