TWO unreasonable people for the price of one

[B1rdonawire]

In a well-known coffee chain rhyming with Hosta, I witnessed the following (as did agog DD):

Younger woman feeding small child in highchair, large ride-on toddler motorbike thing sticking half-out from under table; older woman wishing to pass her, carrying tray of coffee. There was room to walk past (just) but it was very tight.

OW: I can't get past
YW: I'm feeding my child
OW: But I can't get past
YW: Well what do you want me to do about it?
OW: Move your things out of the way

Within twenty seconds this had become shouting on both sides:
YW: I've got every right to be here, you can't tell me to move, you are so rude you didn't ask me nicely, why should I move for you etc etc
OW: You should move out of the way, you're blocking my way, you should leave the bike outside, I'm not the one who's rude...

So, WIBU to watch in just as much fascination as DD we don't get out much ? Or, I suppose, more sensibly, who WBU out of older woman and younger woman? OW could perhaps have gone round the other way. YW could definitely have been more helpful and tucked her stuff out the way.

I'd say 90% the mother (entitled much?) but 10% the older woman - she didn't need to be so rude.

Fabulous diagram!

I think that the older woman maybe was rude in the way that she asked but Jeez-the younger woman-partially blocks the aisle & does FU about it!!

" Well what do you want me to do about it?"-silly cow!

Great diagram!! although I can't see from the diagram how the OW could have taken another route? There's a wall the other side of the tables! If she couldn't take another route I think that changes things.

10/10 for the diagram.

YW was a twat for having the toy in the coffee shop in the first place, but OW could have asked nicely.

" OW could have asked nicely."

From the ensuing conversation though I doubt that it would have made a difference.

She shouldn't even have had to ask as the thing shouldn't have been there!

Toddler toy shouldn't have even been allowed in. It's the same as a bike. I'm so fed up with entitled parents thinking their child's dirty outdoor toys should be allowed in indoor public spaces. No your child doesn't have the right to ride a scooter in a shopping centre, nor a skateboard in a library.
YW was massively unreasonable it's a coffee shop not her living room. She was blocking the way.

Why can't you just say Costa in the OP?

The Mother was unreasonable.
This wasn't in South London was it?
My Mother has form for finding this type of thing extraordinarily annoying and wouldn't have let it go!

Wondering if this happened in my local branch as it sounds like one of the PITA parents who insist on having huge buggies around tables meaning that ordinary customers have to struggle past with trays of hot drinks . Polite requests to move are either ignored or refused .

Yeah the mother definitely should have moved the toy and apologised like any normal person would do :S other woman was just trying to get past

I think the OW should have gone round the other way. What if the obstruction had been a walking aid, a mobility scooter, shopping trolley, luggage, pram or highchair?

I find it really rude when I have my child in a highchair or buggy and people expect me to move her while she's eating, when there's plenty of space to go round the other way!

No sand - what other way ??

I find it really rude when I have my child in a highchair or buggy and people expect me to move her while she's eating, when there's plenty of space to go round the other way!

But nowhere near as rude as you are for blocking the path in the first place.

Younger woman was very silly and ignorant from even thinking that it was okay to bring the bike into the shop. The way should be kept clear.

No sand there's a really simple solution to that problem....

I find it really rude when I have my child in a highchair or buggy and people expect me to move her while she's eating, when there's plenty of space to go round the other way!

You're the rude one for blocking the way.

Ow was mainly in the wrong. Always ask politely first - i.e. 'excuse me, can i squeeze through', not bark 'i can't get past.' Only get rude if someone speaks rudely to you..

The yw was probably a bit wrong for not tucking in a bit but , as you said, ow could get by but it was a bit tight. So she was saying 'I can't get past' to be bolshy so I am not at all surprised she got the rude reception she deserved

YW was very unreasonable. What if someone with sight problems had needed to get by?

Always telling our DC to ask nicely for what they need, not just state a problem e.g I can't find my shoooooes!!! vs Please would you help me look for my shoes?

So, on that basis def OW was being unreasonable first.

The woman with the child was totally in the wrong

Both unreasonable. OW could have asked politely and loses the moral high ground by starting out rudely. YW shouldn't be blocking the aisle in the first place and should have just moved the toy when asked regardless of whether OW was rude. All in all, the fact that YW started it makes her the more unreasonable of the pair IMHO.

But how did it end?! Did OW and YW take it outside to fight it out? Or did they just yell at each other until their coffees went cold?