Reposting in a different sub and with a throwaway with better wording.
At my school we have a booth seating area for students to eat, and I have first lunch with two friends. But we’ve consistently had a problem with a very large group of students who act bigger than they actually are. Specifically by clogging up the area by the booths, as it is also a hallway for students to get to class, but they’ll just stand there and act like fools and talk until the bell rings, because most of them don’t even have that lunch block.
There is this one girl who feels particularly entitled and chooses to set her Coach bag and sometimes other items on the table where I’m clearly sitting and eating, it has been really frustrating because it’s disrespectful and inconsiderate to my other friends.
Yesterday I told her to stop, saying: "no thank you. (I don’t sit here) I know, keep your stuff off the table (do you own the table?) No but it’s rude, you’re preventing my friends from getting in here (I don’t see them), He’s right behind you".
I don’t feel bad about standing up to myself but I have a feeling that she’ll do it again without caring, so I’m contemplating asking a hall monitor to stand nearby and stop her.
Am I the asshole?
Another note, I posted this in a different sub and got a lot of hate for something I thought would be important information but I know now that it’s not. So I may be the asshole on how I view the individuals involved, my views are influenced by frustration of disrespectful behavior.
Just tell her if she puts her coach bag on there again you’re gonna ‘accidentally’ spill food/drink on it. She won’t do it again.
NTA, next time warn her once, then act like the bag isn’t there. Perhaps “accidentally” spill a small something on it, or put your silverware on top of it. If she wants her stuff to be there she can learn why it shouldnt be
“Oh no, my chocolate milk spilled!” Or “Ooops, I think you dropped this!” and then move your stuff where her crap was.
Bring a box that says DONATION DRIVE on it. Put all her stuff in that box. When she goes to get it out, scream “Hey everyone she’s stealing from the donation box!!”
ESH – your friend can learn to say excuse me when people are in his way.
Are you a teacher? How big are these tables and how close are these things to you? We never expected to get a private table when I was in school. The fact you call it out as a coach bag makes me feel like you are partially angry because she has a bag and you don’t.
NTA: If you are sitting there and anyone who is not going to join you places their items on the booth table they are at least rude and perhaps playing a dominance game. If they don’t remove it when requested move it to an open table (or if feeling petty move it to the floor).
If they cant handle this theyll never survive the real world this is a non issue speak up and say something instead of running to reddit
NTA. Someone not sitting at the table shouldn’t just be leaving their stuff on it just because they don’t feel like holding it, especially when people need to use them for eating in a short span of time. I think what you said was totally fine.
I hope your friends also ask her if she can move her stuff when they reach the table, if it’s in their way. As people with a lunch period then they should have priority use of the tables.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if someone’s Slurpee spilled all over her expensive Coach purse?!
Some of these suggestions are ridiculous unless you want to get your ass kicked. I don’t see anything wrong with speaking to a monitor, but the monitor may tell you the same thing, you don’t own the table. Why can’t your friend just say “excuse me, I’m going to sit down.” Or, why don’t you put your bag there until your friend arrives?
If Coach girl doesn’t have lunch, won’t she have to move in a minute or so to get to class? This just seems like a big deal over nothing. ESH.
I’m sorry you don’t own the table it’s public communal property. Is it annoying? Sure. But she has every right as you do to use the table. YTA.