Hacker News Reader

Comment by pjmorris | Hacker News Reader

My wife likes to sit in what she calls 'the Mafia seat', the seat in a restaurant that is best-protected by walls, etc, from behind, and that gives the best view of the rest of the room, so you can see what or who is coming.

She's not in the mafia or allied professions, AFAIK, but I'd wager that similar metrics are used by the professionals.

View on HN

Sounds like what many people (perhaps your wife is one of them) subconsciously prefer and tend to, which as I've been informed on HN before (I am one of them, I'm aware I have such a preference but it's not consciously deliberate) is Zen's 'command position'.

I believe it came up before in the context of office desk arrangements. In office or restaurant, wherever, I find it very uncomfortable to have things going on behind me.

I love learning a phrase for the obscure preferences that my wife always makes fun of.

Of course she also makes fun of my obscure phrases.

Zen Buddhism’s command position?

I confess I'm not really familiar, I was just trying to repeat what I'd been told after previously describing the feeling (and the position). Having searched briefly for more information, it seems I meant feng shui rather than zen.

This sort of seat is seldom ideal for those who need to leave the premises quickly.

As the article points out, back exits are critical. I imagine it’s not difficult to find a good seat like that near the kitchen.

>AFAIK

You better know well, all given :)

I may have been exaggerating about my wife's responsibilities.

Also known as "ninja-proof seats"

Reply on news.ycombinator.com