To think that campers in cafes are really, really annoying?

[LinnettdeBelleforte]

By 'campers' I mean people who sit for ages and ages after they have finished their drinks, either talking on the phone or on zoom on their laptops, or just chatting, while other people are wanting to sit down?
I was in a coffee shop today which is quite small and very popular. It's a bit cramped, but beautifully furnished, spotlessly clean, the coffee is great and the staff are lovely, so it's always heaving. I dropped in for a quick one this afternoon to find it heaving, so I said I'd wait for a table. There were four tables of people who were just sitting with empty cups. I waited for ten minutes and was about to give up when finally one couple got up and left. I then grabbed the table, which I shared with two gentlemen who had also been waiting. The woman next to us who had also been camping took the hint after about five minutes and left. I ordered my coffee and drank it over the course of about fifteen minutes. Over that time, one man was sitting on his laptop with an empty mug the whole time, one girl on her phone was the same. People kept coming in and then giving up, I drank up and left. The staff kept looking meaningfully at the campers who just blanked them. If I had been running the place, I would have a notice saying that at busy periods, people are required to vacate the table if they are not ordering.

Do you know, I got to the end of the thread and wondered who these intrepid people were who are camping at the moment... and realised that it's people who camp in cafes that you meant. Doh!

I was once in a tiny jazz cafe on a freezing rainy day. The cafe literally had one table with 8 chairs round it plus, a small bench against the wall. There were a couple sitting at the (full) table whose empty cups must have been removed long ago and went on calmly reading their novels while every inch of floor space filled up with customers standing up drinking their coffee. Nobody asked them to move.
I guessed that they had in mind to have a nice sit down in the cafe until the rain passes and gave no thought at all to anyone else.

In my experience of working in a department store cafe years ago when my dc were babies, the least welcome guests were groups of mums + babies. Would buy 1 coffee and sit for hours. And I was definitely guilty of it myself so once I knew this, I always made sure to buy drinks throughout any mum and baby cafe meet!

We have this in pubs too. There is a thing I do that works quite well.

I clear all the empties. Once they realise that they are sitting at a completely empty table, people tend to either order more drinks or leave. Its a small thing but the ettiquette is that in order to occupy a table you must be consuming something bought on the premises, and making it clear that they are now taking the piss does make quite a difference! Its never not worked, although I accept that the truly selfish or thick skinned would probably sit there anyway and perhaps I have just been lucky!

that i can understand, when i go to a cafe, if its very busy but i get a table then ill keep it short, if its zzzz with only some people then ill do my research as sometimes its nice with the hustle and bustle in the background

I'm those circumstances i would have sat down

I'm not surprised to find that 30% of people think IABU. This particular type of selfishness is very widespread.

ive also been in pubs, and yes i order a drink to begin with and only usually 30 mins or 1 hr overall. but if its mostly empty then i dont really see why it matters how long i was there for, obviously if it was busy busy then id understand that its drink and vanish

Sorry, not sure what you mean? Customers were standing up because all the seats were taken including the ones at the table. That couple would have had to stand up for anyone else to sit down.

Obviously, how busy it is makes a difference. If somewhere is dead, that's fine. It's when the campers can clearly see other people come in, look around, and leave. Fine for five minutes, but for half an hour is just rude and selfish.

at a guess from my own experience , its not always about being selfish, but more i need to do x and the cafe has no signs that limit how long for table usage, that said i understand its good manners to be considerate,

overall if its busy busy then i can agree people table using can take the biscuits, but if its quiet and half the tables not being used then its fair game

You could have sat on their laps lol.

But if that drink lasts you an hour, thats fine. Whats not ok is people ordering one drink and then staying 3/4 hours chatting, and yes it happens a lot. Mainly women my age (50's ish).

The worst ones are the ones who order a glass of water (free) and share a bowl of chips (2.50) and then sit there for three hours. Total piss take.

fair points on that,

yes first and foremost i can see your point if the place is busy, but if its not busy then to me its no different than if no one was there etc

it depends really. Some people are excessive with the amount of time they spend with one drink, and it is unfair on the business if other customers walk away as they can't find a seat. But there is a middle ground between spending 3 hours at a cafe having only bought 1 latte, and doing what you did which was down your drink and be out of there in 15 minutes.

Most of my family drink hot drinks basically out of the kettle, so would honestly be gone in 5 minutes if they stuck to leaving as soon as the drink is gone. Sitting there and enjoying the ambience and relaxing for a bit is part of the reason people go to cafes and pay £4+ for a hot drink. Resting your feet, chatting with a friend, reading a book... all take longer than consuming the beverage, and that's absolutely fine.

Yes if the place is empty, I dont suppose it does make much difference, although annoying. But when it happens when we are full its not on.

Its much worse in the summer when outside tables are taken up all afternoon by people who have one drink each and we have customers being pissed off that there are no tables. Policing outside is so hard as it cant really be seen from inside the pub.

that i can understand and agree with, as ive sat before outside with a cuppa and full breakfast and seen random people having eaten, then chatting away ect at busy times

I totally agree, and during quiet times, I would argue that it's fine to hang out without a drink and just chill. Even during busy times, it's fine if you are ordering one drink after another. What I think is very much not fine is sitting on your phone or on a zoom call with your empty mug for half and hour or more while people come, look in, and leave because the cafe is full. That's just taking the piss and if I ran a cafe I would not allow it.

Some cafes where I live you rent a table for the day, or a period of time. No idea if yours does it too. You book in an app pay say £5 and you get unlimited refills for the slot you've booked. The app is reef.rocks

Whilst I agree with you on table hogging, I think half an hour is a reasonable amount of time to enjoy a drink even during busy periods.

The arbitrary cut off for me would be 40 minutes.

Maybe a sign on each table during busy times saying "as this is our busy period, there is a 15 minutes grace period after finishing your food and drink, and then we ask that you vacate your table to allow other diners to be served" or something. Sounds like they need to do something.

Thats a good idea, although the free refills must cost them a bit!

I bet its popular with the wfcosta crew!

Yes, I kind of agree with you. If someone is a regular somewhere the cafe might be happy to have them at quiet times even if they only order one coffee an hour so may be willing to give them a bit of leeway.

I agree. Its difficult for the shop staff though as they probably dont want to appear pushy by asking, as politely as possible, if people would mind moving along so that other people can have the tables. I am guilty of being able to camp however I do move if people are waiting.
Not heard the word camping in a while 😀