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Okay, at least some of this can happen because you're a small party. Say there are one or two of you, and there are a lot of four-tops (four person tables available). Even though there are plenty of tables available, the server/hostess may think, "It's maybe 1/2 hour to the rush, and if I have these 1 or 2 people sitting at a table for four, I'm missing out on better tips from a larger party." So they seat you at two-person tables, which are often shoved into corners where a big table won't fit, or put up against the back wall. Two person tables are rarely in the best locations. I can see their point of view, but from my point of view it's bogus.
The flip side of this happens takes place when it _is_ busy, and you're a party of two on a waiting list. Even when you're next on the list, many restaurants instruct their hostesses to skip past you if the open table is a four-top and give it to the next large party. _You_will only be seated when a two-person table is available. Several larger parties behind you may be seated before you are. It's the restaurant's right to do this, but it's also my right not to eat at places that do this, and I don't.
This doesn't cover all the situations in which you may feel discriminated against, but I guarantee you that it covers some of them.
My favorite restaurant has a very large round table that, when there are lots of 1- and 2-person parties, it converts to a "community table" for any ones or twos that want a fast seat and don't mind sitting next to a stranger. This is a great way to handle this, because singles and couples who walk in and don't mind sharing can get a decent seat in a reasonable time.
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