Legitimate Pet Peeve or Bitchy Pregnant Lady?

Everyone has pet peeves, but here is one that makes my blood boil. It’s always made my blood boil.

I HATE it when people take a table at a café before ordering their food. You know, put their stuff down and have their friend save the table. The table that everyone already in line has a legitimate claim too. It happened this weekend. It practically ruined my one-cup-of-caffeinated-coffee-happy-moment. In this case, the offenders were at the end of a long line of people in a very crowded sparsely furnished cafe. I saw the table when we walked in. I noticed it was nice and large and perfect for a pregnant lady and a stroller and a husband and a Sunday Times. I understood that there were two of us so one could save the table while the other ordered. I was tempted, but I refrained because I think it is the wrong café etiquette in these situations (here I nod emphatically).

In walked a group of singles. One of them sat the table and casually threw down their Sunday NY Times. Another sat and shrugged. The rest stayed in line. Grrrrr.

I used to sometimes say things in these situations, but unfortunately, saying something never made me feel better. People never respond with the "Oh, right. You are totally right. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I wish someone had enlightened me earlier. You know what? You’re a really good person." They just sort of look at you like "Crazy uptight bitch." Furthermore, I did say something one time and the person did say sorry and got up and even that was totally unsatisfying. I ended up feeling guilty and started spewing, “It’s no big deal. Stay.” Even uttering a dreadful, “Sorry!”

Now I have settled on this totally not useful passive aggressive thing where I say loudly, "That is so rude,” while staring at offenders and shaking my head disappointedly. If any one of them actually looks at me as if to speak, I look away red faced and caught. None of this is good.

Luckily,on Sunday, another table opened after we ordered. I still couldn't help staring daggers throughout my meal. And like I mentioned, I almost took no enjoyment from my one-cup-o-day.

Anyway, if any of you are fond of this practice, let me just say to you, it's rude. It is just rude and unfair. I don’t know that people always get that this is an obvious rude thing. But it is. Especially in well known popular bakeries on Sunday morning. Please don't do it. You might be causing some hormonal nightmare of a pregnant lady a lot of undue stress.