Spinoff of "Was I the jerk here" thread.....

[Micca]

Costco-sized family pack

 

[JoanneAZ]

This is the same phenomenon as being the only person in a public restroom with multiple empty stalls and someone else comes in and takes the stall right next to you. For the love of little green apples, WHY?

 

[Donald Duck Family]

We occasionally get the people choosing seat next to us when there are plenty of options. It can be annoying, but I usually try to chalk it up to people trying to pick the best seats in the theater just like I did.

The worst was one time my family was in the theater. The movie had already started and in comes a young woman with two small kids. The theater was relatively empty, but of course they choose our row and both kids end up next to me with her on the other side of them. It's bad enough that you are late and have to disrupt everyone while getting settled, but the icing on the cake was the woman pulled out her phone and began taking pictures of her kids during the movie (WITH THE FLASH ON!). By about the 4th picture I told her if she didn't put the phone away we would have a problem. She sheepishly put the phone away, but seriously I shouldn't need to tell you not to point a camera flash in my face in a darkened movie theater.

I would have loved to see the photos, every one likely had me in the background glaring at her with the intensity of 1000 suns. Some people can be so dense.

 

[Disneylover99]

This is the same phenomenon as being the only person in a public restroom with multiple empty stalls and someone else comes in and takes the stall right next to you. For the love of little green apples, WHY?

Sorry. I’m guilty of this. Only because the stalls on either side of the person happened to be the cleanest ones or the ones with toilet paper in them.

 

[kymom99]

One time I took my grandsons to see captain underpants.

The oldest one is on the spectrum. He has difficulty sitting properly in a seat. There was a woman next to him. I looked over and at one point he had slid so far down in the seat that he was on his back and his legs and feet were sticking up in the air. I’m sure sitting next to that was a little weird. I told him to sit up right. Also before the movie started but during the previews, the woman was looking at her phone. You know how they make the announcement to not use cell phones during the show. Well the grandson tells the woman she’s not supposed to be on her phone! I nearly died! I shushed him and thought to myself any adult who sits through captain underpants has earned the right to look at their phone.

So I guess that day we were that family.

 

[Disneylover99]

This ranks right up there with people that park their car right next to yours in an empty parking lot - I will never understand

Because I want my primo spot, close to the store. I’m a creature of habit.
But if you park near the carts, I promise I won’t come near you. Lol.

 

[princesscinderella]

I just recently had a bizarre experience in a performing arts theater when we went to see CATS. (I hated it by the way, memories was the only redeeming part of that show) We were sitting in the right side of the orchestra probably 10 rows back from the stage about 6 seats in from the aisle. These are where season ticket holders sit and usually know each other after years of having the same seats. And usually there’s no empty seats. We had exchanged our tickets to this showing as we couldn’t go on our usual day. At intermission the couple seated close to the aisle said to us move down by them because the seats next to them never showed up to the show. We moved over in our row because it’s a bit easier to see what’s happening in the back corner. Well the guy who was seated behind us in our “new” seats threw a temper tantrum literally like a 2 year old that those weren’t our seats and now we were blocking his view of the show. If the people in front of him had shown up the the show he would have had the same view and it was absolutely crazy how much he blew up to the amazement of all around us. We tried to just ignore him and he got an usher who said it was normal for people to move over to a better seat if it was unoccupied at intermission. He then continued on and got a manager who exasperated with the crazy guy asked us to move back to our seats which were only two seats over. We moved back the the show started back up. My husband turned around and looked at the guy and he again blew up and I don’t remember what he said but it was like a 2 year old saying she looked at me and he again got up to complain in the middle of the show, I have no idea what he said to whoever he talked to but we heard him come back shortly after and said nothing the rest of the show. The lady who prompted us to move over was very apologetic to us for something that wasn’t her fault. I’m just thankful if he’s a season ticket holder he’s not near us on our regular day.

 

[Jwaire]

I went to see Dr. Strange 2 by myself and two older gentleman sat right behind me. Since there were only 3 of us in the entire theater, one of them decided I should be involved in all of their conversations even going as far to whisper behind my ear and tap me on the shoulders during the "good part."

I didn't think much of it at the time, but after I got home, I thought did that really happen? Maybe they assumed I was lonely? Or needed a friend? Either way, it was a strange experience.

 

[JoanneAZ]

Sorry. I’m guilty of this. Only because the stalls on either side of the person happened to be the cleanest ones or the ones with toilet paper in them.

That’s understandable but I’ve had it happen in places that have 20+ stalls.

 

[focusondisney]

This is the same phenomenon as being the only person in a public restroom with multiple empty stalls and someone else comes in and takes the stall right next to you. For the love of little green apples, WHY?

I was going to post the same thing!! I can go to the far end of a totally empty ladies room. And Every. Single. Time, the next person will pick the stall right next to me. So bizarre. Drives me bonkers.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well the guy who was seated behind us in our “new” seats threw a temper tantrum literally like a 2 year old that those weren’t our seats and now we were blocking his view of the show. If the people in front of him had shown up the the show he would have had the same view and it was absolutely crazy how much he blew up to the amazement of all around us.

