"Saving seats" for people at public events. Discuss.

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What do you think of the practice of spreading out articles to "save" seats for people that haven't arrived yet? Or what about not putting anything there, but if someone comes by and says, "Is this seat taken?" Inevitably the people always say "yes," even if nobody ever shows up to claim the seat. Does this tick you off? What gives someone the right to "save" a seat, just because they happen to be sitting in the next seat? Discuss and post copycat threads.

[RedShoes]

1. It honestly depends on how many seats they are trying to reserve.

I certainly don't wanna get sandwiched between strangers when I'm just waiting on a friend or two. But if they're tryna get whole rows and such, eff 'em

[Bunny]

2. I see nothing really wrong with it. If you're meeting some people, and you get there first,

why not reserve their seats for them? :shrug:

[wintemark]

3. You Can't save more then one or two seats

and you can't save seats for someone by putting your own coat or what ever on the seat. You can only save a seat if the person or persons went to use the bathroom or something and are guarenteed to come back. If you are saving a seat for someone that hasn't shown up yet there is probably a reason why they aren't there. If they did not like you enough to walk in with you then why would they like you enough to sit next to you.

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17. That is my favorite reply to this thread. In fact,

it should be adopted into the Constitution.

[Rhythm]

4. I can understand saving a seat or two if you KNOW that

the other parties are guaranteed to show up. If you're just speculating -- "well, so-and-so said he was coming" -- then it's rude to others looking for an open seat with a better vantage point than what is otherwise available.

[MonkeyFunk]

5. Agreed

but sometimes large groups will go and try to save whole rows. That's over the line.

[Rhythm]

8. I agree with you completely... n/t

[malta blue]

6. my biggest beef with this is at elementary school concerts, etc.

I am a working parent. There were times where I have arrived at Little MB's functions an hour in advance (and they are in the evening) to find that specific parent who picked up their child at 3 pm put "reserved" signs on the entire row for their whole family. :mad:

I want to see my kid as much as any parent, but how "fair" is it to get to the school at 3pm and reserve the entire front row for your family - she even had the nerve to put the family name on the sign. Look, I know that you are a wealthy family and that pisses me off even more that you think you deserve the front row more than anyone else. :eyes:

[Rhythm]

9. In a case like that, it would be tempting to

replace their signs with ones reading "RESERVED - Self-Important Douchebag family"

:hide:

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18. Or "Reserved for Anthrax-vaccinnated Only"

[Debi]

12. Aacckk - Debi Jr.'s teacher always reserved seats for us in the front row

b/c he was in a wheelchair he couldn't get on the risers (and obviously was at eye level w/all who were seated) - so the only way we could see him was if we sat up front (this changed when he got into high school and the performances were on a stage). We were glared at for 10 years x( (Okay, it was only three seats - me, Mr. Debi and Debi, Jr.'s Home-health aide...but still) It was worth the stares to be able to see our son. (and we took pics and gave copes to the choir/drama teachers - so at least there was a little public service in exchange for the VIP seating).

[Midlodemocrat]

16. When I was PTA President, a woman tried that.

I removed the signs, tore them up and placed them on the floor under the seats.

You should have seen her face.

[driver8]

22. Good for you!!

I think I would be tempted to do the same.

That is absolute bullshit to try something like that.

[driver8]

21. What??!!

They put "reserved" signs on an entire row???

I'd tell that Mom to shove her reserved signs up her ass!

[AwakeAtLast]

28. I'm an Elem. Music Teacher

If that had been my concert, those signs would have been removed immediately. We specifically tell our parents that there are no reserved seats. They are more than welcome to come and sit in them for three hours. I'm sure you will not be surprised to know that some parents actually do this. :eyes:

[wintemark]

29. OMG yes school concerts are the worst

I still remember what that was like when I was in high school band and always saw the reserved signs for the elite of the community, some of whom did not even have kids in band. They just blocked off the most visible of the seats in the front to let the rest of the towns folk know they were there. While my parents usually sat in the back in place where I never could find them in the crowd. Usually I would only know that they were there because I would see my little sister doing some crazy dance thing off to the side while we were playing.

