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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not see whats wrong with saving a table

41 replies

theneverendingcleaner · 12/06/2011 07:48

Busy cafe, small children, if there is a spare table plonk the children at it before queuing or leave if no table available.
What is the point of queuing for ages only to be left with a tray of drinks and food and no table.
If I was on my own I would leave my coat on the chair if I thought the chance of getting a table after queuing was slim.

OP posts:
savoycabbage · 12/06/2011 07:55

Well, because somebody could be using the table whilst you were waiting and therefore there would be more tables available generally if people were only using them while they actually needed them. If everybody had poor manners then the tables would only be used for eating for a fraction of the time.

Where does it all end? If I want a table at 1pm can I leave my towel coat on a chair at 8.30 when the cafe opens so that I know I will get a table?

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 07:57

Of course it is sensible to to sit the DCs down and not have them as a danger in the queue. I don't see the point ofputting a coat down,I would move it.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 07:58

There is already a long thread on this.

Firawla · 12/06/2011 09:59

yanbu its normal to do this

GwendolineMaryLacey · 12/06/2011 10:00

Nowt wrong. If you're buying food or drink then you need somewhere to sit down. If others choose not to do this then they take the consequences.

NestaFiesta · 12/06/2011 10:02

YANBU, you are only keeping the table for the length of time you are queuing. Entirely sensible if you ask me. If you didn't do this you would have free range kids, and a tray of stuff you couldn't put down or eat. Common sense to bags a table during your queueing time.

savoy- it's only whilst she's in the queue, it's not as if she is reserving the table and then going shopping for three hours.

DandyGilver · 12/06/2011 10:03

In an M&S I used to frequent it was forbidden to sit at/reserve tables before you had purchased your food. There were notices up and everything.

It was always very busy.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:04

It is pointless- some people think it rude, others think it sheer common sense.Noone changes their mind. I shall stick to common sense.

TidyDancer · 12/06/2011 10:05

Well, there could be a person ahead of you in the queue who didn't reserve a table and they now can't sit down because you 'jumped the queue' and got a table first. That's not really fair, is it?

But tbh, I think YAPNBU, because if I had more than one mobile child with me, I'd probably be reserving the table myself.

LittleMissFlustered · 12/06/2011 10:06

Dandy, I think it's cross company policy as our Sparks cafe is the same.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 12/06/2011 10:11

But that's their problem. I meet my brother at Caffe Nero every Saturday morning with the children, we've been doing it for years. 95% of people reserve a table. If the other 5% choose not to then that's a chance they take. They know what's going to happen.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:11

M&S have notices up but I have never seen them enforce it. People save seats there-I do.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 12/06/2011 10:11

Besides, reserving tables means I can follow exoticfruits round MN agreeing with her :o

DaisySteiner · 12/06/2011 10:12

"But that's their problem."

Nice attitude.

DaisySteiner · 12/06/2011 10:13

I've been on my own with 3 young kids, no way of reserving a table. When we got our food I'm afraid I plonked my stuff down on one of the (many) reserved tables where the waiting person was behind me in the queue and told them I was using it Grin

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:14

It isn't a problem-everyone gets seats. If you get to the end with nowhere to sit you merely say 'is this seat free' and sit on it!
People don't usually agree Gwendoline Blush

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:15

I had 3 young children. You sit them down first if you have sense-strapping babies into high chairs and then join the queue without any of them.

DaisySteiner · 12/06/2011 10:17

The only seats were upstairs. I'm not the most protective mum ever but even I draw the line at leaving them completely out of sight.

captainbarnacle · 12/06/2011 10:22

I sit my children (4 and 2) at the table in M+S with colouring whilst I queue in line of sight. THat isn't reserving a table - they are already sat there! I think it's different if you just put your coats on the chairs etc - that's quite ambiguous.

What can people do about it - go up to my DCs and order them out of their seats?! I know which response is the most rude.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:22

I would avoid upstairs places altogether with small DCs. If there was no alternative I would hover downstairs and grab a table as someone left. How do you get upstairs with a tray and 3 DCs,?even if you leave a buggy downstairs, it is very difficult.

HeadfirstForHalos · 12/06/2011 10:23

I always seat the dc before queuing for food, it would be silly to queue with 4 young dc (often 6 as we regularly take out my friends dc) and then be stuck with trays of food standing around trying to keep the dc happy with no table.

If there are no tables I go elsewhere.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:24

I for one, captainbarnacle would be pleased that you didn't clutter the queue with small DCs that I might end up scalding!

LadyBeagleEyes · 12/06/2011 10:25

If I'm with somebody, then yes, one sits down while the other queues.
But if I'm on my own I wouldn't, and I'd remove someone's coat and sit down.

exoticfruits · 12/06/2011 10:27

If someone is going out with small children and trying to collect food, pay,balance trays, manoeuvre buggys etc all without a table there is no point making people think they have the high moral ground when people would prefer they used common sense-I bet the management would too!

purepurple · 12/06/2011 10:28

YANBU
How bizzare that some people expect every person in a group to line up to get food.
DH always queues and we normally grab a table and wait. If we can't get a table then we go elsewhere.