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How dare someone my child's age ask ME of all people to move. THE AUDACITY

it's like you were there! 😂

I would have been tempted to move to a different table and mutter loudly how old people refuse to respect people's space. But I like your way too! Plus you got there first. 

I could almost hear that tone of voice,

Lucky. I DID hear it

This is phenomenal insight. I think if we looked at most boomer situations like this, a lot would make sense...

oooh dang some clouds have definitely parted

Reminds me of the time i was grabbing some lunch in the food court of a mall i once worked in. It had already been a long day and i was hoping for some peace and quiet for an hour or so. The food court was fairly empty, so I grabbed my food and headed for a small table in the corner... and no sooner do i sit down does the tackiest old lady youve ever seen approaches OL: "do you mind if i sit with you, im waiting on a friend" Me: "yes, i do actually. I was looking to eat my lunch undisturbed" OL: "well you look lonely, so ill keep you company" and proceeds to sit her ass down anyway At this point i got up, gathered my lunch, and said "i literally just told you i dont want your company, how hard is that to understand?!" and went all the way out to my car instead. Like, why bother asking if you were just going to invade my space anyway?!

Like nah, ma'am, YOU'RE lonely. Don't project on the rest of us!

God damn, I wish I had the balls you guys do. I would have just been like "sure, knock yourself out" even though I prefer to be alone. I had this lonely old women who lived next to me and she would drag me into these looping conversations (she was senile) while I was trying to take my dog out.

I totally get this. I have this suspicion that if i said no more often or said what i really feel the universe would be angry with me and treat me worse lol like i have to be a door mat to have good things happen to me.

I think you might want to unpack this. You absolutely do not have to be a doormat.

I work in retail, dealing with people like this every day all day. That job was no different. Ill be damned if im going to sacfrice the one moments peace i get all day to deal with some bullshit like that

Ugh. I wished I’d been this brave. I was at a free professional lunch ( rarely ever happens) and was just excited to have some quiet kid free time. “Luckily” another women said she saw me eating alone and came to keep me company. Yay. My free lunch, mini break turned into an hour of awkward, forced small talk - while I ate a messy burger feeling awkward because I now needed to eat it politely and daintily while making said small talk.

I (F) was hiking in the Rocky Mountains and sat down in a huge open meadow and some guy sat down a few feet from me in an empty, hundreds-of-square-feet area. I got up and left.

this happened to my husband and i on a beach in new jersey a few years ago. it was a pretty remote beach, all the way at the bottom of the state. almost no one there. the next closest people to us were 100ft in either direction. we had a small sun shelter and two very large dogs with us. and two families arrived BY BOAT and parked their boat directly in front of us, and then got off the boat and set up 10ft away from us. we could barely see details of the next closest people but these ones set up right next to us. two families with small children, and we were two obviously gay men with very large dogs, and we were smoking. plus it was during covid. so many reasons to give space, aside from the fact it was a nearly empty beach. we immediately were like “why are you sitting right next to me? this whole beach is empty and you pick 10ft away from us?” and they acted like we were in the wrong. i had to ask where the fuck they were from that sitting right next to someone on an empty beach wasn’t weird and rude as hell. and why they would want their small children anywhere near our giant (very friendly, but still) dogs. they still insisted that we were the weird ones. they ended up moving another 10ft away, and then complained to eachother about us smoking, being in very short trunks, and our dogs, who were asleep anyways. so every time they complained to eachother we made sure to directly tell them they were free to move literally anywhere else on the empty beach but we wouldn’t be so they have to deal. eventually they left, by boat of course

Good for you for calling them out.

I wish you would have said, "Oh, btw, we're a couple of gay nudists. You might want to set your camp up a bit further away since we're about to shed our tiny trunks. Also, these dogs tend to think kids are just large treats."

Yeah, that was a missed opportunity to have some mischievous fun with them.

I’m so in awe of your balls. I cannot stand this and I swear I’m a magnet for people coming right next to me in a near empty anything. Usually I get up and move and then they apologize and I say ‘’no no don’t worry” etc. But just….why???

