Choosing a table

Have you ever watched people in a fast food restaurant? Specifically, have you ever watched them choosing where they will sit?

Not long ago I stopped in a fast food restaurant for a quick lunch. It was a place I had never visited before. It was a large building, able to provide food for many people at the same time and very busy.

From the moment I entered, it was clear which people were "regulars" and knew the routine, and which (like me) were newcomers unfamiliar with the procedures. I stood in between the fences that indicated where the line should form and tried to decipher the menu on the wall.

Since this was a FAST food restaurant, I knew that I would need to place my order quickly when the clerk said, "Can I help you?" You see, I understand my responsibility as a customer.

With only a few mis-steps, I placed my order for lunch and then picked up my food at an adjacent counter when they called my number. Again, being careful to not slow down any part of the FAST food delivery system.

That's when my search began. Which table would it be? The intricacies of table-picking are many. Would it be far away from the action and secluded, or would it be close to the food service area? Would it be a table or a booth? Would it be indoors or outdoors? Would it be a small two-person table (barely big enough for my coke, let alone my lunch) or would I be brave enough, crass enough to take a four-person table where there would be room to avoid spills? And on and on.

Finally, I settled on a compromise. I chose a two-person table over against an interior wall, not near the food service, but facing that area so that I could people-watch. And then the fun began.

A woman appeared with her lunch, glancing around, obviously looking for something specific. Her face reported when she found what she sought. She walked over and claimed a table for eight by putting her tray down, then she looked up, ready to signal her co-lunchers. Ah, she was a scout!

Next came a teenage boy who walked straight through without glancing to either side. He headed straight to the outdoor seating area, his spot predetermined by the glorious weather.

Next came a young woman who glanced nervously from side to side. She took a few steps one way, then hesitated, then moved a different direction and faltered. About that time her friend joined her and led the way to a table. Co-dependency in table selection.

A man paused at the threshold of the dining room and then marched purposefully to the far side of the room where he occupied a table for four, spreading his lunch and his papers and books over the entire surface. He was quickly absorbed in his work and totally unaware of anyone else in the place.

From my bastion of safety (an already chosen table), I watched a fascinating parade of diners step up and deal with the challenge of table selection. I wonder at the fact that personalities, insecurities, and personal preferences would be so clearly displayed in such an innocuous decision.