Re:Sitting on spare seats at an occupied table in a cafe

[Bahhhhhumbug]

Just asking your thoughts really. DD and I were in a small licensed cafe in a local town during the day recently. It is a bit of a 'lovey' type place with lots of showbiz people etc. without outing where I live. The café is quite cramped with lots of little tables seating no more than four people each and that's at a push really.
It is very popular and DD and I got the last available table (the least popular right in front of the door , so draughty) We then observed several couples standing in the doorway yeah thanks for that looking around to establish there were no empty tables and one older couple on being told by the waiter very apologetically that there were no tables and he didn't know how long and would they like to sit at a table outside (fairly decent day) and have a coffee or something till one became available.
But no they decided to stand there in the doorway and gawp round the room assessing how far on everyone was with their meal/drink, including pointing when someone made any sort of move to go to the toilet or whatever. They seemed to be discussing a lady sat in a corner at a table alone reading a paper whilst having her drink /food and the fact she was sat on her own with 'three empty seats' but then decided against it and left.
They came back again five minutes or so later and did the same causing a draught routine again and were again politely told there were still no tables but insisted on waiting again in the doorway. After a few minutes they went over to the lady in the corner and I heard the man say 'Can we sit here , or are you one of these people funny about sharing a table?' They said this as they were pulling the chairs out obviously going for it whatever her response. I think she was too gobsmacked to say anything tbh but didn't seem happy and left soon after.
My DD and I were both a bit and said we would never intrude on someones quiet time in this way unless it was a long table meant for more than one group and even then would sit at far end. Obviously the water/proprietor didn't want them too as he repeatedly told them 'sorry no tables'. So what do you all think ? We felt it was quiet intrusive and that many people go into a café to have a quiet chill on their own or a private conversation with a friend/family member , not to socialise with strangers (they had proceeded to make small talk with her btw , resulting in her closing her book.)

And if your small table has space,if i were in need.id sit down irrespective

Then I would tell you to move emphatically. If you refused I would tell you you were exceedingly rude in a loud voice, and leave.

Good for you.more space for me

Entitled much, scottishmummy? You'd still sit even if you'd been turned away by the waiter on the door? Lol, like hell you would!

Honestly? I absolutely hate it when a random stranger asks to share my/our table. It ruins the whole experience of eating out, even if it is just tea and cake in a café and I seethe inwardly (and sometimes outwardly) for the entire time. I always leave earlier than I intended too. I'm getting older and more bolshy now and would probably refuse to share. I know that sounds mean and nasty, but I really don't care.

I would never ask to share a table that is already occupied either.

I'd have called the management over and had you removed - not a cat in hell's chance I'd let you move me from a table I was already at!

Really Scottishmummy? Even if the cafe had already stopped you at the door and said they were full and were not in a position to accept your custom unless you were prepared to wait until a table became free?

If I decided to start a business tomorrow on the basis that I wanted people to come into my coffee shop and relax, read the paper and take as long as they wanted to enjoy their meal at their table, in privacy, that's not up to me as owner and manager of the business? You're allowed to override that and change the tone and nature of my coffee shop because you happened to be walking past and decided you wanted a cup of coffee and, regardless of being told we couldn't accommodate you, you had a right to walk in and annoy another customer?

A cafe isn't a public service. It's a private business.

Keep up.im replying to turgid.has space.doesn't want to share.tough titty

Sorry, Satan - should I have just said Furry? I was trying to be polite. How would you prefer to be addressed?
And my post had nothing at all to do with "marauding oldies" or "officiousness" - simply good manners.

And the lady didn't dictate or refuse, but she was obviously made sufficiently uncomfortable to result in her leaving pretty quickly. Still, judging by some of the posts this couple aren't alone in their lack of reservations about being rude and overbearing, even if it means ignoring the waiter and the establishment procedures.

Interesting how you keep avoiding direct questions Scottish. Methinks you have nothing to back up your arguments.

Interesting how you compose a long indignant inappropriate reply to me
Keep up

Perhaps there are different rules in Scotland? I have never been.

It's easy to be mouthy on a forum, I don't think you'd even remotely have the guts to actually do what you're suggest scottish, in real life.

If a seat were freat shared table,id sit there.cant see the beef?

Another evasive and meaningless response Scottish. You really don't have a valid argument, do you?

And if the seat wasn't free, if you'd been told by the waiter that there weren't free tables? You'd still barge in and sit down? Yeah right you would!

As i said i seat free at shared table,id sit at it

Nope Summer, she doesn't, plain to see isn't it

Clearly you can't read - What if the table wasn't free?!

Jamhats they relax without having strangers plonked on top of them. Maybe your sense of space and boundaries is quite casual, but you might learn from this thread that the majority of people don't feel like that and might find you intrusive and a bit disrespectful of their personal space.

The lady was made uncomfortable by the couple's rudeness, not by the management "maximising covers".

As Summer says - if it's your business, then you make the rules. You are not dictated to by bolshie customers. If you have a policy of a table for someone to sit at once they've bought their coffee (or whatever), then they are entitled to that space. If it is your business, then you do make the rules, and no-one should be allowed to barge their way in and ride roughshod over another customer.