IDK I actually would side with the guy, oh not on his behavior, but on how he felt. Nothing like having the best seat only to have someone come along and block you. Isn't that the same feelings people get at a lot of things? Like parades, etc seems pretty understandable. In fact TBH I would say if you consciously moved in front of someone when before you were (like there weren't people behind you in your original seats) I'd say you were a touch inconsiderate.

You're not wrong of course if the original ticket holders had shown up the guy's view would have been blocked, but that wasn't the situation at the time.

In the case of a theater I try not to move when I feel like I would be blocking someone. Now I'm 5 ft 3 but my husband is over 6 ft 5 and he will block people, we're quite aware of other people, he's very conscious of his surroundings.

When we were down in Disney last month watching Voices of Liberty with our friends we were on the ground.

• A few mins before the performance my husband goes to the bathroom and in the meantime this man and his 3 friends sat down but almost right to where my husband's seat was,
• I just politely said "oh my husband is sitting there" (there was a backpack) and the guy said "oh I'm sorry" I said "no worries"
• He moved to be just behind where my husband would be sitting. I warned him jokingly "you may not want to sit there my husband is quite tall" (and he would not be blocking anyone at that point) and he said "oh thanks for letting me know" and scooted back.
• When my husband sat down the guy said "boy you weren't kidding thank you for saying something"

..but yeah not siding with the guy in your situation's behavior but I am siding with how he felt, common or not for that to happen in that particular theater I think we all know how it feels and it stinks when you could see and then all of a sudden your view is obstructed and when it didn't need to be.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is the same phenomenon as being the only person in a public restroom with multiple empty stalls and someone else comes in and takes the stall right next to you. For the love of little green apples, WHY?

I was going to post the same thing!! I can go to the far end of a totally empty ladies room. And Every. Single. Time, the next person will pick the stall right next to me. So bizarre. Drives me bonkers.

Agreed and it's just like the unwritten guy thing they do in those bathrooms. You at least try and skip a stall to begin with and if you're in a really large bathroom usually try and skip more than one in between you. I do understand what the PP was mentioning with state of the bathroom and lack of toilet paper although not going to lie usually you've found that out for yourself and moved onto a different stall so you understand why someone may be right next to you.

 

[marthachick]

DH and I went to a PG-13 movie years ago and the theater wasn’t crowded at all. No assigned seats. Almost time to start the movie and a man walks in with 5 or 6 kids under 8 I would guess. Sat right behind us. There were like 5 other people in there. We moved. I don’t think they were all seated more than 10 minutes during the whole movie.

 

[bcwife76]

I was on a flight once, maybe a year before the pandemic? It was on a 737 so seats were 3 and 3. DH and our kids were across the aisle from me, I was on the outside, someone sat beside me in the middle seat but the window seat was empty. Flight about to take off, stewardess says to guy next to me "passenger in window seat never turned up, you can move over" and he refused...."oh I'm all comfortable now." Are you kidding me? Stewardess thought it was weird based on the look she have me, I thought it was weird, my husband thought it was weird....dude, move over. Then we can both have more space.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I might be the strange guy. I don’t go to movies but in live theater I’ve occasionally bought the seat in front of mine to make sure nobody blocks my view. I’ve yet to have someone try to move to that seat but if I ever did I would politely tell them it was mine and being used.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The woman next to me in a crowded movie theater kept talking to her small child, (needlessly) commenting/explaining the movie to her. When I finally shushed the woman she retorted, "It's a Disney movie." So what? I paid to watch/listen to the movie, not listen to her talking. She was a bit quieter after that.

 

[RedAngie]

There’s a unwritten guy code for restroom etiquette???

 

[MIGrandma]

I once went to see a movie by myself, Pet Sematary. The rest of the theater was empty, it was an afternoon matinee. In walks a couple and they chose the row in front of me. The guy sat directly in front of me. I’m barely 5’ tall, he was well over 6’ tall so definitely blocked my view. The woman looked at me a little sheepishly. I fumed for a few seconds. Yes, I could have moved but I was there first. So, I tapped him on the shoulder and said “would you move down one seat so I can see?” He said “oh yeah, sure” like he hadn’t even seen me sitting there. The lights were still on. They did move down. But who sits directly in front of one other person in an otherwise empty theater?!

 

[focusondisney]

I might be the strange guy. I don’t go to movies but in live theater I’ve occasionally bought the seat in front of mine to make sure nobody blocks my view. I’ve yet to have someone try to move to that seat but if I ever did I would politely tell them it was mine and being used.

Great idea & good for you! At the movies we sit in the last row, end 2 seats. I’ve sometimes thought about buying the seat next to us to keep it empty, but figured, that’s crazy. A few months ago, I saw an interview with Magic Johnson. He mentioned he & his wife love going to the movies & did so thru out the pandemic. The interviewer asked if that made them nervous about having people so close to them. His answer, “no, I buy like 9 seats for the 2 of us” Brilliant! Now he can afford 9 seats, but me buying 1 seat didn’t seem as crazy anymore. Actually, I’m kind of jealous.

 

[Alicefan]

My husband and I go to the movies frequently. I don't ever remember anything that weird happening. Now all of the theatres by me are assigned recliner seats. They are wider and much more comfortable. There are only like 9 seats in a row. I don't care if people pick a seat next to me!

Although I may be the annoying one because I munch on popcorn, take off my shoes (always wearing socks) and bring my own blanket. lol

Same girl...same lol