Saving Seats Gracefully

Seating in a cafe is usually based upon one's arrival. Unfortunately, I discovered recently , that it is not always known to be so. After our very early morning walk along the sea, it has become a daily practice for my companion and I to take coffee at a small local establishment that serves, not the franchised coffees, but their own wonderful version of local ones.  The outdoor seating offers a view of the ocean and street. It's a popular spot for a pleasant mug and chat. The first time we arrived, a large group of about ten were seated at one end of the deck that usually has three small tables and two chairs each, along its modest length. The large group had absconded all of the tables and chairs and fit them together at one end for their use. Not knowing any other course, seeing a space, we asked the owner it we might take a table to the spare open space left. He said. of course. When I dragged the metal table to the spot, the seated group made comments about the noise of the process which was unavoidable. I joked back with them. During the course of the weeks that followed, the group which met daily in the morning, expanded their area and took up all of the space at the front deck. They saved numerous empty chairs for their companions not yet there. In the beginning, I saw nothing wrong with it, but as the days went by and the side deck that was set in the hot sun while the front space was shaded, the situation seemed unfair to me. When over half the chairs were being saved empty for other members of the group to arrive, all the other customers had to find seating either inside or in the hot sun. It truly was unfair, but I said nothing so to avoid conflict. This morning, weeks later, lo and behold, the front deck was open and available to anyone who passed by. I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a table and view on the front deck. As I sugared my latte, one of the large group members, stopped me and said that his fellows were sitting at the side now. I nodded, but he proceeded to go on about their relocation. He behaved as though I was one of the offending sorts that caused them to have to move. He also informed me that they used to sit in another similar cafe, but that there were no longer seats together for their group. They, he said,  had come here. I nodded again and remarked that it must be very nice for them. He told me they had a tradition of sitting in the front deck spot, but that today they would sit on the side deck. The reason I mention it at all, is that such groups begin to consider public places as ones deemed theirs by regular use, and that others who enter such spaces are interfering on their territory. They save empty chairs which is incorrect.  Today,  I went to sit with my companion on the front deck. We thoroughly enjoyed the view as did others who came along. It is our wish that tomorrow we can find  empty chairs again.