Would this annoy you?

[ilovechristmassss]

We went to a pub at lunchtime (myself and partner )
It was so busy and no empty tables.
We got a drink and menu from the bar and stood waiting for a table.
We were stood at the bottom of the stairs to the entrance of 6 booth tables.

A couple stand up and start putting on their coats and I say to my partner that we can sit there (we were at the entrance so would have got the table )
The woman looked at us multiple times and it was obvious we were waiting for the table .
As she's putting her coat on she shouts across to another couple (who had just came in)
"We are leaving,would you like this table "
Then doesn't move till this couple walk past us and get the table ...

Would this annoy you ?

Were you crowding them waiting for them to leave?

@alpacachino no we were stood at the bottom of the stairs
They were in third booth along
Tables are so packed in you have no where else to stand apart from there or at the bar

Had you been hovering making them feel rushed?

If you’d been stood hovering over them then I’d have probably done the same.

We weren't hovering at all
We weren't even stood at the tables
There's 8 stairs to walk up to get to the line of booths.
We were stood there which is near the dj booth

Pretty rude if she could see people waiting.

It's not there table to police either.
When you're done,leave and whoever sits on it sits on it.

Did you say, 'excuse me we were here first'. And grabbed it!

@twomanyfrogsinabox no it all happened so fast,the other couple walked past us and we were like "what the hell"

They might have known the other group. Or felt you were lingering, eying their table and found it disconcerting?
Of course it's not your fault. The pub should be more organised.
But in the circumstances, I might have just said 'oh, sorry, there's a queue, we were next' in front of them both, and hope second couple would acknowledge this.
It's true it's not really down to the table user to decide who sits on it next, it's who's been waiting the longest.
Not ideal as the staff should be managing these things to an extent.

Yes it would annoy me.

There must be somewhere local to you that is more civilised and has staff and a waiting/seating system rather than somewhere that "tables are so packed in" and it's a free for all.

Choose somewhere else in future.

We managed to get a seat eventually it was just really frustrating

This! I've had numerous experiences where I've been getting ready to leave a table in a cafe/pub/restaurant and had someone hovering over me. I'm a bit slow because I'm disabled and it takes me time to get my coat on and get my stuff together. It makes me feel on edge if someone is standing over me,willing me to get a move on.