To ask a parent to move their buggy from a café so I can sit down?

[TheUmberFawn]

Went to a busy café at lunchtime. One table was occupied by a mum with a large pram taking up the space of two chairs. There were no other free tables, so I asked politely if she could move it so I could sit. She gave me a dirty look and mumbled something about needing space. I get that babies come with stuff but why should that mean no one else can sit? AIBU for asking?

Do you mean there was a free table and her pram was blocking it? Or were you asking to share her table, and you did so by telling her to move the pram? If you want to share someone’s table then you have to ask, and they can say no. She paid for stuff to eat and sat down before you; you can’t just use her table if she wants time to herself with the baby.

How old was the baby she had with her and was a highchair available? If the baby was too little to sit up independently in a highchair then yabu as she'd need the pram to set the baby in so she can eat or drink. If baby was capable of sitting up independently then she should have collapsed the pram/ moved it aside and used a high chair

Yabu tbh

And also yes if you were looking to take a seat at her table then I think that she has the right to say no.

I’ve never sat down at someone else’s table at a cafe. She wanted some quiet time with her baby not to have to sit opposite you, what were you going to do just eat and stare at her?

You not only sat at her table but made her accommodate you? Yes. Very unreasonable and annoying.

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Just to clarify - it was a two-person table and she was sitting at one chair with her pram parked where the second chair would be. There were no other free tables in the café. I asked politely if she could move the pram so I could sit down, not to talk her table or crowd her - just to share it, which isn’t unusual in busy cafés. It wasn’t confrontational but she seemed put out by the request.

Not enough info
But this is my thoughts... I am a mother of two babies, I don't think it is considerate to be taking up too much space unnecessarily.

We need to share the love a little... Happy times!
Too much going on in the world right now and unfortunately not of the good stuff!

I didn’t get a close look at the baby’s age but it wasn’t a newborn - looked more like a baby who could sit up with support. There were high chairs available, so I assumed the pram could have been moved or folded to make space. Totally understand if it had been a newborn or if she genuinely needed the buggy where it was but it didn’t seem necessary in this case. That’s why I asked politely - I didn’t demand, just asked.

Yes. You absolutely are being unreasonable. She had a small table for her and her baby, which was probably only just big enough considering the size of pushchairs. You wanted to sit down, with her, forcing her to move her baby out of the way. She didn't have to say yes, and you are being unreasonable.

I clicked YANBU as I thought she was blocking another table. YABU to have asked to share, she clearly required the space it’s only a table for two.

YWBU

So you’re unreasonable then. She had two people, her baby is a person. She was using a two person table and she needed the space. You didn't even ask to share, you just told her to move the pram and you sat down. You can’t do that. She was out with her kid, she paid and she was using the space.

If you had actually asked to share, then I’d have said yes and made room. If you just asked me to move my pram and sat down at a table I was using for myself and my child, I’d have said no and been put out too. You were very presumptuous.

YABU she had a table for 2 for 2 of them.

But you’re annoyed that she was put out. But you were wrong to behave as you did. And you get no say in whether her child stays in the pram or uses a high chair. Baby was happy, mum was using a space for 2 because there were 2 of them. You were rude.

YABVVVU and entitled. It's not a bus it's a cafe, you ASK if you can share a table, you don't just assume you can shove someone's baby out of the way. You should have checked there was somewhere to sit before ordering and ordered take away instead. That's how cafes work at busy times.

Please start using your reading skills. I actually said I asked in my post and in the comments. Read and don’t project and create a story when I literally said I asked. Where you got that I demanded to move the pram and just sat down I don’t know.

No you are changing your story you said you asked if she could move the pram so you could sit. That's not the same as asking "excuse me do you mind if I sit there please?" which is what people are telling you was the better course of action.

The chair was free so she needed to move the pram which is reasonable. It’s normal to share a cafe table.

she had a 2 person table for 2 people, her and her baby. It’s a lot just getting out the house with a baby and she probably did need the space - if not just mentally! It would have been a different issue if she was at a bigger table, but she wasn’t. Why would you want to sit opposite a stranger with her baby on a small table?

What? 😂

Oh okay it's the school holidays. I'm out.

Haha, this is wild.

you were being massively unreasonable!

you don’t just do that to someone. Jesus. If you want to share someone’s table (which personally, I wouldn’t) you have to ask politely. And be prepared for them to say no.

unbelievable.