Indeed, that's the point.
Imagine you're picking up a family of, say, 2 adults and 2 infants, let's say 1 of the kids aged one, and the other three. You wait off airport until you get a call from the passengers that they're out of immigration, have their bags and are headed for the pick up area (that's how I work it when picking up my wife at EMA (I was dropping her off last night).
Clock starts ticking when the ANPR picks up your entry to the pick up are, and it takes 30 seconds to get from the electronic "barrier" to where your passengers are standing. You've then got to get all the baggage, pushchairs and paraphernalia into the boot, whilst trying to load secure two (probably tired and grouchy) young children into the car, load yourselves, belt up and get ready to move off. From bitter experience I can say it can take 2 minutes to get a 3 year old strapped into a car seat whilst they're mucking around and after their favourite toy. The younger one might be more cooperative! So probably another 4 minutes to get moving, towards the barriers and payment, which at EMA seems to take 30 seconds for each vehicle. 2 vehicles in front of you, and hey presto! EMA (or Manchester Airport Group in truth) gets an extra quid out of the customers. In all likelihood it will be more than that.
What sort of a bunch of robbing b@stards do the airport management think they are?
The airport does (helpfully!!) advise that if you want longer you can spend £4 and park in the short stay carpark, but even that is double what you could have paid previously in the drop off / pick up zone.
The issue with the EMA zone is it really isn't fit for purpose. If you're picking up PAX at peak IT arrival times, with a couple of 738s disgorging from bucket and spade flights the area it totally unfit for purpose. If you have the misfortune to be dropping PAX off during one of these busy periods getting out of the area, for reasons previously stated within the allotted time frame is also a challenge.
I don't "do" social media; if I did I'm sure I'd be "taking to Twitter" to whinge bitterly.