Man left his newspaper on a coffee table and thought it reserved the table?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A newspaper is the kind of thing people leave behind all the time. so I wouldn't have understood it to mean that the table was reserved. You gotta leave something of value--a sweater, a book (open face-down so it's clear you're in the middle of reading it), even a baseball cap. But a disposable item like a newspaper? No.

The only thing that reserves a table or a chair is an actual person - not things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Your husband does not understand that women sometimes need to show a lot more force than men when they're harassed, otherwise the men who harass them don't get the message.

You made a mistake anyone would have made, you apologized and you went above and beyond by offering him his table back. So don't worry on that front.

It's amazing to me how many DCUM posters never learned to read.

[Anonymous]

A newspaper doesn't reserve a table because people always leave them behind.

You should have stood and given him the table back without asking though, to be kind and not put the demand back on him.

He was wrong to come back and berate you, he probably was angry at himself for not saying yes when you'd offered it back to him.

Raising your voice was probably unavoidable, since he kept harping on. But I would have just said "Again, I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding." and not engaged that he was in the wrong.

[Anonymous]

He was wrong. People leave old papers all the time. No way to know that was intentional. You need to leave a coat and keys or something else to show it’s intentional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DW and I went to WFH at a semi-crowded coffee shop. We saw a table with a copy of the NYT on it. We figured someone left it there and moved the newspaper to a nearby ledge and thought nothing of it.

A few minutes later a man came over and told us this was his table and it was rude that we moved his newspaper. We said sorry we didn't realize and asked if he wanted us to move so he could have the table. He muttered to himself, shook his head, and walked away.

He then came BACK and told us we should know how rude we were. He kept arguing with us so I just raised my voice and told him you can't indefinitely reserve a table in a crowded coffee shop with a newspaper, and to please leave us alone. He kept going on about how he doesn't agree and we just needed to know how rude we were.

DW said I shouldn't have raised my voice but I think this guy clearly doesn't have all his marbles.

Just agree with him verbally. (BTW I agree you cannot reserve a seat with a newspaper and you didn't do anything wrong by moving it and taking the seat). Just say "I'm sorry. Your right. Next time I'll look for the owner of abandoned newspapers." Then sit right back down. If he stands around telling you that you are rude, respond "thank you. Well noted". No need to raise your voice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But you think it's ok to work from "home" at a semi-crowded coffee shop, hogging the table for hours while sipping a coffee? Probably one of those clueless people that also takes calls there.

People like you are the worst.

+1

You are the rude one, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A newspaper doesn't reserve a table because people always leave them behind.

You should have stood and given him the table back without asking though, to be kind and not put the demand back on him.

He was wrong to come back and berate you, he probably was angry at himself for not saying yes when you'd offered it back to him.

Raising your voice was probably unavoidable, since he kept harping on. But I would have just said "Again, I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding." and not engaged that he was in the wrong.

We just asked because there was plenty of other tables open (several tables within 10-15 ft). It was a booth close to the window so it just seemed ridiculous he was making a huge deal out of sitting at *this* specific table

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your husband does not understand that women sometimes need to show a lot more force than men when they're harassed, otherwise the men who harass them don't get the message.

You made a mistake anyone would have made, you apologized and you went above and beyond by offering him his table back. So don't worry on that front.

It's amazing to me how many DCUM posters never learned to read.

+1 OP is a man

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But you think it's ok to work from "home" at a semi-crowded coffee shop, hogging the table for hours while sipping a coffee? Probably one of those clueless people that also takes calls there.

People like you are the worst.

+1

You are the rude one, OP.

It's "The Roost" in DC, which has a coffee shop but is technically a food hall with ample empty seating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your husband does not understand that women sometimes need to show a lot more force than men when they're harassed, otherwise the men who harass them don't get the message.

You made a mistake anyone would have made, you apologized and you went above and beyond by offering him his table back. So don't worry on that front.

It's amazing to me how many DCUM posters never learned to read.

True. We have no idea whether OP is man or woman, all we know that OP is married to a woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A newspaper is the kind of thing people leave behind all the time. so I wouldn't have understood it to mean that the table was reserved. You gotta leave something of value--a sweater, a book (open face-down so it's clear you're in the middle of reading it), even a baseball cap. But a disposable item like a newspaper? No.

The only thing that reserves a table or a chair is an actual person - not things.

I mean, no. If I am at a coffee shop, and I have to pee, and I leave my coffee, sweater, and book on the table/chair, I don't expect someone to come move it in the 5 minutes that I am gone. That would be pretty ballsy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your husband does not understand that women sometimes need to show a lot more force than men when they're harassed, otherwise the men who harass them don't get the message.

You made a mistake anyone would have made, you apologized and you went above and beyond by offering him his table back. So don't worry on that front.

It's amazing to me how many DCUM posters never learned to read.

+1 OP is a man

How do you know?

[Anonymous]

I love that my local coffee shop puts a strict 30-minute time limit on their WiFi. It literally boots you off after using it for 30 minutes. It won't allow you to join again for another 30 minutes.

I wish more places utilized this method.

[Anonymous]

OP here- I am a man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He was wrong. People leave old papers all the time. No way to know that was intentional. You need to leave a coat and keys or something else to show it’s intentional.

Agree but once he came back OP should have said “oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you wanted this table” and gotten up.