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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to suddenly develope a case of tourettes in M&S cafe!!!!!!

176 replies

littleboo · 05/12/2007 13:33

Went into M&S for a coffee today..... my day off with no children, 2 in school, 1 in nursery.....!
In the queue ( always a queue) about 5 people in front and about 10 behind. Looked round and saw that most of those behind had an other with them , ie hubby, frien etc, then about 6 of " the others" all went and found tables.
So there we are with at leasy 6 people sitting at tables (waiting for the other halves- who are way back in the queue behind me)
The people at the front couldn't find a seat
it really drives me mad.... why can't people just wait until they have at least ordered their food or drink. i only had a coffee, iif i'd been able to find a seat I'd have been gone before some of these had even ordered.
Sorry long rant, but really p..... me ... off!!
Sorry, sorry...... just wanted to stand up in the middle of the shop and shout at all the numpties!

OP posts:
thelittleElf · 05/12/2007 13:35

I would have said something but for some reason i seem to be in a very arguementative mood today

stockingfiller · 05/12/2007 13:37

you should have sat at a table where someone was waiting for someone who was still in queue behind you they would of moved or kept sitting there!

Original poster
littleboo · 05/12/2007 13:39

Oh little elf I wish I had. I did mention it to the girl who was cleaning the tables and she just kind of burbled on, about " yes I know its difficult"..... why don't they either put up a sign or even have a member of staff at the end of the queue stopping people doing it.
It really makes me mad when I'm on my own, and even more so for some mums when they are on own with say toddler and baby.... you know, you've just got your stuff, and your dc's are starving and want to eat,...... and you can't even get a seat.

OP posts:
HonoriaGlossop · 05/12/2007 13:40

yup it's so annoying when people do that. I have seen some cafes where they put a notice up saying please get your food before you get a seat but people just ignore it!

There IS always a queue in M & S cafe, isn't there - I've often thought they are the slowest servers I've ever come accross, maybe their machines are bizarrely slow.

Anyway, totally understand your rant.

Mungarra · 05/12/2007 13:42

Doesn't everyone do this? I would always get someone to save a table if there was a shortage of tables. No one wants to have a tray of food and nowhere to sit if they can avoid it.

Original poster
littleboo · 05/12/2007 13:43

But Mungarra theres only a shortage of tables cos they're filled up by people waiting for " the other " to get to the front of the queue

OP posts:
fircone · 05/12/2007 13:47

Makes me mad too. Once I was stood hovering with a tray, plus tiny dd in pram in M&S and all these belligerant retired people (no, not elderly ones before anyone says anything) just sat glaring.

The cafe manageress actually stormed out from behind the counter and said, "Is anyone going to take any notice of the sign and not save a seat so this lady and her baby can sit down?"

Actually I was a bit embarrassed, but it was nice of the manageress to do that.

Original poster
littleboo · 05/12/2007 13:50

absolutely fircone. And I agree, most of these people were of the "retired age group"
Not elderly ( they're all off shopping in topshop and zara after last nights trinny and suzanna...... only joking .
But it just makes me mad

OP posts:
fircone · 05/12/2007 13:54

Perhaps I should start a thread on how much I hate the late 50/60 somethings. They are so bloody smug, and most of them appear to be child-haters too. I nickname them "Brian and Glendas". They are to be seen just about everywhere, but obviously lurk in numbers in their matching fleeces in the M&S and John Lewis cafes.

BettySpaghetti · 05/12/2007 13:56

I'm with you on this one too littleboo.

You also get the same "saving/securing" mentality at our local swimming pool after swimming lessons -parents put their DCs things in the cubicles to save them.

Your child gets out of the showers and there are no available cubicles as they've all been saved ready for the children who are still in the bloody showers!!

Niecie · 05/12/2007 13:57

They even have notices on the tables in our M&S saying don't sit down until you get your food and people without food just move the notices out of the way and sit there anyway.

I totally sympathise.

fircone · 05/12/2007 13:58

Ooh, yes, that one too. My blood pressure is going through the roof just thinking about the saved changing rooms. I got SO MMMAAAAADDDDDD about that, when ds was hopping about cold and wet and every cubicle had a stack of clothes in them but no occupant in sight.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 05/12/2007 13:59

It sounds like it is dog-eat-dog in M&S cafe.

