I got an interesting e-mail and follow-up phone call recently from a woman who wanted to sound a warning to other residents.

At first glance it seems like common sense, except that you see it happen every.

The warning she sounds is against leaving your car idling while you run into a store or convenience spot. Don’t snicker. Just take a look around the parking lot at your local Wawa this morning and notice how many cars are still running.

The problem gets worse during winter, as people are loathe to actually turn off their car, lock their doors and take their keys with them, in the process shutting off that heater that is running full blast.

The woman told of the travails of her daughter, who lost her car in the parking lot of a Wawa on Route 202. She popped in to grab a sandwich and left the car running in the parking lot. Big mistake. When she went back outside, the car was gone. That’s when her daughter remembered seeing a guy hanging around the entrance to the store. When she went out she noticed he was no longer there. Neither was her car.

The police are still looking for her blue Volvo. The girl needs it to get back and forth to college.

You’ve been warned. Turn off your engine. Take your keys. Lock your car doors.

You could be preventing a crime. And saving yourself a lot of aggravation in the process.