not to share my table at outdoor cafe

[ShirleyEyeRosebud]

Went to my favourite cafe with my lovely dog for a relaxing Sunday morning brunch fry up.
All the tables were occupied, so we stood feeling a bit self-conscious waiting for about 20 minutes for a table to become free. In the meantime, a kind couple did ask if I wanted to share their table, but I didn’t want to disturb their relaxing morning so I said thanks for the offer but it’s ok.
So, eventually a table became free so I left my bag there to reserve it and went inside the cafe with the hound to order. When I was queuing up to order a woman asked if I had finished with my table so I said no I have just arrived. She then said are there many of you (obviously not) or can we share your table?
I said Sorry I have been waiting for a table and I would rather have it to myself.

AIBU?

While I would have shared a table the OP couldn't wait for a table for two as they only had these 6 seater tables. Try reading her responses.

The fact that in your update the establishment today had the facility to offer you and your trusty hound sole use of a table for four is irrelevant to whether your expectations and behaviour at the bench table for six were acceptable.

True, but the irony wasn’t lost on me

Different scenario, innit. People asking to share a table – especially a six-seater being hogged by one – is fine and OP was rude to say no. Someone with a dog asking to inflict it on people: fine to ask, not rude to say no, because dog.

I’d say it is a very similar scenario. Folk entitled to say no as they didn’t want a dog sharing their table, just as I was entitled to say no because I didn’t want strangers sharing my table.

I would have expected to share a six person table as a couple or a single person.
But I did grow up in a culture ( working class Scot) where sharing tables was perfectly normal.

I would have been pretty taken aback by your behavior to be honest.

Ok, you seem pretty confident that you're in the right, op. Fine.
Genuinely - why did you start this thread? Just to get support for your decision?

Many of us who do eat out on our own would be fine with sharing. An individual who simply sits at one of these tables is not 'hogging' (bear in mind the cafe only had 6 seaters).

I wouldn't have a problem with it I would have accepted the offer from the couple with it being so busy. Would be pointless have a table for 6 to myself when there's so many waiting to be seated.

Maybe it does depend on location because it isn’t common place to ask to share tables where I live (coastal east anglia) and certainly not the done thing to sit on a table occupied by other people even if has the only free seats in the place.

So would I. I'd no more ask if they minded sharing than I'd ask if someone minded me sitting next to them on a bus, tube or park bench. Most people would prefer not to have to share their space, but it doesn't work like that.
They're public places

It must depend on location then as that is certainly not normal behaviour where I live

The vote is 50/50 atm

The vote is 50/50 atm

It only appears that way because you didn't mention that it was a picnic table for 6. Several people on this thread changed to YABU once they realised that it was a large table and not a two seater.

@ShirleyEyeRosebud

It's 50/50 because you don't mention in your OP that it was a picnic table for six.

It must depend on location then as that is certainly not normal behaviour where I live

It can't be that odd considering that a couple offered to let you share their table then another asked if they could share yours.

The responses do not fit with the vote.

Many people voted before they realised you - ONE PERSON - requires a 6 seater table to herself - and is refusing to share with anyone. Many people don't realise they can change their vote.

YOU are in the wrong here. What 'the vote' says is irrelevant. You conveniently left out that it was a 6 seater table on your first post. The 'vote' would have been quite in favour of YABU if you had mentioned that salient point in your OP. Very interesting that you chose to omit it.

You didn't answer my question. What would you ha e done if they still sat down despite you saying they couldn't?

Well it obviously wasn't a 2 seater from the beginning, noone would ask to share a 2 seater with someone!

Op open your mind to a world where people can be kind and share their (quite large) space with others. Just try it 😃

I've lived in central London my whole life, but I've certainly shared tables with strangers in other places in the UK and abroad!

I voted you weren’t unreasonable before you’d mentioned it being a picnic table and I wouldn’t change my vote.
Again, if the cafe owners didn’t have a problem with it, why should anyone else? They are at liberty to put a sign up saying tables need to be shared at busy times.

That's not what I asked.

OP, you already stated in your first post that "a kind couple did ask if I wanted to share their table".

It certainly does seem like normal behaviour where you live.

I think OP was eating at Schrödinger’s Cafe