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      Crippling rail strikes fail to stop fans from attending first all-Manchester FA Cup final

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      FOOTIE fans were jubilant yesterday after crippling rail strikes failed to stop them attending the first all-Manchester FA Cup final.Supporters crammed into cars and piled on to coaches as trains were axed due to ­drivers walking out on the biggest day of the season.
      Manchester City supporters queued round the block to board a coach to the FA Cup finalCredit: EPA
      Manchester United fans leave Old Trafford by coach to travel to Wembley Stadium ahead of the FA Cup finalCredit: PA
      Many got up at the crack of dawn to embark on the 200-mile pilgrimage from the North West to Wembley to beat the traffic.
      The six-hour drive proved worthwhile for Man City fans who kept treble dreams alive by claiming a 2-1 victory over United in the first Manchester derby final in the competition’s 151-year history.
      The Red Devils, who secured their own ­trophy trio in 1999, were chasing their second silverware of the year.
      United fan Marty Harris, 46, woke at 4am for a £300 flight from Edinburgh to Birmingham before car-sharing to Watford and then getting the Tube to Wembley with his young son.
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      He said: “I’m here now so that’s the main thing. It’s been torture, absolute torture. I think people watching will be tired because they’ve got up so early to be here.”
      Sharon and Mark Ralph, drove for seven hours from Cheshire on Friday night to avoid the strikes — staying in a hotel for two nights before watching their beloved United yesterday.
      Sharon, 44, said: “We don’t mind the extra cost. It was definitely worth it.”
      FA Cup expert Phil Annets, who wrote in the official matchday ­programme, needed a lift back to Oxfordshire after being driven to the match by a friend.
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      The 58-year-old said: “I think it’s vindictive by the strikers to try to impact as many people as possible.”
      Hundreds of coaches and cars set off from the North West in the early hours for the usual four-hour trip down the M6 and M40 motorways towards North West London.
      But the journey took more than six hours for many who got stuck in two huge tailbacks on the M1.
      Manchester United fan Ralph Cooper, 56, said: “Even if it would have taken me two days to get there and two days to get back, it wouldn’t have made any difference. I wouldn’t have missed this.”
      Police patrolled service stations along the route despite fans being allocated separate stop-offs depending on whether their loyalties were red or sky blue.
      Both Manchester clubs provided return coaches at a subsidised price of £50 a seat to meet the exceptional demand.
      The FA also put on 120 special bus services — 60 for each club leaving from different locations — at £60 per fan.
      Extra car parking was also made available 25 minutes’ walk away from the stadium in Fryent Park.
      Event day parking at the 90,000-capacity stadium had sold out two weeks ago.
      Tom Legg, head of external operations at the FA, had said of the two-day travel carnage: “This additional strike action will severely impact fans who might have been considering travelling to London from Manchester the night before the final.”
      Fans battled for parking spaces in sleepy, suburban Stanmore in North West London — at the very northern end of the Jubilee line — after the Metropolitan line was temporarily suspended due to ­signal failure.
      Manchester City fans were fierce during their historic FA Cup Final win against bitter rivals Man UnitedCredit: Getty
      Hundreds of motorists from ­Manchester had come off the M1 to park up in Stanmore, filling up side streets normally used by ­residents and shoppers.
      Others made deals with enterprising locals to park their cars on their driveways.
      Mary, 60, travelling with godson Oliver, 21, said: “There’s no choice really.”
      James, who travelled to Bushey, Herts, on Thursday to avoid the rush, said: “I’ve got a friend from Manchester who left at half past six in the morning and five hours later he’s still stuck in traffic on the motorway.”
      Strikes coincided with other huge events like the Epsom Derby, England’s test match at Lord’s and Beyonce’s concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      Usually busy railway stations across the capital have been left looking like ghost towns as around 12,000 Aslef and RMT members walked out in industrial action for the second day in a row.
      After helping to cripple around 40 per cent of train services, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We are determined to get a resolution and remain in this for the long haul.”
      The Department for Transport claimed the action had been deliberately coordinated to target major events for maximum disruption.
      A spokesman added: “Not content with impacting the hundreds of thousands of people who have looked forward to these events all year round, unions are also targeting their own members’ pockets by forcing them to miss out on pay every time they strike.
      “The Government has facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer.
      “Now union leaders must do the right thing and put this to their members.”
      Aslef’s chaotic rail strike was designed to affect those wanting to travel to the FA Cup Final at Wembley and The Derby at Epsom this weekendCredit: Paul Marriott
      Stars are in crowd
      STARS from both sides of Manchester were spotted in the crowd at Wembley.
      Ex-Red Devils favourite David Beckham, 48, looked glum as he watched his beloved side lose with sons Brooklyn, 24, and Cruz, 18.

