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.

It's big problem near me. One little cafe put signs up saying 'no laptops between 11am-2pm and they got negative reviews for it!

Yep, totally annoying, especially those who take laptops. A cafe is just that, refreshments, not a substitute for home. Xx

You have different expectations. I don't usually get coffee for the actual coffee. I want somewhere to sit

I would love that cafe!

As long as you are actually drinking coffee while you sit, that is fine. If you are drinking one coffee and then sitting for ages with an empty mug while the cafe fills up with potential paying customers, that is not. It's a place of business, not your living room.

I don't think this person believes they are so special. They just don't care about people, you for example, that much. And why should they ?

I was in a cafe the other day, just off Carnaby Street. Had told daughter I would be there while she had a browse, so couldn't go anywhere else. Very busy, lots of people just sitting there (to be fair you need a rest if you're shopping around there!) and I had a coffee and sandwich in my hand. Someone had finished their food and was on their phone. I went over and asked if I could share their table, i.e. sit down and have my drink. They were a bit huffy and said they were going – clearly didn't want to share! Is this rude? I couldn't face standing there looking at empty chairs (also shattered!).

Whilst I agree it is annoying, it is up to the coffee shop management to decide what's acceptable in their shop or not. It's not up to you.

I think hogging tables in the norm in England, at least in the south. The few times (in my early days) I've asked waiters in busy places if they could ask customers who were clearly finished to move on after waiting a while, it was made very clear to me that they wouldn't do anything and where happy for customers to stay as long as they wanted. I've learn to just go somewhere else if I really want to sit down.

It would be unacceptable in France, the waiter or manager would ask you to order or leave if the place is busy. The same way they will often ask you to leave if someone in your party isn't ordering anything.

You can't just decide how slowly people drink their coffee

Because we live in a society! Jesus Christ. Sometimes I think that people are right when they say the UK is going down the shitter. I can tell you that this behaviour is not acceptable outside the UK.

I would have sat down and let them huff. I'm so over people who have main character syndrome.

This brings up another thought. I miss the days when people used to 'come over for coffee'. Why all the meeting at cafes now? Is it because they can do fancier coffees than usual at homes? Maybe it's time to revive that culture, though I suspect cafes wouldn't want that really.

It's so much easier to have someone come over for tea or coffee really. You don't have to park around the cafe when you visit someone at home, it's quieter, more relaxed.

It's Gails...this happened to me..on a SUNDAY. 3 on laptops!

I hate this, it’s such selfish behaviour. They notice people waiting but don’t care. They need a bit of help from staff to get them to move on.

the first coffee houses in UK opened three centuries ago, they were places where ( mostly men) gathered to talk and discuss. I think there are different types of establishment, there are places like espresso bars supermarket cafes , motorway service stations which are very obviously eat, drink and move on. then there are others with the opposite vibe which encourage people to meet and chat have the wifi code posted on the wall, starbucks and costa have takeaway for those in a hurry but a generl policy that if you eat in ( you pay a bit more for your food) you can stay as long as you like, if a cafe has guest wi-fi it is not a place that wants or needs you in and out in 30 minutes,
national trust cafes are a bit inbetween and like OP if it's busy you need to leave within 5-10 minutes of everyone finishing. if it's not busy well that's fine.

from what OP says the cafe in question seems to be more of a quick turn around place so in that case the OP is NBU, however imposing this and expecting people to move in places where it is not expected is BU

if you want to chat and have coffee with a frined for an hour don't chose a quick place, equally if it is a definite slow camper chill chat place don't think you can move people on if the management are happy with it, they are not going to make people share tables

I know that for myself and everyone in my ND family, that would be my experience ruined and I would sadly leave. It would feel aggressive too.

I would have asked to sit down too.

When we have this in the pub, I very deliberately go over and start clearing their table, if that doesn't work I'll say "will you be wanting anymore drinks folks?" That usually does the trick. But only if they've been there yonks and have had one drink and say for ages.

Me & DH went into an M&S a while ago and queued for the cafe at lunchtime for about 15 minutes. When we were seated, we noticed a man sitting by himself at a table for two, he didn’t have a cup of anything or an empty plate. After about 20 minutes, a member of staff spoke to him and he said he was waiting for his wife, she then left him sitting there, meanwhile there were still people queuing for a table. So inconsiderate of him to my mind, he should have waited for his wife outside the cafe area or at least had a drink or a sandwich while he was waiting. He was still sitting waiting when we left.

Well, maybe that will teach you that the world doesn't revolve around you. Being ND isn't an excuse for being selfish.

Ridiculous. People are so unmindful of others.

OP, you could be describing my local cafe. I’ve actually stopped going there because I would get so frustrated at the 3-4 person tables being taken up by one person on a laptop with a tiny espresso that they finished 30 mins earlier.

Last time we walked in, we were a group of 5 people ready to spent approx £50 on coffee and food. We ended up walking out because there were no free tables and no one would look up from their laptops.

My DH spoke to the manager, gently suggesting a laptop policy like many other cafes have. The manager is so nice but I think he’s afraid to upset people. However, the cafe is still open after many years and managed to survive through COVID so I guess he makes enough money with the current situation?

I own a cafe and when it's busy I ask them for the table to they've finished and often ask regulars if f they will sit together.
No one minds I tho k they all understand

Wow.

Words work better than glances and stares.