Would You Sit at a Saved Table?

[crashbb]

MIGrandma appears to be VERY possessive of her "space". First it is kids in a park *gasp*, now it is an old lady sitting at a table. What's next? Someone parking in the space next to yours?

On the other hand, using her lawn as a bathroom would be fine.

 

[akhenaten]

the op may feel that their family has been around long enough to have a special table that "belongs" to their family ...but I have been around school systems/kids events long enough and I also want to see my child perform and if a seat is unoccupied ..i will sit in it!!!

if no one is there when I sit down to tell me they are saving the seat... too bad!

Good for the woman who sat down first!!!

 

[MIGrandma]

op was the only rude one. talking about how many seats they need like the lady wasnt even there. good for the lady for calling the op out on this one. it is so rude to talk over someone in the hopes that they "get" what you are trying to do. love the lady for not taking it. next time tip the chairs into the table that you are using.

You know, I think you are right about "talking over her" about how many seats we were going to need. I didn't want to actually come out and ask the woman to move, but in hindsight I know I should have just told her that the table was saved. And I do like your idea of tipping the chairs into the table, we'll remember that for next time.

 

[Acklander]

MIGrandma appears to be VERY possessive of her "space". First it is kids in a park *gasp*, now it is an old lady sitting at a table. What's next? Someone parking in the space next to yours?

OMG, is this the same person????? I remember that thread. LOL. Yeah, sounds like the issues are with you MIGrandma, not the rest of the world.

 

[michellev]

I often see this at events and it really bothers me. I show up 45 minutes before the event and end up 6 rows back because 2 people show up before me and save 40 seats.

I wish the "Disney" method was applied. You arrive, sit at the end of the row and everyone follows you. No saving seats for anyone.

OP - I believe you were wrong in this situation (and I have read and understand everything you posted). If you want that specific table you should arrive first and sit at it. Problem solved.

 

[wvjules]

Sorry you think I'm possessive of my "space" but the table was saved for several people, not just for myself. And for the record, I wasn't even the one who asked the kids to save it, their Dad did. My Mom, DD and I just happened to get to the concert before he and the rest of his family did. If it had just been my Mom, myself and DD I never would have thought anything about the woman sitting there.

And thanks for bringing up the past, I bet you're the type that does that to people in real life too, huh?

No I do not. But I think in this case the history of "space" issues is relevant to the topic at hand.

BTW, not sure why that needed to be in a PM?

 

[MIGrandma]

No I do not. But I think in this case the history of "space" issues is relevant to the topic at hand.

BTW, not sure why that needed to be in a PM?

Oh, that is just really classy.

Most people know that PM's are just that: private.

I wonder if copying a private message into a thread is against the Dis rules.

 

[luvmy3]

i often see this at events and it really bothers me. I show up 45 minutes before the event and end up 6 rows back because 2 people show up before me and save 40 seats.

I wish the "disney" method was applied. You arrive, sit at the end of the row and everyone follows you. No saving seats for anyone.

op - i believe you were wrong in this situation (and i have read and understand everything you posted). If you want that specific table you should arrive first and sit at it. Problem solved.

ita.

 

[nancytoby]

BTW, not sure why that needed to be in a PM?

Perhaps she didn't want to be publicly perceived as hostile and unkind? Oh, sorry, that horse is already out of the barn.

 

[crashbb]

I often see this at events and it really bothers me. I show up 45 minutes before the event and end up 6 rows back because 2 people show up before me and save 40 seats.

I wish the "Disney" method was applied. You arrive, sit at the end of the row and everyone follows you. No saving seats for anyone.

OP - I believe you were wrong in this situation (and I have read and understand everything you posted). If you want that specific table you should arrive first and sit at it. Problem solved.

Yup.

Sadly, it appears that the OP will continue to, rudely, save the table for her family - just do it more obviously in the future.

 

[Cinderelley]

It definitely does depend. Generally, I don't take any seats that look as if they are taken or reserved. Reason being is that you don't know the situation. On Christmas Eve, I have to reserve seats for my family at church. Reason being is that my grandparents come right before mass starts because of health reasons. My parents drive them over which means I have to save the seats. If worst comes to worst, I would give up my seat to sit in a folding chair or stand. Luckily, most of the frequent churchgoers usually reserve the pew for my family anyway since we always sit in the very same place in the back.