At my school the reserved seats were usually put up by the principle or band director that was doing it to curry favor with the wealthy side of town. Also, all of my concerts in high school took place in either the gym or cafeteria of the school so the only way to get a decent view of the band was to sit in front.

[Fox Mulder]

44. I would've brought my family down to that row and sat there.

They aren't her seats. They're for everyone. You have as much right to sit there as she does. If she can't be bothered to show up early to claim those seats, then that's her problem.

[Skittles]

45. OK that's just way out of line

I would laugh and just toss her silly signs

[bigwillq]

7. A few seats is fine.

A whole row, not so much.

[billyoc]

10. I'll admit that I prefer to sit in a sit that has some bullshit homemade "Reserved" sign on it.

They just feel more comfortable. :hi:

[Chan790]

11. It depends...

if seating is free...no saving seats and no saved seat will be respected.

if seating is limited...no saving seats and no saved seat will be respected.

if it's a paid event and the number of attendees is controlled and equal/less than the available seating, it's fine.



I'm a horse's ass sometimes...in the second scenario I've sat on someone's coat.

[Debi]

13. I don't have a problem w/saving seats for another who is guaranteed to attend

but I get a little pissy when whole rows or sections of seats are saved and the savers don't know how many are actually coming.

Kind of like at church dinners/wedding receptions/political events where people put up chairs to 'reserve' whole tables for friends that said they might be coming x(

[dembotoz]

14. at a fundraiser not very long ago.

i bought my sandwich and whatever and looked for a place to sit

There was not a place to sit--oh there were places to sit but every damn one was reserved.

I turned to the cashier and announced rather loudly, perhaps too loudly
"This is fucking bullshit, there is no place to sit"
i then dumped my food in the garbage and walked.

The place went quiet, that was fine with me.

went to a mc donalds instead.

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19. In that case I probably would have just sat down at a "reserved" spot, ate my food,

and if people were glaring at me or huffing around because I was sitting in their supposedly "reserved" seat, I would have eaten slowly and deliberately, savoring each bite with a smile right at them as they stood their blowing their top. Even if they summoned some security guart to boot me out, I would have still just sit there and forced them to pick up the whole chair with me in it, holding my plate, and continuing to enjoy every bite as they carried me out.

[dembotoz]

24. yours is perhaps a more mature response

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26. Although if I had been in your exact position, I might have done exactly what you did,

but probably I would have first smeared all the empty seats with the blueberry cobbler. And thrown a pitcherfull of iced tea directly in the face of whoever was "in charge" of the seating. And kicked over the silent auction table.

[eyesroll]

15. My parents and I sat down at an "empty" table at a charity auction.

There were a few spent drinks, and a few discarded programs, but no purses, jackets, full drinks, etc. The drinks and programs were scattered around, so we chose seats that had nothing in front of them.

We were there for a few minutes, then two people came over and told us that the whole table was saved.

Um....what?

We didn't feel like arguing, and there were plenty of extra seats, so we found new ones.

People are obnoxious sometimes.

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20. You should have said, "Hallelujah! A table full of people was saved and went to heaven!"

and then told them if it was the table they wanted, to go ahead and take the table.

[mokawanis]

23. I thin it's ok if it's a seat or 2

but when I attended a Steve Earle concert last year a friend of mine laid claim to about half the 4th row, which he somehow held until we all arrived. While I thought he was wrong to do it I have to admit I was happy to breeze in right before the concert started and take a seat.

[Skittles]

46. see there's where you and I differ

I would have been embarrassed

[datasuspect]

25. "there ain't no one sitting there right now."

10-4

[MichiganVote]

27. I don't care too much if its a case of a table of people-say 6 or 8.

But it bugs the crap out of me at a movie theater when there are six items stacked on seats in a row. Not cool.

[Mr. Blonde]

30. Movie theaters are a weird place to do it

although I freely admit to doing so. I don't think we have ever gone for saving a whole row but most of one. It helps being a wrestler, for some reason no one else wanted to sit by us anyway :shrug:

But when I think on it it is weird. How much does it matter that you sit next to someone in a place where you aren't supposed to talk?

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41. That brings up a bad memory for me...