[удалено]

Lol

The bears tend to give you a VERY wide berth - they just want to be left alone as well

Yes, I was just thinking this!! How many times I would be somewhere, like in a graduate program library for instance, and there is no one there because it is like 7 pm on a FR night and it's the LAW library and everyone else is home having a normal life. Then sure enough, in comes a man and sits at the end of the relatively short table where I am sitting with all my molecular bio stuff spread out and proceeds to just stare at me. I said, I am working here do you mind? Finally I just had to gather up ALL my materials and go and sit at one of the 25 other empty tables in the library. Being female is a full time job for sure.

This really struck home. It IS a full time job. Like when you have some guy sitting next to you on a plane taking up your leg space, or just trying to grocery shop. They are ALWAYS in your personal space. Like, give me some space! I don't know you.

Cannot stand how man monopolize you’re leg and armrest space without a literal thought or care in the world

Ha ha!! they monopolize the world is why, maybe. : ) You are right tho -

Ya that’s probably it. How can you be touching another persons entire side of their body and not be soooo awkward? I’ll never know.

Ugh. Yes.

This drives me nuts, when people park RIGHT NEXT to your car when the lot is empty, or sit at your table when there are others open, or take the treadmill right next to you when they’re are tons free. Like why don’t you want space my friend?!?!

Ugh the treadmill thing. I lived in an apartment for a year and I stopped using the workout room because every time I did, without fail, this one guy would show up and insist on using the treadmill right next to me and trying to talk to me. I'm pretty sure his apartment balcony overlooked the workout room entrance because it was like clockwork. I'm not interested. I let him know I'm not interested. It made zero difference. I'm not even good looking! I'm fat and have terrible teeth, but that didn't stop this guy. He was going to talk to me no matter what. Headphones, book right in front of my face as I'm trudging along - didn't matter. UGH that guy.

Are you me? Had the same problem as well. I was seriously thinking about just paying for a gym membership just to avoid *that* guy.

Where do they all come from? Are there vats growing them somewhere, and releasing them out into the world periodically to attempt to breed like some kind of awkward human cicada?

Upvoted for "human cicada".

Way better movie than human centipede lol

I googled the pics.... Kinda meh.

Yes. The answer is YES. Not a conspiracy "theory". Just an actual conspiracy.

it may have simply been “I can make myself feel important and feel less lonely if I can make this random person talk to me.” And you know he’s defined you as “someone he knows” and not “a total stranger.”

Ahh from the ones who religiously taught stranger danger and now they're touching children and imposing everywhere they go.

That's the answer!  I'm not allowed to talk to strangers.  Why are you still talking to me, are you one of those creepy groomers my grandpa keeps talking about? 

Yesss

A woman used to do this to me at the gym I go to until one day I just sighed and kinda loudly complained “oh my godddddd!” and dramatically turned off my treadmill and moved. She hasnt done it again

When reading the OP, I was thinking that the Boomer was a creeper too. I was wondering how old OPs daughter is. Why else do you sit at the same table as people you do not know when there are empty tables?

I was wondering the same. With older folks it’s hard to tell. They have that weird kind of creeper OR entitlement switch thing with them.

I think it's weird too but then I find myself always noticing people just beeline towards the only other people around. Idk why as it's very annoying as someone who likes to be left alone. I've had similar encounters maybe not with someone sitting at my table, but it could he a bunch of tables in one area all empty and people will sit at the table directly next to you. Empty movie theater? People will come sit directly in front or behind you so you can hear everything they're saying. You pull up clearly to park away from everyone and yet someone pulls in right next to you (I've had this happen while I'm still in the car and wanting to just sit there, then the car pulls up and that person also proceeds to just sit in the car next to you). I think it's some subconscious thing a lot of people do.

Ok the car thing. Yes. All the time. I worked for years in the community so my breaks were in my car. I’d always purposely find the most secluded parking spot I could but probably 1/3 or the time someone else would pull up - sometimes directly in front facing you - to sit and eat as well. Like wtf? You drive over to this isolated area but then park right besides me?? It’s so awkward. I’d always drive away and I swear they’d sometimes be weirded out or offended I was leaving.

