Table at cafe

[Gisellenextdoor]

I'm originally from a different country although I've lived here most of my adult life so I just want to know if this is considered ok or rude in the UK, as I thought it was rude.

I was meeting a friend today in a lovely cafe with an outdoor area overlooking a beautiful natural reserve. It was a beautiful sunny day but still a bit cold so understandably everyone wanted to sit at the tables in the sun, there were a few in the shade.

My friend texted me to say she was 20 mins late so I waited a bit and grabbed a table in the sun and sat down for a couple of mins. Then I thought I should get myself some tea in the meantime (it's a self service), so I left my jacket on the chair and went inside to buy tea. When I came back out 3 women grabbed my table and removed the chair with my jacket on and pushed it to the side. I should say there were 2 other tables which were free but they were in the shade. I came and said sorry that was my table and you just removed my chair with my belongings on. She uttered an 'sorry but...', didn't even look at me and the 3 of them carried on with their conversation.

Anyway, I grabbed a table in the shade, my friend came and we moved on.

AIBU to think that's rude? Or is it OK to remove someone's belonging and get their table?

Rude, but typical...😕

Of course that's rude. They obviously felt the urge to do it because they were in a group and you were on your own, knowing you wouldn't have anyone to back you up.

This

Very rude, not ok at all.

I think you should have bought your tea before you bagged a table.

I would have told them to shift their arses.

I think it’s ruder to bag a table before you’re bought your food/drink, sorry!

Very rude. Your jacket was effectively a placeholder for the table.

Rude but it’s also a little bit rude to put your stuff on a table and THEN get your food. It’s weird but the way it works.

It's how we are it seems. Rude, but typical.

Really?! I went to the cafe and sat down to wait for my friend. I this really rude? What if I got the tea and had nowhere to sit?

You join the queue and hope someone leaves at the right time!

In seriousness though a coat on a chair isn't enough. I used to whack my changing bag and coat in the middle of the table.

If you're on you're own this is crap though. I used to go to a cafe with my baby on ML. People with groups would bagsie a table with one person sitting there while the others queued. So even if there were loads of tables free when I arrived at the cafe, by the time I'd queued up, there were no longer any tables free.

It's a really awful system

I think I might have been tempted to pull up my chair and sit at the table with them 😂

I would have done this if I was in the right (or maybe wrong) mood.

Yes it's very rude imo, people get weird about 'reserving' a table but doesn't bother me tbh.

They were rude.
you should have sat with them and joined in their conversation 😁

They were very rude

Did they have food when they sat down? Or where they bagging the table too?

Yes, they had food

I almost did that 😁

It was rude, but you were also rude. You should always buy your food/drink before grabbing a table.

I think both actually were a bit rude in this scenario. They shouldn't have moved your belongings, I'd have been annoyed at that as well but general rule of thumb is to get in the queue get your food then get a table if the restaurant isn't table service.

It’s always rude to try to reserve a table before you buy food. Always!

I had this in a hotel a few years ago. Went down to breakfast and was shown to a table. Left my room key on the table and my bag before going off to the self service buffet. Came back to find a couple sitting there. I glared at them and sat down then checked the contents of my bag were intact very pointedly. They moved!