To wish people wouldn't chat in coffee shops

[SybilEngineer]

Sitting in Costa with a latte choc muffin and my iPad. Can't concentrate because I'm surrounded by people yattering on about the Queen's birthday celebrations, their ailments in too much detail, conducting interviews for dodgy sounding jobs and making loud phone calls.

AIBU to wish they'd STFU and let me enjoy my coffee in peace?

You're off the scale unreasonable. That's just what coffee shops are for, socialising. Yes you drink coffee there, but people go to them for company. Even I go to coffee shops for company and I hate everyone.

You should Be More Like Me ... a chain smoker I have to sit outside and, since the world's full of snarky Mumsnetters who think smokers shouldn't smoke anywhere near other people, I get a table to myself!

It's a bit parky in the winter, mind you.

yabu - coffee shops are for socialising and meeting up. For a quiet break home is best

Gosh no YANBU. Coffee shops are for reading and escaping DH and the children people.

There are bookshops with coffee shops in them, in most you can buy a coffee and then wander off to find a quiet nook in the bookstore to read a book with your coffee.

Chatting? In public?! Shocking.

".......and take it into the university library for peace and quiet: they now allow food and drinks as long as it is not Hot Food."

I'm stunned! I thought it was bad enough when they allowed bottled water into ours. What's WRONG with making people walk to the water fountain? Okay, have a 'fountain' with a large inverted water bottle rather than actual tap water if you want to be fancy. Were students fainting from lack of H20 during revision, or was it just the shock of all those words and being expected to read them...............

I could say we shouldn't complain, whatever it takes to actually get the students near some books. If they have to dangle a cold donner over the page, we should let them. Although I still think people who write on/deface books should be nailed to the walls and left to dangle.

Actually, in ours now, there is so much other stuff about (swanky furniture that looks like a soft sofa, but is actually hard as granite, strategically placed laptop rests/risers, electronic scan and borrow set-ups to replace actual librarians, flashy screens, electronic access gates etc etc), that finding the actual books seems to be staff and post-grads only. Which means I can meander about amongst the stacks without fear of being disturbed by a kebab-munching undergrad.......................

I'm pretty sure the OP should just cancel the cheque already.

MrsJoeyMaynard I do hope that's a reference to a favourite series of books!

Personally I think the OP should have gone to Starbucks. It's much more sophisticated. Ours has plug sockets for you to charge up your personal choice of antisocial device. In fact ours is very nearly divided into a working section and a chatting/interview section. Except new mums often end up in the working section. But is regulars know not to intrude.

".....in most you can buy a coffee and then wander off to find a quiet nook in the bookstore to read a book with your coffee."

Outrageous! You expect me to pay full whack for a book you have breathed on, after you have had your greasy latte-stained fingers all over its pages? I don't think I've ever been a bookshop where they allow you to wander all over with your coffee. Coffee and nice new books don't mix, unless you have purchased it (when you can do whatever the heck you philistines want with it, although I WILL throw sugar cubes at you if you crack the spine in the coffee shop. Turning down corners to mark your place, what would be an appropriate punishment for that............)

I agree it is the volume they use! I could hardly hear my friend as the loud mouth gobshite on the table next to me wanted the whole bloody cafe to hear her life story. The death stare didn't work so I had to leave as she gave me a goddam headache.

OP do you seriously think Starbucks and Costa know how to make good coffee?!

Starbucks - NO you might as well just have a cup of hot water with milk in it. Costa is OK.

TBH yeah it's a little annoying but it's a public space. If you want guaranteed silence, work at home, or in a library.

I too often try to get bits and bobs done and sometimes people screech like banshees. I've even gone in with my daughter who has made a little noise and those same people whinge about how children shouldn't be in places like this, they're so noisy, when these people make sooo much more noise than she can and she's a) 2 and b) Is autistic so sometimes she can have a mini melt down. They're grown adults shrieking and cackling like I don't know what - what's their excuse?

I simply enjoy as best I can and let them get on with it. That's the thing with public spaces and when I'm by myself and a kid or other people are making noise ... well I remind myself it's a public space and that it's just something I have to put up with. I suggest you do the same.

books I prefer Starbucks' coffee to Costa's, I find the latter too weak especially in their lattes! I'm not a coffee snob connoisseur however, so my tastes will be a lot different to other people.

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'd scratch myself, apply some grey make up and then the other zombies would think I was already turned and leave me alone.
Do I get the job?

Troll? give over. I just want to enjoy my coffee (and I do like Costabucks thank you very much) surrounded by the gentle hum of conversation. People just need to show some decorum and turn the volume down.

It's the men (it is always men) who are alone, but sit at the biggest possible table, buy one coffee, get out their laptop and sit there for 2.5 hours that bug me. They also tend to glare at any child that comes within a 100m radius as if this will totally ruin their commenting on a Daily Mail article.

maybe u have a hypercuris problem? any noise is an issue!!

At least it was a coffee shop. I was in a library the other day when an old bloke came in with two MUCH younger women- maybe Thai or Filipino, stunning and immaculately dressed. they were showing him how to use the computers and he was buying them tickets for a festival. Chatter chatter chatter loudly. Everyone was agog tho'

I'm glad its not just me that can't stand overly loud noise.

I love a Costa Mocha

There is a Costa in the hospital where I work, it's Costa or the cafeteria coffee which isn't as nice. There tropical ice drinks are nice as well.

I love listening to people in coffee shops. I am very nosey.

I thought you meant Dutch coffee shops!

I'm afraid not Cigars.

You have to kill a zombie, then liberally coat oneself with it's stinking entrails. (They have a keen sense of smell, and can sniff out non-zombies)

Has anyone seen the film "Zombie Apocalypse"? It's one of those 1970s Italian films dubbed into American. And it's hilarious.

Stay at home and have your coffee.