Would you move tables at a Cafe?

I have assumed the other person is in the UK. Benches in cities tend to have the anti-homelessness armrests so it would be pretty hard to block an entire bench of 4 or more seats, but most of the wooden park benches that I can think of seat two people comfortably (yes with room for a handbag too) but certainly not much more than that. Either way, it is unusual in my experience for people in the UK to share a bench with strangers, unless there is a ton of room for both parties plus a bit of space between both for some nominal sense of privacy.

There is no harm in polite asking if someone can move their bag

Why should your preference take precedent over other people’s preference? You have the choice to go elsewhere if you don’t like the clientele, you do not have the right to dictate how a business is run because of your personal preference

There is no harm in polite asking if someone can move their bag

No, but there’s room for much more than two. I dunno, I just find it odd. Where I come from in my culture we always share the benches and public spaces, even with strangers. It’s just the “done” thing to shuffle down and let someone else enjoy a break too. Benches are for bums, not bags. Nice to share.

but I can see I’m alone.

So what? If the two women could sit down they could have children on their laps and maybe one of them really needs to sit down and the other 4 don't. Unless it's your own bench don't hog it.

As a regular customer to coffee shops, I find it incredibly annoying when someone is solo working at a table for 4, hogging the whole space, on Zoom calls, nursing an empty cup for a long time and I can’t find anywhere to sit down. Just because I don't complain doesn’t mean I like it.

YABU to be working in a coffee shop.

why on earth would you even bother someone clearly busy and comfortable when you only wanted to sit there for 10 minutes.
But even if two groups of 2-3 people sat in the seat YOU hogged for however long you were there (assuming you were there for a few hours) and spent £10 each, the would be better customers for the business than you sitting there for several hours only having one coffee and a panini.

She was right about the arrogance part tbh - although she shouldn't have called you a bitch.

My husband has a back injury, lives on morphine but never leaves him painfree. He's a strapping big bloke. We often end up standing because someone's bag needs a seat. He won't make a fuss but it drives me mad. Happened last week when we were waiting for a train, people so selfish. It wouldn't matter if they could only free up one seat as he is the one who needs it, I can happily stand so saying there wouldn't be room for both of us is irrelevant.

No, but there’s room for much more than two. I dunno, I just find it odd. Where I come from in my culture we always share the benches and public spaces, even with strangers. It’s just the “done” thing to shuffle down and let someone else enjoy a break too. Benches are for bums, not bags. Nice to share.

but I can see I’m alone.

And it’s unlikely the bench could have sat 7 people

Have worked in a coffee shop, to all the people deeply concerned about how awful it is for business (yes, the poor giant coffee chain, however will they cope) I promise no one cares. There's loads of people who sit for a few hours, have a few coffees and a sarnie, it's fine. People come in and do work meetings, job interviews, all sorts. All fine. The OP taking up a booth is fine, it was the only seat available when she arrived, no one expects people to play musical chairs to ensure maximum capacity can be fulfilled at all times. It's fine.

It's first come first served, end of, and if the woman had asked politely OP probably would've moved anyway, but she woke up and chose to be a cunt so she reaped the benefits of that behaviour.

What's not fine is being a rude bitch and verbally abusing someone when you don't get your own way.

No, but there’s room for much more than two. I dunno, I just find it odd. Where I come from in my culture we always share the benches and public spaces, even with strangers. It’s just the “done” thing to shuffle down and let someone else enjoy a break too. Benches are for bums, not bags. Nice to share.

but I can see I’m alone.

Maybe their children also had ASD???

Most people with half an ounce of sense would be able to tell by looking at somebody that they were Not Doing Okay and could use a bit of space.

And their needs trump that of the other people because they were occupying the bench first. I'm sure there were other places the newcommers could have found to have a sit down.

This, and also it doesn't matter if she did put her bag on the bench or not. There wasn't room for the 5 people either way

Two people don’t need an entire bench - she could have shuffled down and moved her bag off to share. How can you tell if someone has ASD and needs a break? And why does that person trump the other children/adults that also need a sit down and a break?

why would someone else sitting on the spare seat on the bench be a problem?

I was at the park with my dd last week she has ASD and needed to sit as was overwhelmed. There was one free bench so we sat there in the middle and my bag on one side of me. 2 women came over they had 3 children with them and stood about 30 cm in front of me and just stared ??!! So I ignored them till one said ‘we need to sit down’ I just stared at her and thought wtf you can see we are here and it’s obvious dd was having some difficulties. She tutted and they walked off !

Two people don’t need an entire bench - she could have shuffled down and moved her bag off to share. How can you tell if someone has ASD and needs a break? And why does that person trump the other children/adults that also need a sit down and a break?

why would someone else sitting on the spare seat on the bench be a problem?

Probably because there were two of them, one of whom was somebody with ASD who was feeling overwhelmed and needed a bit of a break. Most people with some vague sense of empathy would have spotted that and left them to it.