Got told off by a random bloke! Is this being selfish?

[AgentPidge]

This was a new one on me and I would like opinions please.
I went out for the day with DH. We went to a National Trust place and took lunch with us. After we'd looked round, we went back to the car, got our lunch and sat in the field next to the carpark. So we were away from everyone but there were lots of people going to and from the carpark, so we could be seen.
After we'd eaten, DH said he wanted to make a work call and would sit in the car. I said I'd stay in the sun for a bit before joining him.
I stretched out on the grass in the sun. I didn't have a sun hat or sunscreen with me but I did have a shirt over my tee shirt so I took the shirt off and draped it over my head. After about ten or 15 minutes I remembered that I'd seen cow poo in the field, and had this vision of finding myself surrounded by cows, so I sat up. There was a bloke walking towards me across the field. He stopped, turned round and went back to the gate, where he was talking to another bloke. I sat there for another minute and they were looking at me and talking. When I got up and walked down to the gate, the conversation went like this (no "Hello" or anything):
Him: You shouldn't do that, you know. Stretch out in a field like that.
Me: Oh, are there cows? I did wonder.
Him: No, not cows. We thought you were ill. You could've fainted, had a heart attack, epileptic fit, diabetic...
Me: Really? So people shouldn't sunbathe?
Him: Not alone, no. You should have someone with you. Unless it's your garden.
Then the friend chimed in: Yes, it's really selfish. We were worried. You shouldn't make people worry like that.

So I thanked them for their concern (through gritted teeth) and went on my way. But it spoilt my day.

Thoughts: How many people having epileptic fits etc bother to drape a shirt over their head? How does he cope on the beach? Does he go round checking? I often go on my own - am I selfish? What about parks? It's common in London parks. Would he have told off a bloke? A friend IRL agrees with him. TIA

Fucking halfwit - and yes, they would have been told. Can't stand bossy, intrusive men.

Having had my bag nicked from under my chair, I now like to know where it is at all times. If someone wants to be difficult about that, they are going to find out exactly what difficult is.

Maybe this is a regional thing… but I would find it very strange for someone to be laid in the middle of a fenced in / gated field..
But then I live quite rurally and there are plenty of parks, beaches etc to sunbathe here… also if a family was out picnicking and an adult was sunbathing while the kids kicked a ball around or whatever - that’s normal…
but I think someone laying alone in a field is weird (for round here).. but there was no need for them to be rude…. I’d probably just call ‘heeelllooo’ from a distance and ask if you’re ok… then walk away laughing that I’d jumped to the conclusion that someone had passed out or been murdered etc 😂😂

I keep my bag on my lap and kind of rest on it while sat down in public. I wouldn’t put it on a table as that is considered rude, but I do keep it on my shoulder/lap or whatever at all times.
I also always hated people taking your coat/jacket etc off you in restaurants .. I’d much rather hang mine over the chair and know where it is, especially since it would have car keys etc in the pockets

As a northerner living in London, I’ve not heard the expression “yer daft ha'porth“ in donkeys years so thanks for making my day. I am also enjoying all these people completely missing the point of your post and questioning your version of events - there are always a few and they always sound bonkers!

Don’t let that ruin your day, sounds a bit OTT of him but he was obviously concerned.

🤣 I’d love to see this guy on holiday!

I bet he checks every person with their eyes closed on a sunbed to check they’re not dead, and then tells them off for worrying him!

What a nut-job!

I've done it many times over the years and I've known plenty of others who have.
What's the big deal?

Freaks if I was concerned would have came over and said hey just checking if you are okay? Enjoying the sun as was little bit worried. Then found out and got on with my day telling you to enjoy your chill out.

I think he saw something, got the wrong idea, felt foolish, tried to make out it was someone else's fault he jumped to the wrong conclusion.

So bizarre. If they were genuinely concerned for your well-being, why weren't they heading over to you to check you were OK, or offer assistance.
And why wasn't their response "glad to see you're ok, we were getting worried"

This a properly weird thing for him to have got stressed about. How many people must lie around on a hot day just like you were. To chastise you for being on your own is odd.
I agree with other posters, he wouldn't have said it to a man.
It would have frustrated me too but sounds like you handled it well.
Some people have too much time on their hands.

Normal people: Blokes- “Are you ok?” OP: “Yes I’m fine thanks, just sunning.” The End.

This ⬆️
You were flat out in a field that it would appear nobody else was using (usually the NT has picnic areas). You weren’t doing anything wrong but I think he was right to be concerned and he probably wouldn’t have said anything if you hadn’t gone over.

They were probably more annoyed about the fact that you actually weren’t ill and they didn’t get a chance to rescue you! They wouldn’t have said that to a man,makes my blood boil.I was once told to”chill out” by a man when I said that I was before him in a queue,again he wouldn’t have said that to a man or jumped the queue 😡

The sort of people that take pleasure in spoiling someone else's day because they are bored.

I don't believe it's an overreaction at all. Being approached by two male strangers who call her selfish and try to dictate what she should or shouldn't do—even though she isn't harming or disrespecting anyone—can be quite unpleasant.

What a pair of nutters. Ignore.

Really? He didn't show concern; he was just plain rude. Yes, he is bonkers, so are you if you think this is acceptable behaviour. No one is expecting you to save them. She was there alone for less than 15 minutes; he might have seen her sunbathing for a few minutes. She wasn’t there for hours, for someone to be concerned that she was not moving. This is ridiculous. And as an adult, she doesn't need to explain herself while being alone in a park, the amount of times I have seen an adult sunbathing or relaxing, never will cross my mind, even get close to interrupting their lovely time.

So he was basically mad that he got it wrong and that you didn't have an epileptic fit or heart attack 😂
I have been alone in a field many a time living in the countryside but I have never been asked if I am okay. Usually the same people walk by so I'm sure if they saw me in the same spot hours later they might do. It's absolutely okay to ask if someone is okay but he was rude about it. It's understandable that he may have felt embarrassed but personally if I made that error I would just apologise and laugh it off with the other person.

I bet he doesn't. Because he'd expect to see someone sunbathing on a sunbed. He didn't expect to see someone sunbathing alone in a cow field. Can't you see the difference?

A quick 'Are you always so dramatic?', followed by a little giggle, would have raised their blood pressure much more, OP.

The normal reaction to such a scenario is to laugh it off but clearly they were a bit too uptight for that.

Really nothing to let ruin your day, though.

Haha that is daft. I mean if I saw someone lying in a field I might worry but I wouldn't consider it selfish if I discovered they were just having a snooze in the sun; I'd be relieved they were OK. Recently someone stopped to check I was OK because I was sitting on the ground by the River Thames in Thamesmead with a load of pencils and other drawing stuff all around me. I was actually drawing but it looked like I'd fallen down and dropped the contents of my bag all over the place. I said 'Oh no thank you. I'm fine I'm just sitting here drawing' and we had a bit of a laugh about it. She certainly didn't have a go at me for being selfish!

Is this a serious situation that happened? They sound mental. Forget about it LOL.