to mumsnet whilst eating lunch?

[ikeaismylocal]

Ds is having a nap in his pushchair ( he only naps once a day so it's precocious relaxation time for me) we are in the city so I had some lunch in a buffet place.

They have long tables and as I'm alone the seats opposite me were vacant, a couple came and sat down, I looked up and smiled and said hello, had a quick "the food here is lovely" type chat and then got on with eating ( with chopsticks so one handed) and browsing mumsnet on my phone.

The man opposite me said "my mother taught me not to read at the dinner table" I said oh sorry, I don't get much of a chance to read once my son wakes up.

Wibu to mumsnet/look at my phone whilst eating lunch?

Nope. I'd have replied with 'and my mother taught me not to be rude to strangers'.

Or just smile and look faintly puzzled. Ffs it's a public restaurant, he's not sitting at your dining room table!

Odd people. Why would you rather chat with complete strangers (and a couple, so why would they rather chat with you than with each other...) than enjoy your lunch with whatever reading material you've brought with you. I assume he'd find reading a book equally rude since he said "reading" in general.

YANBU

He is not your mother and you are not answerable to him. Come to that, you're probably not answerable to your DM anymore either!

And did his mother never tell him it was the height of bad manners to criticise total strangers?

HTH

Btw did you know that Wagamamma (for I assume it is there!) is Japanese for selfish?

Might be just an old fashioned view.
My lovely step dad was taught never to read " at table" and apparently the first time I did it he was genuinely horrified ( I wasn't eating with them he walked in) . He didn't say anything though, my Mum had to explain why he was so upset - he's got Aspergers and any perceived " bad" behaviour upsets him a lot, although he just removes himself from the situation.
Cafe man was very rude to say that to you though, I find that a " really how interesting" usually works in these situations

And this is one of the very many reasons I hate restaurants that make you sit with strangers!

You are perfectly entitled to read at the table when you have gone out to dinner with yourself and a napping child!

I'm glad I wasn't being terribly rude. They were an older couple, and seemingly lovely apart from policing reading.

Yanbu he was rude, none of his business. He also has no idea of your circumstances. I bet he can read whenever he wants.

"And mine told me not to talk to strange men".

There is only one activity incompatible with browsing your phone and you probably wouldn't be doing it on a table in a cafe anyway.

The man was very rude. Fine for a rule at your dining table at home, but makes no sense for eating lunch alone at a restaurant.