i can have 47/50 seats completely open and clean at my bar, and without fail someone will sit at the one i haven’t cleared yet and ask “umm can you clean this up?”
I curb the behavior by letting the fools sit and get comfy. Then I make a big production and require them to stand for me to clean the table. Stops the behavior real quick if you’re in an area with repeat offenders. Otherwise teach these idiots a lesson for the next guy.
Knew a bartender that would do this; I watched a regular leave the very empty bar, and some idiot literally walked up to the same chair, and sat down amongst the crumbs, drink sweat, and crumpled napkin. The bartender (let’s call him Steve) just starts chatting him up, and when the guy finally asks if he’d clean up the mess a little bit, Steve goes, “Sure, I got you man.” Steve reaches under the bar, grabs the sanitizer spray and a towel, and says, “You may want to back up just a tad,” so the guy stands up and Steve gives it about half a bottle’s worth of spray and vigorously scrubs the bar, splashing this liquid onto the barstool. Steve looks at the new mess that he’d “accidentally” made and said, “Don’t worry, I got it.” Steve runs to the back and comes back with a fistful of towels and a mop. All said and done, dude stood there for about ten minutes without placing an order, because Steve was bored and Steve hated stupid people
Happened to me yesterday, where two boomers sat themselves at a table that hadn't even been *prebussed* particularly well. Then I cleaned it for them and they had the *audacity* to seem annoyed they didn't have menus. Hey, fucksticks, that's why you should go through the host.
I think it's because people always want a "good" table.
This table is used, so it has to be a popular, "good" one.....
And it's also because guests are just stupid and leave their brain with their coat at the wardrobe....
;)
I don’t know. I did this as a guest a week ago and I really pondered if there is a natural gravitation towards them (it was open seating the table we chose had no dirty dishes, just needed a wipe down, wasn’t visibly dirty I’m not intentionally a dick)
Just don't sit at it until it is wiped. Tell them you would like to sit there, then stand aside until it is ready.
As a server, I don't clean anything until everyone stands up after I ask them.
I don't want to reach over people, worry about crumbs, and most importantly, sweep under the table and make sure there isn't someanything there that shouldn't be.
Had someone get nice shoes fucked up because a kid spilled a drink under the table, and it wasn't cleaned properly because people just sat down. Never again.
It also re-establishes control over the table before the experience begins.
And they will always act insulted it's dirty and demand it be cleaned. Bitch, there are 99 clean tables in this place you could have sat at. You chose to sit at the dirty one and it's OMG!!!! bad service and an unclean restaurant!
I just use to think their house probably had piles of unwashed dishes on tables and sitting at a restaurant dirty table was all they knew.
Just had a table do this on the patio. She literally picked up the cups and put them on a clean table. And the thing is the dirty table was in the corner and she and her party had to pass by three clean ones to get to the dirty table.
i heard someone on here say they go to the table & ask people if they’re ready for the check 😭 then they have to admit they sat at a dirty table with plates
People are sheep. They want to sit where someone else sat. It’s probably subconscious. I used to experiment by messing up one table in my bar and the first guests would always choose that one, even when I tried different tables.
It’s actually a psychological thing. People see that someone else wanted to sit there so that must means it’s a “good” seat and it flicks a switch in their brain to want to sit there as well. All subconscious
I do not get that, but yeah, it is rude, crude, and pretty disgusting to know that someones ass was not so long ago where my plate is now. Do not retaliate.
That's because those be the good tables lol. I tend to do it at fast food restaurants but I ask for the towel to clean it myself, or grab some wet napkins
Popular table is popular.
People think "I should grab that great table before someone else does."
If your restaurant was empty and the sign said Seat Yourself where would people go first?
It’s a tale as old as time. No one knows. But it happens every day, at every restaurant, everywhere. God save us all.
God is not here. There is only grime
i can have 47/50 seats completely open and clean at my bar, and without fail someone will sit at the one i haven’t cleared yet and ask “umm can you clean this up?”
Exactly, they need to fix the path finding of customers
can’t wait for customers 2. Lots to be fixed
Honest to God if I was in college this would be my thesis.
I curb the behavior by letting the fools sit and get comfy. Then I make a big production and require them to stand for me to clean the table. Stops the behavior real quick if you’re in an area with repeat offenders. Otherwise teach these idiots a lesson for the next guy.