However.

I have tremor, and I would have to do this because if I had to wander round looking for a table once I had a tray there would be no chance whatsoever of me making it to a table without spilling everything.
A very large number of elderly people also have this disorder (not just Parkinsons, but normal background tremor which worsens as you get old) so I am guessing that this will have been a factor in a large number of cases.

Then there will be the ones who have arthritis or sciatica and are simply dying to sit down - if we had my MIL with us, there is no way we would make her queue up with us, in pain, when she could be resting.

Please do be aware that while in some cases no doubt people are just being inconsiderate, there are other reasons too which you may not know about.

Kewcumber · 05/12/2007 14:00

are we all going to the same M&S cafe or do all M&S cafes manage to recruit the slowest people on the planet?

Kewcumber · 05/12/2007 14:01

why don;t you just move the clotehs? People don;t do this at ours but tehn there's generally loads of cublicles.

fircone · 05/12/2007 14:03

Kathy, obviously one sympathises with elderly or disabled people, it's those pesky young retirees who are as fit as fiddles that we object to.

In M&S's defence, they make two coffees at a time, so they are fresh. This is slow, but in other cafes the coffee comes out of a pot or urn which has been sitting there for goodness knows how long. In John Lewis, I took a bit gulp of my cappuccino, and it was stone cold.

MotherofOne · 05/12/2007 14:05

I do the 'saving' cubicles things at our swimming pool I'm afraid, and am not ashamed to admit it....

BUT, in my defence:

  • I just put our things in their while the DC are in the shower (so maximum 2-3 minutes) and I do it beacause I need two cubicles side by side, since three of us can't get into one tiny cubicle, so I put DS (7) in one and DS2 (5) comes in with me next door.
Of course, if the 'family' cubicles weren't being monopolised by 1 parent+ 1 child combinations then I wouldn't need to do that . Don't see the problem really - especially if it's only a couple of minutes.

It's the people who leave their stuff in cubicles for the duration of the WHOLE LESSON who bug me...

Habbibu · 05/12/2007 14:16

Our M&S is completely the opposite - they have a member of staff who goes along the cue and assigns tables. They also chase down those who "break the rule". Works quite well, actually, and there's a high chair ready and waiting when we've got our food.

Habbibu · 05/12/2007 14:16

cue? queue. Am off sick and clearly a bit lightheaded

themoon66 · 05/12/2007 14:29

The swimming pool cubicle saving used to annoy the hell out of me when my DCs were little. I figured out the best way was to just use the cubicle anyway, as the owner of the clothes was likely to be in a lesson in the water for the next 30 mins and would never know... apart from the VERY wet floor and seat we left behind of course

manchita · 05/12/2007 14:33

Maybe you should put your coat on a chair and then queue

skyatnight · 05/12/2007 14:39

It does seem selfish (like reserving a lounger with your towel when you're spending all your time in the pool!) This kind of thing really annoys me but I suppose there are some kind-of valid exceptions like frail people or possibly large parties who want to be sure of being able to sit together.

nortynamechanger · 05/12/2007 14:39

bettyspag in our local pool it ticks me off that people sve changing rooms, they also 'save' cafe tables (of which there are only 10) whilst they are having lessons!

motherofone so having only one child isn't a 'family'? Goodness I've learnt something new today.

I was similarly ticked off in Waitrose last week, I queued up, behind a woman, with my small trolley and fractious toddler. After a few minutes of waiting her partner strolled up with a huge trolley and stood next to her in front of me!!! I quipped, "Like that's fair" and she turned round twas wpc Kapoor from The Bill.

I believe it is customary to finish one's shopping before standing in line.

5GoldenFIMBOs · 05/12/2007 14:42

It's the slowness in M & S cafes that annoy me. One person serves the drinks and then takes the money. If they had someone on the till whilst the other takes the order the whole process would be speeded up.

I been in many M & S cafes in both England and Scotland and they operate the same stupid system in them all.

If service was quicker then perhaps the turn over of tables would also be quicker.

BettySpaghetti · 05/12/2007 14:45

Another one I saw today in the supermarket was an old couple who each joined a separate queue to double their chances of getting through the checkouts quickly.

As soon as it was obvious which one was going to be quickest the other came over with the trolley.