To get annoyed at people who grab a table in cafes while their friends/partners queue up and order?

[silverphotoframe]

Went to a busy coffee shop this afternoon. Long queue etc. By the time I got mine, I was left waiting along with a few other people who had been served before me standing around with our coffees in our hands waiting for someone to leave and/or ask if they minded someone sitting at their table. What really got my goat was that there were 3 tables that were taken by people who had friends/partners in the queue and therefore did not have their drinks/food yet. I see this a lot. Sometimes the amount of time it takes for someone to queue up, order and get their food/beverages is around the same time someone else could have sat down and finished what they ordered.

Luckily after a short time, a table became free which I was able to take. It just annoys me that people do this. I think if we have a queuing system for food etc surely people with the food should get first dibs on the tables. Would it ever be appropriate to confront someone and turf them off their seat?

'But she's very rude to anyone when she doesn't get her own way.'

A total stab in the dark, but is she not very good at taking people being rude to her back by any chance?

Luckily after a short time, a table became free which I was able to take.

You credit luck but it wasn't luck - it's simply the way cafes/coffee shops work. In the hundreds of busy cafes I've been in I've never once had to stand to drink my coffee (Apart from in Italy but they all stand). A table or at least a seat will become available.

If you have a bigger group it's harder as you are looking for an entire table. Of course people will grab a table if they can.

YABU and quite naive to think otherwise.

But in self service you queue for the food not for the table. In places with table service you queue for a table. Being in the queue for food doesn't give you a right to a table.

If you have small children and they cant sit at the table surely you put your coat there or something?

It just seems so sily to me to queue up, get hot food and drinks then stand round while it all goes cold, trying to hold it, not spill it, control the DC whilst waiting for a table.....

oh well

I just wouldn't stay in a cage if I had my children with me and couldn't hold a table. I wouldn't take the risk of not having one at all.

Cafe not cage!

It's awkward but I think there just has to be a bit of give and take with people willing to move if necessary.

We have a local café where you can't see the seating area when you go in and order. Two of us went in and bought drinks, paid for them and then carried them through to the seating area and there was only one free seat. There were 2 small tables for 2 people each which were so close together than if one was used by 2 people, there wasn't space for 2 people to squeeze into the other table unless they were tiny, only space for 1. I felt a bit embarrassed and got my ds to sit in the free seat. I took my time sorting out our drinks and thought I was going to have to stand up and drink, but luckily at that point some people at a nearby table left. I'd have been annoyed if I'd bought a drink and had to stand and drink it and it would be even more awkward if we'd ordered food. When I've been there since then, I've popped round to the seating area before ordering to check it's not busy.

Sharri13! I was beginning to wonder just what kind of eating establishment you frequeted

YANBU at all! I hate this too. When DH and I see this we go and just sit on their table anyway and say "Well I'm afraid we need this table as our food/drink is getting cold. I'm sure there'll be another table avaliable for you when yours is ready, if not you may like to consider that it's people like you who take up the tables!"

^^that is fuck-tastically rude. You sound like total knobs.

Everyone at the cafe is a customer and can sit where they please. If you or one in your party get to the table first - it's yours. That's life.

I have painful tendons in my foot which means I can't stand for long periods of time. My husband usually makes sure I am sat down comfortably before he goes to get our drinks. If someone wanted to share our table then more the merrier. We often join other tables if there is a lack of space and no one has ever minded. There is no need to be rude.

YANBU in principle, and this sort of thing used to really annoy me when my DD was a baby. I have not so find memories of standing in a coffee shop between tables trying to precariously balance a cup of coffee, and feed a baby in a pram at the same time. I'm now of the principle "If you can't beat them join them" however and now send DD to get a table for us! Which makes me two faced I suppose! I always wanted to do what Dramaqueen suggested but never had the guts....,

I've seen 3 adult rude fucks sit around a little girl, hemming her in (she was against the wall at a table of 4), as she was waiting for her mum. I didn't realise what was going on until her mum came over and rescued a rather confused little girl and had words.

I can't believe 3 adults thought that was acceptable behaviour.

Laurel1979 - ah, happy memories!

I had a particularly dreadful occasion of trying to get to a table in Durham Cathedral coffeeshop with a buggy and cup of coffee. The problem was that with the buggy and tray I was so slow that people kept nipping in in front of me, the buggers.

We do this every time we go to a cafe ( which admittedly isn't often at all).

Dh queues up, I go and sit down at a table with dcs. A few times somebody has made a comment but I ignore it.

I don't think there's anything really wrong with doing things this way round.

IT'S COMPLETELY NORMAL FOR ONE TO QUEUE AND ONE TO FIND A TABLE

FFS

Ah, such a classic.

Both sides have valid points. Nobody will change their minds.

I wouldn't want to be left without a table if I had a drink or food. So would reserve a table I'm afraid. But if somebody with food asked me to move then I would. I wouldn't queue up if I thought there was a good chance of not even getting a table to sit at. There would be no point.

If there are 4 of you and 3 sit down at a table and wait for the other to get the drinks/food how does someone dramaqueen and dh sit on their table?

I have never been in a café where you look for a table after you get the food/drinks . Ever

Henderson's in Edinburgh doesn't have this problem. Everybody knows you Do Not Bag Tables. If you do, you will be Looked At. It's an honour system, and it works.

There is no way that I am going to queue if I haven't got a table. If I am on my own and can't book one it really doesn't matter because I can go and share with another lone person.

It is utter madness for 6 people to clutter up a queue when they could manage with one or two. Small children are dangerous in queues with hot drinks and food.

YABU. Too bad for you if you don't bring someone else along to hold a table while you queue. I also can't stand loads of folk unnecessarily cluttering up the queue.

No they don't Trills

If I was with a friend or my partner then I don't get a table

If I am there wih my 3 children then I definitely get a table! It's bloody hard to share with 5 of you, they clutter up the queue and it can be difficult to find a table to seat that many at the best of times. If there is no table we go to another cafe

We were at Marvell zoo and some cow made my 8 year old move, he was beside himself!

And (poor sod he has obviously got that look about him) we were at a fast food place and somebody took two chairs away from the table! Poor little mite thought it was his fault!

Fair enough ask to share or have a pop at an adult but can some of the self righteous sacks of shit who are out there stop picking on small children.....and breathe

And no drama I know it wasn't you at Marvell