To not want to be rushed out of a car park?

[MsMarvel]

Travel around for work, so regularly use public car parks to then work at client sites (hotels, bars etc) always arrive early so never have any issue getting spaces in busy car parks.

Because i work in a public area at a client site, when i get back to my car like to grab my lunch quickly and make some phonecalls before heading home (todays journey is a 2 hour drive home)

Im fed up of people trying to find spaces in car parks seeing me going into my car, amd sitting behind me waiting for me to leave! I normally end up feeling rushed and just leave, but today i decided to sit and eat the steak bake i bought on the way to the car. Woman sits behind me for like 5 mins, then goes past slowly peering into my car giving me proper evils. Should add, engine not on, so not sitting with idling engine.

Aibu to take some time before leaving a parking space??

Strange, everyone I pass now has seating, no matter how small, they cram seats in there.

So if a Greggs has seats and the OP buys a steak bake, but all the seats are taken, is she entitled to hover and gesture to someone to vacate a seat for her if they've just finished their last bite so clearly don't need their seat any more?

In the hospital close to me, you have to wait a good 30 minutes to get a parking place. I think it's actually quite selfish to loiter around if you know someone needs to use the space.

I've arrived 45 minutes early to a hour for appointments just to ensure I've had a space and even then it's been close at times!

Was a free car park so no tickets or fees needed for anyone.

Ah so even worse then because unlike everyone that thought this was fine presumed, you hadn't paid for a specific amount of time. So even more selfish then.

Strange, everyone I pass now has seating, no matter how small, they cram seats in there

Two of those are so small the queue usually goes into the high street because you cant fit more than 2 abreast.

Oh I get really bloody unreasonable about parking space hoverers.

If it's absolutely full, then fine, indicate and wait, but what about all the fuckers who decide they want MY SPACE over and above the other 50 spaces available?

This has happened so many times at my local giant out of town retail site that I now leave them indicating, slowly put all my bags in the boot, and then wander off back into the mall.

YANBU OP.

is she entitled to hover and gesture to someone to vacate a seat for her if they've just finished their last bite so clearly don't need their seat any more?

Yes, when people are finished they should vacate their seat to let others who still need to eat have a seat. It's just rude not to tbh.

I have had a look at my local council for the rules for using their car parks and can’t find anything. It seems if you pay to park, or can park for a minimum amount of time, and don’t return within their stated hours, then there is nothing to say you have to move as soon as you get back to your car.
NPC carparks however say, for safety reasons, once you return to your car, you must leave!

I’m amazed at the amount of people who think just because they want your space, that just because you are sat in your car you should move. I’d make a sign for your back window OP, stating just because I am sat in my car, does it mean I am ready to leave the carpark, then enjoy your Greggs steak bake in peace

Yes, when people are finished they should vacate their seat to let others who still need to eat have a seat. It's just rude not to tbh.

But you see that is why most of us take a seat before we order in situations like that!

@Thestrangestthing Your argument was that people might think she was leaving, not about the time taken wasn't it? So surely if she sits in the passenger seat you have no issue? No one will think she's about to leave then.

DH always insists on moving from the car park if we've bought food to eat, whether the car park is full or not. If we've bought something like chips or a hot pasty, they will inevitably be at best lukewarm by the time we've found somewhere suitable to park. I'm on the fence about the act of staying in your car to eat lunch in a busy car park, but it's really not always that straightforward to find an alternative place to stop. And cold chips are rank.

Yes, when people are finished they should vacate their seat to let others who still need to eat have a seat. It's just rude not to tbh.

Depends what you mean by finished.

I take my last bite and I may have finished eating my steak bake, but that doesn't mean I'm finished using the seat. I eat fast but then like to sit for a bit to digest. I take up no more time than someone who eats very slowly. Why does someone else get to tell me that I'm finished and demand a seat?

Same with the parking. The OP wasn't finished using her parking space. She still needed it. It isn't safe to eat while driving so eating in your car is a valid use of parking. Why should she be turfed out of her space before she's ready when other people are allowed to stay parked up (while they eat slowly in Greggs taking up a precious seat ).