      Liam Gallagher celebrates Man City’s success with his boys Lennon and GeneCredit: Pixel8000
      David Beckham was also spotted in the Wembley standsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      But ex-Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, 50, pumped his arms in the air watching City’s win with his kids.
      Prince William, president of the FA, presented the medals and trophy after the game, tweeting: “A derby like no other today.”
      Erling Haaland of Manchester City, receives his FA Cup winners medal from Prince WilliamCredit: Getty More

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      We live in the shadow of massive football stadium – fans dump litter in our gardens and smash our windows…we hate it

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      LOCALS living in the shadow of a Premier League ground claim their lives are a “nightmare” on match days and fear things will only get worse. Residents living next to Villa Park have told of rowdy fans urinating in gardens, smashing windows, vandalising cars and blocking driveways.
      Andrea Sawyers has lived on Trinity Road since 2012 and said she often had to clean up huge piles of litter left behind by fansCredit: SWNS
      Osman Mohammed, 30 has to plan ahead of match daysCredit: SWNS
      Abu Zaman, 26, has had his car vandalised on several occasionsCredit: SWNS
      Locals have taken to picking up strewn kebab wrappers and beer cans after match days at the club supported by Prince William and Tom Hanks.
      Some have started studying fixture lists in attempt to avoid match days, when they know their driveways will be blocked by ignorant fans.
      Aston Villa are set for European football next season after a remarkable turnaround in form under new gaffer Unai Emery.
      And the famous club have had a near 10,000 seat new stand approved in the past few months, which locals fear is just going to make the problems worse.
      Abu Zaman, 26, is a Villa fan but says living near the team he supports is no fun as his car has been damaged on multiple occasions.
      Business owner Abu, who has lived on Trinity Road all of his life, said: “The parking and the traffic are really bad.
      “We get people who scratch our cars and previously had people smash our windows.
      “Our road is shut on the day. On a match day you have to wait for the game to start at which point your whole day is wasted.
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      “Then there’s the parking, the litter and the vandalism. The roads are open but the supporters are walking on the road and blocking them.
      “In the 26 years Villa have only approached us for once for planning permission for the ground extension, they don’t care about the local community.
      “As long as their pockets are lined, they don’t care. It’s all about tickets and season tickets for them.
      “The roads are covered in alcohol bottles, burger wrappers, pretty much everything.”
      Dad-of-one James Payne, 35, who lives on nearby Endicott Road, added: “This is a built up area, the infrastructure can’t support even more fans.
      “It’s bad enough as it is – having to wade through a sea of beer bottles and takeaway wrappers just to get to your front door.
      “We’ve had people urinating in our front garden, I’m sure people act like they wouldn’t usually do when they go the football. They turn into yobs.
      “Someone once ripped our fence post up and began attacking a rival fan with it. It’s just bonkers.
      A woman navigates her way down Nelson Road near the Villa groundCredit: SWNS
      Beer cans and bottles left behind by fans near the Villa groundCredit: SWNS
      “They get famous fans like Prince William and Tom Hanks seeing all the glamour of Premier League football – but just a stone’s throw away for us it’s a nightmare.”
      Andrea Sawyers has lived on Trinity Road since 2012 and said she and her mum have to clean up huge piles of litter left behind by fans themselves.
      Mum-of-two Andrea said: “I’m a bit of a Villa fan, I’m not a massive one but a fan.
      “The garbage after is the problem, no one cleans up. My mum and I have to do it. All the beer glasses and bottle all over the bins.
      “They throw in my garden, all the chip wrappers too.
      “There’s also nowhere to park your car, it’s always a busy time.
      “They’ve smashed my neighbour’s car windows a couple of times. It’s crazy. I don’t get why they have to go so crazy.
      “It’s mainly the rubbish, it’s left to locals, you have to clean it up yourselves.”
      Osman Mohammed, 30, is a council worker and has lived on Endicott Road all of his life.
      He says he has to plan over a week in advance before he goes out on match days before a fan blocks his drive with their car.
      He added: “It gets quite busy. Our issue is we have residential parking nearby, supporters can’t park there, but some try anyway.
      “I sometimes look when Villa are playing and plan ahead.
      “I don’t leave the house at game time as I can be stuck in traffic for around an hour just to get around the corner.”
      Shop owner Md Gias Uddin, 58, admitted there is a litter problem on matchdays but the increased footfall was good for local businesses.
      Mr Uddin, who owns a shop on Endicott Road, said: “All of the supporters like my shop mostly, most of them say it’s neat and clean. My experiences is very nice.
      “The litter is problem is when the most of the people come to see the football match.
      “The litter bin is full and there needs to be more bins. There are a few bins around. People will put their rubbish in the bin if there were more.”
      Fellow shop owner Ash Mahmood, 59, has worked in the area for 40 years and says matchday traffic means it can take over an hour to travel a couple of miles.
      Ash, who owns Ash Food Fair on Witton Road, said: “The worst part I think at the moment is the parking for the customers. Residents move their cars and park them near me.
      “When you finally get out of here, it takes a while to get out. It took me an hour to get out of Aston.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Years ago there used to be fights around here all the time but now it’s all controlled by the police.”
      The Sun approached Aston Villa for comment.
      Shop owner Md Gias Uddin, 58, admitted there is a litter problem on matchdaysCredit: SWNS
      Mr Uddin said more bins in the area would help with litter on match daysCredit: SWNS More

