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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do you ever think about this when you eat out? MUST READ

232 replies

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 05/04/2024 17:12

Years ago, I think it was a phone-in radio show show where they were talking about eating out. The caller said they put good-looking, smart people near windows and other prominent positions to entice new customers and I though, really, and started thinking where we were seated last time we ate out, lol

We rarely eat out other than a bite to eat at the local supermarkets unless on hols etc but when on hols, thankfully I have a really good-looking OH
😂and get a seat next to a window unless we don't want it.

I know for a fact that our daughter gets loads of attention from the waiters, male and female because she looks stunning, so it could be true?

Its their business, their choice, but not good practice IMO if it is still true in some places (For the record, I we do get put off if we see loud people and this that talk a lot with their hands and standing up, sitting down and big lol's)

NB: Do you own a restaurant/etc, do you practice stuff like this?

AIBU to think this kind of behaviour by some places that you go to eat to are doing this kind of thing are totally out of order as it should be the personality/behviour and not looks?

From a great newspaper in London - see below

Researchers on Channel 4 show Tricks of the Restaurant Trade discovered the best-looking diners were seated near windows to entice customers while less attractive customers were hidden away near the rear.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/top-london-restaurants-sit-ugly-people-at-the-back-claims-channel-4-show-a3148566.html

Top London restaurants 'sit ugly people at the back'

If you don’t get a window seat at a top London restaurant it could be because you’re too ugly and will put off other customers, a new documentary claims.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/top-london-restaurants-sit-ugly-people-at-the-back-claims-channel-4-show-a3148566.html

OP posts:
TheresaCrowd · 06/04/2024 17:27

loverrr · 05/04/2024 21:14

I urge you all to take note of the OPs username and look out for her comments, usuallly totally hilarious & surely doing some kind of satire.
Long live @DistinguishedSocialCommentator!

Strangely sycophantic post.

Either way, I'm pretty sure the OP is male?

ASighMadeOfStone · 06/04/2024 12:57

thoseinperil · 06/04/2024 10:33

What a load of absolute tripe. Please stop posting it's just never ending drivel

I'm wondering if I ought to start feeling sorry for this poster tbh.

Thread after thread after thread of absolute non-stories, faux innocence, spelling that goes a bit Delia Smith let's be 'aving you by late morning... sometimes s/he's rich (retired at 50) sometimes she's not (this thread) the university thread was just one long contradiction (went to university and yet left full time education at 16) other Mumsnet spin-offs taking the piss...only engages with posters who agree with s/he until the Delia effect takes hold then s/he gets uncouth and has to be deleted. (You can almost imagine the famously beautiful "OH" holding she/him back in the car park outside the Queen Vic. "It's not worth it Grant/Phil")

Maybe we should have a community wide head-tilt and ask if s/he's alright. 😏 Because Christ on a bike, there are empty lives, and then there's this.

thoseinperil · 06/04/2024 10:33

What a load of absolute tripe. Please stop posting it's just never ending drivel

Original poster
DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 06/04/2024 09:47

Whycantiwinmillionsandsquillions · 05/04/2024 23:44

The last time I ate out we were asked where we would like to sit. Only 3 tables available though at the very exclusive Cheshire haunt. Sadly no windows in the place.

Usually I get asked where I’d like to sit. No idea what that means in terms of my attractiveness 🤣🤣

Please feel to disagree but some owners do want to attract more customers and rightly or wrongly, they assume that putting X over there etc will make their place attract more people of the type they want.

As I've said along the thread and some other FM's - most people in a not-so-full place to eat do ask to sit in a certain place and we've all done that as others do as well

TBH and I've said this before, if a place to eat was doing that IE choosing people by looks, its not for me, us

It is what it is and those having a go at me is the wrong way to address something FM's disagree with as they should take it up with the owner/s of the establisment/s.

