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AITA for Refusing to Give Up Our Food Court Table? The other day, I took my 5- and 3-year-old to the mall. My husband had the car for work, so my brother dropped us off, and my husband was supposed to pick us up later.
After a couple of hours, the kids were worn out, and I was feeling pretty drained too. We decided to grab some fries and find a spot in the food court to wait for my husband, who ended up being delayed by an hour due to traffic. My younger one fell asleep in my arms, and I let my oldest watch something on my phone to pass the time.
When we first sat down, the food court was fairly empty, but it filled up quickly. A young woman and her mother approached us and asked if we were done with the table. I politely explained that we weren’t. The young woman seemed irritated, pointing out that we weren’t eating and had just been sitting there for 20 minutes. I apologized and suggested they look for another table. She then tried to guilt-trip me, saying her mother was elderly and tired, and that since my kids and I were still young, we should give up our table. I stood my ground and told her that, while I was sorry, we weren’t moving, and she should ask someone else.
She then came closer and started yelling about how disrespectful I was being to her sick mother. Her shouting scared my oldest and woke up my youngest, who had been peacefully napping. I immediately asked her to quiet down, explaining that she was frightening my kids. She rolled her eyes and retorted that being in public meant my kids didn’t have a right to be quiet. I responded by saying that she and her mother didn’t have a right to our table either.
A security guard eventually approached us after seeing the commotion. We both explained our sides, and he told the woman she was causing a disturbance. She left, but not before calling me rude and entitled. The security guard also mentioned that maybe I should have given up the table but acknowledged that it wasn’t his place to say and walked away.
When my husband finally arrived, he said I handled the situation well. However, his coworker, who was with him, privately commented that I couldn’t have been that tired and should have been more considerate of others. He argued that older people need to sit more than little kids—or even I do.
Just to clarify: The young woman and her mother didn’t have any food with them, and the table we were using was small, with just two chairs—one for my oldest and the other shared by my youngest. Also, I’ve been coming to this mall for years, and no one’s ever been asked to leave a table unless it’s closing time. It’s also a popular spot for teens to hang out.
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AITA for Refusing to Give Up Our Food Court Table?
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A woman recently took her two young children, ages 5 and 3, to the mall for an outing. Since her husband had the car for work, her brother dropped them off, and the plan was for her husband to pick them up later. After spending a few hours enjoying the mall, both the children and their mother were tired. They decided to grab some fries and find a spot in the food court to wait for her husband, who was delayed by traffic and would be an hour late.
Initially, the food court was relatively empty, but it soon became crowded. A young woman and her mother approached the family, asking if they were done with the table. The mother politely explained that they were still using it. The young woman grew irritated, pointing out that the family wasn’t actively eating and had been sitting there for 20 minutes. The mother apologized but suggested they find another table. The young woman then began to guilt-trip her, mentioning that her mother was elderly and tired, and insinuating that the family should give up the table because they were younger. The mother stood her ground, firmly stating that they would not be moving.
The situation escalated when the young woman started yelling about how disrespectful and rude it was to deny her sick mother a seat. Her outburst startled the older child and woke up the younger one, who had been napping. The mother asked her to lower her voice, explaining that she was scaring the children. The young woman dismissively responded that being in public meant the kids weren’t entitled to peace and quiet. The mother retorted that the young woman and her mother weren’t entitled to the table either.
A security guard eventually intervened, listening to both sides before telling the young woman that she was causing a disturbance. Though the young woman left, she called the mother rude and entitled as she departed. The security guard then commented that while he thought the mother should have given up the table, it wasn’t his place to insist, and he walked away.
Later, when the husband arrived, he supported his wife’s decision, but his coworker privately expressed that the mother should have been more considerate and given up the table, arguing that older people need to sit more than children or even adults. The family had been using a small table with two chairs, one for the older child and the other shared by the mother and the younger child, who was sleeping. Despite the tension, the mother stood by her decision, noting that the young woman and her mother didn’t even have any food and that no one had ever been asked to leave a table at that mall unless it was closing time.
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Totally agree momma with a napping kid won’t go anywhere. Nap time is sacred! However…. My teen and his clan would’ve scooted over for granny and talked her ear off! SHE would’ve been the one begging for a nap. 😂
That’s so funny I definitely would have asked the teens first. Real nicely say hey can my granny here sit with you she is so tired. They would have left. Mama with two kids one sleeping? She ain’t going nowhere…
Round_Guard_8540 Writes:
Old and sick people need things like clothes too. Maybe the mom needed a haircut. Maybe she wanted to buy gifts for her family for what is perhaps her last Christmas with them.
I don’t think this lady being at the mall should be seen as the problem here. Old, sick and disabled people deserve to be in public just as much as anyone else. They do not have the right to kick someone out of their seat unless it’s a designated handicap table, so OP is NTA. Especially since she had a sleeping child in her arms.
Movies always make random teens you don’t know bullies. The real world is nicer than most people realise.
Yeah I think the lady figured the teenagers would tell her to F off but the mom with kids would look for another place to sit.
I’m not sure why the screamy lady brought up the fact that OP and her kids were done eating when she and her mom didn’t have any food at all.
