saving seats etiquette

[theresa]

My kids take skiing lessons, dh and I watch from the chalet. Dh saw a table, there were no people at it. It was a table of 8 chairs. Six of the chairs looked saved (had coats on chair or had something on the table). Two chairs had nothing on them or in front of them. We sat there.

Dh went to do something. I was at the table. A lady comes over and says "I had saved this table, people are going to be coming in soon." I guess they were on the slopes. At this point I had been at the table for about 20 minutes. I said "oh, these chairs didn't have any jackets on them, they didn't look taken". Then I ignored her and went about my business. She looked very angry and took all the stuff of the table and went somewhere else.

I was caught off guard and didn't know what to say. Who was rude?

[HermioneGranger]

If they wanted to "save" the two empty seats, someone from their party should have stayed there and kept an eye on them, now shouldn't they?     You didn't do anything wrong.  She was just ticked that you wouldn't back down. 

[Brentwood]

I think you were fine. I think it was terribly rude of her to expect to save an entire table indefinitely while her party was out skiing - if she or any other member of her party had actually been SITTING there, that would be one thing, but to monopolize an empty table was rude.

[HorseFreak]

I HATE it when people throw their stuff all over the tables in ski lodges then go to the slopes for the day. I *will* move stuff out of the way so I can read during a break or eat my lunch. Space is limited, there are lockers for rent, and it is REALLY hard to walk in ski boots and not trip over the crap people throw everywhere like their personal living rooms.

[Lisbeth]

I tend to feel that "saving seats" for people who are not there is rude.

If the people that you're saving them for have already arrived and are in the bathroom or something, that's one thing and I'll respect it.  But if they're not there, and there are no other seats available, I'll take the empty seats.

[buckeyefan]

The same thing happens on cruise ships.  People will put their towels/shoes/shirts on a lounge chair then disappear for hours.

It's so annoying.

[Bijou]

My kids take skiing lessons, dh and I watch from the chalet. Dh saw a table, there were no people at it. It was a table of 8 chairs. Six of the chairs looked saved (had coats on chair or had something on the table). Two chairs had nothing on them or in front of them. We sat there.

Dh went to do something. I was at the table. A lady comes over and says "I had saved this table, people are going to be coming in soon." I guess they were on the slopes. At this point I had been at the table for about 20 minutes. I said "oh, these chairs didn't have any jackets on them, they didn't look taken". Then I ignored her and went about my business. She looked very angry and took all the stuff of the table and went somewhere else.

I was caught off guard and didn't know what to say. Who was rude?

Good handling of a very irritating situation.

[Raintree]

I can see saving seats when some of the people are still in the cafeteria getting their food. But when they haven't come in from skiing yet? Forget it!!!!

[theresa]

Thank you all for the responses. It was an awkward situation and I didn't know if I could have better handled it. Thanks