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      Premier League star Odsonne Edouard caught driving with no licence in Audi RS Q8 after 5 speeding offences in 2 weeks

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      PREMIER League star Odsonne Edouard has been caught driving without a licence after raking up five speeding offences in two weeks.The Crystal Palace striker, 25, was snapped illegally behind the wheel of his Audi RS Q8, prompting police to seize the car.
      Crystal Palace’s Odsonne Edouard has appeared in court after being snapped driving without a licence or insuranceCredit: Getty
      Edouard first caught the cops’ attention while driving through London with a French number plate and “heavy” tinted windows.
      The force ran a check on the car and found it had a list of speeding offences.
      When the footballer was pulled over he couldn’t show a licence or insurance.
      Edouard recently appeared in the Bromley magistrates court and was slapped with a fine of more than £1,000 – with points being added to his licence.
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      The Evening Standard reported Sergeant James Stead told the court: “My automatic number plate recognition system alerted me that the vehicle was known for speeding offences.”
      Speaking about when the footballer was pulled over in August, the officer said: “He only had a picture of the front of a French driving licence, but had no sort of insurance.
      “Mr Eduoard showed us a digital image of one side of a French driving licence, but did not have it on him physically, and could provide no other proof of having a driving licence.”
      The Sergeant added that he had trouble explaining what was happening to Edouard as he “spoke limited English”.
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      A police database showed the car had also built up five speeding offences in just two weeks.
      Edouard, who has landed 10 goals since a 2021 switch to the Premier League, did not enter a plea or engage with the court but was found guilty of driving without a valid licence and insurance.
      He was given eight points, a £660 fine, and ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge.
      A lawyer for the player told the Standard that Edouard was unaware of the court proceedings and said that a legal challenge is now being planned.
      He was prosecuted through the single justice procedure, and sentenced in a behind-closed-doors hearing at the end of March.
      Crystal Palace declined to comment on the striker’s court case. More

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      Ex-Manchester City and England star Micah Richards caught speeding in his Rolls-Royce and fined £1,000