I think it's broadly the same principle though - not blocking someone when you've finished.

At a petrol station pump, once you have dispensed fuel and paid for it, you are indeed 'finished'. (Unless you're going to produce a jerry can and start filling that up too, in which case you're not finished yet.)

But at a public car park not attached to a specific facility and especially one which you have paid to park in, sitting in the car eating lunch is a perfectly legitimate use of the space. So until you've decided you're finished, you're not finished. When you remove the car from the space, this signals you are 'finished' and another car can take the space.

This is all because people associate 'people sitting in the car' with 'people about to remove the car from the space', because that's what usually happens. When it doesn't, some people think that the person in the car is doing something wrong, breaking the rules, being selfish, etc. But the correct response should be, "Oh, they're not finished."

But you see that is why most of us take a seat before we order in situations like that!

Hmm I don't see this happen very often in greggs. Especially if someone is alone. What do you do, sit down and shout your order over to the counter?

Petrol stations are to buy petrol, car parks are to park your car - whether that's to do something inside or outside your car...the two can't be compared!

@onionface, great minds

Your argument was that people might think she was leaving, not about the time taken wasn't it? So surely if she sits in the passenger seat you have no issue? No one will think she's about to leave then.

No I would still have a problem, if I knew the person in the drivers seat was the person who was actually the driver. Its still selfish behaviour, the only difference is I wouldn't know the person was the driver of the car but just being a fly fucker.

Whether free or paid for YANBU. In my view it is your space within any allotted time limits until ready to leave.

It's really, really simple.

You are entitled to sit in your car and not immediately pull away, but if the carpark is busy and someone is, entirely reasonably, assuming you are leaving and is waiting for your space, it's dickish to just let them sit there. Either leave, or just indicate in some fashion that you are not leaving. A simple shake of the head usually suffices.

You can stay in your car if you are still within ticket time, You cannot be responsible for the idiots in the world,who have no patience,and get angry and annoyed all the time.

I eat fast but then like to sit for a bit to digest. I take up no more time than someone who eats very slowly. Why does someone else get to tell me that I'm finished and demand a seat?

Well you don't need to sit to digest your food, your body will still do that even if you are hanging upside down.
If you are finished eating, you should move, you don't need the seat, your want to digest, does not trump the need for someone to sit to eat. It's just common decency. Something an awful lot of people seem to be lacking.

It's just common decency. Something an awful lot of people seem to be lacking.

a lot of people are lacking the common decency of showing tolerance and patience too

"You cannot be responsible for the idiots in the world,who have no patience,and get angry and annoyed all the time."

Given that the vast majority of people get in their cars and immediately drive away, someone waiting for another person to do just that is not an idiot.

Our local hospital has about 1 space for about, oh, 10 patients, and getting parked there is predictably a fucking nightmare. So, when people see someone getting in their car they tend to wait for them to go and take the space. If the driver sits there fannying around for 10 minutes that's just rude if said driver just lets them.

@thestrangestthing

I didn't say to digest food, I said to digest.

Anyway, seats aren't just for eating.

What if I'm sat with a friend and I've finished eating and they haven't? Should I stand next to my friend and carry on our conversation so someone else can have a seat? Or is it only people on their own who aren't allowed to relax and have to do everything as quickly as humanly possible otherwise they're selfish fuckers? Bonkers.

If you are finished eating, you should move, you don't need the seat, your want to digest, does not trump the need for someone to sit to eat.

If they need to sit to eat, they can check there's spare seats before they order. Or go somewhere else.

Those of you who think it's fine to stay there even if the space is needed - what do you think about people who sit in their cars having got petrol and paid for it, if there's a queue behind them? And if you think it's different, why?

Not comparable. OP still needed the car parking space.

a lot of people are lacking the common decency of showing tolerance and patience too

Tolerance of the need to eat a steak bake 😂