27-05-2025
Melbourne café diner rants about 'rude' act taking place in this photo - before being slammed as 'entitled'
A university student's complaint about a group of women with children sitting near her study group at a Melbourne café has sparked a fierce debate - with hundreds weighing in on whether she's being entitled or simply asking for common courtesy.
The student explained that she and a few of her classmates were working quietly at their usual café spot - laptops open, headphones in - when a group of women with 'loud kids' deliberately chose to sit at the table near them.
There were at least 15 other seating options available, including larger and more 'suitable' tables elsewhere.
'Are we overreacting or is this extremely entitled?' the student asked on Reddit.
'To me, that's just inconsiderate. If I'm going to talk or make noise, I sit where others are doing the same - or at least not near people clearly trying to work or read,' the poster wrote.
The student clarified they weren't expecting complete silence, but questioned the group's choice to sit in the only pocket of relative quiet when plenty of other seating was free.
'We had headphones on and they were louder than that. It wasn't that they were talking, it's that they chose to sit right next to the only group of people clearly trying to focus.'
The post divided commenters immediately, with many telling the student, in no uncertain terms, that if she wanted peace and quiet, she should head to a university library instead of a public café.
'Embarrassing for you that you'd even ask this online,' one user wrote bluntly.
'You're in the wrong here. There are places called universities or libraries designed for studying - cafes are for socialising.'
Others echoed the sentiment.
'It's a café, not a library. People can talk, take their kids, and enjoy themselves. Deal with it,' another wrote.
'I can't imagine being the sort of person who expects everyone else to be quiet in a quasi-public space,' said a third.
Some pointed out that cafes are commercial businesses, not designated study zones, and that laptop users shouldn't expect to control the space.
'You chose to study at a place designed for social gathering - that's on you.'
Still, not everyone sided with the loud group.
Several commenters said that while cafes aren't silent zones, there's still a basic level of spatial awareness and courtesy that should be followed, especially when obvious quieter areas are available.
'If you know your group is loud and the café has a lot of empty seating, maybe don't sit right next to people clearly reading or working,' one user said.
'It's not about being silent. It's about being thoughtful.'
Another added: 'Let's not pretend the loud and rude don't exist. I've been beside tables of people yelling at the top of their voices. The only solution is to move - or leave.'
The drama raises a broader question: who gets to dictate the vibe of a public café?
In Melbourne, where cafes are often filled with students tapping away at laptops, job-seekers taking Zoom calls, and freelancers treating cafes as makeshift offices, the boundaries between study space and social venue have become increasingly blurred.
'I've worked in cafes for years,' said one barista online.
'We get groups of students setting up for hours. They don't spend much, but they expect everyone else to stay quiet.'
Others pointed out that café culture is changing - but not everyone agrees on whether that's a good thing.
'There are definitely unspoken zones,' one explained. 'The back corner? Usually quiet laptop crowd. Big tables by the playground? Loud chats and babies. It's not law, but most people follow it.'
At the heart of the debate is a simple clash of expectations: one person's peaceful café corner is another person's perfectly fine lunch table.
Was the group of women technically doing anything wrong? No. But could they have made a more considerate choice? Possibly.
And for the student and her study group? Maybe it's time to invest in some noise-cancelling headphones - or head to the library after all.
