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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Queue jumping in cafés

331 replies

JoanThursday1972 · 06/03/2023 19:42

I was in a queue buying coffee to take out today. It was practically full and in front of me was a man by himself buying a sandwich and tea to stay in, and one available table only.

Two women came in behind me, one swanned off and took the only spare table whilst her friend bought the drinks.

Basically they'd pushed in. I think it's extremely rude. I didn't see what happened as I got my takeaway coffee and left. I do hope he challenged them though.

OP posts:
Lemonademoney · 06/03/2023 19:44

This happens all of the time at my local coffee shop. It’s so rude, especially when there’s some poor soul stood there bewildered with a full tray!

DrMarciaFieldstone · 06/03/2023 19:45

That’s the norm now, I think. You have to save a table first anywhere near here.

MissBattleaxe · 06/03/2023 19:46

Not this old chestnut again! Where I live one queues and one gets a table. It's the accepted practice. There was a long and heated thread about this not so long ago

Original poster
JoanThursday1972 · 06/03/2023 19:48

DrMarciaFieldstone · 06/03/2023 19:45

That’s the norm now, I think. You have to save a table first anywhere near here.

How can you do that though if you're alone?

OP posts:
RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 06/03/2023 19:48

So what if one is by oneself battleaxe ?

saveforthat · 06/03/2023 19:48

It's the norm, sadly. If I am on my own I put my coat on the chair to save a table.

MissBattleaxe · 06/03/2023 19:52

I wouldn't go anywhere that was teeming and if budge up if anyone needed a seat . Anyway I'd rather a family bagged a table whilst one parent got the food rather than having five people in the queue for one order.

GoodVibesHere · 06/03/2023 19:54

If you're with a friend, one of you grabs a table while the other one queues. It's always been like that! I've been going to cafes for over 30 years and it was always this way.

Also you check how busy it is before going in - either look through the window or go in and check there are spare tables. It's always been this way. Of course now you also have to check for dogs, but that's a whole other thread!

ZeroFuchsGiven · 06/03/2023 19:57

GoodVibesHere · 06/03/2023 19:54

If you're with a friend, one of you grabs a table while the other one queues. It's always been like that! I've been going to cafes for over 30 years and it was always this way.

Also you check how busy it is before going in - either look through the window or go in and check there are spare tables. It's always been this way. Of course now you also have to check for dogs, but that's a whole other thread!

Are you me? Apart from it being normal for the last 30 plus years, yes, the dogs! 🤣

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 06/03/2023 20:00

I don’t think anyone is saying it isnt normal

its more the unfairness if you are by yourself

now in the interests of full disclosure i have never been to a coffee shop by myself and if i am with a friend i count the people in the queen ahead of me and get a table only if there are enough tables for everyone

obviously that also means that we will leave a coffee shop if its too busy 😀

so its not an issue for me personally

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 06/03/2023 20:00

Queue for fucks sake!!!

good lord

Cobey · 06/03/2023 20:02

What’s the point of queuing if you can’t get a seat? Do you get to the front of the queue, look around and there’s no seats so you have to leave without ordering? Or do you order then stand there with a tray for 20 minutes unable to sit down?

fruitandfibreg · 06/03/2023 20:03

If I'm on my own I'll go and put something on the table to claim it

TheSnugglyDuckling · 06/03/2023 20:06

If you’re on your own: Either the cafe is so small you can safely leave an item of clothing on the table/chair and keep an eye on it while you queue or big enough that you can hover until someone leaves. Worst case scenario you can ask someone if you can share their table.

Whywere · 06/03/2023 20:14

MissBattleaxe · 06/03/2023 19:46

Not this old chestnut again! Where I live one queues and one gets a table. It's the accepted practice. There was a long and heated thread about this not so long ago

How is life in Bridgerton?!

AngelinaFibres · 06/03/2023 20:19

ZeroFuchsGiven · 06/03/2023 19:57

Are you me? Apart from it being normal for the last 30 plus years, yes, the dogs! 🤣

Show quote history

Me too. Dogs ,bloody hate it

Knitterofcrap · 06/03/2023 20:25

This is absolutely normal practice where I live (very naice place) and has been for decades.

If I am alone, I would avoid somewhere that I couldn’t guarantee a seat.

Christmascracker0 · 06/03/2023 20:28

I thought this was standard practice?

If I’m on my own and there’s only one or two tables then I’d put my stuff there to ‘hold’ it. Or I’d go elsewhere.

Frabbits · 06/03/2023 20:31

YANBU. If it's quiet, fine, but if it's busy it's a dick move to reserve a table if it means people who do have food/drinks have nowhere to go.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 06/03/2023 20:31

I'm disabled. So I go in and find a table to sit at. I'd share if someone asked me to.

Veryfishy · 06/03/2023 20:38

I got really cross when this happened to me , and just stood at the till with my tray ( I hadn’t paid ) and said there’s nowhere for me to sit
I would have left my tray and gone , but luckily , someone left and a member of staff grabbed the table , cleared it and I paid and went and sat down

loobylou10 · 06/03/2023 20:39

I never understand these posts. Where I live, one person gets the table, the other person queues. It's not pushing in.

Bagsundermyeyestoday · 06/03/2023 20:45

Oh! I hate CFers but I do this. I find it always works out though, no one is ever without a table because by the time someone comes, someone else leaves

N27 · 06/03/2023 20:48

I always just leave my coat on the table then go to queue, what’s the point in queueing if there’s no guarantee I’ll have anywhere to eat it?

AviMav · 06/03/2023 20:51

fruitandfibreg · 06/03/2023 20:03

If I'm on my own I'll go and put something on the table to claim it

Are coffee shops that busy? Honestly I do this on holiday as a single parent 😅 just for a coffee I'd try another shop though

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