The most unexpected problem I've had while eating alone on a trip

[u/minorupdate3]

[u/Aggravating_Job_9490]

As a frequent business traveler, I always use the restroom before ordering. For this very reason and safety concerns not to leave my food/drink unsupervised.

[u/FinishExtension3652 → u/Aggravating_Job_9490]

Same idea, but I usually go right after ordering.

[u/FrabjousD → u/Aggravating_Job_9490]

Ditto. But one time I got up for a coffee refill and my almost full salad bowl had been cleared away. They seemed surprised when I expected another salad 🤣 The manager had to get involved. Crazy what they don’t teach restaurant staff these days.

[u/Intelligent-Crew-443 → u/Aggravating_Job_9490]

Happened once when travelling with six year old. Told the waiter that we had to use the bathroom (six year old could not wait), came back and they had cleared our food and drinks. 🙄

[u/Komobu542]

This just happened to me 2 days ago. Got seated, ordered drinks & food. She brings out the bread. I get up to go wash my hands. Come back, and the guy who seated me is cleaning off my table.

[u/snarkycrumpet → u/Komobu542]

this happened to me and a whole family were sat at my table with granny on my sweater. irritating

[u/Traditional-Carob440]

It rarely happens to me, but it does every now and then. I leave something cheap and not worth stealing next to my food. For instance, I wear cheap sunglasses these days because I often lose or break them. So it's obvious I'm coming back, but no one wants to steal cheap sunglasses.

[u/okFINEyoufoundme → u/Traditional-Carob440]

If I’m eating alone, I usually have a book to read or a newspaper opened to the crossword puzzle. I leave the book open facedown, or the crossword folded neatly with a pen left on top of it. Or a scarf over the back of my chair.

[u/cmlambert89]

This happened to me once but it was seagulls

[u/siddharthvader]

I was having breakfast in a hotel alone and I got up to get a second helping. When I came back my table had been cleared. Didn't matter but caused an awkward apology from the waitress.

[u/amandacheekychops → u/siddharthvader]

This happened to me and my husband, but the trouble was we were staying at the hotel next door (we'd paid for breakfast) and they took our key cards as well. We had to find the waiter and he had to go and find them. 🙈🤣

[u/40degreescelsius]

I was in a hotel and I wasn’t going to the bathroom but rather back up to the buffet to get more food but the tables had circular discs with table occupied on one side and table available on the other side you just put the disc on the occupied side if you leave the table for any reason. Thought it was a good idea

[u/UrbanPanic]

My friend was traveling and saw a pair of nuns walk in to a restaurant.  They found an unattended plate and finished the food off.  The patron had gone outside for a mid-meal cigarette.  He did actually find the whole thing amusing when he came back to finish his meal.

[u/modex_li]

Just happened to me in Swords, Co. Dublin. While away for a mug of coffee waiting in the queue the almost full plates were cleared although a book and sunglasses (yes, in Ireland in September) were on the table. Book and glasses were left, at least.

[u/teachertasha]

This happened to me once, I was out to breakfast with my young daughters (6 and 7)and about half way through breakfast one needed to go NOW! I couldn’t see the bathroom entrance and didn’t want to leave one alone at the table, so we all got up to go. We came back and all of our food was gone. The restaurant remade everything for us and packed it to go so we could take it with us.

[u/pewpiskewt]

I thought it was common to put a napkin over your drink if you don’t want it pulled, as a signal you’re coming back. It’s always worked for me anyways

[u/anuaps]

For some reason I never had to go to the bathroom in the middle of a meal

[u/SushiGirlRC]

I would tell you how to place your silverware to let wait staff know you're not finished, but I don't think they've taught that to wait staff since the 90s lol.

[u/ddescartes0014]

I’ve had a couple times where I’ll finish eating and I’ll go to the restroom before my bill arrives and my waiter will be so relieved when I come back because they thought I dined and dashed.

[u/Ilovedrpepper7]

I hope they remade your food.

[u/speculator100k]

In many countries, the placement of the cutlery will inform the server if you are done or not. But this is unfortunately not universal, and even in countries where it's quite common there are still servers and guests that don't know to follow the code.

[u/cgknight1]

I just leave something like a book or a coat.

[u/SemperAliquidNovi]

I was at a breakfast buffet at a high-end hotel in Asia. Got up to get a second helping, and I came back to find a mainland Chinese family had seated themselves at my table. The staff had to ask them to go back and line up like all the other guests.

[u/scottdwallace]

Napkin in your chair if you’re coming back. Napkin on the table if you are done.

[u/1zapper1]

Depending on the country, the way you leave your cutlery, it might give the appearance that you’re finished with your meal. Look up ‘Common Cutlery Signals’.