thinking people should monopolise tables in self service restaurants when they haven't got any food

[workshy]

been out to Chester zoo today and had a fantastic time however we went to eat in one of the self service cafes, had to queue up for food for 15 minutes and then when we went to find a table there were none.

There were however lots of tables with one or 2 people sat on them with no food -when I asked if we could share there table we we told that the seats were taken by people who were still queuing for food and it would have taken us 10 minutes max to eat a bowl of pasta each

we were eventually shouted over by a very nice man who told us that they would be finished in a minute and he gave us his table

now I'm guilty of doing this in the past but now see the error of my ways -no issue with people sitting down to feed a baby while they wait for their partner, or people who are infirm sitting down to wait but these were people that just could be arsed

so AIBU to think that people shouldn't nick tables until they are actually ready to use them?

When I was a child self service wasn't common so much and it was a question of finding a table and waiting for the waiter to take your order. This was before McDonalds so I'm a proper old gimmer. The natural progression for people who remember this golden age is to get a table and then get your food.

Look to - I will ask the question again that nobody has managed to answer. Where do you expect people to wait then? Should young children stand (and wriggle, and complain and wander) around the serving area? Should the walk around amongst the empty tables?

Or should the sensible thing be done of sitting them down at a table and then one person going for the food?

There was and in many places still is this unwritten rule exoticfruits. Most people know it too, which is why they avert their eyes from the forlorn looking diners carrying trays of cold food and rushing from one briefly free table to the next, as some selfish sods kids barge past and beat them to the next free seat.

A firm rap of my walking stick on the table soon sorts that out

While we meekly stick to this 'unwritten' rule self service places will take no responsibility for getting a simple workable system.

If there are empty tables then they can go sit Sirzy.

If the tables are full and people are waiting with food already purchased for some to come free, then you need to keep them close and under control for the few minutes it takes to get the food.

Its simple manners. Queueing I think they call it

But there are empty tables. If people are daft enough to order food without knowing they are somewhere to sit that's their stupidity. I ain't getting anything unless I know I have a table - common sense it's called!

Well my young children stand in the queue sirzy. And I don't let them wander off. It's a good lesson in learning to stand in line and wait their turn.

I don't care how many people tap their sticks or get irate - I am going for common sense!

There are plenty of times to learn that lesson where hot food and drink aren't around. I can see no logical reason to stand a whole family in a queue for food and drink and then wander around after with nowhere to eat it.

Thinking about this when you go abrorad you are shown to a seat, then you go and queue and get your food.
You aren't left wandering around looking for a seat.

If everyone stood in line and got the food first there wouldn't be a table problem. That's common sense.

Young DCs should be out of the queue - health and safety. I don't want them next to my hot drinks - whenI have no control as a stranger.

I agree- it shouldn't be that difficult to keep children in a queue with you. If they can't queue up sensibly then the chances are they won't sit sensibly at a table anyway!

I think exotic is spot on. Nothing will change if people meekly go along with things, and end up With a tray of food, hunting down a table and probably ending up at a messy unwiped table in a corner by the toilets, while other people who havent even purchased their food yet are hogging the best tables. The thing to do is politely but persistently complain to the staff. That way they will have the incentive to introduce a system rather than having a chaotic free for all.

Of course there would still be a problem. Tables won't all of a sudden come free when you get your food.

Actually if people made sure they had a table and then got in the queue then their wouldn't be a problem!

Yeah I can see that Sirzy, and unfortunately your approach is the same as many it seems.

Its a dog eat dog world out there and damn sure your shouldn't have to wait for two minutes for a table to come free. It all works so much better as a mad dash free for all. Except for the poor sod stood holding cold food because she hasnt got kids to go table stealing for her.

Ahh the olden days

I've never had a problem getting a table sirzy.

Maybe it's a regional thing.

the companies have no interest in improving the situation. Selling food to more people than you can seat is in their favour

Then the place obviously isn't that busy therefore no issue!

Sirzy- no there wouldn't be a problem, Because if the restaurant becomes too busy, the staff can simply close the queue temporarily (I've seen this done loads at peak times). They have control far more easily because they can see that anyone actually at a table has purchased food. The problem with a free for all is that at any point, large numbers of people might turn up and bag tables, regardless of how many people are already queuing.

And the problem remains of people on their own who can't bag a table even if they feel so inclined.

I still think the best solution is the one exotic describes where customers are seated first, but this is controlled by the staff, not customers. People can then organise things so only one person goes to the counter but it dispenses with the whole issue of bagging a table and effectively queue jumping

Busy city sirzy. Lots of people here.

If your on your own you find a table with an empty seat and you say "mind if I sit here" hey presto problem solved.

I really don't see why people make an issue out of it, common sense says you don't order food unless you know you can sit to eat it!

Tyler- which is precisely why people need to complain to the staff- not the bagging customers. An eating place like this is not a take-out. You are being sold more than just food- you are being sold somewhere to eat it. The costs of providing seating/washing up cutlery etc is factored in to the cost of your meal. Therefore if you can't find a table, and return to the till and demand either a refund or the facilities to eat your food- you'll find that the staff will sort the problem pretty sharpish

You also get charged VAT on some food for consuming on the premises.

looktoshinford - not so much a mad dash free for all - more ensuring you will have somewhere to sit before you commit to buying food.

I would say that in the absence of notices to the contrary, there is an 'unwritten rule' that is perfectly fine for members of the party to sit down while another person buys food, because the alternative is barmy as a box of frogs.

As someone who works in a counter-service cafe, I have to say YABU. I get quite a few people marching up to the counter and asking me to 'do something' about the fact they can't find a seat. When the seats are all full of people eating, what am I supposed to do? Wave my magic wand and conjure some chairs, invite them to come and sit in the staffroom?

If people are blatently sitting at the tables by the door to have a rest (cafe in a shopping centre) then I'll politely move them on, but not if they've got someone buying food for them when our maximum queue length is four minutes!