People who 'work' at cafe tables

[BeagleMum1]

Why do cafe's allow this? I'm sitting in a cafe and over half the tables are being sat at, by a single person on laptop, 'working'. These tables could seat up to 4 people. Some have bought a cafe drink but others are just sitting there without a drink or food.

They are table blocking and at busier times, will prevent other customers who might buy more drinks / food from getting a seat. AIBU?

Only if they pay their way and buy the Cafe's produce. One coffee for 4 or 5 hours of table use, is taking the piss.

this thread is just bizarre.

Am I even allowed to go to a coffee shop on my own OP? Or does it have for 2 and more people only? Are 2 people working on their laptop at the same table acceptable to you?

Am I allowed to read my kindle or does it have a paper copy?

Is it my laptop your problem? You are miffed if I am "working" - ie earning a living, but where do you stand on using said laptop to research and book a holiday, or to scroll through vinted?

Who makes you the coffee shop police?

Was just going to reply the same sentiment.

People will always find something to get offended over

If I can't get a table because a lot of them are occupied by a single person on a laptop, I'll either plonk myself down at one of those tables and not mind how loud I talk, or leave and tell the staff why.

most ridiculous thing I've read on this thread 🙄

You target laptops, but it's ok if it's a book or a newspaper? What about a phone?

I bet you have an opinion on people reserving their table before ordering their food or drink😂

Man, you must have an awful amount of time on your hand if you sit in a Cafe for 4 or 5 hours at a time and take notes of who is ordering what and how often.

You must know an hour is no issue, it's the working for 3+ hours on the laptop with a cold coffee hogging a 4 seater table at a premier spot by the window or such that is annoying. Sitting for an hour on your own in a table for 2 is not like the laptop 'spreader' but everyone fancies themselves as the next JK Rowling.

so it's writers you have an issue with, other professional roles are ok? 😂

One of our local cafes encourages this. We pay a flat fee for which we get a table, unlimited tea, coffee and water and a panini for lunch with ice cream for afters.

@TheWalrusdidbeseech Not at all. It's because JK Rowling used to sit for hours and hours writing in a cafe, I'm so sorry I thought it was obvious.

You'd be scared - actually scared - if someone sat on the same table with you to drink their coffee?

If I was sat at a small table with my laptop set up as well as drinks and snacks, and someone I didn’t know pulled up a chair to join me, absolutely yes.

But that’s for the cafe to decide, no?

As I said upthread, I tend to stay for the morning and get 3 drinks and food, so don’t think I’m the target of your rage, but most people who come to the cafes I go to wouldn’t stay more than 2-3 hours, they all seem to leave before me and I’m gone by lunchtime.

Unless they explained themselves first, like “oh sorry there’s just no space, may I sit here?” But if they just “plonked themselves down” next to me as the original post said, and talked loudly for no reason, I would think something wasn’t right.

Cafés local to me have time limits on people working from one of their tables, and a 'minimum spend' amount too. Presumably they've had issues with people sitting there for hours having bought one cup of tea. I love in an area with loads of cafés and it's pretty hard to get tables most of the time.

I find the loud (work related) mobile phone conversations in cafés the most annoying thing.

What exactly is your issue OP? You are in a cafe which you say isn’t busy. Some people have laptops open and don’t currently have a drink or food.

How does this impact you?

I mainly work in the cafe of a theatre (where I'm an associate/resident artist, fwiw) because I like having people around. During the day it's maybe 1/3 full mainly with people working on laptops, after 7.30pm it's completely empty. Between 6-7.30pm it gets very full with people preparing to see shows, and it's common to share a table during that time period. I don't mind if people sit at my table when it's busy or if I have to put my laptop away for a bit then get it out again once everyone has gone.

Just basic manners and self-awareness of other people.

There are always a lot of kids doing homework on laptops there. I find it very sweet and encouraging that they feel welcome to come into a theatre space without feeling pressured to spend money. There are very few places where people can go without that pressure, but not everyone has a good living environment and people do need to have places they can go to work or study.

It's obvious, but still silly to pretend people are only in Cafes because they want to be the next JK Rowling and no one could possibly do any work.

Hemingway, Kafka, Sartre and Scott Fitzgerald to name a few famously used them too long before her anyway.

Blimey, what do you think they might do? I fully appreciate situations where men plonk themselves down and expect you to engage with them can be scary but when someone sits next to you just to drink their coffee? Whenever this has happened to me there has been a polite smile / acknowledgement and then we have both carried on as before - nothing scary at all!

I wouldn't be scared, but if someone randomly sat down at my table and start bellowing because other people dare occupy the table they wanted, I'd be half pissed off by the rudeness and half worried about their mental state 😂

PS: when I want to get out of the house but don’t want to spend money I go to the library instead as we’re lucky to still have those around here. I’d never occupy a table at a cafe without spending any money there, and from observation most people wouldn’t either.

I work at our local one most Friday mornings - they have 1 seater/2 seater tables.
i eat breakfast there, have a coffee. Then a couple of hours later another coffee then leave as it starts to get busy for lunch.
If YOU just walked in before lunch time - you'd just see me sat with an empty cup. You wouldn't know I was there when it was dead, or that I'd already spent £15. You'd make assumptions.

But I've spent of much, more probably than the 2 people meeting for a coffee, or the man sat reading his book for an hour nursing one drink. I was there when they opened at 8am and the only people around were getting take out coffees anyway...

And if 's an issue - as it can be with some places - they'll manage it. I've seen places with 'no laptop' tables or signs saying they might ask you to table share at busy times.

They always take the 'good' tables too. so even when quiet you are stuck in a centre table.

People use cafes and pubs and bars and libraries in all sorts of different ways which are none of your business.

'They always take the 'good' tables too. so even when quiet you are stuck in a centre table.'

Jesus, can you IMAGINE the moaning of someone working took middle table. People sit to the side or out of the way on purpose...

I do this. I take up the seat on those really tall chairs that no one wants to sit on. I go on a daily basis and I leave when it gets too busy. The owner likes it because she gets regular income from me rain or shine. But I understand how it's annoying when there's people taking up seats of 4.

I do get a lot of people asking me what I'm doing so I do think it annoys some people 🤷‍♀️