OP posts:
Original poster
DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 06/04/2024 09:40

Runnerinthenight · 05/04/2024 23:29

So you are up your own backside about who gets placed in the window seats, an despite all of your alleged wealth, you eat in Tescos?!!!

Show quote history

FYI and as stated by me several times on these forums: More often than not we eat in Morrisons (5/7 times a year). We are not 'wealthy' but have worked hard and utilised our money wisely. Being comfortable does not mean you throw your money away at pretend, good food as different people have different tastes and choices of venues. We only really eat out, often in the hotel we stay at but do eat out when with rest of the family and living in a private property rental

Reading most of the posts, as I though, and thanks to FM's that posted their first-hand experiences of working in places to eat, none of them do this as the article suggests.

However, I'm more than certain this kind of thing is practiced by some, some of the time and by a few, all of the time

When I, me and my OH east out - it is often a supermarket, we do big Macs about once to twice a year for a small bite to eat, cuppa and a rest and use their toilets and Burger King about one every two years.

We never like to throw money away when eating out. Possibly its my taste buds but if I was charged 50 quid for a meal, no matter how good it was, it would not taste that great

The best place I ate at last year when on a couple of days break by the sea in England was - Harrys Ramsdens in Borunmout on the beachfront - they took us to the table on their glass covered rood part of the place, it was too sunny, so we asked to be moved to the shade. Guess what, I think it was 11/12 quid for a 60's plus fish nchips, desert and a cuppa - we did this when its quite around 2pm - the best meal outside I had and best VFM in all the years I can recall

The bottom line, it has stuck with me, IE the radio call-in that I recall from years ago as per my OP and then seeing this article. However, a lot older now than when I first heard this and as we don't do wana be places to eat - if we are offered a seat in x and we want Y, we ask and we get as we only often eat out, outside rush hours.

OP posts:
WithIcePlease · 06/04/2024 09:35

GanninHyem · 05/04/2024 23:40

MUST READ
Reads
Insert WTF face here.
Checks user name
Checks out

As I have said on previous threads (the SM one I think), what a misnomer of a user name

WingingItSince1973 · 06/04/2024 09:33

5128gap · 05/04/2024 17:40

Absolutely true. DP and I haven't shared a table in years. I'm always in the window and he's out back with the bins.

😂😂😂😂😂😂 love this

WandaWonder · 06/04/2024 09:08

I thought putting people in window seats was to make the place look busier?

Not some I know let's place the people that think they look good there

Emotionalsupportviper · 06/04/2024 09:06

Kasperber · 05/04/2024 20:52

@MNHQ Please delete this goady shite. And, while you're at it, please ban @DistinguishedSocialCommentator too. Thanks in advance.

Oh please don’t. This is really good fun. I say this as an insanely beautiful person who is also placed in window seats at McDonalds, Subway and Greggs have a full sized cardboard figure of me in their window to draw in more customers. I was flattered, as it’s obscuring the sausage rolls and steak bakes. But obviously they think I’m worth it.

😂😂😂

SkiingIsHeaven · 06/04/2024 09:01

Zwicky · 05/04/2024 17:27

I’ve sat in millions of window seats and I look like a potato

Best comment of the day so far. Love it.

WandaWonder · 06/04/2024 08:34

Yeah nice try

MaryFuckingFerguson · 06/04/2024 08:30

This is straight from an episode of Curb called ‘The Ugly Section’.

We went to a vair fancy place last week and were sat in a window seat. I like to think it was because of our pulchritude, but the table was allocated prior to our arrival as there was a birthday message for my husband on it!

In truth, restaurants seat you according to many factors, how attractive you are is not generally one of them.

HotelKitchen · 06/04/2024 08:26

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 05/04/2024 22:29

Hi

I know you are saying that in jest. However, note what I posted in my OP, IE, I heard a caller say that many years ago re where to put certain people.

I guess its more true in expensive places which we don't do, thankfully.

There have been a few FM's on this thread that work as waiters and their places did not do seats just because someone looked good.

