AIBU to not get the table grabbing behaviour at a cafe?

[IncognitoPanda]

It’s Black Friday - needless to say it’s heaving. Queue of maybe 10 people at a cafe where you order at the counter and tables generally very busy. I cannot believe the number of people who think it’s reasonable to put one person in the queue whilst the other smugly nabs a table as people leave to sit saving it for their party when people who have queued and paid cannot find a table by the time their drinks are made. AIBU to go and join them at their table and make awkward small talk whilst their buddy still queues so that my coffee doesn’t go cold as a solo shopper?

Sorry but this is typical British behaviour. Blaming other paying customers for poor service and lack of provisions. Blame the cafes who are doing a pisspoor job of flogging overpriced rancid coffee but not providing enough seating.

I do it, but I’m disabled and can’t stand. What’s the point in buying food if you’re not able to eat it?

No just put you coat there

If you’re on your own, make sure you always have something you can bag a table with. Leaving your coat on top of it should work.

Did that once, left a jacket on the back of the chair. People ignored it and sat down anyway while I was queueing.

Isn’t that what everyone does? Otherwise you pay for food and then have nowhere to eat it??

This boils down to fear of Sharing A Table With Strangers. If you are alone it's OK to home in on any table with a spare seat and say "mind if I sit here - all the empty tables are taken?". Ideally pick someone who looks to have almost finished. I do this if necessary and you rarely get refused.

It’s the normal way to do things imo. One person finds a table while the other queues.

Why on earth would you queue up without anywhere to sit? Strange

Ditto. I leave a jacket /bag with valuables removed

Thank you for saying this.

YABU

Even if the table is occupied the other person cannot prevent you from seating yourself. They dont own the seats and are entitled only to the one the occupy. Asking "Do you mind" is a mere formaility. If someone said "Yes" I would tell them "well thats a pity because Im entitled to a seat. You have my permission to move if you dont want to share a table."

I dont often go to cafes alone now but when I did I always left my coat draped right across the table to show it was occupied. And Ive had some interesting conversations with strangers in a busy cafe who asked if they could share a table. When I go with a relative I sit at the table and he queues.

Me too, I remember being sent to get a table in cafes as a kid while my mum paid.

This morning at soft play I ordered drinks as soon as we got in and there were no tables - obviously I assumed they would have enough tables for their capacity (it’s a place where the parents sit and the kids go off a play). The staff had to get a little kiddy table out of a cupboard for me and DD 😁

Why would you not do this? No one wants to be standing around with trays of food and drink going cold with nowhere to sit.

Ha! The monthly table grabbing thread! 😁

Only a complete fool would order food or drink without having ensured they had a table to sit and consume it at.

There's no point in moaning about others having common sense.

If I am having a coffee I am invariably with either a selection of kids between 7-15, or an elderly relative, or a disabled partner. Why an earth would they all stay in the queue with me if a table was free? It would make the queue longer, the kids would be bored and/ or restive and it would spoil it for the elderly/ disabled relative.

If I am on my own I usually assess the level of business of the cafe and either take food away or ask to sit next to someone else. But this is much easier on my own than with kids/ family, so it all evens out.

Who doesn't do that????

Maybe you should go get a table first.

This is how cafe's work!. You go find a table, put your crap down, and dump the rest of your family, then go queue to order.

Sounds like you're skipping the first bit then getting annoyed with everyone else OP.

my local costa will not let you order a drink to have in if you haven't already got a table.

I'm often the 'solo shopper' in cafes, so yeah, I can't secure a table. But I really can't see anything wrong with one person in a group/couple queuing while the other finds a table and waits. What would be the point of them all standing in a queue together? It's completely reasonable for some to find a table and sit down while another places the order.

Ooh I love these threads. As far as I am concerned it is utterly bizarre behaviour to order in a cafe without a table first and you are entirely in the wrong.

Doesn’t pre-sitting before you’ve got food cause the problem that you’re trying to avoid?

Those people should get a table first.why would you order food with nowhere to sit

Impossible if you're a solo customer - you can't be in the queue and sat reserving a table at the same time. That's why "table hogging" is wrong as it only works for couples and more.

I am opposite of you. So annoying when a couple walk around looking forlorn with a tray and coffees and nowhere to sit, if it's busy make sure you've got somewhere to sit first!

Because table grabbing is poor form