AIBU that when you are alone in a busy cafe...

[warmandwooly]

And paying for your coffee etc that people who are just coming in shouldn't hot the only available tables while their DH etc go and collect their order.
FFS they can see it's busy. They can see people at the que making their order AIBU to suggest they maybe have some thought for others?

Besides, beyond me not being entirely serious (which is another meaning of the word "joke", it doesn't just mean an attempt to be funny) queues are affected by physics. Everything is affected by physics. If people queue jump (which is what taking a table before you are served is) then it has an effect on the ebb and flow of the queue.

God that made little sense. I have a small child with a cold. I am sorry.

It's not queue jumping. There is no actual queue for the table. The queue is for the food. The tables are a free for all. If the queue was for the table, there would be a host to sit you at a particular table.

And I can't believe I am still talking about this. Bye.

Oh, OK. Just I find that generally if I don't find something funny or if it doesn't make sense, I either ask the person to clarify or just ignore what they said.

I could make passive aggressive faces, but then, it would probably just make that person's day a little worse. And why would I want to do that?

In no way, shape or form is it queue jumping if 1 of the group gets a table while another joins the coffee queue! Why would you even stay in the cafe if you didn't have a table? (Unless you actually want a takeaway coffee, of course).
YABU if you think otherwise.

In a pub I always que when I am with someone regardless of if I am paying etc.
And techincally I would have thought you aren't a customer unless you have paid first

I do this in mcdonalds when it's busy. I know it pisses people off but I DON'T CARE

I dunno OP. I always thought it was normal practice for groups of people to sit down while one goes to get the drinks.

I have been very pissed off on occasion though when I've been on my own with a buggy and a tray and am hence moving very slowly, and unencumbered people keep taking advantage of my unmanoeuvrability and nipping in front of me to grab the tables that come free while I wander round with my tray pushing the buggy with my elbow like a lost soul. That's rather off I think. (Durham Cathedral coffeeshop, 2005; Borders or Waterstones cafe in Cambridge, 2007).

That entirely depends on whether I am on my own or with others

No, seriously, of course only one person needs to queue, you do not need 'hangers on' or children in the queue - of course they should sit at a table.

If you are alone, you only need one seat, shouldn't be too hard to find :)

" I always put my coat down on a table then go up and queue. "

What would you say when you came to the table and found me sitting there?

Tunip - park the buggy & bags at a table then go and get your drink etc :)

YANBU nothing worse than if youve paid, have a tray full and children with you and the tables are full of non-eaters. The staff stop people doing this at my local m&s cafe.

Actually - you are probably wayyyyyyyyyy out the of the buggy stage by now - unless you have a large tribe :)

Pendeen - excuse me, that's my seat.

oh I went into a cafe today with my DH - it was busy , DH queued to get drinks I went and sat down .

Sorry if that annoys the OP - I look perfectly able bodied to stand around in a queue but had just come back from the hospital re my knee surgery in couple of weeks and my knee was quite painful - sorry if I was in the cafe today and pissed off the OP .

I call it ' tough titty ' !

Chipping - yes I would always do that if I have the sort of baby that can be left. Some can't though, they cry and people start to give you nasty looks for abandoning your poor baby in search of coffee.

Crikey, it quites makes me want to move to the Continet where you are served at the table.

I didn't realise there was all this seething resentment in cafes.

As soon as DD was old enough I used to send her to nab a table whilst I paid for the food.

Mama - then use a little common sense, go into the cafe, sit the children at the table then go and order, it's not hard.

They certainly don't stop you doing this at my M&S - big store or little store.

Op YABU.

Not only are you expecting a family of four, including maybe two children or babies to take up room in the queue instead of sitting at a table, but you are also saying that you don't want to share a table?

So people alone i.e you, should have MORE rights than say, 4 people?

I always thought it was normal and considerate to others for one of you to bags a table whilst DH gets food and we therefore save the people trying to put cake and tea on a tray from having a five year old and two year old in the queue.

It doesn't make sense for an entire family or group to stand in the queue. It only needs one fetcher and one sitter. It's worked for years.

oh, there is seething resentment in cafes all right. And don't get me started on the highchair hoggers.

Is there a punctuation shortage on MN just lately?

Many cafes have a sign that say you should pay and then sit. There is a reason for that.

Of course it's reasonable. If I am alone and come in before you and am waiting for a coffee, then you and your friend come in after me and bag a table, why should I then be stuck without a table? If everyone waits their turn everyone will get a table.

continent

I have sat down at a table with a coat and bag on it before. The woman was all 'i am sitting here'. I responded 'you are welcome to join me' with a big beam. It was very funny.
I like asking to sit where people have taken one seat on a train and bundled bags and coats on the seat next to them in hope of reserving it. Their desperate attempts not to make eye contact are brilliant.

All these things make life more interesting.

Tunip - it is more difficult when they don't like you being more than 5cm from them & it depends on the cafe.

Exit - it's certainly preferable!! (table service). A few 'seethe and resent' & they just need to get the hell over it. The rest of us are happy with the 'system'

So op you want everyone to get into the queue? That would cause even more problems.

One person queues, everyone else sits down and waits - simple!

I do like it when cafes have reserved signs you can put on your table if your alone though.