Miss Manners: If it’s one person with a laptop, can I ask to share their table?

🤔 I'm kinda split on this one... On one hand, if that person is hunched over their laptop, typing away like crazy, it's probably not a big deal. We've all been in those situations where we just wanna focus. 📊 Plus, coffee shops are meant to be communal spaces, right? So, go ahead and grab that table... but only if you can tell they're not expecting company or anything 😅.

But on the other hand, I feel for people who might get left out while others have a designated spot to set up their laptops. Like, what if it's a super popular coffee shop and someone just grabs an empty table without even looking around? 🤦‍♀️ That would be pretty rude. So yeah, use your common sense... if you're gonna take up that shared space, make sure the other person is cool with it 😊
 
idk about sharing tables with people knitting... i mean, if u see someone solo sittin by themselves & u need a seat, go for it lol u dont gotta feel obligated 2 chat w/ them 'cause they're workin on their laptop. coffee shops r casual spots anyway, so its all good! but if someone looks up & seems uncomfortable or left out, just apologize & move on 😊
 
🤦‍♀️ sharing a table is all about being considerate of others... if you don't want to make people feel left out, leave your laptop behind 📊 and grab a seat elsewhere. that said, if someone's already sitting there with their knitting needles, what's the harm in striking up a convo? maybe they're just as busy as you are 😅 or maybe not... either way, don't assume everyone wants to chat 💬
 
I'm not sure I agree that it's always okay to share a table with someone doing something like knitting in a public place 🤔... I mean, think about all those times you've been sitting alone at your desk trying to meet a deadline and some chatty person comes over and starts chatting. It can be distracting! Plus, not everyone is a fan of small talk or being interrupted when they're focused on work 😬.

That being said, if the coffee shop has plenty of seating areas and you don't feel like you're intruding on someone's space... maybe, just maybe, striking up a convo with the person knitting could be a nice way to break the ice 🤗. Just don't assume they're not looking for some alone time or that it's okay to monopolize their table ⏰.
 
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