You grab a table while I queue up....

[Grandshiredoubles]

Which means that some people before you can't get anywhere to sit. Happened today in Waitrose where the naice people should kmow better. Do you think people should wait until they have their food before getting a table or Aibu. Talking about YOU lady with the red shoes in malvern today

I just smile sweetly and stick my arse on a chair regardless of what other people are doing, and tuck into my lunch, when people try on this nonsense, because I ain't going to eat standing up, nor am I prepared to let my lunch go cold.

Point taken, my mum always said that a rude young person becomes a rude old person. But there is a certain age group which has exceedingly sharp elbows when it comes to cafes - especially National Trust ones!

I do it and will continue to do it, despite threads on here.

However, this one has actually made me think that we are mainly just selfish and making things run less efficiently than they should. Whoever said way upthread that, if people didn't save tables, then table turnover could be every 20 minutes instead of every 40 minutes made a lot of sense to me and I started to feel vaguely guilty.

I'll still do it though, because almost everyone does so, in the current culture, you're stupid not to. Maybe it would be a good thing is the culture/'done thing' changed but I can't see that at the moment.

In this specific situation hidden disabilities aren't really relevant. If I see someone coming out of a disabled toilet or parking space who looks fine I will assume they have a hidden disability because most decent people respect the correct usage policy of those places and wouldn't be there if they didn't need to be. But everyone grabs tables before ordering so the chances of them having a hidden disability are very low. And the chances of them being bawled out for sitting down if they do have a disability are even lower because, as already stated many times, everyone does it and it's socially acceptable.

Mixtape, the one thing that puts me off putting my bag/coat down, is that the one time I did this, someone moved it!

Anyway, I am just going to have to ignore this one because it is just an irritation, I just had a foul day, and felt pissed off reading people like myself described as martyrs with nothing better to worry about.

...oh and I put my coat down after someone suggesting it on the last thread on here about table bagging!

Surely the simple solution to all this aggro is to not to have lunch in places that don't have table service?

DD's are getting older now and as this is a problem I have only in places like McDs and KFC - Thank fuck I won't have to endure it for much longer!!

Nice pasta in civilised Carluccios - with lovely waiter/tress service and a bill at then end of the meal.......In fact lets stop bickering with each other and blame bloody McD's et al for forcing these dilemmas on us!!

I'm contacting Change.org to get a petition going!!

Brenda you sound pretty rude yourself!! The woman sat at an empty table. She got there first. She shouldn't have to move just because you demanded it.

It doesn't usually take 20 minutes to get served. It takes about 5 minutes usually.

Maybe I should have just sniffed and not said something, but I think it's pretty unacceptable to see someone making for a table with a tray and because they are obviously slower (heavy tray!) you sprint to the table in question.

In fact there was an episode covering this in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He had a rant about people who see you walking towards somewhere and overtake to get there first.

A personal example was last week at the pay machines at the shopping centre. I was nearly there when this couple overtook and stood in front of the machine, then looked for the money. They could see that in the natural order of things I was first, but sped up and sort of jogged to the machine. Bad manners, imo.

had this recently in Costa. we were at the end of the queue, at the point where they were putting the cream and marshmallows in his chocolate, when the table literally in front of us came free. I told DS to go and sit down which he started to. at this point, 2 of Brenda's favourite demographic came rushing over and tried to sit down. They had literally just arrived and hadn't even entered the queue yet. I out my tray down I. front of DS and one of them said "oh, don't worry, we were going to sit there", in a passive aggressive and sarky fashion. I said " I'm not in the slightest bit worried, we were here first".

I think its OK to send the DC to sit down once you're virtually at the end of the queue, but not to grab one before any of you have actually ordered something.

This morning I'm in the coffee shop of my local garden centre. Terribly civilised and rustic at the same time. No scrum for the tables, polite chatter and a nice big log burner in front of me. I'm not moving just yet .

No need for table-hogging at our newly-opened coffee shop. A few folk this morning but it's early days yet. Free newspapers, wi-fi and prices much the same as Costa (plugs) .

I was in a mall yesterday and went to the food area. In light of this thread two things happened. Some people decided on a table, sat down and some one went to order and some other people got their food and then found a place. There was older people there and kids in pushchairs as well.

There was no tuts, arguments, nobodies coat got moved. Everyone was happy. Who'd have thought!

So my advice is carry on what your doing!

With kids in tow, has to make common sense to bagsie a table, then queue for food.
Staff in these cafes can resolve any disagreements.

If alone, glance over shoulder when your turn to order, and advise at till you ain't paying until a free table is located/reserved!