Dont say anything to him, just move to another treadmill. He will get the hint

No, he never did. It was a small apartment workout room, so only 2 of everything. He'd follow me from spot to spot. If I went to the ellipticals, he'd go to the elliptical next to me. If I moved to the bikes he'd go to the bike next to me. He may have just been autistic or something but he was a lot bigger than me and it was only ever the two of us in there (NOBODY used that room) and it was just too uncomfortable. Plus he was obviously never dressed for a workout, just came over in whatever he was wearing. He'd be stumbling along on the treadmill in flip-flops. It just got "not worth it" and I started walking at work instead.

I would’ve changed machines. And then when he followed gone back to the original. Then back to the other one. Then “if it isn’t clear I’m trying to get away from you, please stop following me.”

I didn't want to risk escalating anything when isolated with a big guy. I was also recovering from a surgery so I felt extra vulnerable. I probably could have just reported him to the office but I just didn't want the hassle or to risk the guy getting mad and following me to my apartment or something. Just not worth it.

This is harassment.

It is, unfortunately, something that has probably happened to every woman at least once.

Wow. Creepy.

I have ONLY done this in the winter if you can't see the lines. I'll use another car as reference and 'hope' that others do as well to create a pseudo organized parking lot. Always kinda funny when the snow melts to see how far off we were...even though we're all in nice rows and things.

There's also the dudes that will pee at the urinal right next to you when theres 5 open ones

 If I were a dude I’d just start staring and even making comments. Make them the most uncomfortable they could be for that nonsense! Gross.

Every time I consider doing something like this, my brain suddenly flooded with images of all the ways it could backfire.

Just gotta commit to out-weirding them! lol

Ohhh. What did your physician say about that?

Or you could "accidentally" piss on their shoes 🤮😈

Oops 🫢

And they could do the same tho

That's when I'll actually say something, like, "Really?? Why are you trying to look at my dick?" As I make eye contact and dead glare at them. IDK WTF is wrong with idiots who do that. They just love to violate space, apparently.

How can someone break the unspoken rule

Or use the self-checkout next to yours when there are 10 or 12 others free. (There must be some psychological reason for this clustering - I live near a 200-acre park and, more often than not, people lying on the grass are mostly in one corner of it).

While tapping there foot

Yeah this pisses me off too. Totally empty parking lot but no you must park right next to me.  The only thing worse is when people do that on an otherwise empty beach and bring a fuckin radio.

> The only thing worse is when people do that on an otherwise empty bach  Yes! Or try to setup a picnic right next to you in a totally Chopin field

Ah, the Chopin Field.. I hear it rings with music.

It does. Very few can Handel it though

Ugh! I can't even Liszt all the ways this behavior irritates me.

I always tell them to “Schumann!”

Oops haha

Based on all the negative reaction comments towards the "clumping" phenomenon, I think I've finally found my tribe! https://i.redd.it/w2saoojtqd5d1.gif

My two pet peeves. You don’t have to be rightnexttome in the parking lot or treadmill!!

Minimum one treadmill in between, more if you can manage it.

I honestly need to know why people do this??? I literally scan every environment I enter for the best, most well spaced spot. How are people like this so oblivious??? Honestly? Why do they often act shocked or apologetic when you go to move? Like really? You didn’t notice how supremely uncomfortable this makes me/ others??

I went to a completely empty food court with a friend of mine, and we sat down to eat food. This lady walked in and sat directly next to us, despite possibly 100 open tables, and she didn't even have food. So it's not like she came from the restaurant right next to us or something. She just walked up and sat and read books behind us. It was uncomfortable, we're both very unsocial people.

Security making sure you weren't plotting anything nefarious.

I hate that too. What irritates me is I park in an empty area, then come back out and there are trucks/SUVs parked next to me. I drive a sedan. I can’t see around those vehicles unless I pull out slowly.

Parking right next to your car in an empty lot is a HOSTILE move

Happened to me today. Why???

I think our family must have the worst luck in the world when it comes to car parks at supermarkets. The vast majority of the time that we're leaving to pack our bags in the boot, someone coming out of the store at the same time goes to the car next to us or one over. It's very peculiar, and it keeps happening.

>when people park RIGHT NEXT to your car when the lot is empty Then they leave you 12 degrees clearance while you're trying to balance six gifts and wearing a top hat. You have to bend your knees and enter the car spread eagle. Entering like that runs the risk of serious pelvic injury from the steering wheel, and your back is not meant for getting in the car this way. The solution is to park at the far end of the lot. Your back and pelvis will thank you, and the walk will do you good.

