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?

Yes which offer up tables for the use of their customers not just the ones that feel entitled on the basis that they got there first and want a 4 chair table for one or two people.

That's whats unreasonable

Once I’d established that it was just her and her DS, I’d have sat down but I’m shameless. I’ve paid for my items and I’ve got a right to a seat 🤷‍♀️ There’s always the option for her to move if she didn’t like it!

Yeah absolutely not, you would be told no, especially if I had my son with me.

It's not my problem to solve, if you've walked into a busy coffee shop and not been intelligent enough to look around and see it's full, then that's for you to work out. If myself and my partner walked in we would leave and go elsewhere. Not impose ourselves on another table. I would happily offer you the chairs to take elsewhere, but certainly not at our table.

The entitled one is the OP. 😵‍💫

A right to a seat? 🫣

It is acceptable and most people say yes. But people are also entitled to say no if they feel uncomfortable about it for whatever reason

Well, they either piss off the people sitting down, or someone daft enough to order food without making sure they had somewhere to sit.

OP went into a busy cafe and ordered food without having somewhere to eat it. Who does that?

I doubt Costa cares as long as they have as many customers as possible squeezed in

It' rude to refuse when there are space seats, both parties have paid to be seated

Thr huge difference here though is that the second party arrived second, and then made a choice to disturb someone else. When they saw the cafe was full, they could have walked out and not paid.

Amen 🙏

I get so bored of people getting hung up on things like this. Surely it’s not much different to saying ‘the woman with the red hair’ 😂

Then you would probably get thrown out or are you just a keyboard warrior

Probably would not be bold enough to refuse but i would hate to share table with strangers. Wait for someone to leave, generally doesnt take long.

What if there are seats when you join the queue but then people sit at a table while the person they are with joins the queue (behind you) so when you get your food/drink there are no longer any empty tables?

Don’t worry, you’re not that interesting.

I don't think any chain coffee shop in the country guarantees a seat to anyone who orders. Buying something doesn't give you a "right to a seat". That's why most people check before ordering.

Why is it daft to buy food if all seats are full? It’s a cafe, not a michelin star restaurant , people move on quite quickly. By the time the drinks are made and savouries heated there could be free tables, or people without a paranoid fear of the rest of humanity might say ‘two seats free here’ as happens regularly in our local Costa and M&S.
If you don’t order but hang back, the next in the queue take the table.

Same here. I really don’t get it when people want to sit right next to strangers.
I can sort of understand it if it’s a long table (like in a beer garden) and you sit at opposite ends, but not if it’s a four seater.
I mean, you can’t help but listen in to each other’s conversations with that setup, how awkward.

Meanwhile you sound absolutely charming. 🫣😵‍💫

😂 in what world would I get thrown out? By who? We'd be in Costa, not the local nightclub.

I'm not a keyboard warrior, I really would tell you where to go.

Happens quite a lot if you're on your own.

Obviously I would choose a two seat table if possible but if there's not one available I would sit on a four seater and also refuse to share.

YABU, and it is daft to order drinks and food without finding a table first. If somewhere is too busy, then I leave and find somewhere else. I thought that was common sense.

I have been the lone woman sat at a 4 seater table, as at the time it was the only one free. A group of 3 people just sat at my table (and I was arse cheek to arse cheek with one person as I was on a sofa). They kept asking me about my food, and what it was etc. They just totally invaded my space and the time I had to eat. I ended up leaving. I do wonder if they did it on purpose to get me to move.

Another time, I was having a chat with a friend ( she was struggling with her mental health), and a man asked if he could sit with us... despite the fact there were empty tables available. We said no, as we were having a private conversation and he sat down anyway and said "it is ok, I wont talk".

It has not happened in a while, but if someone is going to ask about sitting at my table, I will just say I am waiting for someone.

OP was with her partner, is one of them incapable of sitting alone for a few mins?

Just to clarify, as I’ll accept that my phrasing wasn’t great. In my opinion, I have a right to a seat if there is one available. I don’t have the right to take one if it’s being occupied.