To think this is a weird place to sit

[IzzieStevens]

If you’re eating alone in a fast food restaurant, which is relatively empty, would you choose to sit in the ‘booth’ next to another person - but on the opposite side so you’re looking at each other while you’re eating?

Lol so weird

Weird

Do you mean they sat in the same booth as you? If so then yes, that’s incredibly weird.

If you meant they sat in an adjacent booth, but happened to be facing you, I doubt they even gave it a second thought to be honest. It’s no big deal. Personally, I’m the sort of person who goes out of my way to sit as far away from other people as I possibly can, but a lot people don’t feel that way and wouldn’t even register that they were close to you or facing you.

If I was eating alone I wouldn't sit in a booth at all, unless it was all that was available. They usually seat 4 and sometimes 6, so I'd feel too wrong taking up that much space just for one person. I think the odd one is the one who sat their first, to be honest.

But no, I wouldn't join another table with a person unless there was nowhere else, and then I'd pick someone who looked like they'd almost finished.

In the same booth weird.

In the booth next to you facing you not so much.

It depends on various things. Are the seats, for example, near the tills? Or next to a window? Or otherwise convenient?

That is weird and if someone did it to me I would get up and move.

Yes, but please provide a diagram so I can be sure.

Were they actually watching you? Or were they facing the room?

If a single person took the booth first they are the odd one here. The 2nd single person is only doing what they can to get a seat so they can comfortably eat their food.

Agree with this

Directly in your eyeline in the next booth? Weird and intrusive.

I would also get up and move.

Same booth odd.

Adjacent booth totally normal, and I suspect the choice of side is more about them than you (I don't like sitting with my back to a room for example, so I'd sit facing 'out' even if that meant directly facing someone else).

Just to clarify - adjacent booth, not the same booth.

I took a booth because there were only a few two person tables and they were all taken - the booths typically seat 4 but there were only about 10 people in the restaurant in total.

We need a diagram as I can’t really understand what you mean. On the same table obviously weird but it sounds like that’s not what you mean?

People are so weird. We (me, DH, DS1 & DS2) were recently on holiday and had set up on the beach in acres of space . A lady came along and set her stuff out literally about 6 inches right in front of us. It was so awkward as we were then looking directly at her and her small daughter. The beach wasn't busy, there was several metres of clear sand all around us. Even if she had gone to one side, at least we wouldn't have been staring straight at her.
She even apologised so knew she was being weird, but DH came over all English and said it was fine (and then seethed for days)

No i wouldn't but some people have pack mentality.

Adjacent booth is fine. It’s weird that you think it’s weird 🤷‍♀️

it does sound weird but the real reason might be quite innocent . Maybe it’s about sitting with his/her back to the room rather then about facing you? Or maybe the other seat in the booth is dirty/ difficult to get in?

Diagram/pic needed, as I too can't work out what you mean?

Obviously you’re intimidating and they don’t want to eat with their back to you.

Adjacent booth is fine. Sounds like you have social anxiety.

Where would you have preferred them to sit? Should they have asked your permission to sit in the adjacent booth?

Absolutely fine. Really odd you even noticed.

Literally nothing weird at all then. It’s a totally different booth.
So you aren’t allowed to sit on a table that faces another person in a fast food place by this rule??