Be Honest Please - Did I Have The Right To Be Legit Annoyed?

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I do my laundry in a laundromat.
So this is basically a laundromat “protocol” query.
Lol.

There are like eight folding tables in the laundromat & it was pretty crowded yesterday.
While my clothes were in the dryers I wanted to make sure that I had access to one of the folding tables afterward so while waiting for my clothes to dry, I kept my two laundry baskets on one of the tables, in a sense “reserving” it.
Though admittedly I did not stand directly at the table the entire time my stuff was drying……

Well during this time another patron took it upon herself to move my baskets & fold her clothes on the table.

When my clothes were finished drying, all the tables were in use so I just took my clothes home unfolded.

I was annoyed - though not actually angry.

What is the proper protocol in a situation such as this?
Just got me thinking….
Thx!

[Anonymous]

You were wrong to park your empty basket.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you should be allowed to reserve space like that. Especially for something that only takes a few minutes to do.

At the indoor pool
Whete I swim laps people will “ hold” their lane by putting a water bottle or fins on the pool deck right at the lane. Then go in the bathroom, or chat to someone. If there are no other free lanes I get in that one. It’s ridiculous. I also don’t mind sharing though so when they come back I’ll sort of wave and say happy to share .

[Anonymous]

+1 it's like a cafe. You disrupt the order of wash dry fold (order, get food then sit) if you try to save a space.

That said, people should not be taking a long time at the tables to fold clothes. It doesn't take long but if they are yapping and stretching it out that is annoying.

Also you can actually just fold your clothes right within basket.

[Anonymous]

Stop holding tables.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you can reserve the tables in a busy laundromat.

[Anonymous]

So you think the other patron should have done what exactly?

[Anonymous]

She’s the one who has a right to be annoyed, not you. What was she supposed to do, fold her own clothes on the floor (maybe she’s traveling or living in a vehicle and simply has nowhere else to fold them) just because you decided that you’re entitled to block a table that you’re not even using, just so you don’t need to wait a minute for it when your clothes are finally done? You sound very rude.

[Anonymous]

You were in the wrong.

[Anonymous]

you're so obviously wrong you must be trolling

[Anonymous]

OP Here,

Thank you everyone for responding!

I appreciate the honest responses and I now stand 100000% corrected.

Good points made.

[Anonymous]

I like the analogies provided here about cafes and swim lanes. There are natural orders of things that should be adhered to and then there are always entitled or just ignorant people who ruin the systems! Or are they showing the systems don't work? Or the systems are only for the 'little people'?

[Anonymous]

No you don't get to reserve it while you wait.

[Anonymous]

You were wrong to reserve a table that you didn’t immediately need.

[Anonymous]

As someone who used to use a laundromat regularly, you are in the wrong. You cannot reserve a table. They're there to fold your laundry and somebody else's laundry was ready to be folded. It does not take long to fold laundry. You could've waited 5 to 10 minutes and folded your own laundry on the table once free. And the person who had the right to be annoyed was the person who had to take your laundry baskets off the table. Why would somebody want the bottoms of your laundry basket which might've been on the floor on a folding table! Only clean laundry should be on this folding tables not laundry baskets.