Over the Monday of the New Year's long weekend, a friend and I decided to go to a movie. Expecting the movies to be quite busy we purchased our tickets two hour in advance, anticipating returning to the movies an hour before the movie started to line up for seats. We proceeded to visit the large coffee chain in the neighboring Chapters book store while we waited. We walked up to the cash and purchased two large specialty beverages and a snack. When we received the drinks, she and I began to look around for a table. The Chapters was packed, but there had been a minimal line at the coffee shop in front of us, so who was using all of the tables? As we looked around we noticed many tables where one or two people sat surrounded by a mountain of un-purchased Chapters books, and no coffee, beverage, or snack.

At some tables we even saw parents sitting with several children, all surrounded by un-purchased books and no beverages. Fifteen (15) minutes later we were able to secure a table, but as we walked over, a father who had already claimed a table and two chairs for himself and his daughter (who had not made any purchases) took the two chairs from our table. We looked at him puzzled and expressed our desire to sit. He explained that he was waiting for two friends, and that he had been waiting for the man to leave to get the two chairs. We proceeded to look for chairs while we placed our cups and snack down on the table. Many people had empty chairs at their table, and would simply not share, insisting a friend was using it and would be back shortly.

I was surprised as we searched for almost another ten (10) minutes before we were able to get two chairs, both of which were given to us begrudgingly by other patrons. I was surprised that the coffee shop was not more attentive to the issue, and I was even more surprised by the total lack of consideration by many of the other patrons (or I guess loiters, since they weren't buying anything). By the way, the father's two friends showed up almost 35 minutes later as we left the coffee shop.

Is this a customer service issue? Should there be a limit for loiterers?