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?

Massively unreasonable. I would have just sat down anyway, sorry. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Nobody wants to share with strangers but if you’re at a 6 seater table then I agree it would be polite to offer to share with 2-3 others and still have plenty of room yourself. I wouldn’t want 5 people sitting with me, however!

This is picnic bench for 6. It's hardly roomy! You'd be hard pressed to have a private conversation or be on your own.

No, that looks like one for 4.

If there was 1 or 2 people on the 6 seater table which was picnic bench style and it was only me and my husband. We would have asked if anyone was sitting there/or if that person was dining alone and we would have sat there. Especially if it was busy!
But that seems to be the norm in the North east.

Using 1/6th of it. There was ample table available, what was she doing with the rest of it, enjoying the view of a vast expanse of wooden planks?

People like the OP are why I like it when I'm out with my elderly DGM. She often can't stand for long periods but is quite assertive at letting people know what she needs. She'd have been sitting at that table, like it or not!

😂

No, because you simply sit in the next available seat.

I don’t think you were being unreasonable, you are paying to eat there and I think it’s fine not to share, I wouldn’t want anyone else in my space and you’d already waited for a long time.

I wouldn't even have asked you if I could sit there, if it's a table for six and you were alone, I'd be sitting there whether you Ike it or not.

I forgot to add that I also wouldn’t ever ask to share a table with someone, I’d rather go eat somewhere else than sit with strangers.

Totally unreasonable wasting 5 seats.

And if that takes 20 minutes?

Gah. I’d had said yes, and then felt uncomfortable and crowded. It’s fine to be asked and fine for you to say no. Ignore the vile posters - seems a bit of an influx of vitriol at the moment

It astounds me that a whole bunch of MNers who say they need at least a weeks notice by text they that should be allowed to acknowledge anytime in a 72 hours period - that someone will be ringing their doorbell in a week.

Then try and say they'd all happily share a table with a stranger without notice in a cafe

Yeah…you’re a CF

vile posters?

Plenty of people have expressed disagreement with the OP without being vile.

Maybe it's a different group of posters?

Yes YWBU.
However, I recently said yes in this situation thinking it was just a lady & a child, and once she sat down her husband appeared with another child and a pram which they then faffed about getting g a high chair for.
It was really noisy and annoying and I regretted not just saying no !

I shared a table yesterday and today. Yesterday I was sat at it first and today I asked if I could join another couple. It's not hard and you don't need to interact with them.

At the community cafe I go to, there's signs telling you these tables are for sharing! Only the two person tables don't have these signs.

Yes, it was one of those. Sits 6 but not exactly roomy

She was invited by a couple to do this, but decided to wait 20 minutes instead.

Thanks