Sun Lounger Wars. First Rodeo.

RogerBareford

Adamc said:

Currently at a 5 star AI adults only resort. Plenty of sun loungers. Not all in optimal locations. Usual story ALL the best sun loungers (poolside and sea breeze) gone by 7am despite the policy ruling against this. We pitched up with our preferred spot in view and noticed that no one had used 80% of the spots there within 2 hours. I had staff move off some towels and 30 mins later a couple came back and said they'd reserved the spot. I asked them to speak to staff. They came back looking miffed and for the rest of the day intermittently came back and discussed the issue with the people on the loungers around us and within earshot of us. It soon became clear we had entered a small community of avid reservers who had rewritten the hotel rule book. After so long it was too much and I took the bait. I raised my voice a little saying that it's rude to discuss people within earshot and that they were being entitled. The other couples then got involved saying they'd done it all week and it's just the way it is. 

It's blown over now (well - I've heard no more) but I think I'm done with resort holidays. My partner isn't happy about it. They have joined the reservers at 7am. Now I'm morally compromised but complicit. We now also have differing views on resort holidays ... Oh and there's talk of a cruise which would be my maiden cruise liner voyage. 

I'm always surprised about people who go on holiday abroad to and then just sit by the pool hours on end in the hotel! Just seems such a waste travelling all that way and then doing nothing when you get there. Getting up early to reserve the spot where they will sit wasting the entire day just makes it even more silly.

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

HampshireH said:

TELLIT01 said:

Any time we go into a pub or cafe, my wife will find a table whilst I'm at the bar or counter ordering drinks and/or food.  Nothing unusual in that.  If we couldn't get a table there would be no point in ordering or purchasing food.

I agree never queued together for food order. One of us will always sit down whilst the other orders. Rarely see the opposite happen

It's different in a pub with table service, you have to find a table first and give them a number so they know where to take the food! Also if there's loads of tables available it's obviously not an issue.

It is an issue in a small cafeteria type place where people are queuing for ages and half the tables are taken by people who are just waiting, not eating. There's no need to take up a table while you're in the queue, and then complain when someone else takes a seat on it which they won't need for 30 mins!

Why on earth are people queuing  for 30 minutes in a retail store cafeteria in the first place?

Because they're hungry? They like the food? Or more likely (applied to me) they don't know the queue is going to take 30 mins when they join it, and by the time the realise how slow it is they figure they may as well continue waiting.
I know in these days of fast food waiting more than 5 mins for your meal is an alien concept to some, but I've often waited 30 mins for food whether in a restaurant, cafe or other eating establishment.

Waiting 30 minutes is fine if you sit down and order, not standing in a queue, though.  Surely there were other alternatives if you were hungry, or is this shop out on its own somewhere?  I mean it's not just you doing this, clearly there are enough people willing to stand in a 30 minute queue in this place to create a 30 minute queue in the first place.

Well, that's your opinion. Clearly, others disagree. Personally, I wouldn't have joined the queue had I realised it'd be 30 mins. It wasn't long, it's just they were slow. The initial delay seemed to be down to them refilling the hot food but it still remained slow afterwards, it seemed they kept running out of stuff.

Some people are prepared to queue way over 30 mins for a 2 minute theme park ride! Sometimes over an hour, or even 2 hours! That I really don't understand!

You have obviously never been on a really good theme park ride then

zagfles

RogerBareford said:

Adamc said:

Currently at a 5 star AI adults only resort. Plenty of sun loungers. Not all in optimal locations. Usual story ALL the best sun loungers (poolside and sea breeze) gone by 7am despite the policy ruling against this. We pitched up with our preferred spot in view and noticed that no one had used 80% of the spots there within 2 hours. I had staff move off some towels and 30 mins later a couple came back and said they'd reserved the spot. I asked them to speak to staff. They came back looking miffed and for the rest of the day intermittently came back and discussed the issue with the people on the loungers around us and within earshot of us. It soon became clear we had entered a small community of avid reservers who had rewritten the hotel rule book. After so long it was too much and I took the bait. I raised my voice a little saying that it's rude to discuss people within earshot and that they were being entitled. The other couples then got involved saying they'd done it all week and it's just the way it is. 

It's blown over now (well - I've heard no more) but I think I'm done with resort holidays. My partner isn't happy about it. They have joined the reservers at 7am. Now I'm morally compromised but complicit. We now also have differing views on resort holidays ... Oh and there's talk of a cruise which would be my maiden cruise liner voyage. 

I'm always surprised about people who go on holiday abroad to and then just sit by the pool hours on end in the hotel! Just seems such a waste travelling all that way and then doing nothing when you get there. Getting up early to reserve the spot where they will sit wasting the entire day just makes it even more silly.

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

HampshireH said:

TELLIT01 said:

Any time we go into a pub or cafe, my wife will find a table whilst I'm at the bar or counter ordering drinks and/or food.  Nothing unusual in that.  If we couldn't get a table there would be no point in ordering or purchasing food.

I agree never queued together for food order. One of us will always sit down whilst the other orders. Rarely see the opposite happen

It's different in a pub with table service, you have to find a table first and give them a number so they know where to take the food! Also if there's loads of tables available it's obviously not an issue.

It is an issue in a small cafeteria type place where people are queuing for ages and half the tables are taken by people who are just waiting, not eating. There's no need to take up a table while you're in the queue, and then complain when someone else takes a seat on it which they won't need for 30 mins!

