I (22F) was studying at a popular coffee shop in my town yesterday afternoon. It was crowded, but I was lucky enough to get a 2 person table with an outlet. I stayed there for maybe three hours and ordered multiple items throughout my stay.
About an hour into my stay, a girl about my age who reeked of weed asked if she could share my table so she could study as well. I looked around and every other chair was occupied and there were even people standing beside the tables. I absolutely despise the smell of weed. It’s legal in my state so there’s no issues there, but it makes me nauseous and gives me a headache, so I knew there was no way I would get anything done with that girl across from me. Without mentioning her smell, I told her no and that I needed my personal space.
Instead of walking away, she pressed and said that if I wanted my personal space I shouldn’t study in the most popular coffee shop in town. I then told her that I specifically didn’t want her at my table because she smelled like a marijuana farm and she should take a shower before she tries to infringe on strangers’ personal space. I thought she would go away after that, but she told me she was sitting at my table whether I liked it or not. She put her things down, maybe thinking I would leave.
Instead, I flagged down an employee and explained the situation. She sided with me and asked the girl to leave, threatening to call security if she didn’t do so. As the girl was leaving, she shot me a look, then quickly glanced towards [hint at contact] when leaving.
I resumed my work but felt a bit shaken by the situation. Later that evening, I recalled what happened to some of my friends. I thought that they would all agree that she was being an AH, but to my surprise, a couple of my friends told me I was the unreasonable one. One of them is familiar with the coffee shop and told me that it was rude of me to hog a table (even though I bought two drinks and a pastry throughout my stay), and that if I really had a problem with someone smelling bad, I should have just left. Another one of my friends said that my comment about how that person smelled was out of line, and even if someone is being rude I shouldn’t talk like that to a stranger. This sparked a huge debate until I agreed to post on this sub to settle this once and for all.
I resumed my work but felt a bit shaken by the situation. Later that evening, I recalled what happened to some of my friends. I thought that they would all agree that she was being an AH, but to my surprise, a couple of my friends told me I was the unreasonable one… But another friend, who works near that coffee shop, later heard a rumor that that girl was apparently supposed to meet someone there for a delivery/exchange, and the smell was from what she was carrying/waiting for. My refusing her the table… it wasn’t just about her smell disrupting my studying; it apparently messed up something else entirely for her, something potentially illegal, and the smell was likely a byproduct of that.
So, am I TA in this situation? AITA for refusing to share a table in a crowded coffee shop with a girl who smelled strongly of weed, giving her an ultimatum to leave or I’d involve staff (which led to her being removed), especially since my refusal and action might have unknowingly disrupted a hidden, potentially illicit activity she was engaged in at that moment?