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      FORMER England and Manchester City football ace Micah Richards has been given a four-figure fine after being caught speeding in his Rolls-Royce.The ex-Premier League defender, now a regular BBC and Sky Sports pundit, was nabbed by a camera travelling 5mph over the limit in a 30mph zone.
      Ex-England international defender Micah Richards pleaded guilty to speedingCredit: Rex
      Richards, 34, was caught last August 3 on the B6165 near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire – a short 20-minute drive from his home in the village of Nidd.
      And he has now pleaded guilty before Harrogate magistrates to one count of speeding – receiving a £666 fine, but also told to pay a £266 victim surcharge and £90 court costs, making a total £1,022.
      Rolls-Royce driver Richards also had three penalty points added to his licence.
      The Birmingham-born ex-international, who grew up in the Leeds suburb of Chapeltown, previously revealed how he was frequently pulled over by cops when returning to the city.
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      He has also spoken out about the racism his family suffered when he was growing up in West Yorkshire.
      Since leaving life as top-flight footballer and retiring in 2019, Richards has been dubbed “Mr Monopoly” by friends after amassing a multi-million-pound property empire.
      He regularly appears on BBC1’s weekly Match Of The Day football highlights programme as well as podcast shows alongside presenter Gary Lineker and fellow pundits such as Alan Shearer.
      And when featuring on Sky and BT Sport he provides post-match analysis with the likes of former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane, Liverpool and Scotland’s Graeme Souness and Tottenham Hotspur and England legend Glenn Hoddle.
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      Richards was at City’s Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night as a CBS Sports analyst for his old club’s 4-0 triumph over Spain’s Real Madrid, winning 5-1 on aggregate to reach the UEFA Champions League final next month against Italy’s Internazionale who knocked out local rivals AC Milan.
      Richards came through the youth ranks at Manchester City, helping them win the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League the following year, before later stints with Italian Serie A club Fiorentina and back in England with Aston Villa.
      He scored one goal in 13 appearances for England and also played for the Team GB football side at the London 2012 Olympics.
      Richards warned budding young footballers last December about the dangers of becoming rich overnight – telling of his lavish spending sprees after hitting the big time.
      He recalled buying supercars such as a Ferrari F430 and a luxury mansion in the footballers’ paradise of Hale in Greater Manchester – as well as splashing out more than £100,000 on a single night out.
      Richards played 245 times for Manchester City and won 13 England caps
      Micah Richards’ luxury car collection has included his Rolls-Royce, an Aston Martin and this £130,000 Bentley ConvertibleCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Richards has also splashed out on a £200,000 Ferrari 458 Speciale, parking it here outside the restaurant Rosso in Manchester city centreCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke More

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      Man United ace Antony caught ‘using mobile phone’ while driving £300k Lamborghini

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      MAN Utd star Antony has been spotted appearing to use his phone while driving.A fan filmed the Red Devils ace at the wheel of his £300,000 Lamborghini Aventador.
      Man United ace Antony has been photographed appearing to use a mobile phone while driving his £300k Lamborghini Aventador
      Antony, who signed for United in January from Ajax for £80million, previously crashed his BMW X6 on a motorwayCredit: Getty
      The 23-year-old Brazilian winger pulled up at traffic lights near United’s Carrington training ground last Wednesday.
      The footage appears to show him holding the steering wheel with his left hand, with what appears to be a phone in his right hand as he slows down.
      He drives off still holding the device.
      The worrying incident occurred the day before United drew 2-2 at Spurs in the Premier League.
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      Driving and using a phone can lead to a motorist getting six penalty points and a £200 fine.
      The AA said: “It is dangerous driving.”
      Antony, who signed for United in January from Ajax for £80million, previously crashed his BMW X6 on a motorway.  More

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      Premier League star Jesse Lingard to face trial after ‘giving fake name’ to cops over driving offence

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      PREMIER League star Jesse Lingard is set to stand trial after he allegedly gave a fake name and address to cops when he was caught speeding.Lingard, 27, has been charged with failing to provide information about who was driving his Range Rover.
      Jesse Lingard is facing trial for allegedly lying to copsCredit: Reuters
      Lingard in a Range Rover car driving to football training in 2018
      The Nottingham Forest ace allegedly gave cops the name of a man who “doesn’t exist” along with an address which is “believed to be a car park”, a court heard.
      His case was heard for the first time at Stockport Magistrates Court yesterday – however, the former England international was not present.
      His lawyer entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
      The court heard the Range Rover Sport was picked up by a camera allegedly exceeding the speed limit on the A56 in Trafford in August last year – but that the driver was never stopped or spoken to.
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      Mike Arden, prosecuting for Greater Manchester Police, said the force “wrote to Mr Lingard at his then home address in Altrincham” with a notice of intended prosecution and a notice requesting the details of who was driving.
      He said the notice “made it clear that the individual it was addressed to was to respond” and that “they are not to pass it on to anyone”.
      Around two weeks after Mr Lingard was written to, a nomination was made online “by someone appearing to be Mr Lingard”, Mr Arden said.
      It claimed the person driving was a George Bolt who lived at an address on Pretoria Road in Oldham, he continued. 
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      Mr Bolt was written to and no response was received, the court heard. 
      Mr Arden said: “That’s not a surprise because he doesn’t exist. We’re quite certain about that.”
      He said the force’s central ticket office had identified the name as “linked to a so-called NIP farm.”
      Mr Arden added checks were carried out and GMP were “satisfied George Bolt doesn’t exist at that address.”
      He said: “We’re not even sure the address exists, we think it is a car park.
      “Therefore the nomination of Mr Bolt was inaccurate and misleading and prevents police getting to the bottom of who was driving the Range Rover.”
      Frank Rogers, representing Mr Lingard said: “Mr Lingard will say he never saw the notice of intended prosecution and never had any dealings with it.
      “It was dealt with by a third party who processed it in the way that has been alleged, without his knowledge, without his authority and certainly without his approval.
      “The first he knew about it was the court papers around charging him (for this offence).” 
      “He simply never received it. It’s essentially a simple trial issue” he added. The trial has been listed for July 28.
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      The charge carries a maximum penalty of six points on your driving licence and a fine of up to £1,000. 
      Mr Lingard’s case was one of around 20 heard at the courthouse on Friday following an investigation into the so-called ‘NIP farms.’ More