I went to a movie theater and noticed there were 2 empty seats in the center of a row. I asked the people sitting next to them, "Are those seats available?" and they cheerfully said, "No, go ahead," and moved their feet back so I could pass in front of them. But before we got to the seats, this jackass guy about 21 or so came from the other end of the row with his girlfriend and they took the seats. I said politely to him, "We were just about to sit there." He just glanced at me and said something like "Too bad." I looked at the people who were polite and told us to go ahead and sit there, and they were kind of shocked about it too. There was nothing I could do, so we had to go out of the row and find other seats, way in the back. For some reason I have never forgotten that even though it was at least 10 years ago.

[Mr. Blonde]

42. We never did that

two people (at least) would get there early to stake out the territory. If someone else was clearly going for some seats I wouldn't bother.

Worst experience was the opening of King Kong. A friend and I showed up early and I felt like I was in that seat for an eternity.

[KG]

31. uh, nope. if you can't bothered to arrive early, like me, screw you and your friends.

[jobycom]

33. What about my disabled father? Screw him, too?

I have to let my parents out as close to the door as possible, because standing or walking is excruciating for him, then I park the car further back in the lot because I don't like to take up close parking spots, since others need them and I don't. So when my parents get a seat, they can't save me one? I have to sit somewhere else because my dad can't walk?

[KG]

35. yea. especially him.

in fact, your father was who i had in mind when i posted my reply. :eyes:

[Darth_Kitten]

32. Save for one person, perhaps, but not for 6!!!!!

this happened the other day at a festival I went to. Happened to bring my Mom, and all seats are rush seats. First come, first serve I say, but what can be done?

[jobycom]

34. I'm more concerned by people who skip seats.

You know, people who can't sit beside the stranger next to them, so they sit one or two seats over, so there are scattered empty seats everywhere, but people in groups of two or three can't sit together.

[pokerfan]

36. In college

students had to stand in line outside the stadium sometimes for hours, overnight even for a big game. The gates would open hours before kickoff so it was pretty much an all-day event.

The frats would send their pledges to stand in line and hold seats for them so that they could breeze in a few minutes before the game started. Sometimes there would be just five or six guys trying to hold midfield seats for maybe fifty of their "brothers." Fistfights would often ensue.

One of the many reasons I never joined a frat.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

37. I confess my guilt

I performed that routine when Bullwinkle925 and I went to see "The Dark Knight." Usually I don't do that, but the guy who wanted the seat next to me was approximately 8 feet tall and weighed approximately 500 lbs., and I wanted some room!

:blush:

[Mutley]

38. If it's only a few seats, and the people for whom they are being saved

will be there within a few minutes, I don't see a problem. Whole rows being saved for people who may or may not be showing up any time soon is annoying as hell.

[jberryhill]

39. Reverse seat saving on public transit

I used to take a commuter train to and from Philly every day.

The seats on SEPTA trains are three across, and there is a fine art that people have developed in the "how to look unfriendly to sit next to".

That said, there were people who didn't know how to spread out on the way home.

For example, lets say two rows of the train loads like this:

1 X0X X0X
2 XXX XXX

On the outbound leg, people are only getting off the train, and then it looks like this:

1 X00 00X
2 XXX X0X

Now, if I was one of the people on the left side of row 2, I would get up and move to one of the empty aisle seats in row 1, so that it would look like this:

1 X0X 00X
2 X0X X0X

...so that all of the remaining passengers would have an empty seat next to them. But you'd be surprised at the dirty look you'd get from the person in row 1 upon sitting at the end of their nearly empty row.

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40. It reminds me of a comic strip I saw a long time ago

I think it was by Mimi Pond, but I can't remember. A tiny, meek-looking young lady is riding on a city bus and she is the only passenger. The bus stops and a huge oafish man gets on, grinning and swearing and he looks dirty. The young lady prays silently, "Please, God, don't let him sit next to me." I think that is repeated for a couple more panels. When he finally sits down, he sits right next to her even though the rest of the bus is empty. He looks at her and says, "God told me to sit next to you."

[Fox Mulder]

43. It pisses me off and I ignore it.

If someone says to me "this seat is taken," I say something like "yeah, by me" and sit down. It's not their seat. I'm going to sit there if I want to sit there.