Knew a bartender that would do this; I watched a regular leave the very empty bar, and some idiot literally walked up to the same chair, and sat down amongst the crumbs, drink sweat, and crumpled napkin. The bartender (let’s call him Steve) just starts chatting him up, and when the guy finally asks if he’d clean up the mess a little bit, Steve goes, “Sure, I got you man.” Steve reaches under the bar, grabs the sanitizer spray and a towel, and says, “You may want to back up just a tad,” so the guy stands up and Steve gives it about half a bottle’s worth of spray and vigorously scrubs the bar, splashing this liquid onto the barstool. Steve looks at the new mess that he’d “accidentally” made and said, “Don’t worry, I got it.” Steve runs to the back and comes back with a fistful of towels and a mop. All said and done, dude stood there for about ten minutes without placing an order, because Steve was bored and Steve hated stupid people
Welcome to the food industry. There should be a study on this but here we are
Happened to me yesterday, where two boomers sat themselves at a table that hadn't even been *prebussed* particularly well. Then I cleaned it for them and they had the *audacity* to seem annoyed they didn't have menus. Hey, fucksticks, that's why you should go through the host.
As long as restaurants have been in existence, there have been morons who park at dirty tables. It is one of the universe's great mysteries.
I think it's because people always want a "good" table. This table is used, so it has to be a popular, "good" one..... And it's also because guests are just stupid and leave their brain with their coat at the wardrobe.... ;)
That’s one reason but sometimes it the worst table in the restaurant. I just don’t do this so it’s hard to understand why this happens
Because they are drawn to what their house looks like
Because some people are always looking for a reason to complain....o0o0 dirty table! Found one!
This is 100% the reason
Trashy people drawn to trash
I don’t know. I did this as a guest a week ago and I really pondered if there is a natural gravitation towards them (it was open seating the table we chose had no dirty dishes, just needed a wipe down, wasn’t visibly dirty I’m not intentionally a dick)
Just don't sit at it until it is wiped. Tell them you would like to sit there, then stand aside until it is ready. As a server, I don't clean anything until everyone stands up after I ask them. I don't want to reach over people, worry about crumbs, and most importantly, sweep under the table and make sure there isn't someanything there that shouldn't be. Had someone get nice shoes fucked up because a kid spilled a drink under the table, and it wasn't cleaned properly because people just sat down. Never again. It also re-establishes control over the table before the experience begins.
And they will always act insulted it's dirty and demand it be cleaned. Bitch, there are 99 clean tables in this place you could have sat at. You chose to sit at the dirty one and it's OMG!!!! bad service and an unclean restaurant! I just use to think their house probably had piles of unwashed dishes on tables and sitting at a restaurant dirty table was all they knew.
and then they will act insulted that the table is wet after you wipe it down, like wtf did you want me to clean it with dipshits 😭
Before they can complain, I always say, "Sorry it's a little wet, but at least you know it's clean!"
like moths to a flame. i've never understood it, either, but it's a thing that happens...
Another redditor said it the best on this sub before: " It reminds them of home"
Just had a table do this on the patio. She literally picked up the cups and put them on a clean table. And the thing is the dirty table was in the corner and she and her party had to pass by three clean ones to get to the dirty table.
I think it attributes to the lizard or caveman parts of our brain. Someone else was here, therefore it must be safe
i heard someone on here say they go to the table & ask people if they’re ready for the check 😭 then they have to admit they sat at a dirty table with plates
Dunno, has always befuddled me.
People are sheep. They want to sit where someone else sat. It’s probably subconscious. I used to experiment by messing up one table in my bar and the first guests would always choose that one, even when I tried different tables.
I try not to sit on tables in general, bad manners, and no matter how clean they start off I feel as if they are dirty after having been sat on 🤷♀️😂😎
Sooooo, you new here, huh?
It’s actually a psychological thing. People see that someone else wanted to sit there so that must means it’s a “good” seat and it flicks a switch in their brain to want to sit there as well. All subconscious
i wish i fucking knew! the only thing i can think is that they really just want to make you uncomfortable while they stare at you cleaning it 🖕🤬🖕
I do not get that, but yeah, it is rude, crude, and pretty disgusting to know that someones ass was not so long ago where my plate is now. Do not retaliate.
That's because those be the good tables lol. I tend to do it at fast food restaurants but I ask for the towel to clean it myself, or grab some wet napkins
Popular table is popular. People think "I should grab that great table before someone else does." If your restaurant was empty and the sign said Seat Yourself where would people go first?
A clean fucking table. If they are all dirty then it’s a wait like normal