Would you have moved seats?

[LittleCarrot12]

Went to McDonald’s today as it was youngest child’s treat day. We arrived just after lunch rush and most empty seats were dirty . One section a worker was cleaning and he offered me a table for 4 just cleaned. There were only 2 of us but not busy at this point and I couldn’t see any clean 2.

Around 5 minutes later a lady with 3 young kids came in and Sat at the 8 table. She got tablets out for kids and put youngest in a high chair. We were ordering our food on my phone so didn't pay much attention. Food arrived and shortly after so did her food. She then took the tray and sat it on the empty 2 table next to me. I was confused as they had plenty of space where they were. She then pulled the high chair over and sat baby facing me at the end of my table. the two older children sat at the two table. I looked around and the worker had cleaned all the tables by this time and there were at least 4 tables for 4 and the table she had just left as well.

She seemed to be avoiding eye contact but clearly she wanted my table as she’d sat baby next to me and a drink beside my tray.
I didn’t move and she finally turned the high chair around and hovered over the other the table. My son was was eating and colouring so we had took up space over the whole table .

It was so awkward and although she didn't ask me to move she clearly wanted my seat . Why mine when she had one already and there were others I don’t know. Would you have moved mid meal to a smaller table even if there were other options for her? I can’t help but feel I missed something.

Yes YABU
No YABNU

I wouldn't have moved and I'd have 'suggested' to her that she sits elsewhere.

The fact she gave her young kids tablets would have made me instantly judge her and I wouldn't have paid her the slightest bit of attention.

It does seem strange when she already had a larger table. Perhaps she thought your table/area was better in some way or better suited to using a highchair. There might be some strange people who think you should only take the smallest table that will accommodate your group, regardless of how busy the place is. By that logic, she 'shouldn't' keep a table for 8, and you 'shouldn't' keep one for 4, but clearly it's a weird thing to worry about in a mostly empty restaurant.

Of course not. You were there first.

Very weird.

Could it be 'her table' as in the one she normally uses. Not that, that means you should have moved.

I think I'd have felt too uncomfortable to eat.

As bad as deliberately sitting your baby next to a stranger for no reason? 😂

I considered maybe one of the kids were ND and it was “their” table but all were happy but when the food arrived they had to move. When I say baby she was around 18 months.

I wouldn't have moved because I hate people dropping hints. She could easily have politely asked you to move but I can't really see why she would want your particular table anyway

I would have politely called her out and asked can I help you, or something similar. If she wants me to move she can bloody well ask, less of the pass-ag shit, lol. Not that I would have moved given there seemed no need, just her being a bit odd..

You should have given her a lecture on the concept of personal space, a lecture on consequences of violating fundamental social boundaries, and finally, explain that deliberately behaving in a way that inflicts costs* on others AND herself is one definition of stupidity.

*The costs here being unnecessarily inflicting awkwardness on someone else and risking an unpleasantly aggressive retaliation as a result of that.

I like to think that people who go around trying to provoke others for the sake of a power trip will eventually try it on someone with a short fuse who is having a bad day, and will get the punch in the face they asked for and deserved.

I'd have ordered ice creams and taken my sweet time eating them if somebody tried to bully me into moving faster.

I don’t know what I would have done but I would definitely have found it very strange behaviour 🤷‍♀️😂

YANBU I would have ordered her to move the high chair immediately and organise the rest of her group better. I really have no time for people like this.
Some people's entitlement is frankly breathtaking. 🙄

Very odd behaviour.

She effectively put her youngest to eat at your table. Really, really odd.

Was it because your child was interacting with hers?? Even so though, still odd.

I’m not usually confrontational but I think even I’d have had to say something. She was incredibly rude.

Just odd. I don’t respond to this type of passive aggressive crap. It deserves no response.

Why on earth do people not communicate with each other?. In this situation I would have said, this table is already taken when she situated her baby in highchair at end of table I was already sitting at. Its very weird that all this happened without any communication between you.

Abolutely not being unreasonable, cheeky cow.

Was the baby eating? Did she turn the baby to face you so you could see if she was choking while she sorted the older kids out?
Still not reasonable without conversation but a reason maybe?

I came to say this. Why on earth would anyone not say something? I wonder what this woman would had to have done for OP to actually say something. Would she have just sat there silently while this woman and her kids helped themselves to her chips?

What a weirdo.

I normally avoid getting into it but I probably would have asked “can I help you?” and see what happens. And not that anyone loves sitting at McDonald’s but I’d turn it into a prolonged meal lol.

The other day I was at a park, a completely empty park and out of all benches this dude decides to sit right next to me, super close since I was basically sitting in the middle of the bench. Weirdo.

If you didn’t have food maybe she thought you had finished? Was just letting you know she’d be taking the table.
I haven’t been to a Maccies in years though so no idea how it works now.

How strange.

Of course you shouldn't have considered moving.
You did the right thing in staying out.

The only thing I can possibly think of as an explanation, maybe she was trying to strike up a friendship with you - another mum sitting alone with a child, and for whatever reason she lacked the social etiquette to do that.

I think you handled it well. You didn't reward her for her passive aggressive behavior and you didn't confront her either. I think she was looking for a confrontation if she couldn't intimidate you to give up the table. You didn't take the bait.

Some people are just weird and they are best ignored.

'Excuse me, this table is already occupied'.