Manners are always in style.

Last Sunday I met a friend for what started as a leisurely brunch, but ended as a reminder of the importance of good manners.

A dear friend and I had not seen each other in a couple of months, so after having our fill of great food we settled down to chat over coffee. Our waiter was pleasant and did not give the unspoken ‘time for you to leave’ vibe that usually comes when a restaurant is packed.

Well, even though the waiter did not mind our lingering, another patron was coveting our table -- and he made it known.

As we enjoyed our coffee, Old Man shuffled right up to our table and ‘jokingly’ said that we were sitting at his table. He prattled on about how he always sits at that particular table -- the one where we were obviously loitering now that we had finished our meal. He even suggested that we move to one of the available tables.

Pardon me?

Astonished, my friend looked at me with a ‘can you believe this?’ expression on her face as I scanned the restaurant for telltale signs of hidden cameras. Clearly we were the targets of a reality show in which Old Man was playing the Jack Nicholson role from As Good As It Gets or the Dustin Hoffman role from Rain Man.

But Old Man was not part of any show or acting a role. He simply was a restaurant patron who forgot where he was and forgot his manners to boot.

He forgot that he was not at home, in his own dining room, where he can sit in the same chair every day and dare anybody to go near it. He was in a public restaurant – where seats are assigned as you enter.

I could not tell if he was mentally ill, or just a cranky old man accustomed to getting his way. I took both possibilities into consideration and refrained from letting him know exactly what I was thinking. (Trust me. It was not a happy thought.)

My friend and I mustered a couple of smiles, assured him that we would be leaving soon, and kindly suggested that he take a seat at one of the empty tables until we departed. He mumbled something, and shuffled off.

Our waiter and the restaurant’s manager came over in succession. Both were mortified and apologized profusely, explaining that Old Man is a semi-regular guest who always insists on having that particular table.

My friend and I sat there for a few more uncomfortable minutes, then got up to leave. As we headed for the door, the restaurant host stopped us and offered the third apology of the morning. At this point we were more embarrassed by the apologies than the incident itself.

But back to Old Man… there is no excuse for his behavior. Yes, he is old and he may have some mental issues. If that is the case, then the people accompanying him in public – in this case, his wife – should rein him in and not allow his rudeness to disrupt others’ enjoyment. If he were a few years younger, or if the importance of good manners had not been drilled into my head from birth, the scenario could have taken a nasty turn very quickly.

It is never in style to be rude. Not to a stranger. Not to a waiter. Not to a fellow patron. Not to anyone.

Besides, is the location of your table really that important? Seriously.