They’ll find you out there too!! (Before i became physically disabled i would ALWAYS park in the ass end of the parking lot away from everyone, but every damn time I’d walk back to my car there’d be at least ONE person parked way too close to my door. Just WHY???)

It’s a stupid brain psychology thing - humans naturally gravitate to what they see other people doing, it’s like an instinctual thing so most don’t even realize that they’re doing it

It's totally rational, actually. Seeing others do something is evidence that that thing is safe and proper, whereas doing something nobody else is doing could be dangerous or wrong. Pretty low-level heuristic buried deep in our lizard brains, I suspect.

Anyone who’s worked at a gas station can confirm. You can have zero customers for an hour.. then one shows up and every pump is full in the next 2 minutes. I always attributed it to people noticing other people pumping gas and that triggering a ‘oh yea, I need gas too’ thought.. but that’s pure conjecture.

Ive always called this convenience store syndrome - you walk into a totally empty store to buy one item and by the time you get to the counter to pay for it, there’s a line. Where did these people suddenly come from?? Ive since gone on to call this particular phenomenon, convergence theory after constantly experiencing driving down an empty street and, almost every time, the only car coming the opposite direction converges with me at exact and only spot someone is walking or biking on one side and a car is parked on the other side. I guess you could also call it cluster f theory but it drives me nuts. Would love for a math person to help explain this! As for people feeling the need to park, place themselves, etc right next to you, one of my pet peeves! I figure they think there is safety in numbers maybe. I don’t know but ugh!

You're not wrong. When I sold flowers street side before holidays, my boss told me to have a friend show up and pretend to be looking. People would suddenly all show up! It's kinda like already having some cash in your cup when you're busking, people will be more likely to tip you because they see others have.

Yes the gym thing ugh

Happened to me today! Near empty lot. I wasn’t even in a good spot and I come back and someone’s parked right next to me. Now I can’t open my door fully and backing out sucks. Seriously WTH??

I have this happen quite a lot. I work for a sports turf company, and I tow a small tractor on a trailer with my truck to various sports clubs around my area to maintain their playing pitches. When I arrive at a club the parking lots are always nearly empty except for the occasional staff or maybe event going on that day. Every fucking time without fail some bone head will park right behind my trailer and block my ramps so I cannot load my tractor anymore. I try my best to park out of the way in the lots but still some moron will think its a great idea to block my ramps, hell I've even seen people move my ramps out the way so that they can park closer to my trailer.

I'll park next to a car in an empty lot if it is close to the store I'm going to. Even if it's not much further, it's still more convenient. If people have a problem with that, then they can park further away. Or if the spot is shaded and others are not.

You have no concerns about your car getting dented from others opening their doors? You can’t park literally one spot over for your own self interest?

I can park correctly, which brings the odds of that happening way down. I guess an entitled asshole could purposely do it. Besides, there are times you can't avoid parking next to a car, so that risk is always there. If you park close to a store entrance and don't like people parking next to you, then park far away. And make sure it isn't in the shade. Thinking you're entitled to the parking spot next to you is very much a boomer/Karen attitude. Regardless of how empty it is.

Well as someone who never gets a close parking spot and doesn’t live somewhere where shade is prized, I have the opposite take. Like many people, I believe in spacing. Also idk where you live but parking spots are so tight that it’s basically hard for the car door not to touch the car next to you. Personally I’d rather minimize that risk as lots of people aren’t polite and will scratch your car - which is why I generally park further away in empty areas.

It's been over 100 here many days already, so shade is very nice. The parking spaces are wide enough to avoid dings. Most people do want to avoid dinging another's car. But yes, parking far away and shade not being a factor, then having someone park next to you, that is infuriating. But expecting the same with a more premium parking spot is entitlement. Hell I knew someone that would park over the line to try and avoid people parking next to them. They parked close AND in a crowded parking lot. They also had the nerve to bitch about on FB when someone did park close. They wanted to avoid dings. And even though it was crowded, there were plenty of spaces they could park far away that would avoid people parking next to them.

