On those who sit in cars

Is anybody else creeped out by people who, for no apparent reason and for long periods of time, sit in their cars? Am I alone on this one, or are others baffled by such strange behavior?

It's something I've noticed in Moldova, though it may be endemic to a larger population group. Walking down the street in Chisinau, you may notice that every third car, sitting silently among the rows of parked cars, contains some person who seems content with his little metal sidewalk container. Do they think they are moving? Is the car, for them, some small refuge from the beautiful, sunny day outside? Perhaps it is a cheap (albeit time-consuming) theft deterrent? Maybe it just smells good?

The best explanation I have yet divined is this: Moldovans don't like leaning or sitting on non-seat surfaces (including retaining walls, curbs, window-sills, etc). I'll refrain from stating the 'why' of this until I can devise a way to explain it delicately and without upsetting my Moldovan friends. However, this cultural nuance, combined with the general lack of public seating, perhaps leaves car-owners little choice but to rest in their vehicles... no matter how long the wait, nor how small the vehicle, nor how creeped out the occasional passing pedestrian may be.

The real baffler, though, is when four of five people remain crammed into the three-person bench seat of a truck that is, quite apparently, not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. My logic does a half-back-flip and lands on its head when I see this (which is surprisingly often). This broken-neck-logic results in slight internal laughter, usually coupled with pity and severe confusion.

Clearly, there is a vast cultural rift that has so far prevented me from seeing such car-sitters and thinking, "Yah, OK. That's normal." Maybe somebody who "gets it" can help me understand.