Remote worker brings his camping chair to coffee shop after one regular customer keeps "reserving" half the seats for friends who never show up: 'Is your friend currently in this building?'

Author image for Celeste Mello
Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor
Sep 20, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

Coffee shops are public places, not private office reservations with espresso in the background. Everyone knows the rules. You buy coffee, find a seat, and act respectfully toward the rest of the customers. 

A Reddit user under the name Broccolibigboi commented on a coffee shop situation where being respectful wasn't exactly one of the rules. He has been going to the same small coffee shop near his apartment for a while as part of his routine. The problem was that one regular customer seemed to arrive earlier than him and take up more space than he actually needed. Every single day, he claimed half the seating for friends who may or may not appear sometime before closing time. His way of occupying empty seats for his friends was not the ordinary kind. He used backpacks, jackets, water bottles, an AirPod case, and one time, a banana. 

The original poster soon realized his friends were never showing up, and that the seats remained empty. At some point, he began to feel frustrated and confronted the compulsive seat-saver. He started by asking nicely if anyone was sitting there, where the friend was, and when they were arriving. That sounds like an interrogation, but the man had lots of questions at that point. The seat-saver acted annoyed and didn't say much. 

The only solution was for the remote worker to show up at the coffee shop the next day with a foldable camping chair. The matter escalated to the manager, and the seat-saver complained that he was making fun of him. It's funny how easily one can teach a lesson without arguing, but by making the other person feel ridiculous. 

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  • A remote worker settled into a coffee shop with his laptop and found the seating situation more complicated than his workday.
    via Unsplash+ (Jason Briscoe)

    A remote worker settled into a coffee shop with his laptop and found the seating situation more complicated than his workday.

    Not actual story subjects.

  • AITA for bringing my own chair to a coffee shop because one guy keeps saving six seats?

    I'm 25M and I work remotely a few days a week. There's a small coffee shop near my apartment that I go to pretty often.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • For the past couple months, this guy has been coming in early and "reserving" half the seating for his friends. By
    via Broccolibigboi
  • reserving, I mean he puts random stuff on chairs: a backpack on one, a jacket on another, a water bottle
    via Broccolibigboi
  • on another. One time, a banana. (I'M NOT KIDDING.) His friends usually don't show up for hours.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • Last week I came in and every table was taken except one two-person table where he had put an AirPod case on the
    via Broccolibigboi
  • empty chair. I asked if anyone was sitting there. He said, "Yeah, my friend." I asked where his friend was.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • Busy coffee shop full of customers, illustrating the limited seating that made a customer save chairs.
    via Unsplash+ (Robert Bye)

    Busy coffee shop full of customers, illustrating the limited seating that made a customer save chairs.

    Photo is a representation of scenes.

  • He said, "Coming." I asked when. He said, "Soon."
    via Broccolibigboi
  • I asked, "Is your friend currently in this building?" He looked annoyed and said no.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • So I sat down. He moved the AirPod case in front of me and said he was saving the seat. I moved it
    via Broccolibigboi
  • back. He moved it back again. This happened three times. Eventually I gave up and worked standing at the counter.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • That night I had a stupid idea. I own a folding camping chair. The next morning I brought it with me. Sure enough, he was
    via Broccolibigboi
  • there with his usual collection of objects occupying several chairs. I
    via Broccolibigboi
  • ordered my coffee, unfolded my camping chair next to a tiny side table, and started working.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • Man working at a tiny coffee shop table with a laptop and a drink.
    via Unsplash+ (Hidayat Abisena)

    Man working at a tiny coffee shop table with a laptop and a drink.

    Representative only.

  • A couple people laughed. One of the baristas laughed too. He asked if I was "seriously doing this." I said yes.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • He said I was making the place look ridiculous. I told him there would probably be more normal chairs available if his sweatshirt didn't need one.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • A few people laughed again. He got embarrassed and started moving his stuff.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • Yesterday, the manager pulled me aside because apparently he complained that I was publicly mocking him. The
    via Broccolibigboi
  • manager wasn't angry, but asked me not to bring the chair again because they don't want customers bringing furniture inside. Fair enough.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • The guy overheard the conversation, smiled at me, then immediately put his backpack on the empty chair next to him.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • I looked at the manager. The manager looked at the backpack. The guy looked at both of us. Nobody said anything.
    via Broccolibigboi
  • My friend says bringing furniture into a coffee shop just to make a point is unhinged. I maintain it was a peaceful protest. AITA?
    via Broccolibigboi
  • Grand-Fun-206 NTA This is great and more people should try this to show the fools just how idiotic they are.
    via Grand-Fun-206
  • DazzaFG Bring a different chair each you go, maybe one of those yoga balls just to go up a notch
    via DazzaFG
  • Shikyal NTA, on the other hand the manager/owner definitely is. And the other guy too.
    via Shikyal

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remote worker camping chair coffee shop entitled customers seat saving customer drama
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