It's a bit of a myth that idling a car is bad for it, it's not. The fact that you are causing normal wear without the car actually moving is obviously counter productive, but idling is no big deal. Starting a car and immediately driving away without giving the oil a chance to properly circulate is what to avoid (especially with a cold engine), I see people doing this all the time.
Fleet vehicles such as police cruisers spend a lot of time idling, and these engines regularly last 300,000+ miles, but keep in mind these cars are properly maintained. BTW, Lucas oil treatment works well to prevent "dry starts", it doesn't drain away from engine parts like regular engine oil does, it leaves a thin film. It's not as useful if you drive your car everyday, but if you have a car you don't drive frequently, Lucas is a good product to use.
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