to think this woman should have waited her turn?

[Andrewofgg]

Day off yesterday; DW and I went for coffee in a department store. She got a table while I went to the counter where I had to wait perhaps three minutes for service.

At a nearby table a woman with a baby in a high chair and another woman, I think her mother.

As I am about to ask for coffee and pastries, the baby's mother walks over and asks for the baby?s food to be microwaved. Some argument follows about why they can?t do it ? that?s another issue ? while other customers and I wait.

In the end the woman behind the counter gives way and puts the food in the machine and serves me.

Since the child was not creating and was under supervision I think mother should have got in the queue. But it's a fact that some - not all - women with babies think that they are entitled to jump queues as this woman did.

AIBU?

I love these threads-they are just like the shoes off ones where everyone disagrees and no one changes their mind!
I save a table if I am with someone-I don't want whatever I am queuing for without a table. If I am on my own I take pot luck. It has always worked fine.If it is too busy I go elsewhere.

yes it's unfortunate if you have no-one to reserve your table but seems that you are in the minority as most others have said the reserve when they can. You could always but your jacket/bags on an empty table if you are on your own.

Chill its not the end of the world! And people should 'reserve' a table. I someone is in the Q then you need a table and it is 'taken'. If it looks as if there is no room then the others will have to wait.
What is the point of ordering a load of food and then having no where to sit?

I also think that someone with babies and DC should get a seat out of the way and not clutter up the queue which is downright dangerous. Cluttering the queue is silly too-6 people queuing for 2 cups of coffee-you only need 2 at the very most while the rest get out of the way.

it's "unfortunate"

no, it isn't. because it's entirely avoidable if other people weren't so selfish.

i've had to take my screaming baby out of a cafe before because he needed to be fed and I had to take all my food back which I'd already paid for, because selfish people like you lot had taken all the tables

how is it ok that someone who has paid for and got their food can't sit down, simply because you want to ensure that you can when you haven't even paid for anything yet

well exoticfruits maybe you can explain how i can do that by myself with baby and children?

should i lkeave them "out of the way" at a table while I order, or should I also reserve the table and shout my order across the room?

this is yesterday

No you aren't the only person who finds it rude. I hate it when people do this at busy times (fair enough if there are loads of free seats of course).

In fact this happened to me today at a cafe in a museum, extremely busy. I purchased food for me and DS and spotted a table where people were just getting up and so thought ooh great, and went to set down.

This exchange followed:-

Woman: Excuse me we were waiting for that table!
Me: Oh sorry, but I've just bought food and we need to sit down. Have you bought any?
Woman: No but we were about to.
Me:Ok, but I have just bought some food and have a small child who is hungry..
Woman Ok then...

If I am with other half and the dds. Then one of us goes and takes a table . While the other queues up. If the cafe looks full to bursting then no we don't take a table and go soemwhere else. To be honest I see loads of people doing it ..Thoiught it was the nrom !
If I am on my own and its full I either then go take away and go and sit on a bench outside or ask to 'share ' a table move my chair slightly away from the table and read my book/ paper . Nobody has ever said no or even blinked an eye when I have done that !

I told you but, put your bags/jacket on an empty table if you have to - it's not rocket science.

I think if they (people with baby) had already ordered their food then YABU because in effect, they were in front of you. But if they had sat down without ordering & pushed in to ask then YANBU. If that makes sense.

I don't think I should have to leave my personal possessions at a table simply to ensure someone behind me in the queue doesn't take it actually. and I don't always have something to leave anyway, i'm hardly going to leave the baby or my handbag am i

maybe I should strip and leave my clothes there

the majority seem to think it's ok to reserve so obviously we are all wrong and you are right. At least you can take comfort that you are gracious and polite wile we are all rude madams.

no, obviously you are all wrong.

But we have given you a solution, leave a jacket or some bags and make life easier for yourself or continue to be self righteous and stew.

I would also be interested to know if you have children yourself OP. Yes, some people with children are rude or self-absorbed, but I think children do sometimes require concessions. People who complain about those of us with children have sometimes not experienced life with a child, or have forgotten what it was like.

phew, that makes 3 of us then
was beginning to think I was the only one left with any manners round here.

"we've given you a solution" well how jolly kind of you. Thankfully I have no desire to be as rude as you though.

well i might be wrong but at least i get the table and enjoy my meal.

Ridiculous. Of course you secure your table prior to ordering food. If I can't see a table I don't go to the toruble of queuing up.

I go to a cafe where you find a table, look at the menu, then go up to the till to order your food. I treat the self-service cafe's the same - I find a table, DD sits there with all my shopping bags, then I go and get the food. I don't know about you, but I can't carry four shopping bags AND a tray of food.

These threads always end up the same way, everyone's got an opinion and nobody will shift.

OP you weren't BU at all. She should have waited until you had been served, and she was completely out of order to argue with the cashier.

well good for you.

I am going to start going to places where you get served at table I think. although I can't think of anywhere in my town that actually does that... hmmm

so who is rude? I have tried to be helpful to your problem and all you have done is insult - nice.

If I'm on my own then I will park the buggy by a table first otherwise how on earth am I going to simutaneously push buggy and carry food/drink without resulting in disaster? Obviously if the place is heaving and this isn't an option I won't stay there.

You could leave your wooden cross on the seat - stop being a martyr fgs and just reserve you table .

You buy food then you find a seat and IF you are in a busy cafe hogging a table whilst someone else gets the food and you see someone laden down with a tray then you should bloody well move to let that person sit down.

I can't bear people who hog table in busy cafes and I have asked people to move before so I can eat the food I've waited in the queue to buy. And I'm buggered if I'm going to leave coats and bags unattended just because some selfish arses can't be fagged to stand and wait for their food to arrive and then find a table. (I'm applying a disclaimer for disabled/SN issues).

I can't believe some people think it's ok to make someone with a tray of food stand and wait for someone else to finish rather than waiting themselves.