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?

And, due to my disabilities, I need a seat alone.

That last line in your post is so breathtakingly ironic!

We are NEVER going to agree on this. I think you are 100% wrong. You think I am. I am never going to back down from my argument, my points, and my needs, or change my mind... (And neither are you.) I CBA to argue with you any longer. I'm exhausted arguing back and forth. I'm done talking with you on this thread now.

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And?

If I used mine to book a seat, they'd take up two spaces....

ETA

Besides, if I was the kind to go around wi nae knickers, I wouldn't have that problem, cos I'd have a fur coat!

Are you new to MN? People have been arguing forever about the seats in cafes... and how having a friend sit at a table is "queue jumping".

It does not happen in real life. People queue for their drink and take their chances with tables.

Love it!

given how busy it was, what makes you assume there were two table empty for her to choose from??

Talk about tone deaf!!!

Talk about ignorant!!!

Fair enough if they don't want that person to actually sit with them. So, in that instance, I would simply take the empty seat elsewhere.

But you cannot refuse someone a seat in a public place if nobody is sitting/due to sit there. THAT is entitled!

This. ^ Some of the comments on this thread have me utterly baffled.

I am confused. Am I entitled for saying no to someone sitting with me?

100% 👏

What, more intimate than sitting next to a stranger on a flight???

Different things!

Why is it ignorant? Do you not have any friends? Regardless, going to a cafe is not an essential experience and if you do want to go it is pretty easy to find one that is not busy rather than impose on other people.

Cafes are different. When you buy a drink/food, you are buying drink/food. You are not buying a seat. Lots of people get takeaway in cafes.

Not strictly true. Lots of cafes - especially places like Pret - charge different prices for eat in/take out. Obvs, you pay more to eat in, so you have literally paid for a seat.

As I say I wouldn't want to cause anyone distress, I would simply take the seat and put it elsewhere in the cafe (to eat my more expensive sandwich!) if needs be.

Things being "essential" died off with Covid. Catch up with the times.

Do you also say the same to the people on their own who want the table to themselves? 'Going to a cafe is not an essential experience!' and 'you don't HAVE to go!' and 'you could always find one waaaaay less busy!'

No. I thought not.

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If I'm on my own you're welcome to the seat. Just don't try and have a conversation with me, why do I always end up with the ones who want to talk?

If I'm with my mum wed probably say yes. But you'd have to put up with us talking nonsense.

If I'm with ds1, go ahead. But we'll probably mention musicals every 2.4 seconds.

If I'm with DS2. Then no thank you. His mh is in tatters. Going to a coffee shop is hard enough, if possible he sits in the corner where no one can see him. If the only table available is for 4 then we sit there, but someone else sitting with us would cause such high anxiety levels we'd probably have to leave. And cut short our entire day out. And he probably won't leave the house for another week. Unfortunately, he'd also feel really rude saying no, so I'm his voice. And it's no. If someone was visibly disabled he'd probably manage somehow, but he'd be on edge.

You are well within your rights to say you'd rather that person didn't sit at your table. No problem with that at all. And most people would understand.

But... if you tried to stop the person taking the empty chair elsewhere, then THAT would be entitled, yes. You don't get to command what happens to the empty chairs.

This smacks of 4 year olds, "I'll tell my daddy on you!"!!!

Of course! People can take the chair.. that happens a lot anyway! I don't think many people actually want to sit with strangers anyway.

😂😂😂

Isn't it just. I guess the "I'd call the police" poster has no concept of how ridiculous she sounds.