Today, at the Cafe de Paris in Monte Carlo, I experienced the classic table snatching. An assertive American woman and her friend stepped in front of my me and my mother to grab the last table basking in the afternoon sun, situated for ideal people (and car) watching outside of the Monte Carlo Casino Hotel.

The waiter, whom we had spoken (in French) to earlier, relayed to the woman that we were here first and waiting for a table to open up. She proceeded to sit down and then yell at the waiter in English, protesting that the table was rightfully hers.  She was determined to defend her right to seize the table on a seat yourself basis!

My favourite line was when the waiter told her, “Madame, I suppose you are right- I only work here…”

The lesson here is one of etiquette and karma.

We did not make a big fuss and let the waiter handle the situation.  In the end, we waited five extra minutes and obtained a sweet little table with ample people-watching and a healthy dose of sun.

What ensued next was the karmic deliverance that occurs when you let go and allow a situation to unfold without forcing it. :)

The two ladies sat in their conquered table and received no service until long after my mother and I had been seated and waited upon.  We had our drinks and food before they (even though we sat down after) and I caught their resentful eye.

Honestly, I felt sorry for that woman, because she probably just felt threatened that she was in a foreign country where she could not adequately speak the language and did not want to be taken advantage of.  Unfortuntately, she missed it. By acting the way she did, she created a much worse situation.

Luckily, I was within eyesight and watched how you do not need to bicker about stolen tables in France, because the wait staff will take care of it for you (it helps if you can speak a bit of French) and karma will always find a way of working out the good etiquette you put forth.