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?

They weren't. They had a table. The number of maximum seats is irrelevant.

Unless there is one cafe in the town most people would go elsewhere or carry on shopping and come back later.

I also don't spend 9 grand on a coffee to sit in a canteen.

what sort of coffee costs £9K?

Perhaps there wasn't one available.

I wonder if this is one of those depends on where in the UK you are from kind of things?

Exactly

Or maybe they got the only table free, which happened to have four seats.

That doesn't mean someone else can barge in and take over.

I am immunosuppressed. Im very conscious of sitting too close to strangers

Not taking over, just sitting in an empy space in a public setting

It always used to be acceptable practice to ask to share a table in busy cafes

When did that change?

Nobody wants to sit next to a toddler, don’t worry.

Meaning?

If I was out with a friend or family I'd not seen for months there is no way I'd want 2 strangers sitting a foot away from me eavesdropping.

Does she know for sure that they were Chinese? Or is she just assuming so because they were of East Asian appearance?

I don't get the relevance either.

Hyperbole

It was politely asking if they could sit down in the spare seats

Meaning some areas are friendlier to strangers than others.

You would be out in public taking up a couple of seats in a public space, people will overhear you whatever you do so that's a non-argument

Most tables are that close anyway

And why do you think anyone else would be interested?

It hasn't.

Just because you ask doesn't mean you always get what you want.

I don't mind if I'm on my own but I don't like it if I'm trying to talk to a friend or family. You lose your privacy.

If the original couple had taken a table for two there wouldn't have been a problem, they took a table for four though leaving two empty seats.

Which was already been used by someone else.

You can't just assume that you can sit down at someone else's table.

The people here who would just sit down at someone's table without a word- let's hope you find you get someone who is a sociable as you. I'd tell you to fuck right off. And not quietly. Seeing as we're being rude and entitled.

Are you being serious or just unaware?

Yes, pubs too. It still happens in my experience (London, if we’re about to start the southerners are rude convo).

Then getting pissed off when she was told no.

Maybe OP and her partner should have used some common sense and made sure there was somewhere to sit before buying food to eat in?

As I said, there might not have been a smaller table available.

Yep you can. You do not own those seats, you didnt reserve the table and you didn't pay to have a table to just yourself and friends/family.

Public space is public space