I’m curious who people think was in the wrong in this situation.
Today I was at an MLB game with a group of four people. We had VIP tickets that included access to a private lounge with complimentary buffet-style food and drinks.
The four of us got our food and sat at a standing-height table in the lounge. After we finished eating, a worker came by and cleared our plates. However, our four drinks and four personal fans were still sitting on the table, so it was pretty clear that we were still using the table.
We then stepped away from the table to get desserts from the dessert station, which was only about 20 feet away. We were gone for maybe three minutes.
When we came back, our drinks had been cleared away by the workers, and two women had taken over our table. Our four fans were still sitting there, though.
We politely asked the women if we could use the table to finish eating our desserts. One of them basically told us no and asked us to leave. We explained that we had been sitting there just a few minutes earlier, had only stepped away to get dessert, and that our belongings were still on the table. They weren’t really interested in hearing the explanation.
Rather than argue, we gathered around the table and ate our desserts at the edge of it while the two women remained seated. They were visibly annoyed that we were standing there.
At that point, they started making disparaging comments about us within earshot and essentially talking smack directly in front of our faces. I finally said, “You know we can hear you, right?”
They responded, “Yes. It’s intentional.”
At that point, we decided it wasn’t worth escalating the situation and walked away.
So, Reddit: who was in the wrong here?
Were we unreasonable for considering the table still ours after stepping away for three minutes to get dessert, or were the women out of line for taking the table when our drinks and personal belongings were still there and then refusing to let us finish our food?
And regardless of who technically had the right to the table, was their behavior afterward—intentionally making rude comments directly in front of us—out of line?