My brother phoned a few minutes ago and told me he was sitting in a restaurant having lunch on his own. This got me thinking if I would do something similarl. For me, I think it would depend what time of the day it is. I could probably have lunch on my own if I was doing some shopping in the mall or maybe stop at a coffee shop for a cup of coffee. Although I would probably make sure that I have a newspaper or book with me to keep me company. I don't think I could dine out on my own at night time. Seeing all the couples or familiies around me would make me feel pretty lonely. Is there anyone that feels the same?
I work on the road from time to time and eat by myself quite a bit. I don't feel lonely, you have to eat. Better than sitting in a hotel room by yourself or sitting in your home and apartment by yourself. Find a restaurant or pub with good people and friendly staff and make it the place that you stop in for a drink or bite to eat.
I can't go out and eat alone. I feel way to self-conscious sitting all by myself. If I have to eat while I am out and am by myself I would rather eat in my car. Of course that never happens because I don't usually go anywhere by myself. My last job was only about 5 miles from my house so on my lunch break I would drive home and eat there. I hated sitting in the break room because too many people would stop in and interrupt me when I was trying to read. And then of course since you are still in the building, they feel like they can come and ask you stuff.
I've done it a few times and I have to admit that I prefer to go out with others. It just feels strange to eat out alone. I'm so used to sitting around the table and talking to others while waiting for the food to come when I go out to eat. So when I do dine by myself I'm pretty much scarfing down my food and getting out of there as soon as I can. And that's sad because you can't really enjoy a meal that way.
I can eat out on my own and I've done it several times - I enjoy it a lot. I could sit at the café or restaurant for as long as I want to without having to think about whether or not the other person would want to leave etc. Another thing that I've done alone and I don't know that many people that would do it is to watch a movie by myself. I never thought I would ever have the courage to watch a movie on my own, but I did, a few times after a bad break-up. It was a lot better than watching it with a bunch of friends because one or two would make some stupid remarks about the movie or decide to ask something about the movie - gosh, that annoys me to no end.
I see dining alone as a treat and a privilege, rather than something that only sad people do. I don't do it very often, but when I do, I make the most of it. I take a book or a newspaper with me, and go somewhere where the staff are known to me, so I know there'll be some conversation. I find that other diners will come and speak to me, whereas they wouldn't dream of it if I was dining with someone else, so I get to meet new people as well.
I hate dining alone, and refuse to do it. If I want to go out somewhere to eat, then normally I bring someone with me. I really hate the feeling of being alone, while others around me are surrounded by loved ones.
I never eat out at a restaurant, all by myself. Just feels awkward. I always want to have at least one more person, so you can talk to someone. It is pretty dull just sitting there without having anyone to talk to, the meal can become quite lengthy. A lot of people do it, though. Catching a quick bite is fine, but not sure about actually going to a restaurant all by yourself.
Actually I like being in a restaurant alone because I could eat faster and could save a lot of time. When I have with friends or with my girlfriend, we take so much time sitting while eating because we converse more that we eat so we double the time that we are there than just by myself.
I just started eating at the Chinese buffet alone. It is so much more relaxing than filling up a takeout box and bringing my food home to eat. I can take my time, enjoy the fresh food and the hot tea, the quiet atmosphere. I don't go there when it is packed with a bunch of people; but then I don't get the buffet to go when it is packed either! I noticed that I was not the only one eating by themselves. Half the people there were by themselves and that made me feel a lot better.
Eating alone sounds heavenly to me. I have a bunch of kids and eating out is always a huge ordeal. I love to go out alone and sit and eat in piece . I do like to have a book with me to read. If I was bored I would look around for another single diner and ask to join them. Its amazing how much fun it is to get to know someone new over lunch.
I don't really find the use for going to a restaurant alone. At most, the only place I really enjoy going alone is to our local coffee shop, Tim Hortons. If I go to a restaurant alone then it's just a waste of money. For the cost, I could sit at home, cook myself a nice meal, listen to good music and read or watch a motion picture. It's not that I'm an insecure person, it's just I find restaurants more of a social occasion.
That kind of feels... sad for me. I usually eat with family and friends when we go out, so I'm not used to eating alone. Most of the time, I'd just go to a fast food or restaurant and take out the food so I can eat it at home. I feel more comfortable that way.
I think that I would feel insecure if I were eating alone, and it makes me feel pathetic to say. I hope to get to a place where I don't care what people think about me. I don't even know if people care if someone is eating alone, or if it's all in our minds. Personally, it breaks my heart see an older woman eating alone. The funny thing is that that woman probably is not lonely.
It's the matter of being comfortable around yourself. A lot of people think down on individuals doing stuff themselves. You need your alone time, I have a friend who goes camping by himself sometimes it's really great when you find comfort around yourself, can resolve your issues and come back a generally relax person. I personally don't have a problem dining by myself.
I used to travel a lot for business so I had plenty of opportunities to dine alone. I usually would find a restaurant that you could eat at the bar, so you fit in nicely with other folks in the same situation as you. I always felt uncomfortable when dining alone in the restaurant at a table by myself. Especially if you have to wait and then hear "Party of one your table is ready".
I don't go out to eat often but eating alone would not be a problem. I would take a book, I always have a book with me. But I just usually look at the people and see how they are enjoying there time together. Some are happy and some are not.
For me, dining out depends on what kind of restaurant it is. A small restaurant, such a fast food place or a cafe or a diner, I could easily be there and eat by myself. It's mostly because these are the smaller places that doesn't have you sitting there for a long time while you eat or wait for your meals. These places are more convenient, quicker, and cheaper, thus making it more appealing to going out alone. Bigger restaurants, such as Red Lobster or a steak house, need you need to wait a little longer than others to wait for your meals, and thus can be awkward or gives you that self-conscious feeling while the meal is being prepared.
Try looking at it from a different prospective. Maybe he does it because he's lonely and likes the company of others while he's eating, even if they're strangers. Some people like to be in a social enviroment when they eat and find sitting alone(truly alone) to be quite depressing and would rather join a crowd of strangers than sit at home by yourself. Maybe he isn't alone, but likes to do that anyway.