Well yes that’s ridiculous lol. It depends where you are for sure. I’ve lived in urban sprawl environments where parking is plentiful. Now I live in a small city where cars have more so been retconned into it - so everything including roads are tight. It’s not a fun place to drive. Wow that’s hot! So far the hottest it’s been here is 69

Yeah, it's an extreme example for sure. But this reminded me of it. Damn am I jealous of that temp.

Haha yeh I can’t handle that sort of heat. I’m useless. A few degrees warmer for swimming would be nice otherwise it’s perfect

Many, many years ago my husband and I went on a cruise. The dining tables were all like 12-tops, which I really didn’t like because I’m introverted. For some reason, one morning my husband had breakfast much earlier than I did. When I got my plate, I sat down at an empty table between two seats that had dirty dishes in front of them, thinking I would be able to eat in peace. Nope. A boomer couple sat down across from me, saying that I looked lonely. I just don’t understand the mindset that ~talking with strangers~ ranks so much more highly than ~not talking with strangers.~

I know some people are legitimately concerned about making sure nobody feels left out and alone. But other people just want to impose their presence and use "you look lonely" to force their company onto others.

12 tops. Someone served tables before lol been there

Ugh had this happen too. I’m not lonely. I’m enjoying my meal or my kid free time.

Like walking up to the adjacent urinal when they're all available.

Had a weird guy walk in while I’m mid stream and dude lets his pants drop next to me while he pees. Wasn’t pervy or anything, but that’s just gross. Who knows what’s on that floor.

Reminds me of the time I took my kid to the restroom at the movies (long, long time ago). We walk in and one of the stalls is being used and there’s a shirt, pair of pants and underwear draped over the door. We did a quick u-turn and went to another restroom. Who gets naked in a public restroom?

i’ve never had it happen in a public restroom but i have had a poop so bad i had to take my shirt off because i was sweating so much only other thought would be maybe a movie employee who’s changing into their uniform? idk why they’d take their underwear off though …

No. There were definitely the accompanying sounds to verify. Lol

Oh god lol

Costanza??

Someone who spilled something unpleasant on their clothes and needed to change, I'd imagine.

An unhoused person cleaning themselves up maybe?

Like a fucking toddler, which is when I stopped doing that (pants down to pee).

That's breaking guy code!

He thought you were alone with your daughter and was eventually going to strike up a conversation with you for whatever motivation he had. Asking you out, interested in your daughter. He thought you were lying about the rest of your party and was going to just keep pushing that boundary.

>Asking you out, interested in your daughter.  Or maybe just “this is a woman, and I can make her have a social interaction with me so I get my ego fed and I don’t feel so lonely.”

This. I worked in a retail shop in a tourist trap area through college, and the amount of old dudes who would just stop and want to chat (not necessarily in a creepy way, but there were those) with a young, had-to-be-friendly-at-work woman was insane. And they would act like I wasn't at work and didn't have anything better to do than listen to their perspective on random stuff or how life used to be. They were just lonely and didn't know how to make friends with appropriate people and not just random, not intimidating women who were right in front of them despite what else they may be doing.

I got trapped yesterday. I was in the sun wearing my hot work gear. I finally said hey, I'm burning up and need to get my work done. He caught me again as I was leaving. Retired guy probably so excited that a stranger appeared while he was bored on his lawn.

I got trapped when I was working for the Census checking addresses. I did actually get a lot of useful information that I needed, but then he kept talking and talking. I finally escaped.

I have considered faking a seizure in order to get someone to stop talking to me.

I once started trying to learn how to code apps so I could make one where if I tapped my phone three times while it was in my pocket, it would ring like I was getting a phone call. Never actually finished the app, but it still seems like a good idea.

Usually, I feel a little grumpy when someone replies to my comment and gets more likes, but this time it's totally legit.

I remember men like that. I worked at a place with a few other young women and we had our regulars. There was one gentleman who would sometimes stop by one his daily walk, but only to make a purchase. I enjoyed talking with him. He wasn't overbearing and he respected boundaries. Some other old men would get weird and say inappropriate things.

