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?

Of course I didn't buy the table. What the fuck would I do with a Costa table. I don't think my coffee comes with terms and conditions around amount of space I am allowed to have in the cafe though.

I'm divorced. Apparently according to some I shouldn't expect to be able to go to cafés or should be drinking my coffee on a bench or a wall somewhere.

Absolutely not. This behaviour discriminates against the solo cafe goer and is worthy of summary execution.

Honestly, if you're on your own there's sometimes no other way. You don't always have something with you that you can plunk down to 'reserve' a space.

Put their coat over a chair to reserve a seat?

It's not rocket science.

It’s not your chair either so can someone move you off it too? Of course you don’t own the table, what a ridiculous response.

Bit dramatic 😂 imo it's bloody stupid to buy food and non-takeaway drinks if you don't have anywhere to sit and I have zero sympathy for OPs situation, because it wouldn't have happened in the first place if one of them found a table while the other queued. This 'rule' about not reserving tables is something I've only come across of MN.

Agree. I avoid Wagamama for this reason.

Some people on MN don't get that though.

Some cafes have table numbers, and you have to give that to the person serving you. Using a coat to show someone is at that table is perfectly fine if you are alone, as is having any companion sit there instead.

Fuck me. I really should have thrown myself in the furnace.

Some of us have a severely restricted social circle through no fault of our own. In my case, I have no siblings. My social life shut down as I spent years working full time, caring for my parents and caring for my husband. Had tried for a family of my own but - rather - ironically - was punched in the stomach whilst pregnant by the apple of someone else's eye while at work.

I'm in the process of trying to get back into the world and expand my social circle. Part of that process includes going into places on my own.

Yes, I think I've finally reached the stage of being all out fucks.

I have, a few times.

Why didn’t ye find a table before ye ordered? One of you could then sit at it while the other ordered, or ye took turns. Was it your first time in a walk in restaurant/cafe, it was?

YABU

Good point, what do non seat reserves do if they need a table number?

So if there’s not enough seats visible before you order, order it to go and then find somewhere nearby to sit like a bench or sit in your car?

Are you deliberately missing the point?

You’re entitled to use one chair, not keep the remaining chairs empty because you don’t want other customers sitting there.

I had this happen to me, in a cafe/restaurant where my husband and I were regulars. On that occasion, the proprietor's daughter was in charge.

By then, I was running between work, my mum's house and the stroke rehab ward to see my husband and had hoped to grab a bite to eat before visiting hours.

I never went back.

I tried another one of our watering holes. By contrast, the reaction there was "What's happened?!" because I was on my own.

I recall saying "It's all right - he's not dead: he's just had a stroke," and bursting into tears. I got a table and they got a generous tip at the end.

12 years later, I'm still going back there and still tipping well.

I like a good MN Saturday night bun fight 🧁

Costa sells buns don’t they? 🤔

You’re entitled to use one table too…

Don't sit by me while you eat it

As I've already said, you don't always have something with you that you can use - particularly in warmer weather.

Haha, no promises…

Probably because they were brought up with correct manners.
Why are you writing you as ye?

I understand your annoyance at the woman's refusal to let you sit at her table. But (and I speak from experience here) sometimes when a person asks to sit at another persons table,it's an excuse to start trying to strike up a conversation with them. Not everyone wants this (including me!). I'm not saying that that's what you were intending to do,but having been caught out in this way a few times,despite having my nose in a book,or earphones in,it's made me very reluctant to say yes it's fine to sit there. Some people just can't take a hint unfortunately that not everyone is happy to chat with a total stranger. Call me unsociable but that's the way I am,90% of the time!

I understand your annoyance at the woman's refusal to let you sit at her table. But (and I speak from experience here) sometimes when a person asks to sit at another persons table,it's an excuse to start trying to strike up a conversation with them. Not everyone wants this (including me!). I'm not saying that that's what you were intending to do,but having been caught out in this way a few times,despite having my nose in a book,or earphones in,it's made me very reluctant to say yes it's fine to sit there. Some people just can't take a hint unfortunately that not everyone is happy to chat with a total stranger. Call me unsociable but that's the way I am,90% of the time!