Interested to know your thoughts ……..

I’d be revolted but I have to say, I’ve been in what you might call upper class company where toothpicks were used freely at a meal.

It was pushing the tongue around the teeth to dislodge food that was considered extremely bad manners.

I suppose it must be 'acceptable' as some restaurants have them on the table but that doesn't make it any less revolting.

Yuk!

No not acceptable. Those toothpickers may not have been happy with someone cleaning their fingernails ears or nose at the table. No self cleaning at the table please.

DH would approve!

No no no

I don't think it's acceptable. If someone wants to do that, they should go to the toilet and do it. My late MIL used to sit and pick at her teeth, no matter where she was (she also use to break wind and belch, which I found sickening)

Yuk.

So wierd. Were they provided by the establishment or did she provide her own? I'd have said something to Management.

Revolting. I would have asked to move tables

It’s a ‘no’ from me. I don’t think many restaurants provide them now, but you definitely shouldn’t be using them at table.

Definitely Yuck !

Horrible... I would have had to move tables

I side with the 'yuks!' on this one.

Maybe she,in a very odd way,thought she was being "Refained" and wanted everyone to know it!

Puts me in mind of Hyacinth Bucket (Boo-kay) of "Keeping Up Appearances" fame.

And it definitely ranks with eating with your mouth open.

We used to sit in a local cafe for a coffee and a woman used to come in, get her coffee, then get out a small mirror and tweezers to remove tiny hairs from her chin. The product fell on the floor.

Yuk, you should have asked if you could have a change of table guests. You wouldn't do it in front of the family never mind strangers.

No it is not acceptable behaviour I would have told her so there and then if it continued I would have asked to be moved. It reminds me of the 1970s in steak houses having pots of tooth picks on tables it wasn’t acceptable then and it is not now.

I would have just looked at her and said as we are cleaning teeth I will clean mine and take them out, dunk them in a glass of water and then put them back in. Saying it’s so easy this way. Wel. I might have said that after a bottle or two

There were no ‘picks’ on the table so she had brought her own. I should imagine she never goes anywhere without one. I did consider speaking out the first day but didn’t want a potential scene in what was a big hotel dining room … with NO spare tables.

With not being able to get a dentist these days I guess she was taking the best care of her teeth she could 🤷‍♀️🤣

I would have asked to move tables too, completely unacceptable and very bad manners imo! We can all get something stuck in our teeth but what's wrong with nipping off to the toilet and sorting it out discretely?? That's what I would do.

I ABSOLUTELY hate seeing anyone pick their teeth - or bite their nails!!!! Certainly NOT at a dining table!!!!!

I told my ‘D’H this - more than 30 years ago and he still bloody does it!!!!!

And a very good (male) friend of ours does it too, plus awful belching!!!!!

Gross.

It used to be quite normal in Victorian middle and upper class society, I believe, but table manners change over time. Georgians used to eat fish with two forks, the Victorians invented the fish knife. Does anyone use them now?

I would find it very distasteful, but it reminded me of when I was a young teenager me and a friend went into a cafe no seats available so we had to sit at the table opposite an elderly gentleman.I only had a Diet Coke but my friend ordered a full breakfast, the man had a hot drink. Just as my friend started to eat the man took out his false teeth and just laid them on the table, my friend screamed and we legged it out as fast as we could, both so shocked.

I’d have been tempted to stick a toothpick in her eye !! Yuk!!