Have you ever eaten on a bench with a toddler? You probably think elderly people should stand on the bus too.
If I have a toddler, I would not go and eat at a cafe where I know it's a limited seating.
There's other places to go and eat. Why this one?
They can go and drive/walk to somewhere after/outside of the museum.
This is much easier said than done, depending on where this table scandal went down. Families vacationing in DC and visiting museums on the Mall tend to eat at the museum cafes because it is convenient. Tourists often don't have access to cars to just drive somewhere else, or the knowledge of where to go. And walking long distances with a toddler can be more difficult than eating at a busy cafe with a toddler. I
I am on Team Everyone Was Rude. The way they asked and the hovering was ridiculous, but I think reading and nursing a soda at a table large enough for a group at a busy restaurant is pretty inconsiderate.
I think it's funny we encourage random acts of kindness yet there are people here saying "she was there first so tough cookies". Why not randomly act kind and offer up the seat when you see she has more "baggage" than you? Tis the season, no?
Have you ever eaten on a bench with a toddler? You probably think elderly people should stand on the bus too.
If I have a toddler, I would not go and eat at a cafe where I know it's a limited seating.
There's other places to go and eat. Why this one?
They can go and drive/walk to somewhere after/outside of the museum.
If I am going to be subjected to always give up my table because I am drinking/eating for one, I would not patronize that establishment anymore.
They were rude.
The elderly at bus is not a comparable scenario.
If she's actually in DC, then this is probably not as easy as it sounds. Museums in DC get packed for lunch and it's entirely possible that other cafes and restaurants would have had the same issue.
I am on Team Everyone Was Rude. The way they asked and the hovering was ridiculous, but I think reading and nursing a soda at a table large enough for a group at a busy restaurant is pretty inconsiderate.
I think it's funny we encourage random acts of kindness yet there are people here saying "she was there first so tough cookies". Why not randomly act kind and offer up the seat when you see she has more "baggage" than you? Tis the season, no?
Eh, I would have probably moved. But the hovering and oddly phrased way the woman went about it would have me seeing red. I don't like when people expect me to do stuff. If she had asked nicely, I would happily give up my seat. But hovering and being a weirdo scores no points with me.
BTW, kids in strollers =/= elderly. Ever. Kids aren't disabled, they are just small people.
A lot of people even sit on the floor to eat their food, while their toddler runs around.
That sounds horrible for them. Just because other people have had to make alternate arrangements for eating their lunch while you nurse a drink and a book at a table does not make it right.
They asked rudely but you were selfish to claim a whole table at peak hours when groups with actual meals were in need of a place to sit.
I would have asked to join you. I have done that in the past successfully and have had people ask to join me.
The lady was super rude. It riles me up quite a bit when I see people not being considerate of those around them (not moving quickly so the next person in line can pay, etc), but you were entitled to your chair, if not the whole table.
Post by dr.girlfriend on Dec 20, 2012 11:46:05 GMT -5
I don't know why everyone is saying the woman asked rudely. The OP said:
"um...can you like go, move?" I'm not sure what she said exactly, basically just trying to find a polite way of asking me to get up so they can all sit down.
Sounded to me like the woman was more stammering because she was uncomfortable about having to actually ASK someone to move given that the need was apparent.
I would have offered my table. If I'm alone, it's no skin off my back if I am just drinking a coffee and hanging out. It's much harder for a group to eat their meals on benches.
I think you were inconsiderate, and her manner may have been rude, depending on how it was stated.