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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

'Baggsying' seats before purchasing food - what's the etiquette?

49 replies

DirtyMugPolice · 12/09/2015 13:59

I took ds and his friend for lunch at a high quality eating establishment Mc Donalds for lunch after the cinema earlier. They are both 4 so kept them with me whilst ordering and paying. When looking for a table there were quite a few people who were obviously waiting for a friend/relative to pay for food and bring it over. We had to wait for someone to finish before we could sit down (admittedly not long). Would I have been U to ask a staff member to ask someone to move for me if I would have had to wait a long time for someone to finish? Just wondering really, I don't know if I'd have the guts to do it myself!

OP posts:

passthenutellaplease · 12/09/2015 14:00

I can see why you're annoyed but people tend to eat and go so you're not really waiting too long for a seat

superram · 12/09/2015 14:02

If there wasn't plenty of tables I wouldn't have bought food. I would always bagsy a seat, sorry.

19lottie82 · 12/09/2015 14:03

I think you're being a bit precious for the Golden Arches I'm afraid!

TheHouseOnTheLane · 12/09/2015 14:04

It's a pita but I do it in mcdonalds as my DC are 10 and 7 so can be left to sit for a moment ...however if I saw someone with a baby or who was elderly, I would let them have the seat.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 12/09/2015 14:05

If I'm with someone one of us always goes and bags a table.

As far as I'm concerned the only places this doesn't apply to are places where you have to wait for a member of staff to come and seat you themselves.

Original poster

DirtyMugPolice · 12/09/2015 14:06

Oh I don't just mean Fat Ron's - anywhere really! I didn't have to wait long so it wasn't an issue just wondered if others would/have asked people to move.

Don't mean to sound precious - I'm not, honest! Hey I fed my child a Happy Meal :)

OP posts:

JohnCusacksWife · 12/09/2015 14:09

I'm sure most people in a group would grab a table and send one person up to order. What's the point of loads of unnecessary people cluttering up the queue and just generally getting in the way?

Bambambini · 12/09/2015 14:09

I'll bag a table in a cafe or fast food type place. I wouldn't queue for food if it looked like I might not be able to sit down.

This has been done to death on here and the balance is always way in favour for saving a table.

Pidapie · 12/09/2015 14:09

Yes I think you would be unreasonable if you asked someone to move. I normally take a table if going with friends, don't see the problem in this.

Optimist1 · 12/09/2015 14:10

Until this summer I've always thought the correct procedure was to get your order and then find a table and I may have voiced this opinion loud and clear in various establishments. But in two different places recently there have been notices requesting clientele to select their table before ordering food, which surprised me greatly. (One is an independent riverside caf?? and the other a NT tearoom). My moral compass is now all askew!

sproketmx · 12/09/2015 14:11

That would have been unreasonable. They were paying customers the same as you so we're entitled to the seats as well. Why didn't you plonk the kids at a table to keep ir for you? That's what I would have done. A table within sight of you if you didn't want them put of sight but at 4 I think they could be left for 5 mins

jorahmormont · 12/09/2015 14:11

We always bagsy a table. Wouldn't queue if we didn't know we had a table to eat at.

Optimist1 · 12/09/2015 14:11

*caf?? not caf??

LargeGoldAtrociousCunt · 12/09/2015 14:12

I always send my dc to find a seat whilst I go to order and pay in McDonalds.

Could you imagine the chaos if whole families stood and queued together

BrianButterfield · 12/09/2015 14:13

Anyone waiting for people to come back with food are going to be waiting ten minutes max in McDonald's. Its not like they'll be there for ages on end and if they move for you will need to find their own table a couple of minutes later. So not a solution. IME, outside the world of MN, table-bagging is normal and sensible. I would never buy food if I didn't know I could sit to eat it.

WorraLiberty · 12/09/2015 14:14

I think it's pretty daft not to grab a table first in these places, although some on MN think differently.

If I had 2 four year olds with me, I would have told them to sit down at the table and stay there until I came back with the food. Unless the only tables were in a blind spot where I couldn't see them.

Original poster

DirtyMugPolice · 12/09/2015 14:14

Yes very true I hadn't thought about hordes of people queuing at once. I wasn't BU as I didn't ask anyone to move - and I won't in future :)

OP posts:

Pepperpot99 · 12/09/2015 14:19

they have tables in McDonald's?

I though everyone just ate at the troughs.

SaucyJack · 12/09/2015 14:19

I think it's an awfully rude thing to do...... unless it's me doing it- then in which case it's every Saucy for themselves.

honkinghaddock · 12/09/2015 14:21

I always find a seat with ds whilst dh queues. You really wouldn't want ds in the queue next to you (unless you liked being kicked), he can't cope with people around him and we need seat in a position that he can cope with.

Pipbin · 12/09/2015 14:25

I personally believe that until you have ordered you are not a paying customer and therefore have no right to sit at a table. I never bag a table before ordering.
However I do accept that this is not the case for most people here or in the real world and I think that if I had children to seat I might well think differently.

Sparklingbrook · 12/09/2015 14:26

I don't think there's any rules in McDonalds. It's every man for themselves in there.

I only ever go for a dirty breakfast when it's half empty.

OneDay103 · 12/09/2015 14:28

You would be extremely precious to
Ask staff to get people to move. How ridiculous. It makes sense for one person to
Get a table and the other to get the food, or you will be standing like an idiot with all the food and no place to eat it.

CakeNinja · 12/09/2015 14:36

Why would you need to ask a member of staff to ask someone to move? Just as easy (and quicker?) to do it yourself

Makes more sense to get a seat before you pay, otherwise how do you know if you'll be able to sit down to eat?

Obviously if you're on your own then you're screwed, but otherwise yes, saves 30 people in each queue all bumbling about and being indecisive, which in turn cuts down on queuing time.

Sparklingbrook · 12/09/2015 14:36

It's a shame for the people on their own I guess. nobody to send over to bagsy a table.

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