With Valentine's Day tomorrow there will be more than the usual couples who will be dining out tomorrow night. The restaurant business will be very happy for your patronage and they, in most cases, prefer you make a reservation to make your night more enjoyable. And there lies the problem.

People, when they make a reservation, expect to be able to be seated at that time. In many cases they are, but in other times the party making the reservation and the restaurant are at the mercy of the people still occupying "their" table. Those people maybe finished, but fail to promptly leave. Many people feel they need to stay around a while and socialize with others at the table.

On a regular night that might be alright, but on special occasion nights, like Valentine's Day, a table of "squatters" can bog down a reservation system. Restaurants have a great idea as to how much time a table is usually occupied and they set their reservation times accordingly. No restaurant wants to ask that you leave before you are ready. They are grateful for your business.

They won't say it, but I will. On a regular night it usually isn't a major problem if a table is there a little longer than expected, but on Valentine's night please be respectful of the people waiting beyond their reservation times for you to finish. They want the same enjoyable night of dining within a reasonable time of their reservation.

And now you know the "Restaurant Gospel" according to the Big Dog.

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