Hide and seek in pub

[Girlfrommars77]

Was sitting early eve c.5pm in the pub with a book and glass of wine waiting for my DP to join me. Busy pub but big with lots of space, friendly, and couples, groups of friends and some families. Family eating dinner next to me and I suddenly felt a scrabbling under my legs in the booth I was sitting in. Looked up and saw a mum say to her child, ‘go on get under there’ under the seat behind my legs. I looked up startled and she said ‘it’s okay, it’s just a little girl’. They were playing hide and seek and her dad (looking sheepish) had to come and fish her out from behind my legs. I smiled politely at the cute little girl and ignored her mother. Aibu to think this is really bloody rude. It’s a pub not soft play and I was obviously enjoying my quiet wine? Or am I a moody fucker?

It’s bad manners on the part of the Mum but not worth getting that bothered over really.

That would have royally passed me off.

It's pretty rude. Anything that prevents you from a nice time with wine and a book is rude imo. But I guess it's one of those situations where you just have to let go and get back to enjoying your delicious wine.

That would really piss me off. It's a pub not a soft play.

I think in a family friendly pub (esp one with lots of outside space) it's nice to have children there, and they do need entertaining. However, this should NEVER impinge on the personal space of others. Not their conversation and certainly not their physical space. I'd have been tempted to have dealt out a swift kick (but wouldn't have!)

Wowysers - why on earth would a parent do that. Nowt so strange as folks but no I don't think you were moody to be a tad put out by it.

Would piss me off too!

Strange..but if you want a quiet wine and book go to a family free pub.

Disappointed in this thread.

I genuinely thought this was going to be a post regaling us of a raucous night in the pub spent playing hide and seek with other customers.

Boo.

jeremiah you’re right I missed a trick - maybe I should have got under there too!

It felt v intrusive as they had their own table and plenty of space and I had a nice quiet booth...

Probably something I'd just roll my eyes at and then instantly forget.

If it happened more than once, that'd be different.

The mother wanted your booth.

Its rude, and you might have tucked your dog under the table.

and you might have tucked your dog under the table.

Maybe you should have joined in their hide and seek by diving under their tables and chairs It would've peeved me too, actually.

That's really bloody rude. I also don't think I'd have had the heart to turf her out though. Although I might have told the mum a game of footsie had already been on the go before her dd joined the party.

Ach no, I didn’t turn the girl out. Not her fault....

So wish I thought of quid pro quo and curled up under the table they were eating at....

I would have turfed the girl out.

Sorry to derail the thread OP but @JeremiahBackflip I once played hide and seek in a pub I worked in after a staff night out and I'm not gonna lie it was bloody brilliant.

It wouldn't have bothered me one bit to be honest, as long as it was brief. I would have probably grinned at the kid, let them do their thing and forgotten all about it.

I’d have told her to move (kindly but firmly).

Am I not reading the same thing as everyone else?

Do people really think it's okay for a child to squeeze under a complete stranger's legs to play hide and seek with her family sitting at another table?

I certainly wouldn't have sat there smiling pleasantly at them and their badly behaved child.

And I suspect most people here in reality would not have sat smiling at them either.

Do people really think it's okay for a child to squeeze under a complete stranger's legs to play hide and seek with her family sitting at another table?

For a few seconds? Yep, I could handle that and still manage to be pleasant .

It would all take a minimum of a few minutes, not seconds.