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.)

I have read your posts Satan. And please stop with the crap. You have basically stated that you would ignore a polite request by a waiter to wait until a table was free.

You want to interpret my posts and demand personal responses
Im not minded to -given its online blethet not a discourse
Youll naturally spin this in a self fulfilling way,to demonstrate your rightness

Yes the mc expectation of privacy,and non intrusion in a for profit business

No Scottish. I'm just wondering why, in a discussion, you refuse to answer direct questions? and am now wondering why you're getting so defensive about that,

Stan who is bargy patron??

Social discussion,one filters out the detritus

Yes seriously. There's certainly been more than a suggestion that people earing on their own are a nuisance and a drain on resources.

And I bet those who advocate barging their way onto a table wouldn't try it on if the lone diner was a 6 ft plus bloke built like a brick shit house.

Why

The OP made it very clear that they weren't standard four seater tables.

Yes Satan, and we have pointed out that the policy of the cafe owners was that customers had to wait until a table is free and random 'patrons' don't get to overturn that. Tough. Go to McDonald's if you can't understand the ethos of some privately run, small cafes.

I'm still waiting for an answer to my question to ScottishMummy.
What if the person who had a space at their table was waiting for a friend?

SatanFurryJammy - if you are the owner of the café, you have a right to reserve a table for a customer. As the owner of that café you are paying the bills, the wages and the taxes and therefore are permitted to determine who, and how many people sit at any one table at any time.

Ive joined,and by been joined by, solo diners all size all ethnicities
Seat vacant,its legitimate to share

You'll be waiting pitbin. She hasn't a leg to stand on, but won't admit it.

Definitely rude. Depending on how combative I was feeling, I'd probably kick up a fuss about it if someone did that to me. The waiter should have stopped them though to be honest.

No, I haven't, Summerbreezing. I've pointed out that in a cafe you don't get to be picky for your tea and cake. Four places at a table and only one of you? That's tough.

But this was not Costa or Jim's Greasy Spoon, in which case fair enough, kind of. It was a waiter service, wait to be seated kind of place.

The stature and gender of the shared table is moot point

You think it is middle class to want some personal space in a cafe? Try and invade a families table at MacDonalds and see what kind of response you get?

Four places at a table makes it sound like they were big tables. The OP has made it clear they are those very small round cafe tables.

ScottishMummy - Ive joined,and by been joined by, solo diners all size all ethnicities Seat vacant,its legitimate to share

Yes, I'm sure we all have, in appropriate circumstances. This particular example is not one of those appropriate circumstances.

Oh, I have read some comments. Is it normal to share a table with strangers in a cafe? It'd be a serious faux pas to even ask here.

I retract my answer. It would depend on what the cafe rules are there I guess. :)