To wonder what runs through some people's heads sometimes?

[FattyAirways]

I was at a cafe enjoying breakfast. The cafe is big, got around 25 tables in. I was the only one in the cafe. A couple, came in, placed their order at the till and came and sat at the table right beside me! They had 20-odd other tables to choose from. My table wasn't in an enviable position in the cafe, no views out of the window, nothing special about this area in the cafe, yet they chose to do this. Why?

I imagine the wife has to stay silent a lot.

its like when you get on an empty bus but at the next stop someone will get on and sit right behind you and sniff and cough for the whole journey, now that makes my blood boil !

This kind of thing used to drive my late mum bonkers! Your post made me laugh as I remembered her! She'd always park her car at the far end of any car park specifically so it was alone!!...and most times someone would park right next to her! She'd go crazy over it!! In the situation you describe she likely would have got up and moved!!!

I don't know why people do it! It doesn't bother me alot though! Just will always remind me of mum 💛

Thank god I'm not the only one who doesn't understand this thread! Posters being "furious" about where others choose to sit, how strange and just a bit entitled

Yes, and sometimes there aren't even lines or bays marked.

However, I still wouldn't do it in a completely or nearly empty car park. I just choose to go next to someone if there are some people already there. Also my car is small and I leave plenty of room for people to get their doors open.

They probably always sit at that table. We are creatures of habit

It is often the opposite in doctor's waiting area. I entertain myself by observing the spread and distancing - it happened before Covid too. I am always early (hate being late even if doc is) and see people spread so carefully.

They may have the right but it’s odd to choose to sit so close that it impedes someone else being able to get out of their seat to go to the bar and toilets especially somewhere where there are plenty of seats.

This is the kind of thing I would do, if I go somewhere often then I have a favourite table and would want to sit there.
I know the societal expectation is that you space yourself evenly (like in places with multiple toilet cubicles) but I have to pick ‘my table/my cubicle’ if possible.
Same on the train when commuting, I would have a preferred seat. Obviously wouldn’t sit next to someone already in the seat, but I would sit in it if someone was directly in front or behind.
Some people would get on the same train each day and just sit anywhere which always blew my mind!!

This makes some sound really weird I know :D

The herd instinct.

You see it in car parks and campsites too.

Most people cant bear to be aline, much to the annoyance of the loners/unsociable among us. 😄

• alone not aline.

Herd instinct. It's wired-in behaviour. People don't know why they do it even if they are aware of their actions.

My guess would be that they didn't realise they were impeding access and it was simply a table they liked.

If SW2002 had said 'Excuse me folks, I'm not trying to be a pain, but you're blocking us in by sitting there' that would have been reasonable - I'm not sure why SW2002 wouldn't have put it like that, unless, of course, their overriding desire was to score a point and make the couple feel uncomfortable.

OMG this happened to me once in a Debenhams restaurant. The whole place was empty, elderly woman plonks her tray down and when I asked her why she told ME to move if I didn’t like it!!!!!! Why????????

Perhaps if you all stayed at home you'd save yourselves a lot of frustration?

One time when I was visibly pregnant, I went out for a breath of fresh air at lunchtime to sit on a bench in a local park. Lots of space, plenty of empty benches. A woman sits on the other end of my bench and lights up a fag! Why?!!

Absolutely baffling.

All I can say to the car one is this.
If you park your car next to mine and it’s the same make, model and colour there is ever chance that I will try and get into it!
Ive done this plenty of times.

Perhaps the gormless people should all stay home? Then those who know how to behave socially can get on with their lives in peace.

Do fish ‘flock’?? That’s birds 🦅

Smokers do the same, the entire massive outdoor area is empty, so why do these cunts have to practically sit on my lap.

I hate when stuff like this happens. Reminds me of when I went to the dentist and was only one in the large waiting room with empty chairs bordering all the walls (literally tons of chairs). A man walks in with pushchair and places it directly in front of me (not him or next to him) so child is looking at me directly and he sits right next to me, so no space between us. Then proceeds to chat away about the woes of being a dad with push chair and the grief he gets blah blah. I’m expected to coo over the child as well. I was polite and the child was cute but I just wanted to be on my own. I had loads of anxiety about a filling (first of many years) and at that time in my life, was not used to being around small kids so didn’t really know what do or act with them and felt really self conscious. I’m quite shy so speaking with random strangers is hellish awkward for me. I wouldn’t have cared so much if there was a space or two between us to where you could still politely speak but it was so awkward.

It's like when you're at the beach. You choose a space far away from others so you have peace and then a new group comes along and sets out their stuff right next to you

Fuuuuuuming

I’ve had this while I wait at a kids activity; 2-seater sofa, all other chairs and other sofas free but they sit on the other half of the sofa I’m on! They don’t talk to me either, so why?!?

Sorry I don't follow. I am a bit unsure what you're getting at.
I assume you're not literally asking if I urinated in a pub?
Perhaps you could re phrase your question?