How do you choose a seat in an empty restaurant?
 

I always eat alone. I always have either a stack of work, a book or a week's worth of newspapers. I always pick the very most remote seat because I want a bit of peace...and, frankly, I'd rather not see happy families and loving couples when I'm alone. (Nothing wrong with either, per se, but I'm widowed and traveling alone perpetually.)

So why - in an utterly empty restaurant with 100 tables - do noisy families always come sit by me? Not one-table-away: next table. (I'm speaking mainly of places where people choose their own seats, but sometimes a maitre'd or host will seat families in the same fashion.)

In my current locale (in the U.S.), this has happened virtually without exception. And here, the families are big. I could ask to be re-seated (hassle); sometimes I ask the waiter/tress to wrap it "to go".

Am I missing a clue here? Should I be leaving a copy of some child-unsuitable magazine open on my table?

Well that's strange. While I have often experienced a cluster of seated tables in an otherwise empty restaurant, 100% of the time that is the restaurant's doing, which wants to seat people together in the interests of wait staff. "Open sections" and "closed sections," as it were.

But I've never, ever seen this happen when people seat themselves. It just seems human nature to leave at least one unit's space between you and another group or person, when the space is available. (In a restaurant, the unit is a table; in other places such as say a classroom or public transportation, the unit is a seat).

People ALWAYS use the "buffer unit." In my experience. Perhaps you smell particularly good or are particularly attractive, and people want to sit next to you.

When you sit down let the waiter know you prefer some privacy and distance to other patrons. It might be they just seat people close to you to not make you feel that lonely even though that's what you would prefer?

Maybe slipping a few dollars to the host will get the point across?

I would probably also trying to find a corner table and sit with my back to the rest of the restaurant.

I do the same, but the opposite. Find a corner table but sit with my back to the wall. I like to see the room. No ambushes.

If in a casual restaurant, I will choose a seat near the fountain soda machine.... I like a lot of refills on my Diet Coke! :)

If it is remote so I can read.... even better!

Sounds like being near the restroom would be better still!

even if youre as far from entrance as possible?

anthropologists will have a term for the behavior

technically its also easier for the restaurant staff

Empty restaurant, not around here. If I have a choice seat in the rear back to the wall.

Some related discussion:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/...e-next-me.html

:)

You do realized that you have actively selected the section of noisy and big families with kids right? Seriously, that's where big family preferred to go and be seated.. at the back in the corner, so they could be left alone and the kids could run around.

Funny..... I can hold my Diet Coke pretty well! :)

The one with the best light, for my Instagram pic.

If the restaurant has a quiet bar, I'll ask if I can take my meal there. But generally, I prefer facing out into the room, back to the corner, unless there are windows, then as close to the window corner as possible.

If there's no one in the restaurant, I take the view it can't be any good, so I simply find a better one.