Disgruntled 70-year-old tries to kick customer out of their rightful seat because it's "his" table: 'I always sit here!'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jul 17, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

It's remarkable how many customers think they are in charge of the places they regularly frequent. Of course, if you're a regular, you often get some sort of special treatment. Baristas might have your coffee order memorized, the staff at a given place might know you by name, and they might even be able to ask about certain areas of your life. Still, at the end of the day, customers are customers—not owners—and regulars are not entitled to more than your average customer.

In this instance, we have a disgruntled customer who thought he was entitled to the same table every single time he came by for coffee and a pastry. If you've seen the movie As Good As It Gets, picture Jack Nicholson's character. This author found themselves in an uncomfortable predicament when they sat down at the old man's table while waiting for their friend to arrive. Unfortunately for the author, the old man decided that this was the perfect opportunity for him to throw a temper tantrum, even though there was another perfectly acceptable and free table nearby. Let's be real: the stubborn guy simply wanted to start drama. Keep scrolling below to see how the author stood their ground, and stay tuned for the awkward moment following the encounter when the author's friend finally arrived.

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    Cheezburger Image 10530856448
    via Unsplash+ (Brooke Cagle)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Just when the author thought their friend missed the entire encounter, she showed up and loudly asked who the guy was, not realizing that he was sitting right at the adjacent table. It's one of those moments in life that feels like it's worthy of a sitcom. You just can't make it up!

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    "Entitled retiree usually sits there"

    This morning I had an early morning coffee with a friend before work. Beat her by a few minutes so got my drink and went to one of the two tables out the front of this place to wait for her.
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    The table on the right was occupied by an older gentleman reading the paper so I took the other on the right. A few minutes later a man I'd place in his 70's (Old Man) comes up to the table,
    via yeahsureican
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    kinda looks at me, and then pulls out one of the three seats at my table. I look up politely and say: "oh sorry, I have someone joining me." He stares at me for a beat, so being the anxiousy person I am I say "you're welcome to join us if you want."
    via yeahsureican
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    Old Man scoffs at me with a chuckle, makes eyes at the older gentleman sitting at the other table and says "I'm amused that you think you're giving me permission to sit at this table. I always sit at this table."
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    I respond "oh so you have like a dibs on it?" Old Man stares at me, then the other old man with the paper who I guess HE KNEW,
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    goes "you can sit here, I'm off anyway." Old Man sits and glares at me. Is shortly joined by a few other people who I guess are all regulars/know each other.
    via yeahsureican
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    Thankfully, my friend arrived a few minutes later and sets her stuff down and goes to get her drink. I hear Old Man murmuring/criticising me for taking "his" table. I text my friend
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    the drama and pretend to be engrossed in my phone. God bless her silly socks, she comes out and goes, "which old guy!?
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    The one inside?!" I just laughed awkwardly and indicated with my head the guy at the table next to us who definitely overheard and got huffy.
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    Whatever, we had our coffee catch up and went on with our day but I was like THE ENTITLEMENT. Are Old Mates okay? Sorry I sat at the availble table.
    via yeahsureican
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    Cheezburger Image 10530863104
    via Yerling Villalobos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 13
    Bobby2unes • 19h ago He was probably an entitled when he was younger too.
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    brentsg • 19h ago Let the business owners know that the "regulars" are running off new customers and leave.
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    Javaman1960 15h ago • Old people don't become mean. Mean people get old.
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    walkermy ⚫ 19h ago You and your friend should have just picked the table up and left with it
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    Lopsided Victory7... 18h ago • The old guy was almost certainly a failure the whole of his adult life
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    Admirable Summ... 15h ago . About 20 or so years ago I was working in a hospital and a group of retired doctors had lunch there
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    every day. These guys were easily in their 70's. They would have a complete meltdown if someone was sitting at "their" table in the cafeteria dining area. Didn't matter if it was a visitor or an employee. They would walk up to the table and tell them to move.
    via yeahsureican
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    erlosungle ⚫ 18h ago 70 something isn't near old enough to have dropped out of society... he's a jo
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    Topic Pretend4161 · 19h ago Lol. . Chalk it up to a crotchety gent behaving poorly. But the fact that your homie came out and blurted out that statement makes this a hilarious interaction
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    LoneR33GTS • 13h ago I have a place I go to for breakfast every day. I have 'my' booth. On the off chance someone has managed to beat me there and take it, I sit somewhere else. This old man can figure it out. That old man should be able to, too.
    via yeahsureican

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customer service coffee shop customers entitled people karma coffee old people funny entitled people
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