Teams calls in cafe and toddler

[Swiftswatch]

I’m probably being unreasonable for posting here in the first place since there’s a bit of an anti kids in public sentiment here at times, but when did it become acceptable for people to think a coffee shop is the same as an office??
I was just having breakfast and a coffee with my toddler and someone was taking a teams call at a nearby table. If it’s relevant we were seated first.
Toddler was being good as gold imo, I get sometimes they can be too loud or badly behaved but they were just sat drinking their juice and having a little babble and sing, occasionally pointing out things they seen. “Cup! Cup!” Obviously louder than if I was just sat by myself but really not a disturbance and no louder than any other table of 2 chatting.

The man was sat sighing and rolling his eyes for about ten minutes until I just had to turn to him and say ‘sorry but this is actually a cafe not an office, if you’re in a meeting and need silence you’re in the wrong place’.
He did a big huff, picked up his laptop and walked off trying to find a new table but had to come back as it was too busy.

Now he’s sitting there giving me evil eyes.

AIBU to think I’m not in the wrong here?? I’m really not a confrontational person and normal wouldn’t speak up but a public cafe at breakfast time isn’t exactly the place to do a work meeting!
If people want to rave about working from home then go fucking work at home. People out in public don’t need to tiptoe around you because you want a change of scenery during the work day while you sit in meetings.

Not at all unreasonable - it’s a public space, child friendly. Why shouldn’t you take your child to a cafe.

If you want silence a cafe isn't the place fir it!!

No, you're not in the wrong.

If they want somewhere to work, they can rent a desk in a co-working space.

If he wants silence, he can lock himself in his bathroom at home.

You're not in the wrong. I'm sick of people trying to take over cafes as their personal workplaces.

He's a man, therefore his needs trump yours. Obviously.

YANBU and well done for saying something. It's always the people working who are in there for ages too, taking up a table way after they've finished their coffee because obviously their work is so important 🙄

I've only worked in a cafe once when my internet went down and I didn't expect silence around me at all.

Well done you! He’s ridiculous.

YNBU

well done for saying something to him

YANBU.

I hate going into Nero and trying to find a table to sit at, and every single one is taken by a single person on a laptop with a single cold empty cup next to them.

YANBU at all.

Good for you, you were absolutely correct.

omg no he is so in the wrong

Totally agree with you @Swiftswatch

You’re not wrong. I’m also annoyed when they’re talking business full volume at people on their laptop for hours on end.

Just wanted to say well done for saying something to him!

Well, unless the cafe has a specific no-laptop policy — which some do, especially the independent ones — neither you nor him are in there for the 'wrong' reasons.

It's all very easy to tell him to 'go to the office' but he might not have an office. He might be travelling for work. He might be between site meetings. Etc, etc, etc.

Like it or not, the world is changing and work is no longer confined to 'the office'. Public spaces are for the public — this includes people with kids, but it includes people who are working too.

The answer is to all try to rub along together as best you can.

You're not in the wrong. Good on you for speaking out.

There are shared workspaces etc and more "office friendly" cafes (in Manchester, 200° is one), and there is a library in most towns and cities... he needs to find somewhere more suitable to conduct work calls, I'd be unhappy if I was his manager.

He’s in the wrong and needs to leave the cafe

You and your toddler have every right to be in a coffee shop doing you and a two year old things at a reasonable volume, which you were.

So there was absolutely no need for you to say anything.

Someone "rolling their eyes" is not a reason for you to be rude. I think you were, when you spoke up instead of going about your perfectly reasonable business.

noise cancelling headphones/microphones (Jabra are good) were invented for this reason

His wife has probably been on MN talking about how she can't relax in the house when he's there and how she needs her space, she's been told to tell hi mto work elsewhere, so he's picked a coffee shop as he still needs someone to make his coffee for him and he's still in the wrong 😂

Which, he absolutely is. Well done for speaking up, I'd have just tuned him out but hurried up any way and then made a PA comment about needing to leave nwo cos the man thinks we're too noisy and is judging me. You did the right thing.

You are my hero. Wish everyone would calmly call out entitlement like this. You were absolutely right.

I cannot imagine being so arrogant as to conduct a meeting in a cafe and expect everyone around me to be quiet! Good for you for say something.

You are absolutely NOT being unreasonable. As others have said if he wants silence he can go somewhere private! He sounds like an entitled arse of a man. Well done for challenging him OP!