I took my toddler swimming today. Afterwards we went to the cafe and put our bags down at a table and dd played with some toys while I looked at the menu. It is a place where you can't order food unless you have a table number so we left swim bag there/coats on chairs/toys on table and went to the till to order. When we returned a woman was sitting at our table and had removed all our belongings to a nearby shelf. The conversation went like this:
Me: Excuse me, we were sitting here.
Her: Were, perhaps. Now I am.
Me: I have just ordered food to come to this table and there are no others suitable for a highchair.
Her: (shrugs) Like you say, there are other tables so off you go. You weren't sitting here so I chose to.
Me: You cannot order food here without a table number and I cannot be in two places at once.
Her: Not really my problem is it, love.
At which point I retrieved our belongings and sat myself and dd down.
Her: What do you think you're doing?!
Me: Sitting at our table waiting for our lunch.
Her: But my husband and son are sitting there!
Me: Were, perhaps. Now we are.
Her: But they're expecting me to be here.
Me: Not really my problem is it, love.
She gets up huffily removing her belongings and mutters that maybe I'll be less cranky when dd is older and I get more sleep (!) and I replied: perhaps. Shame you'll still be a prat!
My sister was meeting us there after lunch and saw the woman scowling at me so I explained what'd been said. She was blushing on my behalf and said I should've just moved and can't go round calling strangers prats. Wibu?