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?

I personally would not sit down at someone else's table if there were options; I would choose the smallest available table with no one sitting there. However, an adjacent table would not bother me.

I find that it's pretty common for people to sit down at an occupied table even when there are tables free. Not sure if it's a cultural thing or just being practical: perhaps she knew the place would fill up at x time and she'd end up sharing a table no matter what, so she went the efficient route and sat at the first empty space. Or maybe she made a risk assessment and decided she was more comfortable sharing with another woman who looked reasonable, versus sitting at her own table and risking absolutely anyone sitting down next to her. Or she wanted a table closer to the door, close to (or far away from) the loos, near a fan, away from a speaker - who knows?

Just in case people missed it:

THE OP DIDN'T MEAN THE SAME TABLE. THE OTHER PERSON SAT AT A NEARBY TABLE.

Not weird at all. I would choose to sit that way

I'm not understanding the issue, genuinely.

Not weird at all.

Customer sits at an empty table.

That reminds me was on a private beech belonging to a hotel in the middle of nowhere in the Dominican Republic. Hotel had pools that everyone crowded around. I liked the beech and literally would not see a soul for hours. One day a Spanish family a very out family started to set up next to me rest of the beech was empty. I was no do English in pointing it out.

Or maybe she made a risk assessment and decided she was more comfortable sharing with another woman who looked reasonable, versus sitting at her own table and risking absolutely anyone sitting down next to her.

I've done that in the past and I've always said, 'do you mind if I sit here because I'd feel more comfortable sitting with another woman?' (or similar). Maybe I'm a bit of an over-explainer.

Anyway, in this case it wasn't the same table.

Convinced it’s the same type of people who park next to you in empty car parks, or sit next to you in empty cinemas.

Just weird when there’s all that space.

Not at all weird.

Oh God no! I would need to be on the brink of collapse in a totally full restaurant I would never willingly choose this seating arrangement.

That wouldn't bother me at all.
They probably prefer to sit facing a particular way or something.

Space invaders do bother me on the other hand.

When I thought I had COVID, I took myself off to the local testing centre. It was empty so I picked a convenient spot. You have to park facing out; you're not allowed to park with your back to the car park.

I'm sat in the driver's seat, about to do the throat swab on myself and then another car arrives and parks directly opposite - which means that he's facing me. The car spaces are packed in closely together so we can see each other very clearly. We both essentially did our throat swabs while gazing into each other's eyes. Didn't feel in the slightest bit weird.... ahem

Anyway, like this weird completely normal driver that parked opposite me, the other person in the restaurant probably didn't consider the fact that they'd be staring right at you. Then once seated, it probably felt weirder to move than just to bluff it out. It's the kind of thing I would do and then spend the entire meal kicking myself for not thinking it through 😂

Would it be less weird if they had sat next to you OP? God in heaven.

Wow, this escalated quickly.

Maybe I am the weird one for (a) noticing, (b) sitting at a booth by myself and (c) wondering what other people thought.

I don’t have social anxiety, I just thought it was unusual - the booths are small and if I glanced up (the window was behind him) we’d inadvertently make eye contact and it felt a bit uncomfortable, so I tried to look down/anywhere else other than in front of me. Like a previous poster mentioned about people parking next to you when the car park is virtually empty, just feels odd.

Poor attempt at a diagram:

Your post is not clear at all! So they’re sitting in a completely different booth?! Not weird at all! <<confused>>

Yes @RainbowsMoonbeams I know what you mean! I swear if I sat in the middle of an empty field some bugger would come and sit right next to me. Also yes OP it was weird of that person to sit there when there were plenty of other seats.

I honestly couldn't care, I just want to enjoy my KFC.

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

Based on that diagram you are being very weird.

OP it was clear to me what you meant, and I also find it weird when people do that and would always choose to sit with my back to them

I have seen your diagram. I would sit where the other person sat as I wouldn't want to think you were sat glaring at the back of my head

I would sit where the other person sat without even considering anyone would find it weird - it’s at a different table.

Same table - weird.

Different table - your definition of personal space needs adjustment.

It's not at all like people parking next to you in an otherwise empty car park.

The window was behind this person. Maybe he didn't like the sun shining in his eyes? Maybe he was waiting for someone else to come and join him and wanted a view to the door or to the counter, or wanted the person he was awaiting to be able to se him when they arrived.

The belief that other people's decisions center around you is not a healthy one.

The worst people are those who take the toilet cubicle next to you when there are a dozen empty cubicles.

I don’t think you mean booth? If there were walls there would be no issue. You just mean table. Or the booth has short walls so are as it they aren’t there.

I think it would be easy to sit down at the next table and then realise it was a bit awkward, but by then it’s done.