To sit in my car where people can see me on lunch?

[Ribrabrob]

There’s not really much around near to where I work and nobody seems to take their lunch break, usually just eating at at their desk (yuk).

I have to get away or otherwise I can’t concentrate so I sit in my car. My car can be seen from the office (it’s literally just outside the window) and I guess I just feel a bit weird sitting in my car eating knowing that I can be seen.

Nobody’s ever said anything to my face but aibu to think I do look a bit strange? Is it normal to eat in cars? I want to eat and watch cat Tiktok videos at lunch, I don’t want to be disturbed hence I don’t stay at the desk.

I suppose I just feel self conscious because nobody else I work with does it and it’s a fairly small team and office.

@CandyLeBonBon

Ahhh I miss the days where lunchtimes were spent down the pub!

Me too. It was the done thing to go down the pub on a Friday lunchtime!

I do this too.
I work 12.5 hour shifts (NHS) and only get a 30 minute break. I HAVE to get out of that ward!
I wouldn't like it if colleagues could see me though.

To me it seems more ‘yuk’ to eat lunch in your car rather than your desk.

I used to sit in my car every lunch without fail for two years at my previous job. The boring and mundane obligatory lunch chat in the office staff room just wasn't for me. People knew and started to label me as antisocial but I didn't care and they soon stopped caring. Do what you want! I could listen to the radio as loud as I want, eat how and what I wanted and watch what I like without having people interrupt me or start useless chat. It was my one hour a day to myself which I cherished considering how stressful and full on my job was.

I used to sit in my car every lunch without fail for two years at my previous job. The boring and mundane obligatory lunch chat in the office staff room just wasn't for me. People knew and started to label me as antisocial but I didn't care and they soon stopped caring. Do what you want! I could listen to the radio as loud as I want, eat how and what I wanted and watch what I like without having people interrupt me or start useless chat. It was my one hour a day to myself which I cherished considering how stressful and full on my job was.

I used to sit in my car every lunch without fail for two years at my previous job. The boring and mundane obligatory lunch chat in the office staff room just wasn't for me. People knew and started to label me as antisocial but I didn't care and they soon stopped caring. Do what you want! I could listen to the radio as loud as I want, eat how and what I wanted and watch what I like without having people interrupt me or start useless chat. It was my one hour a day to myself which I cherished considering how stressful and full on my job was.

My colleague used to set an alarm and have a little nap in her car 9/10 people didn't notice, but we did get someone coming and asking us if she was ok...

I used to sit and read in my car at lunchtime, until we got shunted to a different car park further away from our offices

I used to sit in my car every lunch without fail for two years at my previous job. The boring and mundane obligatory lunch chat in the office staff room just wasn't for me. People knew and started to label me as antisocial but I didn't care and they soon stopped caring. Do what you want! I could listen to the radio as loud as I want, eat how and what I wanted and watch what I like without having people interrupt me or start useless chat. It was my one hour a day to myself which I cherished considering how stressful and full on my job was.

I'd sit in the back, or reverse park so I could see something other than the office.
I used to plug in to an audible book and walk during lunch. I had someone ask if they could join me as they didn't want to walk on their own and I said no. I need that time to myself.

Do you reverse in or drive in so you are looking at them from your car, if you're facing away from them that seems ok but otherwise it is a bit off-putting.

@CandyLeBonBon

Ahhh I miss the days where lunchtimes were spent down the pub!

Me too. It was the done thing to go down the pub on a Friday lunchtime!

@CandyLeBonBon

Ahhh I miss the days where lunchtimes were spent down the pub!

Me too. It was the done thing to go down the pub on a Friday lunchtime!

I used to sit in my car every lunch without fail for two years at my previous job. The boring and mundane obligatory lunch chat in the office staff room just wasn't for me. People knew and started to label me as antisocial but I didn't care and they soon stopped caring. Do what you want!

I could listen to the radio as loud as I want, eat how and what I wanted and watch what I like without having people interrupt me or start useless chat. It was my one hour a day to myself which I cherished considering how stressful and full on my job was.

I think in Covid times nothing like this is really even registered anymore, let alone judged. As people will prefer sitting in a contained space by themselves to at a desk with others around. I also hate eating at the desk, to me a meal is something that should be savoured and potentially get a bit messy- I just want to relax and enjoy every mouthful without worrying about others around me too.

A school I used to visit in the early 90s had a series of people sitting in ones and twos in their cars at lunchtime, although you could barrly see them because they were all puffing away!
Smoking had been banned in the school building so they were all desperate, and it got them away from the knock on the staffroom door.

I think on Covid times nothing like this is really even registered anymore, let alone judged. As people will prefer sitting in a contained space by themselves to at a desk with others around. I also hate eating at the desk, to me a meal is something that should be savoured and potentially get a bit messy- I just want to relax and enjoy every mouthful without worrying about others around me too.

Oh god yes I used to do this, couldn't bear the staffroom politics and bitching.
Somehow I've become one of those people who doesn't take lunch now, just sit at my desk as if I take half an hour out, it just adds half an hour on to my day. Not fait really.

Oh god yes I used to do this, couldn't bear the staffroom politics and bitching.
Somehow I've become one of those people who doesn't take lunch now, just sit at my desk as if I take half an hour out, it just adds half an hour on to my day. Not fait really.

I used to do this when I worked in an office where I was still expected to answer queries - including phone call ones - when i was eating! There's nothing worse than someone asking you a mundane work related question when you've just taken a mouth full of food. They didn't actually like me taking my full break and sitting in my car, I could tell. They never said anything though, and I still asked my colleagues questions when they were on their break

I think needs must. Eating at your desk and being interrupted constantly is not a lunch break.

I think needs must. Eating at your desk and being interrupted constantly is not a lunch break.

Maybe it does look a bit strange. However people do need to get away from their desks at lunchtime.

I would try to stop caring how it looks to anyone else. It's doing no harm, and it's also perfectly normal to want a short break from the same desk and group of people you're forced to deal with every day at work, even if you're fairly friendly. Maybe you want the volume up on the videos you watch and don't want to disturb others. Maybe your car is more comfortable than your desk chair, after hours of sitting there. There are plenty of reasons. Anyone who can't realise that is lacking in imagination.

If possible, I'd try to park even just a short distance further away, but if that's not possible, I'd comfort myself with the knowledge that they'd be very bored watching me eat and are unlikely to spend much time doing that.

I sit in my car to smoke & listen to my audio book at lunch time when I'm in the office. Our car park is full of people doing the same (high stress, high nag job so most of us like to escape the building or we're not left alone). It's your unpaid time so do whatever you want.

Just because someone can see you it doesn't mean they are looking at you or watching you. Surely if they are working they shouldn't be gazing out the window