Why on earth are people queuing  for 30 minutes in a retail store cafeteria in the first place?

Because they're hungry? They like the food? Or more likely (applied to me) they don't know the queue is going to take 30 mins when they join it, and by the time the realise how slow it is they figure they may as well continue waiting.
I know in these days of fast food waiting more than 5 mins for your meal is an alien concept to some, but I've often waited 30 mins for food whether in a restaurant, cafe or other eating establishment.

Waiting 30 minutes is fine if you sit down and order, not standing in a queue, though.  Surely there were other alternatives if you were hungry, or is this shop out on its own somewhere?  I mean it's not just you doing this, clearly there are enough people willing to stand in a 30 minute queue in this place to create a 30 minute queue in the first place.

Well, that's your opinion. Clearly, others disagree. Personally, I wouldn't have joined the queue had I realised it'd be 30 mins. It wasn't long, it's just they were slow. The initial delay seemed to be down to them refilling the hot food but it still remained slow afterwards, it seemed they kept running out of stuff.

Some people are prepared to queue way over 30 mins for a 2 minute theme park ride! Sometimes over an hour, or even 2 hours! That I really don't understand!

You have obviously never been on a really good theme park ride then

I have, but none that were ever worth a queue of more than 30 mins! These days theme park rides make me queasy or give me backache/headache so I avoid them, also the thrill has worn off, the ones that don't make me queasy I find boring, even the top rides at places like Alton Towers. Having done loads of accrobranches (Goape type places) in France has taken all fear of heights etc out of me.

RogerBareford

zagfles said:

RogerBareford said:

Adamc said:

Currently at a 5 star AI adults only resort. Plenty of sun loungers. Not all in optimal locations. Usual story ALL the best sun loungers (poolside and sea breeze) gone by 7am despite the policy ruling against this. We pitched up with our preferred spot in view and noticed that no one had used 80% of the spots there within 2 hours. I had staff move off some towels and 30 mins later a couple came back and said they'd reserved the spot. I asked them to speak to staff. They came back looking miffed and for the rest of the day intermittently came back and discussed the issue with the people on the loungers around us and within earshot of us. It soon became clear we had entered a small community of avid reservers who had rewritten the hotel rule book. After so long it was too much and I took the bait. I raised my voice a little saying that it's rude to discuss people within earshot and that they were being entitled. The other couples then got involved saying they'd done it all week and it's just the way it is. 

It's blown over now (well - I've heard no more) but I think I'm done with resort holidays. My partner isn't happy about it. They have joined the reservers at 7am. Now I'm morally compromised but complicit. We now also have differing views on resort holidays ... Oh and there's talk of a cruise which would be my maiden cruise liner voyage. 

I'm always surprised about people who go on holiday abroad to and then just sit by the pool hours on end in the hotel! Just seems such a waste travelling all that way and then doing nothing when you get there. Getting up early to reserve the spot where they will sit wasting the entire day just makes it even more silly.

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

Ath_Wat said:

zagfles said:

HampshireH said:

TELLIT01 said:

Any time we go into a pub or cafe, my wife will find a table whilst I'm at the bar or counter ordering drinks and/or food.  Nothing unusual in that.  If we couldn't get a table there would be no point in ordering or purchasing food.

I agree never queued together for food order. One of us will always sit down whilst the other orders. Rarely see the opposite happen

It's different in a pub with table service, you have to find a table first and give them a number so they know where to take the food! Also if there's loads of tables available it's obviously not an issue.

It is an issue in a small cafeteria type place where people are queuing for ages and half the tables are taken by people who are just waiting, not eating. There's no need to take up a table while you're in the queue, and then complain when someone else takes a seat on it which they won't need for 30 mins!

Why on earth are people queuing  for 30 minutes in a retail store cafeteria in the first place?

Because they're hungry? They like the food? Or more likely (applied to me) they don't know the queue is going to take 30 mins when they join it, and by the time the realise how slow it is they figure they may as well continue waiting.
I know in these days of fast food waiting more than 5 mins for your meal is an alien concept to some, but I've often waited 30 mins for food whether in a restaurant, cafe or other eating establishment.

Waiting 30 minutes is fine if you sit down and order, not standing in a queue, though.  Surely there were other alternatives if you were hungry, or is this shop out on its own somewhere?  I mean it's not just you doing this, clearly there are enough people willing to stand in a 30 minute queue in this place to create a 30 minute queue in the first place.

Well, that's your opinion. Clearly, others disagree. Personally, I wouldn't have joined the queue had I realised it'd be 30 mins. It wasn't long, it's just they were slow. The initial delay seemed to be down to them refilling the hot food but it still remained slow afterwards, it seemed they kept running out of stuff.

Some people are prepared to queue way over 30 mins for a 2 minute theme park ride! Sometimes over an hour, or even 2 hours! That I really don't understand!

You have obviously never been on a really good theme park ride then

I have, but none that were ever worth a queue of more than 30 mins! These days theme park rides make me queasy or give me backache/headache so I avoid them, also the thrill has worn off, the ones that don't make me queasy I find boring, even the top rides at places like Alton Towers. Having done loads of accrobranches (Goape type places) in France has taken all fear of heights etc out of me.

For me personally it's not about the fear it's about the adrenaline rush of launching at high speed and/or experiencing different forces on different types of inversions. Although i know what you mean about the thrill wearing off because you do get used to them.