I had the best afternoon I’ve had in ages - sitting in Sainsburys carpark :)

[Bladed]

I’m not sure what that says about me (that I’m a cheap date?!) But I really did.

My friend cancelled on me so I had a couple of spare hours. Decided to do a food shop but couldn’t face it when I got there, so just bought some water and some crisps, sat in the car and read my book.

I mean I probably won’t make it a regular thing but who knew Sainsburys carpark could give such joy!

Have done this many a time. Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys and Lidl car parks!!! That blissful silence when you aren't going yo be interrupted is wonderful.

Stolen time is delicious.

This is not just any car park, this is a Marks and Spencer's car park.

Years ago my DS rang me to find out where I was. I was sitting in a grocery store carpark eating cheese. No book. Just me and lots of cheese for an hour!

I've done that on the odd time, grab a drive through coffee, park up somewhere quiet and listen to a podcast! It's very peaceful. Hope you had a wonderful time OP.

I’ve worked my way through several Netflix box sets when the DC were younger, waiting in the car park while they did various sports/activities.

My friend told me recently that if she goes to a gig or other event where it takes ages to queue to get out of the car park, her and her DP don’t even try. They go to the car and open their flask and sandwiches. I love that, so rock & roll!

😁

Totally get that, I regularly take 20 mins in the supermarket carpark to listen to the radio or a podcast. Bliss. Let’s all agree if we see a fellow woman in a car clearly having a breather that we park a few spaces away. It is ruined if the person parked next to you is doing exactly the same.

Where are you all going to sit in lovely car parks with trees?! Most of the supermarkets where I am are functional and concrete.

When my daughter was doing bar work I would drive down to pick her up at about 11pm, OH thought I was mad but I'd sit in the car people watching, the teeterers in their tiny dresses whatever the weather were good value, arms crossed under their boobs. I would also listen to Radio 4 when they used to have some fabulous comedy programmes on, many of which made the change to TV in later years.

I’ve been going to dress fitting appointments for my friend’s wedding the last few months and they’re a long drive away. It became the highlight of my week to go to costa drive through en route and sit in the car drinking my hot chocolate, all alone just enjoying the peace 😊 Always thought it was so tragic that I got such joy out of it but I’m not alone 😂

I've done that in winter with their sausage rolls if they're still warm.

I used to take my pillow with me to sleep in the car when waiting in the car park of my daughters gym. While she was doing a workout I’d have a lovely snooze. But one day I was woken up by 2 burly weightlifters knocking on my window to check that I wasn’t dead ????.

I take my two dgc to gymnastics - one on Tuesdays and the other on a different day. I drop off, nip to McDs/Greggs/Costa for a drink and snack then sit in the car for 25 mins at the gymnastics centre reading on my phone, then reluctantly go inside to watch the dgc for the last half hour. I am not the only one and the litter bin is always chock full of McDonalds bags. I feel slightly aggrieved if Dd finishes work early and comes with me because she wants to chat or watch her dc for the whole hour!

Is it the Jolly Fryer? If so. I agree totally 😁

When DD was about 18 months old I was working full time in a stressful job and DH was having a mental breakdown over his stressful business. DD was an awful sleeper and pretty challenging toddler.

I spent a blissfully peaceful morning……waiting for surgery. It was routine, I was in no pain. I wasn’t worried about the surgery and I’m comfortable in hospitals. I sat in a comfy chair and read a book. I didn’t have to get up for anything for hours (whole minutes were virtually unheard of, at home!), didn’t have to help anyone with anything, didn’t get asked anything. No one needed me. The only people who spoke to me were nice, polite, apologetic and blissfully responsible for all their own emotional, physical and mental health needs. If I could have had a coffee, I’d have been in heaven. As it was they checked my into a bed, and then didn’t come back for ages, so I napped a bit (I mean, when did I get to bloody nap?!). I know it’s sad/funny that it was my only break in months, but it was still wonderful.

I head to our local rec …huge car park and sit there for 30 mins enjoying the peace and quiet…best time of the week TBH 👌

That is honestly one of the best things I've read in ages. What a good idea.

😄

Utterly jealous OP. What I wouldn't give to just sit in my car and be left alone.

This reminds me of a hilarious scene in a tv adaptation of a Caitlin Moran book where the mum is given a pack of fags and a drive through car wash voucher for her birthday and she thinks it’s a right treat 😂peace and quiet for five minutes!
I think your afternoon sounds wonderful OP!

I leave early for all of my appointments, like an hour early. DH/DS make jokes about mum worrying about the traffic again...they don't realise it's so that I get 30-40 minutes reading my book in peace.

@ReneBumsWombats are you the genius poster who click and collects?? You are aren't you??

I literally just did this in Aldi car park, loaded my shopping, sat, ate the crisps I just bought and stared into space. Maybe it's the heat?

The price of petrol here in Sweden prohibits me from driving around from one supermarket to the other but I really like going to our public library and sitting there with a book (they have AC too!) Otherwise I might have been spotted sitting in Lidl’s car park from time to time just taking five minutes with my phone 😇

But what about the freezer stuff and your dairy products? In this heat? I usually do that before I go into the supermarket 😉 but I’m just chatting with my daughter or my sister in England 😃