cammci34

Ok---please let me know if I was rude or savvy.

Today at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, there was a line to get into the place. If you are familiar with the location, there are several "doorways" to get in and all the signs say "seat yourself" (or something similar). As I've always done before, if there is no clean table, I sit at a dirty one, clean it up a bit and wait for the server. I don't wait for any of the servers to seat me nor have I ever seen them do it.

Now I've read in several tour books, it recommends to do what the locals do. Bypass the lines and go seat yourself.

So I went around in the back (where the takeout line was) and helped myself to a table. It did happen to be the furtherest from the line that was waiting outside so no one standing there would have seen it anyway. And there were a few other emptying tables there too. But my SIL said it was rude to sidestep everyone.

So what's the verdict? If I was naughty...then I will offer my mea culpa and buy a round of beignets to whoever is sitting next to me next time I go there.

logandog

In the America I grew up in it is "First come,first served".

hmmm

As long as you are special the line is not for you.

lincasanova

maybe the sign for "seat yourself" needs to be bigger? Can't imagine the first in line would just stand there.. and then obviously those behind would be unable to see the sign.

So, best, nicest thing to do would be go to the head of the line and tell that person it is "seat yourself", and "there is another door here on the side".

But I think the restaurant should solve the problem. I think the waiters are not letting people know as they are probably so swamped they don't care if tables sit empty for several minutes between customers.

Going in various doors does not seem rude to me. But the unnecessary line-waiting for those "unsavvy" seems a shame, especially if it could instigate a problem when a local bypasses the line to sit down.

NeoPatrick

I agree with lincasanove except for one minor detail. As I passed the first person in line and pointed out the sign to seat yourself, then I would go ahead and take my own table to reward myself for helping out a stranger(s).

The last thing I'd do is stand in a line of "sheep" waiting to be seated in a restaurant that states with a sign to seat yourself!

bratsandbeer

Seat yourself! We were back to the Cafe last year. It was disgustingly dirty. We were so anxious to have the beignets and yet they didn't seem to be as good as what we remembered.

The server took our order and we paid him and were planning on leaving a tip before we left. The server said "Nothing for me." I felt like saying no way - but we gave him his tip.

lincasanova

thumbs up , neopatrick!

nytraveler

There's a line of people waiting for tables and you're asking if it's OK to sneak in the back door because those people are tourists?

No - it's just fine.

but then, when you're a tourist other places you will have to stand on extra long lines while locals are served or allowed to enter first.

Where I live people that jump lines are called on it - and told to go to the end or leave.

lincasanova

no back door.. SEVERAL doorways all with signs "seat yourself".

I think when you finally visualize this multi-entrance eatery, you can see how only due to someone at the head of the line at a popular doorway,that can't read or doesn't see empty tables beyond his nose, seating moves poorly.

The restaurant ought to do something, and if other doors are open and available .. why would someone go AROUND to the other door to stand in a line they don't have to stand in?

Any waiter nearby certainly should be reminding the oblivious tourists that they should sit down or look in the back of the place for empty tables.

Having so many entrances at a busy place though would not be fun if there were lines at all doors. Who gets first available tables with multiple lines???

LSky

It's seems to me that it's like sitting in traffic. If no one else knows the shortcut, why shouldn't I take it?

If the OP were jumping a line, instead of just avoiding it, that would be different.

spirobulldog

Aren't "cut" and "sidestep" two different things?
Cutting is wrong
Sidestepping isn't
at least that's the way I think of it.

SAnParis2

Knowledge is power. I routinely skip the line @ Acme & sit right down @ the bar.

cammci34

Thank you for all your responses.

I like the idea of showing the first in line to take the first available table and then going and seating myself.

I wouldn't intentionally cut in front of someone...if so I'd probably deserve a beignet thrown at my head.

Many of those waiting were like sheep, they saw a line and just gamely got in queue. Inside the enclosed area there were at least 6 tables clean and ready for guests.

I also think knowledge is power...and posts like this help educate visitors. It's like trying to avoid the lines at museums, there's always another way to get into the joint.

Either way, I promise to buy a round of beignets to the those sitting next to me next time I go.

ccolor

We make it easy by getting our order to go. It's wonderful to watch the Mississippi drift by while busy getting powdered sugar all over ourselves.

cammci34: We'll be there next month - what time should I meet you for breakfast? *smile*

iowamom

Reminds me of a couple of frustrating recent airport check-in experiences where people seemed to be clueless about the self check-in kiosks and the airline staff didn't keep the lines moving at all.

Minneapolis airport in December - people just standing there waiting while several working self check-in kiosks sat idle and empty. DH asked if anyone was going to use one and no one stepped up, so he went up to one - I didn't notice him asking and gave him crap for cutting the line after I thought some people glared at him, but he claims he asked.

Honolulu airport in March - inter-island flight - extremely long line and very frustrating to see 50% or more of the working self check-in kiosks not being used - not sure if people were waiting for an agent to guide them to an available one or what. One of us went in the self check-in line, the other in the "full service" line - full service won despite being a longer line! I didn't want to lose my spot in line to suggest to an agent that they tell people to use the available kiosks - but it took everything I had to not loudly suggest to people to keep moving and go to an open kiosk!

tejana

I live in DC... trust me, it is NEVER wrong to sidestep tourists!

bachslunch

My two experiences at Cafe du Monde in NOLA's French Quarter suggested that the waitstaff there don't keep tabs on things like this. In fact, they didn't seem very much on top of things in general, or really to care about it much.

If memory serves, this place is a "seat yourself at an open table" spot. If that's what it says, I say going ahead and sitting down is fine. I'm not sure it's my place to educate folks who can't figure out how things are done. When in doubt, I buttonhole a staff member and ask if I can seat myself -- they'll let you know.

bkluvsNola

There's nothing wrong with seating yourself at a seat yourself place like Cafe Du Monde. Everytime I go there I just zoom past the tourists and seat myself, thinking "I'm so glad I'm not them..." I get my beignets and cafe au lait and then when I leave, sometimes I see the same people waiting. Oh well, they should have read up before visiting...

Didn't know about Acme though, thanks SAn2Paris...