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      Former Premier League star admits ploughing Land Rover into Co-op store while 3 times over the drink-drive limit

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      A FORMER Premier League star mounted the pavement and ploughed into a Co-op while three times over the drink-drive limit.Ex-Sunderland striker Danny Graham was driving his Land Rover through the exclusive Wynyard Estate in County Durham when the horror unfolded.
      Danny Graham’s Land Rover can be seen wedged in the Co-opCredit: NNP
      The footballer has admitted drink-drivingCredit: Reuters
      Graham, 37, mounted the kerb before smashing the flash motor into the village Co-op store.
      Shocking pictures showed the 4×4 wedged in the front of the shop, which suffered substantial damage.
      Graham, who also had stints at Middlesbrough, Watford, Swansea and Blackburn Rovers, today admitted drink-driving.
      He has now been banned from driving for two years and given a 12-month community order in which he must carry out 180 hours unpaid work.
      Read more on the Premier League
      Graham was also handed a 90-day alcohol ban, which will be monitored by a tag that can detect even a “small glass of sherry”.
      Chairman of the bench Nigel Guerin warned him he would be jailed if he flouted the driving ban, saying: “You are a well-known person and a lot of people in Wynyard will know you.
      “If you get behind the wheel of a car I’m sure someone will get in touch with the police.”
      Teesside Magistrates’ Court was told the forward was breathalysed at hospital after the crash in November last year.
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      He was found to have 230mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
      The shop had to close for five days and stock worth more than £5,000 was damaged – with a total loss of around £32,000.
      Michael Lawson, prosecuting, said: “Luckily, no-one was injured as a result of this collision.”
      The court was told Graham had never been arrested before the “unwise incident”.
      Veteran striker Graham began his playing career at Middlesbrough in 2004 where he scored one goal in 15 appearances for the club.
      After spells on loan at Leeds United, Darlington, Derby County and Blackpool, he signed with Carlisle in 2007.
      He spent two years at the club and scored 29 goals before moving to Watford.
      Graham left the club for then-Premier League side Swansea in 2011 and made 54 appearances before his three-year stint at Sunderland.
      He left the Black Cats in 2016 and spent four years with Blackburn Rovers where he netted 45 goals in 158 appearances.
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      Graham returned to Sunderland in 2020 before retiring from professional football a year later.
      The crash caused an estimated £32,000 lossCredit: NNP
      Graham was three times the drink-drive limitCredit: Rex More

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      Erling Haaland probed by cops after he was pictured using smartphone while driving

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      ERLING Haaland is being investigated by police after he was pictured using his smartphone while driving.The Sun told yesterday that the Man City striker, 22, was spotted while at the wheel of his £300,000 Rolls-Royce on March 15.
      Erling Haaland is being investigated by police after he was pictured using his smartphone while drivingCredit: Getty
      He now could face losing his license.
      Norwegian Haaland was driving the vehicle on a dual carriageway in Manchester’s New Islington, close to City’s Etihad Stadium.
      It was the day after he scored five for City in a 7-0 Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
      Greater Manchester Police confirmed: “GMP is aware of the image and is investigating.”
      READ MORE ON MAN CITY
      Anyone caught driving while using a phone faces six penalty points and a £200 fine.
      There’s also a chance a driver could be taken to court and fined a maximum of £1,000.
      If the driver only passed their test in the past two years, their licence can be revoked.
      It’s been illegal to use a mobile phone while driving since 2003, but rules have been toughened up since.
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      You can’t use your phone in your car, including reading a text, checking social media or taking a photo.
      From March 25, 2022, any form of touching your phone has been illegal and result in a penalty.
      The law applies even if you are stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic as your engine is still running. More