Busy queue in a cafe. About 20 minutes to get to the front. Student comes in, grabs a seat and gives his order to his friend in the queue

[cakeorwine]

Should the cafe staff have said anything?

It's really rude to do that - DS could easily have done the same thing whilst we were in the queue but it was busy and it would have been pushing in.

Is it just entitlement? Selfishness?

Or smart thinking and sod everyone else?

How did you know they were students? How do you know the one who sat down was able to queue for 20 minutes? I and my dc would be in pain if we stand for that long. The onus is on the cafe if they don't want people to do that.

Because we ended up sitting next to them and could hear them

Who would stand in a queue for a cafe for 20 minutes? (Misses point)

It was a nice cafe.

if the cafe is very very busy then it makes sense we to nab a table before ordering so you can ensure you have a place to eat your food.

Cut throat behaviour? It’s not that serious.

Still wouldn’t queue for 20 minutes

Fuck would I be queuing for 20 minutes but surely that in itself means the place is busy and seats may not be available when you get to front? I wouldn't chance it.

I don’t get the mentality that queues for 20 minutes not knowing if you will have somewhere to eat!

No
I mean 2 people arrived at a cafe where the queue was 20 minutes. There were no tables.
1 table became free so he left the queue and grabbed the table. His friend stayed in the queue.

Meanwhile people at the front of the queue who had just placed their order were struggling to find somewhere to sit.

Why would anyone queue in an already full cafe?

I wouldn't stand in a queue for 20 minutes if I didn't know I had somewhere to eat my food. No one I have ever been out with would do it the way you suggest - maybe it's common where you live but it doesn't appear to be the norm here.

Because we wanted food.
And people who were actually eating food were leaving when they finished
But people who were hogging tables were staying.

If I had walked into a cafe and had others with me, I'd check if there were any tables, sit down and then send one person up to order. If I walked into a cafe and could see there was no tables free and there was an enormous queue that I might have to stand in for 20 minutes without a guarantee of a table being available once I'd got my food, I'd leave without ordering and find somewhere else.

Exactly this! I thought this is what everyone does surely?!

I wouldn't queue for 20 minutes in an already full Cafe with not enough tables.
I don't think it's "hogging tables". It's just sitting down waiting for your lunch, pretty standard procedure in most eateries. Just do it yourself next time.
What were you going to do if there were no tables once you had food?

I’ve actually experienced this. He would not move not even for the traffic warden! Rude entitled man.

Clearly there were plenty of people who do think it's ok to wait for 20 minutes as the queue grew after us.

But luckily people who weren't being selfish and weren't hogging tables were having their food and leaving tables.

Apparently it's just sensible behaviour according to some on here.

Wouldn't you feel an ounce of guilt if someone who had been queuing couldn't find a table?

No, because I’d presume that everyone was doing the same sensible thing and making sure there was somewhere to sit before spending 20 minutes queuing for food. And, in fact, that is indeed what happens - I can’t think of anywhere I frequent where this isn’t the accepted system. The only exception being where you are seated by the staff and then you place your order with them or sometimes join the queue after they have seated you if there isn’t table service (to avoid this very issue). How does it work if there are four of you together, surely you don’t all queue when it only takes one person to order? Or, if you queue and there are ten people in front of you but only nine seats, do you not bother and go elsewhere? What if there are ten people ahead of you and none of them are together and are all single and want their own table and not share - how do you judge if there will be a table free, for when you’ve bought your food, or not? Makes no sense. Secure seating first, then order only when you know you have seats. The only time this doesn’t work so well is if you’re alone. I’ve travelled alone a lot and just got used to asking someone if I could share the table, works fine.

On the side of the students.

Why would you queue if you didn’t have a table? What if no one left at the point you got to the front and you just had to stand around with your food.

Id always make sure I had a table then queue. Even on my own I’d leave my coat there or something. It just makes sense to do it that way.

If they’d arrived before you were there how do you know they didn’t also get their table before ordering?

They seemed to be the only people doing it - so your assumption would have been wrong.

It is selfish to hog tables when a cafe is busy

And if a large group turn up - and hog many tables whilst the rest queue - and it's busy. then that is really selfish/

If it's not busy, then fair enough.

But hey - if people think being selfish is fine, then fuck it.

Each person for themselves .
Dog eat dog and all that

Are you always able to tell everyone’s table situation on what was apparently a very busy cafe?😂

This is nothing new. Has been going on for at least 50 years to my knowledge.

We always found a table, then child/children sat with bags at the table while the adult queued.

Same in pubs, you hang around until someone leaves then you nab their table. Someone then goes up to order food.

Otherwise, you have your hands full of food and nowhere to sit. You couldn’t guarantee there would be a table free.