To not see whats wrong with saving a table

[theneverendingcleaner]

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.

But if the vast majority of people use one system, it is their problem if they choose to do something different. Sorry.

It's like bank queues or self service check out queues. Mostly there is one big queue for them all. If someone chooses to make a queue of their own then they'll be sent to the back as soon as someone spots them. If they've been standing there for 10 minutes then it's tough. Your choice.

Having more than 2 people in a party queuing is just being silly, unless they are all paying for their own.

See, I think what Daisy did was quite rude, but is also an example about differing opinions on this. Who was more entitled to that table?

Yes, I agree it is silly! Often for us, if all of us queued there would be 11 of us- myself, dh, up to 6 dc, and 3 GP. Common sense prevails.

This thread makes eating out sound absolutely hellish. It's not compulsory.

You are all going to the wrong places. You need to go somewhere with waitress service. Problem solved.

Haha purepurple that would solve it :) Sometimes we are classy and go to pizza hut

People eat out for social reasons-they want a table first. If you are a group you find your table first and send one person up to get the food.(or 2 if there are a lot of you)

Exotic I've seen them enforce it at Marks.

I agree that table service is best, but if cafes cut down on staff they have to expect common sense to prevail.

I expect I have just been lucky Dandy -probably best to get a table in a far corner.

I do it. I used to feel bad....but nobody ever felt bad about taking up a table for three whilst they sipped their ONE coffee...ALONE for half an hour whist me and my DC stand around before finally leaving to go to McDonalds. Blech

OP - just out of interest, why are you asking? Did someone challenge you about reserving a table or pinch the table from you?

Unless I was alone, I would always reserve a table before queueing for food/drink. Especially with young children. I thought it was perfectly normal and, quite honestly, I don't understand people who don't .

I'm an absolute hypocrite on this issue. I always reserve a table when I'm with someone else who can "bag" it while I queue, yet when I'm on my own with the pram (and therefore limited table options but no possibility of reserving before queuing) it drives me into an apoplexy when someone behind me does it. Maybe I'm just enormously narcissistic But it's also a problem for lone pensioners hobbling in on walking sticks too - they can't reserve either.

I'm not British and where I am from, it is perfectly acceptable (and seen as sheer common sense) to ensure you have a table before you order. Nobody would expect you to do otherwise.

I was very surprised over here at the concept of everyone queueing, purchasing food, then taking pot luck as to whether or not you get a table. It doesn't make sense to me.