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 agree, but also, some people will actively avoid crowded places like a festival or a busy cafe at lunchtime peak because they prefer peace and quiet and space. Then it feels an invasion when someone comes and plonks themselves right next to you in an otherwise sparse/empty place. There's absolutely no expectation of quiet, privacy or space at a football match or music festival or Saturday afternoon supermarket shop, so people have a choice of avoiding them by simply not going. Their choice is taken away when some muppet comes and sits at the next table in an empty cafe at a quiet time of day!

....and yet on another thread so many people are going on about HATING being spoken to in shops.

When I worked in a shop it was similar. We were either dead or rammed. As soon as one group came in everybody followed. We used to joke somedays that a coach must of stopped outside.

I've had the camping one too. Wild camping in the middle of the Norwegian wilderness - endless appropriate places to camp with access to streams and in this particular case, plenty of appropriate level terrain to pitch on which doesn't always happen.
I pitch my tent start cooking my meal and later get into my sleeping bag to relax. A couple show up with a tent and pitch right next to mine. Not even 100 metres away, nope, right next door. Why the fuck would you do that????
Could have forgiven them if there really was nowhere else to pitch - if I'd managed to find the only level piece of ground for miles around, but no....
And then they were fucking noisy...

it’s almost like some people would rather they were the only ones alive on this thread.

There's something to be said for that. ;-)

That would annoy me too. I don't like in bathrooms when there could be 10 cubicles and someone comes into the one right next to you either.

I was once in an empty cinema with my boyfriend and one other man came in. He sat directly behind us. I fully expected to be stabbed and couldn't focus on the film.

How is that different if they sit at the next table, or leave a table or two clear between them and other customers in a relatively quiet/empty cafe/restaurant?

We're not talking about a place that's full or nearly full, we're talking about where there are lots of empty tables/spaces. If it's full, then they have no choice and you have no expectation of privacy, space or quietness.

I just can't see what they get out of having to sit next to other people they don't know and have no intention of interacting with. It's just weird and intrusive.

Were you sitting in the middle? That's the popular area. I'm not going to sit off to the side when I could get a middle seat.

Yes 100%. It's about the expectations and norms, isn't it.

Were they penguins? The cultural norm is for them to huddle together for warmth.

Folk are weird

Um, pardon? Of the two of us I don't believe I have been bitchy or cuntish. Take your insults elsewhere, please.

Well said!!!

Maybe - could be an act of dominance (I am thinking of pets here).

I am of the introverted variety of human and do like my own space, but I don’t tend to feel angry if people are close by in a way that seems to be rooted in friendliness - or the woman up thread who seemed to feel insecure about being alone in her car or seeing her car alone in her the car park, it seems fearful so that wouldn’t annoy me.

My sister is hugely territorial and she gets properly angry if, say, we are at soft play and someone else appears to be ‘claiming a corner to themselves’. I think ah fuck it, I have better things to do than stress about it.

I was on a boat for 3 days, we had seats that reclined and you slept in.

DH and I picked the back corner seats. There were plenty of other seats so we wanted some quiet and privacy.

As the boat was ready to go, everyone else had also picked seats away from other people but then this couple came. They ignored the row after row of empty seats and chose the ones right in front of us. The man then proceeded to recline his seat all the way back into DH's knees. We moved.

I do sometimes park next to another car in an empty car park- I can line it up better visually, particularly if the lines are in dire need of repainting! I still give them plenty of space though.

This has happened to me so many times. I feel like a weird people magnet.
I went for a romantic dinner with my then H, midweek, whole place was empty and this obnoxious couple came and sat right next to us trying to butt into our conversation. We didn't know them or want to know them. It was obvious we were canoodling. In the end we had to get up and go and sit somewhere else - they were literally inches from us.
People do this in public loos too. They choose the toilet right next to you when all of the others are empty!!!!

OMG drives me mad. Happens on beaches too. There's a fuckton of space but no, the family with 3 kids have to come and sit on top of us and then spread out their paraphenalia and kick sand over us. I hate people in my space.

If we're such social creatures, why doesn't the person invading your space at least say, "hello"?

What is the point otherwise?

The car park one does my head in! Masses of spaces but someone has to park right next to me and as close as possible!!!

I get you OP! It's the same when you park in an empty car park, one car comes in and parks right next to you! Why?

Cross post!

😂😂😂