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How Long Is Too Long to Stay in Your Parking Spot?

Updated: May 8

It seemed like a small moment. Until someone showed up at my car window.


Cars parked in a gym parking lot with several open spaces.


It happened after a workout. Nothing major, just a few quiet minutes in my car.


I had finished at the gym and was catching my breath and preparing for the next part of my day: checking a couple emails, sipping water, and giving myself a second to reset before heading back into the real world.


That’s when a man walked up to my car window.


He didn’t yell, and he wasn’t aggressive, but he was clearly irritated. Irritated enough to get out of his car and walk over to mine. He didn’t have to say much. His presence alone said it: “Move. I’m waiting for your spot.”


And I had that knee-jerk reaction, "Oh gosh, I don’t want to keep anyone from a spot." So I started to back out.


But mid-reverse, I came back to my senses. I saw that there were at least six empty spots in plain view. Nothing reserved. Nothing special. Just your average space in a gym parking lot. "Really? You couldn't take one of those?"


And I wasn’t done with my email.


Was I wrong to sit there for a few minutes?


Is there some unspoken rule that once we’re in our car, we aren't allowed to linger? Or is it okay to hang out, especially when our presence isn’t really affecting anyone else?


I wasn't setting up shop in my car for the day. This was a few minutes of quiet before the next thing. Technically, I was still on "gym time", just in the parking lot.


I nodded, gave a little wave, and left.


So I'm curious. What would you have done?


Would you have stayed and finished your email or pulled out to keep the peace?


They may seem like ordinary moments, but they reveal something deeper: how we respond to conflict, and how we decide what’s fair, kind, or right.


“Sometimes the smallest interactions reveal how we see the world and how we treat each other in it.”


💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment below.


And if you'd like to go a little deeper, join the InSight Out Community, a private Facebook group where we unpack stories like this together every week.


And don’t forget to Think Twice.

It's an invitation to reflect on the everyday moral, cultural, and spiritual moments that shape how we live.







Image of host Devin Almonte.

Devin Almonte is a broadcaster, freelance journalist, and podcaster dedicated to media-driven discipleship. As the host of the InSight Out Podcast and Encouraging STAR Stories radio show, she challenges audiences to think deeply about faith, culture, and purpose. A Colson Fellow and graduate of the World Journalism Institute, Devin has written for The Stream and other outlets, integrating theology, worldview, and storytelling to address today’s pressing issues. She is also the founder of InSight Out Media, a faith-based media platform, equipping people to see the world through a biblical lens and live out their faith with confidence.




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