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.)

Of course you are entitled to personal space in a cafe. You can buy takeaway coffee and stand outside. People go to a cafe to have a coffee and sit down and relax.

I know Satans.

Bums rush.love that expression,stoater

How do you know the staff were underpaid. You sound a bit dismissive of waiting staff trying to do their job. Do you always treat them so contemptuously?

Ive been in the bag on vacant seat scenario.she tsked,she huffed,i still sat down

So unless you get thrown out you can be as embarassing, rude and intrusive as you like? Lovely rules to live your life by?

The bag on the ferry seat is a different scenario entirely as the seat had already been paid for. Stop throwing in straw man arguments Scottish. Last resort of the person who has no real case.

Keep up
Im responding to thread

If I were the proprietor and you pissed me off, damn right you'd get the bum's rush out of there. (I've told customers we don't want their custom before now, when it's been necessary). Not the same line of work at all, but same principles

So if staff are underpaid you can ignore them and barge past them. Really Satan?

Scottish any chance you'd address any of the points put to you, instead of implying other people aren't 'keeping up'? Just saying

Any chance you understand i reply to posts as i see fit,and not on your demand

So Satan you think you can barge past 'lowly' waiters trying to enforce company policy, on the grounds that they're probably lowly paid and don't understand the modus operandis of the cafe they're employed to work in?

Yes, Scottish I understand that you reply very selectively to posts and refuse to respond to arguments that you can't address.

No, the rules aren't different in Scotland. Scottishmummy either revels in being obnoxious or is just stirring.

Cafe where you buy drinks/food first - fine to ask (politely!) if you can share a table if there are none free.

Cafe where it's table service and you're seatedby staff, you wait to get seated by staff. Crashingly rude to barge your way ("patron" or not, and these guys weren't) onto a table where someone was enjoying their lunch/coffee.

Well you would say that wouldnt you

Yet another evasive reply.

Yes

Satan - there are "cafés" like Costa, Starbucks, and the like, who don't pay the correct amount of corporate taxes and allow anyone to sit anywhere. They clearly have their own rules and a completely different agenda. And then there are other, smaller, privately-owned cafés who pay the correct taxes and are perfectly legitimately permitted to employ their own rules. Such as "Please Wait to be Seated". That is not a difficult thing to do.

So no argument then. Just been shit stirring. Glad we've got that straight.

God, if you go into a cafe and there are no seats, you go away and find another cafe, or you wait for a table to become free, regardless of the style of service. Asking to sit at someone else's table is wretchedly presumptive and rude. Fine if you don't mind being rude but you may be detracting from someone else's enjoyment of their time in the cafe.

I've never said no to someone asking to sit my table - possibly because I have a courteous bone in my body - but I'm generally resentful and often leave shortly after unless it's a particularly large table. Most cafe tables aren't and I'd like to be able to sit comfortably without worrying about playing footsie with a rude stranger.

The bag on the paid for seat is a completely irrelevant scenario as it's totally different.

The waiter had told the couple the place was full. Therefore the lady was entitled to the table on which she was seated without maverick customers bypassing the establishment procedures.

She was certainly entitled to finish her meal in peace without being intimidated.

Or was she fair game as a woman having the temerity to eat out by herself?