I don't usually condone thread necromancy like this but one son of a ***** really got my goat today and I feel a mini-rant coming on.
I had a long break between lectures today, and my friend fancied a milkshake, so we figured we would grab one from a coffee shop in the town, sit outside and wile away a couple of hours chatting. We weren't there more than fifteen minutes, just sitting and talking while she enjoyed her coconut flavoured beverage, when a small, skinny middle aged table cleaner walked over and asked "Could I get you anything?"
I figured he was just being polite, but when I politely declined his offer of anything from the shop, he responded with "Well you're going to have to leave, those seats are for paying customers only." A little bemused I replied "Yes well my friend has something, and she isn't finished yet." He acknowledged this and still insisted that I left the outdoor premises immediately.
I was feeling fairly annoyed at this point, partly because of his passive aggressive and frankly stupid attitude, and partly because there were a couple of other people sat around us also not consuming the shops products and he had not taken any notice of them whatsoever. I frequently visit this coffee shop as well, and nobody has ever had a problem with me sitting there while a friend drinks a cup of late or whatever.
Being the stubborn git I am, I just said I would move and when he was gone planned to continue my conversation for a little longer, then leave when my friend had finished her milkshake. A minute or two later the dishwasher lackey with a chip on his shoulder returned to our table, with a re-introductory statement of "I thought I told you you couldn't sit here." to which I stated my intentions to leave once my friend was done. Seemingly ever the pompous prick, this guy then goes and gets the shopping centre security to come and remove me.
What the hell!? Needless to say I was pretty much forced to leave at that point and feeling pretty incensed, but what does this toss rag expect me to do? Stand next to my friend while she is drinking, as three perfectly good vacant chairs stand idle around the table? If a woman with a baby comes in and buys a single cup of coffee then goes, sits down and puts her baby in a chair, would he make her put it on the floor because the baby did not purchase a drink? The seating area was 60% empty and there were people sitting with bags on chairs also, so it's not as if the seats were needed for customers.
That power tripping dumb ass was probably just getting a kick out of being able to tell people what to do in his minimum wage dead end job.
Needless to say I'm going back there on Monday, and if he says anything I'm going to go kick off at him and/or snap him like a twig.