Gentle reader: This author has noted recently a certain breach of what he can only call common sense when it comes to waiting one’s turn at a busy café with counter ordering. Chances are that if a long line exists, you are in a popular place. In addition to the long line, there are often only a precious few open seats.
Mr. Manners understands the desire to claim one of these spaces for yourself before taking your place in the queue. Resist this temptation. It is possible that those waiting to reach the counter might also be waiting for a table. Having a member of your group–or worse, your personal items–squat in your stead is tantamount to skipping ahead of your fellow line-dwellers.
Find the nearest third grader and ask this dear child how he or she feels about those who “take cuts.” For some reason our society is able to teach this lesson before a child’s tenth birthday, yet grown adults cannot transpose this knowledge to obviously similar circumstances.
Gordon Gekko is not a role model, gentle reader. Greed is not good.
Thank you, masked stranger!
(all he left behind was this silver soup spoon)
Hmm…
While I normally devour everything you say with smiles and agreement, I’m wondering if I agree with this etiquette.
Personally, I’ve never felt it was “taking cuts” to grab a spot if you find one, regardless of your status in the ordering process. Especially in Oregon, it’s not uncommon to walk into a restaurant/business/coffee shop with a soaking wet jacket on, your laptop bag, possibly an umbrella or a hat you’ve just taken off, trying to pause your iPod and take out your earbuds, while fishing out your wallet. If you’re then expected to grab the coffee and muffin, I’m not sure it’s possible. At this point, is it still poor etiquette to go to an open table and disrobe the wet, heavy outerwear, while setting down your laptop bag/laptop/iPod/etc, and getting ready to make a purchase?
Also, today I was in Stumptown Downtown (3rd Ave) and there was a line out the door but several open seats. I grabbed a seat and worked for a few minutes while the line shortened, and then went up and bought my coffee. Was this “taking cuts?”
Does taking cuts only happen when there are limited seats available?
I have to say Adam, I’m a big fan of dumping my stuff, getting my work space organized and ready at the coffee shop of choice, then going and getting my cup of coffee. I hope it’s not offending you, but it’s my style. However, it’s still very possible I’m greedy… it just might not have anything to do with my lack of etiquette.
its the mix of sit-first and order-first that leads to one group feeling short changed. so i agree one system is better than two. i’m for the other system.
when there is a line, sit-first. when the line is small or gone, then order. you can leave your heavy items at the table, and take off your coat. once you’ve had that moment of relaxation you can join the line in a relaxed manner.
if everyone is sit-first, then its clear whether or not seating will be available and a build-up of people at the counter is avoided.
I haven’t actually found very many people who agree with me, so I’m surprised to have a couple guys I admire set me straight three years later.
I think Don is on to something about the mixtures of the two systems. When some people are waiting and others are pouncing, the waiters feel jilted by the pouncers.
Maybe I need to practice staking my claim. Maybe I need a little less patience. 🙂
The 24 Hour Hotcake House has the order first rule. A German friend told me that in Europe you always choose your seat first. I suppose if I have to choose between being like a greasy spoon or being European, I’ll take the latter.
These things have a way of working themselves out. If a popular coffee shop has too many people for the available seating, people migrate to new shops. If you compare the seat takers with the westward movement of the anglo Americans in the early 19th century you will see that selfishness has run rampant in society for a very long time…then again perhaps this is situation is being over evaluated? 🙂
European coffee shops almost always have table service, not counter service, so it’s not really fair to compare.
Cleaving the gap between Oregon and Europe is this fine East Coast. And out here the rule is simple, you order, then instigate a fight between a Yankee fan and a Red Sox fan. When they get arrested you take one of their spots.
This works in Eugene and Corvallis too.