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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be cross with people reserving tables in a self service cafe (especially when there are signs saying don't do it) before they have paid?

84 replies

MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 22:43

I find this very annoying. There I am queuing up and waiting to order and pay, and a good 50% of the tables are filled with people 'reserving' seats for their friend/ relation who is clearly behind me in the queue. When I have paid and am staggering around with a fully laden tray and my shopping bags, I have nowhere to sit. In the past, I have sometimes asked if I could sit at a vacant seat on a table of 4 but the lone person sat there waiting for his/her companions has refused. I think this is downright rude and unfair. I would even be prepared to 'move on' when the companions finally arrived ??? mins later - by which time I may have finshed anyway. It's not as if anyone owns the table and I feel I have priority if I have paid and have a tray and need to sit and eat.

AIBU?

If not, has anyone come across a solution (apart from the obvious one of bumping back the wrong way past the queue to the till and complaining to the already harassed and busy staff)?

OP posts:
wearymummy · 03/01/2009 23:05

I agree! I have been known just to sit down at a 'reserved table' what can they do - push you off your chair? Just be bold!

cheshirekitty · 03/01/2009 23:07

YANBU. This one always gets my goat. People are selfish and only think of themselves. I once got told off because I was sitting, finishing my meal and I saw someone who had a loaded tray looking for a table. I called him over and said I had finished and he could have my table.

Another lady, who did not have a tray considered that I should not have done that, and that she had more entitlement to the table.

I told her (very politely) to push off.

Miyazaki · 03/01/2009 23:11

Oh I had this yesterday. Was in starbucks with my smallest. Carrying bags, 2 drinks, 1 plate.

Only seating area had one girl, no drink. I sit down, dd sits. She says: these are taken. I say: you don't have any drinks, we are sitting here.

She assumes the face.

We giggle.

bellavita · 03/01/2009 23:13

Always happens in the M&S cafe, it blardy annoys the hell out of me.

Miyazaki · 03/01/2009 23:15

Altho I wouldn't had have such big balls with one of those car coat lemon suckers in the M&S cafe. Give me a rude girl south of the river any day

bellavita · 03/01/2009 23:16

am liking the "car coat lemon suckers"

treedelivery · 03/01/2009 23:18

I'm with you op.

electra · 03/01/2009 23:23

Yes, this annoys me too. My ex-husband is pedantic in the extreme, and after paying for a coffee and observing that tables had been taken by people who had not yet bought anything, marched up to one couple and said 'We have paid for our drinks already, you know!' and they moved I don't think I would do that - would just feel peed off!

LackaDAISYcal · 03/01/2009 23:30

depends.....if I have my three DCs with me, I'll often park them at a table where I can see them as juggling trays with a toddler and a baby in tow is very difficult; although DS at nearly 7 is almost at an age where he can help.

maybe they should have P&T tables as well

bellavita · 03/01/2009 23:32

that is a different matter entirely LackaDaisycal - trying to push a baby, keep a toddler in line and juggle the tray... I would not begrudge you bagging a seat.

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 03/01/2009 23:35

I do this in my local starbucks Although it's never heaving as I go in the day.

The reason I do is because I always have DD with me, and have to push her or carry her to the till then get her back with my hot drink. I can just about juggle the drink and the pram from the counter to my seat but it's so crowded in there I need a spare hand to move all the seats out of the way to get the pram through and it's so much easier if I already have a seat to go to rather than trying to find one when my hands are full.

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 03/01/2009 23:35

Oops, when I did this face I actually meant to do this one

Miyazaki · 03/01/2009 23:36

that's p&t table nabbing chequers. that is allowed

Original poster
MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 23:37

No LackaDaisycal - it's the moody but perfectly able bodied not-quite-pensioners who are the worst offenders.

P&T tables eh? There's a thought!

OP posts:
chequersandroastedchestnuts · 03/01/2009 23:38
LoveMyLapTop · 03/01/2009 23:38

Agree OP
Good point well made

Original poster
MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 23:39

Not that there would actually be any guarantee only P&Ts would use them of course!

OP posts:
bellavita · 03/01/2009 23:40

good point there MrsS!

Original poster
MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 23:41

LovemyLapTop - are you the father in law from the Royle family (forget name)?

"Fair point well made Jimbo. Pass the punch Bar-bear -ah"

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 23:44
OP posts:
Suedonim · 03/01/2009 23:44

There was an amusing thread on this subject a few months ago. It just wouldn't die, every morning there was a new comment, lol!

Fwiw, eight of us went to our M&S cafe yesterday, it was very busy but we queued as normal and by the time we'd paid we managed to get tables where we could all sit together, no problem.

bellavita · 03/01/2009 23:45

I'm normally the thread killer

LackaDAISYcal · 03/01/2009 23:45

ha, I could always ask the "not quite pensioners" to watch my kids while I get my latte....the ensuing fighting, noise and mess would see them off quick smart!

Original poster
MrsSeanBean · 03/01/2009 23:46

Good strategy Lacka!

OP posts:
DaisyMooSteiner · 03/01/2009 23:47

I had a run-in with somebody doing this in Macdonalds a few weeks ago. I was on my own with 3 small children and had bought our food but there was nowhere to sit down, because people were 'reserving' tables while their friends bought the food. I just went up to one table and sat down and started unloading our tray. The woman sitting there told me the table was taken and I politely pointed out that she had no food or drink yet, therefore we were ahead of her in the queue for tables and refused to move. She gave in after a few minutes and left us to it Dh says I'm scary