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?

Yes - because if you were had ordered, you had a spoon with a number on on the table.

But hey - clearly being selfish is fine so who cares.

So you basically spent your whole time just watching other people sit at their tables to ensure they were not selfish 😂

Yeh it is absolutely fine to grab a table and look after number 1.

It all sounds very stressful - and clearly you’re still bothered by it now.

You must spend the whole time looking around for tables about to empty whilst queuing and just hoping there’s something available, at the end.

Absolutely.

Like a hawk

I always make sure we have a table before we order, otherwise there’s no point in ordering only to be stood up with it. And I think that should be that accepted rule. Then people know whether to hang around or not and it is still fair because everyone is in the same boat.

Not that it’s particularly relevant now, because I did it before illness too, but I can’t stand for long now anyway and if I didn’t have a table I’d have to leave so wouldn’t risk it.

It really isn't that serious 🙄

Right, so as I said, I’ve never seen anywhere (apart from seated table service cafes) where it doesn’t work that way.
So now you’re saying this particular cafe doesn’t have that system and these two were bucking the trend for this particular cafe? Why not just say that up front then? Because of course that is different 🙄.

Your original question was ‘should the staff have said something’ - well if this is the way that their cafe works and these two were going against it, then yes they should. If it isn’t the particular rule for this cafe though, and they’re happy for it to be a free for all, then no they shouldn’t have to say anything and everyone takes their chance accordingly.

It's a new motto

I might send DS out to get a parking space if I have to queue again

I do this with very elderly relatives. We go in and they bag a table after telling me what they want or I already know what they usually have and I stand in the queue.

Think you need to get out more

I wouldn’t. I’ve seen that happen and the woman nearly got run over. Parking wars are even more serious.

Just where it's quieter....

OMG so after all that you did actually get a table? I thought the issue was you were left with food but nowhere to sit 🤦‍♀️

yup! You might be able to chat to your child that way instead of watching what everyone else is doing.

We did get a table
Luckily someone left just as we go to the front of a queue

Now there's a thought....

Lol, no! Catering don't really get paid enough to have to deal with this level of shit 😅

*catering staff

Would it be better for you OP if the student had sat at the table empty handed for 20 minutes while his friend queued for both orders? I am damned if I'm going to stand around needlessly if someone else will queue for me. Ridiculous.

I'm with the students. Why on earth would you expect everyone to clutter up the place standing in a queue when one person can stand in the queue and the rest can sit down occupying a table. Completely nonsensical, not to mention what happens doing it your way when you get to the front and every table is still occupied. Do you all stand there waiting for a free space whilst your food and drinks go cold, bonkers.

If signs say something I go with that if not one of us gets a table while the other orders

For the people saying it was fine to do, I'm curious what you think should happen if you're on your own or with a toddler and don't have anything/anyone you can safely leave at a table?

Genuine question - I very rarely go to cafes with this situation but when I have, I've ended up with no table for this exact reason of people taking a table while the other person orders but I can't "take" one as it's just me, toddler, my bag, none of which I can leave unattended at the table. So I had to stand around with a tray of drinks and food with a ragey hungry toddler because when I'd come in, there were multiple tables, but 5 minutes later when I'd got to the front of the queue there were none! Wondering if someone has a clever solution.

I agree. I would never order food or drink without securing a table first.

No that's sensible. Who wants to stand in a queue then stand watching their coffee and food get cold because they can't get a table.

Feel guilty? No, not in the slightest because as a customer I'm entitled to a seat to enjoy my food. Why on earth would I feel guilty.

I don't know anyone who has multiple people queueing together rather than one grabbing a table. It's common sense

No idea I can't remember that far back but I was I cafes most days with a baby then toddler mainly alone and managed it somehow