I think some of this has to do with introverts finding opportunities to be social. I was painfully shy when I was younger (much better now). I like to say I was terrified of women too. ;-P. As men age and they stop looking at women as potential mates (because they’re taken, or too old to be found attractive by younger women), the anxiety around talking to pretty girls evaporates and they can embrace their internal ‘chatty Cathy’s’. Speaking for myself, I don’t go out and act all creeper with strangers.. but I’m much more comfortable talking to atttractive women now than when I was younger.. and I think some of that is because my subconscious no longer frets about things like “I wonder if she thinks I’m attractive?”. Not caring,.. it’s the super-power of the aged. :-)

I had one of these guys at the local Starbucks. All of the tables were taken, four by men, one by me. Boomer dude bypasses the dudes, *pushes my books and things aside*, and announces to me "I'm going to sit here" at my table. Then, with a patronizing look at my stacks of books and papers, goes "Aw, studying for a big test?" like I'm in high school. No, dude, I'm working on a couple conference presentations. "Oh, that's nice. My son is in Sydney right now-" I've learned, and this time, I finally was not "a nice lady" to a "lonely man." "Sorry, I have deadlines," I said, popped in my earphones, and ignored him for 20 minutes as he tried to get my attention w his phone, talked loudly to someone on his phone, and positioned his phone so I could see it and ask questions. Because my time and work means nothing when a lonely man wants attention? Fuck off, asshole.

He 100% wouldn't have done it to a man.

Hypothesis unsupported: I'm a man.

Lmao did you get a bad vibe at all? Or was he just a lonely old dude trying to make conversation? Everyone thinking he had bad intentions maybe he just is a social person or wants to be more talkative

He didn't talk to us at all before or after sitting down. He moved to the next table over by himself and didn't talk with anyone the rest of the time I noticed him. So no, I think he just sat down at the first open seat closest to the checkout, which happened to be at our table, and then was annoyed we didn't have room for him.

Or a woman his age.

This!

Did I miss where the OP indicated they were female?

You wanna make bets on it?

No! Just interested in the bias. I read the post as if it was written by a man! Lol! Edit: Of course it could be a man, too, being hit on...

I also read it thinking it was a man, but I may have an unrealized bias. I am a man and have daughters who I take places frequently so I may have just been projecting my own experiences onto it, because I don’t think they actually mention any gendering information in the post.

I was thinking this is a good father/daughter relationship and, just like you, it, for sure, was my own bias due to my own upbringing! 😉

Confident Y-chromosome bro, here. ;-)

I stand corrected then. My assumption comes from personal experience.

No worries...all good. :-)

Last time I was at Disney World, my husband and I sat down to watch in one of the pavilions a show. We chose a seat in the middle of several empty rows of benches. A woman comes over to us and sits down beside me, so close that her thigh is pressing up against mine. I had to wriggle away to give myself an inch of space. I thought maybe she was thinking the audience needed to cram in to have enough space for everyone, but she remained right there despite the fact that the surrounding rows remained empty.

Oh heck no. I’d move so fast

I have a weird boomer like this at work. She is an odd duck and I was chatting with a coworker in the cafeteria when she just plopped into the seat across from us and stared weirdly. I was so uncomfortable until my coworker began asking her if she was okay, how have her lungs been, can she breathe, etc. Turns out, weird boomer has COPD and becomes incredibly winded incredibly fast and has to sit before she falls. She looks mean and sure doesn't communicate well, not because she's a jerk but because she's literally trying not to shuffle off this mortal coil at work. Edit: not saying this particular boomer was having a medical event, just that sometimes this stuff isn't quite what it looks like.

I'd think at this point you'd make every effort not to sit near others, they are not aware of your condition. They do have health aides that can travel with you but barring that I'd sit away from people and close to an employee who is obligated to call 9-1-1 if I drop.

Sometimes you sit or you fall, and sometimes you don't have time to find a polite location to do so. But also sometimes people are just rude dicks, idk.

Understood, I may have misinterpreted OP's "10+ other empty tables in the seating area" and the move to the next table as a deliberate choice to seek out a seat at the only table with other people. I guess there's not enough information to assume he didn't just sit at the closest available seat (not suggesting he go farther than normal, etc..)

Something similar happened to my wife and I several years ago.  We went to see a matinee on a weekday and walked into the theater, it was empty.  We picked a couple seats in the middle about two thirds back, which we thought was a good view.  This boomer couple comes in a couple minutes later and sits directly beside my wife.  This is not an exaggeration when I say we were the ONLY four people in the entire theater.  Then the lady proceeds to pull two bags of microwave popcorn out of her purse, which normally wouldn’t bother me but it just adds a bit to their character and the story itself.  Wife and I looked each other and without a word got up and moved.

