She was getting the parking ticket while right infront of her car. She didn’t see anyone come by and give a ticket for parking illegally while purchasing her parking ticket. That means whoever gave the ticket came AFTER she left the parking lot with the parking ticket in her car.
And I’m sorry but your story doesn’t make sense. No one gets a parking ticket if you are IN the vehicle especially if you were making a U-turn. I have been parked at various places whithout paying and officers came by but didn’t give me a ticket because I was in the car. If you did get the ticket then it would’ve been thrown out had you fought it.