To use (a bit of) free parking slot to sit in car and eat

[HungryPerson]

Genuinely don't know if IABU or not 😆

I have several appointments today so I'm somewhat rushing around, with a couple of gaps. I drove to one appointment (in town centre, no dedicated parking for the place I'm going to) and parked in a town centre car park. The car park has a number of spaces that are free for one hour, so I used one of those.

My appointment only took ten minutes so I took the opportunity to go and buy a sandwich, went back to my car and sat there to eat it. So as not to drip feed, I'm pregnant and hungry! Don't know if that matters. It's also freezing, so although there was a bench outside, I didn't want to sit there.

While eating a woman knocked on my window. I opened the door and she asked me to move. I looked around and there were no more free spaces, and she was waiting for mine. I apologised (bc British 😆) and said I'd be done in a minute.

She then said "absolutely ridiculous." I said, "pardon?" and she ranted at me for a minute or two, the gist being that I'm selfish and entitled. I didn't say anything, just gave her a look and shut the door on her, and then I left. I was sitting in the car for maybe ten minutes max.

Altogether I only used the space for 25 minutes ish. And if I'd sat on the bench to eat I still would have been occupying the space. But I'm questioning myself now!

Was I unreasonable?

It wasn't full. The free (of charge) spaces were all taken. There were plenty of spaces that cost 20p for an hour.

But you are coming across totally entitled, a bit like the person the OP encountered.

Just why should she have moved when she hadn't finished with the space?

My first response would always be that I’m waiting for someone. None of her business though. The nerve of some people! She had no idea who you might have been waiting for, I could never approach someone and tell them to move how rude.

I have never seen a car park with both free and paying car places - but in that case she was being ridiculous.

The entitled one was her!! You had the space and you could have it for an hour. For all she knew, you could have been waiting for someone.

That's life, I'm afraid. She doesn't get to gob off at others about her frustrations.

Shame you didn't sit tight for the full hour and have coffee and cake, too!

We have one of these in my nearest town. It's a quid an hour for us, though. 20p is a steal!!

I wish I'd taken a picture of the car park and tariff now 😆 I will try to remember next time I go there!

(Or maybe not, as that might be unnecessary lingering! 😬)

I use one all the time. It’s a lottery. You can park for nothing if one of the free spaces is vacant, if not you have to pay. Nobody is entitled to a free space.

I can only think of 1 near me and the free spaces are only 30 minutes - so just time to grab and eat a sandwich!

Seconded!

I actually prefer the passenger seat as there's more room and stretch out my legs is better than being squished behind the wheel.

Why is it more frustrating if the car owner is eating in the car than if they are eating somewhere else? You can't use the space either way.

And if you can't handle the frustration, 20p is not a lot to pay to avoid it.

There's one near us. Near local type shops so people can nip in if they want for free or pay for longer.