It’s not just boomers. I can materialize noisy people around me no matter how empty the theater is. Usually they come in right before the movie starts, a group of 6 people talking nonstop. Ugh It’s also because there is a sweet spot in any theater and that is where everybody wants to sit.

But that sweet spot is never sat directly besides a stranger.

like those people who have to park next to the only car in the open parking lot. Do you suppose this guy has to stand next to other guys at the urinal?

Probably uses the urinal next to you when there's three available too

Assert dominance by putting both hands behind your head.

That is weird. I have shared a table many times but I will always ask first.

Yeah, I like keeping tables empty for large parties and I'm not a boomer but I ask if the seats are taken or if we can share to help consolidate any work for employees (clean up, etc). I do not join in their conversations or anything either.

They really act like they’re the main character. I wish I was joking but when I worked retail, I’d have boomers be upset that we'd sold items to other people *who were there before them.*

[удалено]

Ime it’s often pervs yes

Every time I sit outside for lunch, it never fails that a boomer asks if they can share my table. When I tell them no, because I’m awkward and want to be alone, they scoff at me like I’m the piece of shit. Like no, I’ve been talking to people all day, let me unwind for my one hour.

Haha I’ll have to steal that line because …facts

This is drunk behavior, because why not be drunk in public?

Weirdly entitled people are sure something else.

Had someone do this after a work weekend in airport. The lady stole a bag from under the table when she left.

Do you have any idea how big a percent of his daily energy is required to stand back up, walk over to another table with his food, and sit back down?? Will no one think of the boomers??

They do. They hate them.

Probably walked by Atleast two empty tables on his way to that one

If this was in Scranton at the Houdini museum you could have just made him disappear

I went and saw the Meg 2 in theaters all by myself. The theater was empty. I was on mushrooms having a good time. No one else in the theater until the movie starts and some old guy comes in and sits four seats away from me. In an empty theater. Why!? Go away.

You protected your daughter very well, I’d say. His reaction is a red flag. 🚩

It's not weird to share a table in this space... it IS weird to plop down without asking if you can first.

100%. If he'd asked first, this post wouldn't have been necessary. ;-)

This happened in reverse at a mall near my city. The boomer couple [dumped hot soup on a stranger for trying to share their table](https://vancouversun.com/news/crime/senior-couple-arrested-for-soup-assault-at-burnaby-mall-food-court) in a full food court. The boomer couple was arrested and charged.

The same thing happened to my family (aged baby to 70) except that the guy was a 30-something.

A lot of these posts end up being about lonely late middle aged people looking for connection most of the time They want interaction in their life but are woefully unequipped with social skills and are mirroring things they’ve seen on television shows I’ve found if you speak to them directly like an adult they get short circuits and embarrassed This only happens to me in flyover states In major cities, you never get bothered unless your head is on fire lol It sucks, it’s annoying. But you have to stand your ground and feel bad for them. Them putting baggage on you for not wanting to engage is the worst part of it

My wife and daughter had a similar, but creepier situation at Costco. They were sitting at one of the only empty tables while I waited for our food. Some boomer in his 70s sits down with them and tries to talk to them and was saying how cute my daughter was. I get our food and walk to the table and I’m visibly confused as to why this rando old guy is talking to them. So I let my intrusive thoughts win and instead of loosing it on this guy I sit right next to him with our legs and shoulders touching and he gets visibly uncomfortable and leaves.

Haha I just had the same sort of thing happen! Library. My sons reading at our table. I’m close at the nearest book shelf. A few open tables and this women asks my young son if she can sit there. Of course he says yes because he’s a young child. It was my spot and we have books spread out. I come back and put my books down and the women makes no attempt to move. So I tell my son o see an open table. She’s apologizing etc and I say don’t worry about it etc. But they literally had to walk by open tables to get to the one with a minor?? Just odd

When you're a super lonely boomer because nobody wants to be anywhere near you, you do anything you can to get human interaction even if it's negative interaction

Might I suggest, then, a trip to Vegas and some Spearmint Rhino time?

