to think this woman should have waited her turn?

[Andrewofgg]

Day off yesterday; DW and I went for coffee in a department store. She got a table while I went to the counter where I had to wait perhaps three minutes for service.

At a nearby table a woman with a baby in a high chair and another woman, I think her mother.

As I am about to ask for coffee and pastries, the baby's mother walks over and asks for the baby?s food to be microwaved. Some argument follows about why they can?t do it ? that?s another issue ? while other customers and I wait.

In the end the woman behind the counter gives way and puts the food in the machine and serves me.

Since the child was not creating and was under supervision I think mother should have got in the queue. But it's a fact that some - not all - women with babies think that they are entitled to jump queues as this woman did.

AIBU?

[Tee2072]

No, YANBU. And the woman shouldn't have insisted when the staff said they couldn't as it's for H&S reasons. If the food is too hot and the baby gets burned, who is the mother going to blame?

And she should have waited regardless.

[thisisyesterday]

yabu for saving a table before you're served

she is unreasonable for pushing in

yabu for not saying "excuse me, I am being served"

the server was being unreasonable for not saying "wait while I serve this customer"

I have issue with "some women with babies think they're entitled to jump queues"

no, some PEOPLE think they're entitled to jump queues. The fact she was a woman and had a baby is coincidental

[Tee2072]

You never save tables, sending one of your party to sit while someone else gets coffee/cake/whatever? Really?!?! I never don't do that if I'm with someone else.

[Sassybeast]

It would have been worse if she was a three year old elbow deep in carrots from the buffet.....

[Andrewofgg]

DW has had both knees replaced and cannot stand long; that is why she took a table. Should have explained that.

I'm too easy-going to object.

And I speak as I find; in all honesty I think some women with babies behave like that when they did not before and will later in life.

But thanks for your view.

[DoMeDon]

YABU - she wanted some food heating up, not to be served. Queue is for service.

As for not heating food - H&S gorn mad!

[Tee2072]

And I happen to agree that many many people with babies, not just women, think it gives them a 'get out of queue free card.' It does not.

[DorcasBouvier]

How is it being unreasonable for one of them to sit down at an empty table rather than both waiting in the queue? Never heard that one before!!

YANBU ~ I would have been a bit miffed too.

[Andrewofgg]

Tee2072: you are right. But it's a fact that at any moment there are more women than men looking after babies in public.

DoMeDon: whatever she wanted she was taking up the server's time when others were waiting patiently!

[DoMeDon]

True - but am sure she thought it would be - 'can you heat this up' - 'yeah' takes thing and pops it to kitchen after serving you. Not really taking up time but helping waitress multi-task. It's my opinion - I'm outnumbered

[MrsKravitz]

No, I agree with the OP

[begonyabampot]

depends. If i've already queued and paid but for some reason need something whether it be some sachets of sauce or some napkins or something I don't always rejoin the queue and wait my turn but try to catch the servers eye at a good moment and hope to get what I want which usually only takes a second or two.

Don't know if this OP falls into that category or if others would think I'm still unreasonable to cut in for a small favour.

[thisisyesterday]

tee no i don't take up a table before i've got my things, although if a place is mostly empty then I guess it doesn't hurt.
But I've had far too many experiences of not being able to find a table because they're all taken by people behind me in the queue, which IMO is bloody rude

however, will let OP's dw off as she has a reason why she needs to sit, which is fair enough

[smileANDwave2000]

they are allowed to heat it up there just not allowed to give you a jug of hot water these days in case it scalds you or more importantly a baby or toddler id prefer they put the bottle in the microwave rather than a jug to heat it up anyway takes too long if the baby is already screaming all you have to do is warm it slightly and if a bottle were talking about i shake it thoro to make sure no hot spots , if the baby wasnt crying yes she should queue if it was screaming the place down then id say excuse me and ask the girl behind the counter and not wait , simply because im sure all the other people in the restaurant are trying to eat and relax and really dont want to listen to that whilst eating

[MrsKravitz]

Surely she should have asked when she ordered her own food. Presumably she had been through the queue herself?

[Kowalski]

YANBU, if there is a queue you should join the end and wait your turn. It is bad manners to go straight to the front IMO unless there is a valid reason for doing so. I also don't see the problem with finding a table first - I wouldn't be happy if I had to stand in the corner with my coffee and cake!

[ivykaty44]

never use department store cafe's they often allow this type of queue jumping stuff and always claim H&S over heating stuff up. So even i you don't want your own food heated up in the cafe microwave it will cause problems.

[begonyabampot]

i'll reserve a table if I can when i'm in the queue too, can't see why you wouldn't TBH. Why would I join a queue for food or drinks if it looks like i wont get a table to sit at - i'd just go to another less busy restaurant or cafe. It would be ridiculous if everyone bought their food in the hope of getting a table but had to stand about eating their food.

[thisisyesterday]

"I also don't see the problem with finding a table first - I wouldn't be happy if I had to stand in the corner with my coffee and cake!"

because kowalski those people in front of you in the queue who have already ordered their food are going to end up with nowhere to sit if people like you who haven't, have already taken all the tables

really, am i the only one who finds this really rude?
as I say, if the place is half empty and there are clearly enough seats for everyone in the queue it's different... but very often people are taking setas because it's busy and they're worried they won't get one, with no consideration for those ahead of them in the queue who won't get anywhere to sit

[figgygal]

Sorry am being thick what on earth is a DW?

[thisisyesterday]

dear wife

[begonyabampot]

well i don't agree thisisyesterday, it makes perfect sense to only serve the amount of people the room can seat or you would have people possibly standing everywhere trying to eat and drink which would be a h&s issue anyway. Queues are usually not that long (unless it's ikea at lunchtime or when the cheap brekkies are on) so you are only reserving the table for a short time before you are served hopefully.

[thisisyesterday]

good, i'll remmeber that then next time i have to stand and eat my lunch because I happen to be on my own with a small baby and all the rest of the people who haven't even GOT their food yet have taken the tables

nice.

[JamieAgain]

I wouldn't object if someone did this to me, OP. I'd think to myself that the baby is likely to be hungry and therefore possibly get noisy soon. I'd expect the woman to ask nicely and be polite

[duckdodgers]

Of course most people sent someone to sit at a table first while someone waits in the queue - its not rude, its common sense. Whats the point of an entire party of people, adults, children, buggies, bags etc waiting in a queue and taking up a space when they could be sitting down waiting at a table? Or worse finding theres none available when all the food is bought. As for being selfish and not thinking about others in the queue not then getting anywhere to sit, dont be daft because they will all have done the same no doubt.