I Refused to Move for a Family at a Restaurant—It's MY Table

Dining alone at restaurants can be a peaceful and enjoyable experience, but it sometimes comes with unexpected social dilemmas. From seating arrangements to interactions with staff and other diners, solo diners may find themselves in situations where they feel pressured to accommodate others. This raises an interesting question—should an individual give up their comfort for the sake of a larger group, or is it reasonable to stand their ground? Recently, a person on Reddit shared their experience of facing this exact dilemma while dining alone at a busy restaurant.

They wrote,

“I went to dine alone at a fancy restaurant. Since it was busy, I got a small, 2-person table near a window with a view. I ordered my food and was just scrolling on my phone, enjoying my night.

Soon after, a server came to me asking if I’d move to a table near the kitchen, so they could combine mine with another to fit a family. I looked over and saw a group of six, including two kids, waiting nearby. I politely declined—I had already settled in, and honestly, I didn’t want to move from my nice window spot to a cramped one by the kitchen.”

They added,

“The server looked tense but said, ’OK.’ However, the family was clearly upset. I froze, when minutes later, a woman —the mom of the family— came up to me and said, ’Wow, some people have no consideration.’

When I told my friend about it later, she said I should’ve just moved since I was alone and it would’ve been a small inconvenience to me but a big help to them. Now I’m wondering if I was being stubborn for no reason.”

Other Redditors flooded the comment section, offering their perspectives on the situation and leaving comments such as:

• You’re a paying customer and have as much right to enjoy the experience as anyone else, whether you’re alone or not. Being in a group shouldn’t entitle those people to anything. The woman was rude and the adults in the group obviously not the brightest, as the simple expedient of calling ahead and making a reservation for six would have ensured no problems. © ja***1979 / Reddit

• You can’t always rock up to a restaurant with no reservation and expect a table of 6 to be available. One time a larger group came in. I offered to move because I was alone, and the restaurant refused. They said that those people should have made a reservation, and moving people cannot be seen as the norm. © Sea-Ad9057 / Reddit

• The family should have made a reservation so that the restaurant doesn’t have to move others around. I experienced such a situation when I went to the cinema with a friend. An employee made an offer to switch places so that a family could sit together. He offered us a free drink if we did it.
  We took the offer and moved to a different spot and got the free drink. But the situation in this post is different, because there was no incentive and OP had to give up his good place to sit somewhere less nice. © Jediknight3112 / Reddit

• My daughter has been a waitress for 18 years in fine dining establishments. She says the #1 rule as a server is that once a customer is seated, you never ask them to move. They can ask, but the server does not. This server was wrong to even suggest it. © Valuable-Release-868 / Reddit

• As a frequent single diner, I find it’s the mid-level restaurants where you get treated the worst. Fine dining has their act together and treats you well. The low-end chain restaurants usually have policies that would keep this from coming up.
  It’s the mid-level places that are fancier than chains but not fine dining that staff aren’t trained on how to handle this kind of thing, and there’s no corporate policy to fall back on. If the server really wanted you to change their seat, they should have offered to comp an appetizer or a dessert or something. © Novelsound / Reddit

• I traveled for many years and went out to eat solo. I noticed because it was a table for one, I was offered the table by the kitchen, near the bathroom or entrance. I guess they thought I would not complain, but I would ask for another table.
  Sometimes the host would be annoyed that I would not take the bad table and tell me I had to wait. I would wait, because a lot of times that was my entertainment for the evening. I was not going to eat pizza in my room or get take out.
  I got to expense a reasonable meal, and I liked trying unique restaurants in each area. My other pet peeve was they would say, “Just you?” or “Dining by yourself?” as if a table for one was not direct enough. If I was feeling ornery, I would say yes unless you want to join me. © Gallogator1 / Reddit

Life often tests our patience, resilience, and sense of fairness. Co-parenting demands balance, with both parents sharing responsibilities for their child’s well-being. But what if one prioritizes themself, leaving the other to bear the load alone? Read the heartbreaking story of a woman whose ex-husband chose his new family over their son.