As some have said, the link I posted is just a story to fill papers

I've noted over the years that many topics often reappear years later and this may be one of them.

TBH, if there was a place I knew of where they gave you a seat because you looked good, I'd not go there

However, as I said in my OP re the radio show phone caller, it has stuck in my mind - possibly I'm a bit paranoid and I know I am.

Show quote history

What’s a ‘FM’?

EBearhug · 06/04/2024 08:23

It's going to depend on the restaurant isn't it? I've often sat in the window at one local restaurant, because it's a curved space and they put small tables there. I've usually been there on my own or as a couple. Families/groups are not going to be sat at two-seater tables, but on the larger ones.

No restaurant is going to split up a group of people however gorgeous- unless it's such a big party that it's the only way possible (went to a Christmas meal where the space meant we were on two tables, because they just couldn't fit more tables together.)

Capmagturk · 06/04/2024 07:34

They actually sit us on the roof wer so so so good-looking (zoolander pose)

purplehue · 06/04/2024 06:11

I was sat at a window table yesterday so will take the compliment although I think it was more to make it look busy since we were the first there.

Many years ago go in London I visited a top restaurant where all the famous people or regular top paying customers were sat nearer to the front or the restaurant.

CJsGoldfish · 06/04/2024 05:33

I DID read the OP but have been left disappointed.
I looked really, really hard but couldn't find the MUST READ bit 😢

AtillaTheFun · 06/04/2024 05:05

I didn't read the OP, but I agree with everything said so far

5YearsLeft · 06/04/2024 04:22

HelloMiss · 05/04/2024 17:35

I've not read the Op

Feel a bit rebellious ... what's going to happen to me

You’ll miss the latest in a line of endless goady threads by the OP? (@Magnastorm has it in one)

I admit my brain is starting to have trouble processing the OP’s name. I know what it should be, but I keep seeing, “DisorientedSocialCuntwanker.” It might be the sleep deprivation.

Trez1510 · 06/04/2024 02:26

BrendaSmall · 05/04/2024 19:16

How about if someone ugly requests the window seat and then not long after, someone good looking walks in, will they turf out the ugly person?
🤣

Yes I'm afraid you (and others like you) would be turfed out to a (much more fitting) seat near the bogs.

The waiter/waitress who allowed you sit in a hallowed space in the first instance would also likely be summarily dismissed when their error came to light. (I'd make sure it came to light, btw).

It's a secret thrill of mine watching this happen when I demand an already occupied window seat.

You probably won't have noticed but potato shaped, ugly, ordinary looking people (and absolute out-and-out munters, obvs) somehow manage to look even worse when they are confused! <chortle>

My partner, who is as handsome AF and much lusted after, used to be mildly embarrassed but he enjoys it now too. In fact he chortles even more loudly than I these days.

Sometimes, if we're at a loose end, we play the munter/moose hunting game. We look for uglies sitting in window seats and 'decide' we want to eat/have a drink, just for fun y'know? 😊

Solonomi · 06/04/2024 01:50

And?

valensiwalensi · 06/04/2024 01:24

Well just to piss on your chips, black folks are more likely to be sat away from windows in places like Italy. So no I don’t think any system where they consider your appearance and seating is a good thing, no.

SuperwomansAMyth · 06/04/2024 00:32

SurelySmartie · 06/04/2024 00:10

because she looks stunning

Most people think their daughters look stunning, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t.

But mine actually are. LOL

SuperwomansAMyth · 06/04/2024 00:31

SunsetFire · 06/04/2024 00:16

Bizarrely I'm more likely to not go in a restaurant with lots of people by window as will assume a long wait for food.

Me too. I like my restaurants on the quiet side. If I saw two and one looked quiet, I'd pick that one.

SunsetFire · 06/04/2024 00:16

Bizarrely I'm more likely to not go in a restaurant with lots of people by window as will assume a long wait for food.

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