I think I met him at the urinal a little while ago.

Alright, here’s a funny one. I was in Aying, Germany I sat down at a table with my wife and a 90 something year old woman sat down at the same table not 2 minutes later. She starts speaking to us in German and my wife and I have no fucking clue what she’s saying. The waiter comes by and starts taking our orders and completely ignores that there’s a random old lady at the table. Guess what? We sat there and Google translated shit- I found out her husband fought in WW2 and she came to this restaurant every afternoon bc that was their thing before he passed. There was a moment when she first sat down that I, in the back of my head, felt that it was rude but I’ve learned now that in certain areas of Germany people sit together when there’s a seat available. It’s actually a beautiful thing, so OP as shitty as boomers are, don’t miss out on the opportunity to keep someone company. (Not disagreeing, I think that dude was way outta line- just wanted to share a cultural experience i had )

Be abuse they are very insecure about being seen sitting alone. Or really, doing anything alone. It’s so weird.

Boomers love to argue...

I get that they might be lonely but there are better ways to make friends.  If ever I have to deal with a rude boomer who won't take no, I'm going to ask them about this behacior. Why is it that people like them always told us to mind your own business, respect people's space and no one owes you anything? And yet they are doing exactly the thing my parents told me not to do? Did the rules change when I was busy raising my children and not watching the news or do they think they don't have to follow the same societal rules that the rest of us do? Maybe that is why the youth are so rude, they see their grandparents acting like that so they follow suit. (I don't think the 'youth' are rude, I love it when people stand up for themselves). Then tell them if my parents acted like that I'd be so embarrassed and stop spending time with them. (Maybe that's why they are so lonely and angry, their kids did cut them off)

This exact thing happened to me at the Austin airport a few months ago. It’s so aggravating

I have no issue sharing a table, which happened to my wife and I at a renaissance festival. Our table mates were workers still in character. Otherwise, it’s a no-go.

He just was a very lonely man whose children and grandchildren no longer visit, call, or return calls for very unknown and incomprehensible reasons who is looking for some companionship. Edit: evidently people don’t realise obvious sarcasm and ridicule of this boomer and how rude he was. I was not justifying anything he did.

Or a weirdo pervert. Stop inventing backstories for people. Pay attention to what they do, not what you imagine their motivations are. Sitting at an occupied table or bus seat when others are empty, using an adjacent urinal, attempting to insert oneself into a conversation with strangers... these are hostile acts.

Maybe it’s a mentally unstable thing & not a boomer thing

Regardless of age people don't like being told no. None of us. It can feel like rejection. When you are already lonely it feels twice as bad. It might have been his way of reaching out only to perceived as rejection. Maybe not but this sub can be really short sided when it comes to interactions with old people. Sometimes people are arseholes to be sure, But I'd just like to remind everyone that perceptions of any given situation can be markedly different. As you get older the world quietly leaves you behind. Loneliness is an epidemic and Some people in this world are desperate for connection. Especially older people. Maybe a smidge more empathy in this world wouldn't be a bad thing.

He should join a fucking book club instead of trying to glom onto random strangers. Stop excusing shitty behaviour with this virtue-signalling false empathy. hE wAs LoNeLy; He HaD DeMeNtIa; give me a fucking break. Sitting univited with a stranger's family is a threat.

I'm sorry you live in a world where that is true for you. I have no agenda where false empathy is required. That's a really weird idea. A lot of people are socially awkward. I felt compelled to offer a different explanation. Seems like a lot of anger and fear for a simple comment from an internet stranger. I hope something really good happens to you regardless of the vitriol. Take care b

i wouldve periodically looked over at him, stared into his eyes and laughed. when you get a victory over a boomer you absolutely MUST rub it into their faces. on one hand, it will highten their blood pressure and potentially...you know on the other, if they leap up in their lead-rage-infused stupor (very likely) and attack you, then you can sue them and take all their money! it's always a win/win

Maybe he was lonesome and just wanted to be near people and maybe strike up a conversation.

Maybe he was hard of hearing?

Maybe he was lonesome and just wanted to be near people and maybe strike up a conversation.

He was lonely and reaching out to you... and you told him he wasn't wanted?