sitting in costa coffee

[IveGotToGoToMeDads]

Went to costa coffee ordered drinks, sandwiches & cake. Myself & partner said we will eat in rather than take away. Place was full most seats were taken apart from a four seater table where some woman was sat. I asked if the seats on her table were taken and she said we can not sit on her table as she is with her DS.
In the end a chinese couple offered their seats and we eventually got a seat.
AIBU expecting a seat on womans table for me and my partner as no one was sat in them?

You're rather assuming that everyone drives. It's harder as people get older.

I still drive and I'm not using a stick yet but it's only a matter of time.

Yes, if there were no other option by the time I got to the head of the queue, I would take something to go if there were an option and if it weren't teeming with rain outside.

I did actually go sit in my old van with my food last week - asked the girls at the cafe I was using if they were okay with me doing that - but that's not always possible.

It can be frustrating, however. You'll see that there are two or three table, dutifully queue...and then you see the groups coming in and "booking" tables. You're in a no-win situation.

If I get to the top of the queue, with food and drink that I've paid for, and the only chairs have the clothing of people who have not paid, then I'll take one of those seats.
Table saving is queue jumping, pure and simple. Queues are British national culture. If you don't like it you should (dare I say) leave the country.

So, if a cafe, whether independent or chain, has space for 48 people and 24 seats are taken by couples, leaving every table with two free seats, should the cafe suffer a loss of business because no one will allow others to sit at the same table as them.

It’s different if you’ve booked a table; that’s yours for the time you’ve booked it.

Some cafes have signs which say not to grab a table with your coat etc until you have paid for your food.

It IS jumping the queue. I think it's fine is the queue is short and the cafe is not busy but not when there is 1 remaining table.

It's very unlikely that 24 people will refuse to share a table at the same moment of time.

I’d never ask to sit at someone else’s table - I think if it was more bench style tables/seating, with lots of people on their own and you were at an airport or something similar then this would be acceptable. But i’d not expect a random person to sit down at my table if I was just in costa in town. If i’m in Costa alone (normally with baby), i’ll pop my coat down on a chair & leave the pram at the table - then get in the queue with baby otherwise you do run the risk of not getting a table unless it’s empty!

No, it's never OK and to say otherwise is tantamount to treason.

You'd better chop my head off then.

The table hoggers are probably not people you'd want to know anyway. Good on you getting back out and socialising though. It's hard.

Oh come on now, I’m sure you aren’t that bad! 🤣 I’d always be happy to accommodate.

some people (like me) don’t have a problem sharing at all, some people find it uncomfortable.

I think probably it’s fine to ask, but be ready to accept if someone says they’d rather you didn’t.

Wow you're really giving your life story away on this thread.

You should move to my town, OP. We have four Costas within walking distance of each other. No problem finding seats.

I agree! There's nothing weird about going to a cafe on your own. I've always enjoyed going out for a solo coffee or meal (I even take myself out to fancy restaurants for dinner sometimes) and I see plenty of other people out on their own too. I feel really sorry for anyone who's embarrassed to be seen with themselves!

This argument always drives me a bit mad.

You can pretty much never absolutely guarantee that there will be a table free when you’ve queued and paid even if everyone employs that method; you can only weigh up the odds based on general levels of busyness. You don’t know how long people are going to take to eat and leave. The only logical solution is to make sure you have a table first.

Thank you. Yes, it's not easy. It sounds ridiculous, but it's been 4 years now and I still find it difficult to go on my own.

Absolutely. Another way of looking at it is that if everyone bagged a table before they ordered, people coming in would be able to see immediately if there was anywhere to sit. I am baffled by the posters who think you shouldn't find a table until you've ordered.

Probably. See my other posts where I point out that I'm on my own and out of fucks.

@Oddsquadnumber1
It ks ingrained in my mind from McDonalds in the 80s. Please purchase food before occupying seats.

Of course things changed but its etched into my mind.

Still don't get this on Mumsnet. If you want to eat in, one of you gets a table while the other orders. If no free table go somewhere else. If on my own, check for free space before ordering, often some bar stools etc that are fine if solo. This is normal behaviour everywhere I go.

Smacks of Germans abroad and towels on sun loungers. Which, if I remember rightly, is not appreciated by Brits abroad lol

How do you know they were specifically Chinese? Did you speak to them in Mandarin?

In Germany sharing tables is very normal. It doesn't make me like it though.

In the UK it's just weird unless they are big tables (eg two couples on a table for six might work) or you're somewhere which is set up to share (Wagamamas?) and some B&Bs have big tables where everyone sits together for breakfast.

I'm shocked that you would admit to it.

Exactly. Why did we vote for Brexit, for goodness' sake!

Getting a table in a restaurant or coffee shopwhile alone sucks big time. You either reserve with a coat or hover whilst half in the ordering queue, very stressful. And the stress when you need the toilet and fear your drinks amd half finished food getting taken away!