To have refused to remove our coats from free chair in the pub

[user1498921160]

We were out earlier in a local pub for lunch. There was five of us sitting around a table, with our jackets, cardigans, elderly person's walking stick etc on the sixth chair.

A family of four came in and went to a table for four behind us. The daughter, aged about six, put her stuffed toy on one of the chairs and then kicked off that there was no seat for her.

Mother then came over to our table and asked us to move our stuff off the spare seat so her daughter could have it. We pointed out that there was a spare seat at their table and she said 'oh the giraffe is using that chair'. We replied that our coats etc were using our spare chair and she went off in a huff.

WWBU. Obviously, if the seat had genuinely been needed we would have moved all our stuff.

Unreasonable for putting stuff on a chair?! FFS where are you meant put coats etc? It was a spare at their own table! Should they have put their coats back on so as to accommodate the giraffe?! I cannot even believe the mother was so entitled as to ask!

BTW, could you all please acknowledge that earlier on a poster said "that giraffe had some neck!" and not one person smiled approvingly. Did you. Eh? For shame.

...or you could have gone all Basil Faulty on her 'a chair for the giraffe, well why not! Would giraffe like a napkin...an aperitif perhaps?' and swooshed your coats about in a dramatic fashion!

feather that would have been fabulous, but as OP already had her meal maybe unrealistic. wishes she could have though ...!!

Well, I may not have been able to resist! ANY opportunity for an impression of Basil (my poor kids...that is when they KNOW that they have pushed it too far at tea time!).

Maybe the mum just went down the "if you don't ask you don't get" road. But as the OP said she flounced off, maybe not.

Yanbu because they disturbed you while you were eating for a trivial matter.

To not be a miserable arsehole?

Pandering to childrens' every whim is not being kind to them. It's setting them up to fail.

I wish I had discovered mn much earlier in life, I've pandered to cheeky bastards loads of times.

The ones who think the Op and her group should have given up a seat laden with coats and walking stick for a toy giraffe are obviously just as bad as the rude family. Don't over indulge your kids.
Would the stupid mother have someone stand on the bus while giraffe gets a seat. Unbelievable.

staples yy to the neck comment. Excellent work.

YWNBU - how bloody ridiculous for a toy to have it's own seat ... they're obviously going to end up with a proper little madam

I wouldn't move stuff for a giraffe, live or otherwise.

YANBU, you would have been if a person needed it but not a toy giraffe.

When I was little I sat my doll in her pram with an open book and carefully explained to my mother that, whilst she could read, she couldn't turn the pages (cos she's a doll duh!), so could my mum turn the pages from time to time. Off I went to school and apparently it took my mum (a supposedly intelligent woman) half a dozen turned pages before she realised whst she was doing.

Also I have an ornament which is a giraffe... sitting on a chair.

And I still think YANBU.

Yanbu

Giraffe mum's request was unreasonable and frankly even if the seat was not being used I would think a parent slightly unhinged at asking for it for a stuffed toy.

Besides, how would giraffe see above the table to join in the conversation from down on a seat?

YANBU

My dd had an imaginary mother when she was 3-4 (always called 'mother' not mum, like me). I wished I'd asked if we could have a chair for dd's other mother.

Bizzy what if it was reversed..... the op and family arrived and the spare chair had a giraffe already on it..... would you go over and ask for the chair to use as a cloakroom extension for the families coats?

StaplesCorner
Unreasonable for putting stuff on a chair?! FFS where are you meant put coats etc?

FFS, you put them on the back of the chair that you are sitting on.

I'm more surprised you all needed coats on mid August! And that the restaurant didn't have a designated space for them

Wow!
YWNBU.
This is how entitled people bring up their equally entitled chn.
Well done for saying no.

Owner of Autistic child coming through.....make way please.

Aside from the fact I really wish people wouldnt use this partucular condition as a way of explaining away every brat in public (( most owner of Autistic childerbeast would NOT dream of impacting on others in this way, we spend most of our lives trying to make ourselves invisible )) in answer to the theoretical question of would I give up a seat that's being used to an Autistic kid who wants a seat for her giraffe (( wouldnt happen, ye battle scarred parent of an Autistic child who is so rigid would pre book, theyd plan it down to the letter so nothing could go wrong. They'd book the giraffe it's own damn seat )) no. I wouldnt.

Becuase it would be a huge inconveniance to me, it wouldnt be teaching the child anythingor helping them, the world doesnt work that way. Id consider the parents of theoretical Autistic child as entitled morons (( these do exist, only yesterday I had to step in when the mother of an Autistic child left them unsupervised at a sn swimming session, these sessions are run by teenage volunteers BUT very much supervised by us. Her kid got hurt, it was everyone elses fault but hers and she had a 14 yr old kid up against a wall (( the kids are only there to play with the kids )) not the mums fault she'd pissed off home. Nope. (( police are involved for anyone wondering ))

Some parents are entitled arseholes who raise future arseholes. SOME parents of SN children are entitled arseholes who raise future adults with unrealistic expectations who struggle to survive in a world that doesnt really care of you have a disability.......I refuse to pander to either. Or their Giraffes.

I'm more surprised you all needed coats on mid August!
It's raining and blooming freezing here. I was just contemplating whether dh would notice if I put the heating on!