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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

313 replies

Grandshiredoubles · 14/02/2015 23:24

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

OP posts:
Mehitabel6 · 15/02/2015 19:12

I would probably not move the coat- merely sit on the seat next to it. There are generally 2 or 4 seats at a table. The person with it would only want one seat with the coat, otherwise there would have been other people at the table.

Mehitabel6 · 15/02/2015 19:14

I certainly wouldn't leave my coat if on my own in case it was moved- I just take pot luck which is easy on your own.

Vycount · 15/02/2015 19:22

I've never found this to be a problem outside of MN.

RufusTheReindeer · 15/02/2015 19:23

mehit

If you wouldn't move the coat then there's no problem is there Smile

Although I have been known to have a wee while waiting for a friend to get the drinks...won't from now on obviously Grin

Mehitabel6 · 15/02/2015 19:26

I phrased it wrongly - I meant the coat wouldn't stop me using one of the other chairs at the table. On my own I only need one chair.

I have never known it a problem outside MN.

Loletta · 15/02/2015 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RufusTheReindeer · 15/02/2015 19:29

Although that's never happened to me...

What has happened is someone taking the chairs away from our table without asking while one of my children was sat there with his meal, I was off getting another meal for the other two children...poor little devil didn't know what to do...just sat crying. Shouldn't have left him I suppose but it's hard juggling meals

RufusTheReindeer · 15/02/2015 19:30

mehit

That's fair enough Smile

Mehitabel6 · 15/02/2015 19:33

The person may well have just gone to the toilet, to get some cutlery etc
It is very unfair to take chairs when you have left children because they must know an adult is coming back.

merrymouse · 15/02/2015 19:36

If a cafe looks really busy I just go somewhere else. Atleast if people get a table before ordering you can see whether it is worth getting food and there aren't hoards of people on the queue.

This thread makes it seem as though there is a shortage of cafés in the uk.

flipchart · 15/02/2015 19:37

Think you need to avoid cafes Loretta if they make you that angry!
Crikey! All this over a brew and cake!

Loletta · 15/02/2015 19:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Loletta · 15/02/2015 19:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mehitabel6 · 15/02/2015 19:58

If people got a table first they wouldn't be standing around with a tray of food! One person can find a spare seat quite easily.

vienna1981 · 15/02/2015 20:29

New independent coffee shop opening up the road from me this Wednesday. I shall monitor the queue/table situation and report back. Please remind me.

Mia1415 · 15/02/2015 21:17

Mumsnet really is hilarious! On the one hand if you leave your child for a second you are flamed for being a terrible mother, but on the other hand it's apparently acceptable to leave your toddler unattended in a busy cafe/ restaurant! & yes it is possible to manage a pushchair, tray & toddler (not easy, but possible Smile) - I do it all the time.

hazeyjane · 15/02/2015 21:40

I find it a pain in the arse because if I am with ds, he wouldn't cope with being left at a table, so I have to queue up with him. I probably wouldn't leave my coat at a table because I have seen people move them. If we queue up and people have come in and bagged tables, it leaves us with nowhere to sit, or sharing (which to be honest would probably be a bit of a nightmare!)

The other day we were heading over to a table- had bought drinks etc and the woman behind the counter was going to bring them over, and someone walked through the door, marched past us and sat down at the table - now that is rude!

flipchart · 15/02/2015 22:20

I'm just amazed with all the mums in coffee shops with their children 'all the time'!

Our (UK) culture has certainly changed a lot in the last 15 years. Not saying if its good or bad, makes no difference to me, but certainly there has been a coffee shop boom ( whether it's small independents or the Starbucks, costa etc. I meet up with friends for coffee sometimes but when my kids were small and in pushchairs it would never passed through my mind to go to for a coffee. My friends were the same. We met at each others houses, now it's its in a fancy shop!

HeeHiles · 15/02/2015 22:25

It is effectively jumping the queue when someone sits down BEFORE someone who's been in the cafe queuing for food or to pay for a drink

I agree!

Imagine being at a bus stop - you [generic you not poster I quoted] arrive and there is a crowd of 30 people in the queue in front of you, as the bus arrives you spot a couple of free seats upstairs, you give OH your oyster to swipe while you jump on and run upstairs to bag the seats, because you're special and entitled and why get on a bus if there's nowhere to sit??.......give that a go next time you're down Oxford Street at 5.30pm.

See how far you get before you're torn limb from limb for pushing in!!

RufusTheReindeer · 15/02/2015 22:25

flip-

Was just saying this to DH yesterday.....while sat in cafe nero by ourselves Grin

GoodbyeToAllOfThat · 15/02/2015 22:29

As I said, tables should only be occupied when the food or drinks has been ordered. This would ensure more people get a chance to have somewhere to sit when their food or drinks are ready to be consumed. Instead you see people sat waiting while others have a tray with food and drinks and no where to sit.

It's not a straightforward case of table utility, though. A lot of people wouldn't be willing to order food if they weren't guaranteed a table, they would just defect.

Shockers · 15/02/2015 22:32

Why on earth would anybody buy a meal without knowing whether they would be able to sit and eat it?

hazeyjane · 15/02/2015 22:36

Maybe because they have seen empty tables, but whilst queuing others have come in and bagged the table.

HeeHiles · 15/02/2015 22:40

All the posters saying they don't want to get food if there's no where to sit.....Its because of selfish people like you that there's no where to sit!!!

Well said Tricky

You can't sit down in a cinema until you purchase a ticket
You can't get on a train until you purchase a ticket
You can't get on a plane without checking in first

But it's fine to sit down in a busy cafe/restaurant before purchasing your meal???

And those of you who get your children to sit at a vacant table - in London a lot of the cafes have seating downstairs while ordering food upstairs - I couldn't leave my children where I couldn't see them!

UncleT · 15/02/2015 22:45

Yes, it is. Again we have apples being compared with oranges. Last time it was waiting at a till. Now it's the cinema. Not the same.

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