In regards to your situation, I probably just would have moved my party to a different table. If there weren't other options, I would politely tell the stranger that seats are reserved for those that are attending. I wouldn't save seats for people who may not be coming. If they don't give a definite answer, they are on their own

 

[stashbin]

Getting passed the whole "right to save the table" issue...it's just weird to me that the woman would choose a seat (among many) that had stuff on them. I mean when I go into a room, I look for spots that don't have stuff in them. Same when I go to the doctor's office. I see someone sitting in a chair and go to another chair that gives space in between us. I think about bathrooms. If I have to go to a public bathroom, and I go in and see feet under the stall, I try to go to a stall as far away from the feet as possible. That's just the way I roll. But it NEVER FAILS that I will be in there doing my business and there will be empty stalls all around that someone will come in and sit in the stall right next to me!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[luvsJack]

I have 3 school aged kids. So yes I do go to a lot of school events.

And no I have never seen anyone save an entire table or row. One or two seats sure, but not enough for an entire family.

Like I already said, how would the woman know they needed/wanted the entire table?

Well, every one I have been to has save entire tables and entire rows or partial rows of seating. Heck at one dance recitle, someone from certain families would get there like at 10 in the morning and starting saving seats for 3 that afternoon. One person may sit at the end of the row and they would put a purse or backpack or dance bag in the last seat they need. Tables are considered saved if there are a couple of things on the table and across from each other--right beside each other would be considered only saving two chairs.

This isn't at one school, this is at different events at different schools.

Not saying its right or wrong, just the way its done.

I think the actual person who would have to move trumps the potential people who might have to choose different seats but wouldn't have to move since they weren't there to begin with. She found a seat that hadn't been claimed yet and sat in it. Then your family showed up and tried to run her off just in case you needed her seat for someone else. How was she supposed to know that the entire table was supposed to be saved? A couple of people had apparently claimed seats at the table. That didn't mean the whole table was reserved. Even you didn't know if you would have enough people to fill the entire table, so how was a complete stranger supposed to know that all the seats were saved for people who potentially might show up?



I go to them often - including a banquet last Friday and a concert on Saturday, and I have to go to more this week. At the banquet, each table held 8 people. Two backpacks at one of those tables would "reserve" two seats at the table, not the whole table. Two backpacks on a row of 20 seats in an auditorium would reserve two seats, not the whole row. If the OP's family wanted to be absolutely certain to have those specific seats, they needed to get there early enough to be sitting in them before someone else decided to sit there. Another option would have been to have someone physically there to tell everyone that the seats were being held. Otherwise, they should have placed an item on each seat they wanted to hold, and hopefully no one would have moved the items to take the seats. Claiming a few seats at a table or on a row isn't going to communicate to everyone else that the entire table or row is saved. Can you imagine if everyone assumed that a table or row was reserved just because one seat at the table or in the row was saved? If that was the case, the vast majority of tables at our banquet would have had only two or three people at them, and everyone else would have been standing around until the banquet started! Certainly when someone is sitting at the table or in a row, it's polite to ask them if the other seats around them are open or they are being saved for someone else. But when no one is there, it's completely reasonable to assume that the only seats that have been claimed are the ones that have items on them and that any empty seats are up for grabs.

Around here its the way they are placed that tells you. Everyone just kind of "knows".

 

[okeydokey]

I am amazed at the stuff people get upset about.

 

[MIGrandma]

Getting passed the whole "right to save the table" issue...it's just weird to me that the woman would choose a seat (among many) that had stuff on them. I mean when I go into a room, I look for spots that don't have stuff in them. Same when I go to the doctor's office. I see someone sitting in a chair and go to another chair that gives space in between us. I think about bathrooms. If I have to go to a public bathroom, and I go in and see feet under the stall, I try to go to a stall as far away from the feet as possible. That's just the way I roll. But it NEVER FAILS that I will be in there doing my business and there will be empty stalls all around that someone will come in and sit in the stall right next to me!!!!!!!!!!!

Me too!

 

[wvjules]

Oh, that is just really classy.

Most people know that PM's are just that: private.

I wonder if copying a private message into a thread is against the Dis rules.

I don't know why it would be against the rules. It is MY message, is it not?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

You put two backpacks on chairs at a table that has what 10 seats at it? Then you are annoyed that someone took one of the unoccupied seats? Really? Why wasn't anyone in your party at least sitting at the table? Why couldn't you very politely explain to the lady that the seats were being saved for family? Why couldn't you say "You are welcome to sit here but we are going to need more chairs?" A million responses could have difused the situation. I don't care if you sit at that table for every event, you were not at that table and unless you are a benefactor that paid for the building then as the old saying goes -you get what you get and you don't get upset. Sorry OP- you were totally wrong.

 

[ilovemk76]

Yup.





I love how people don't read (and not just this thread, I've seen it so often before) what the OP says.

Acklander: I already said everyone couldn't show up early. My Mom, DD and I got there at 6:30 (concert started at 7:00) but DS and his fiance couldn't get there early because they had to work. DS barely had time to take a shower before they left to come to the concert, and they didn't stop to eat dinner either.

ilovemk: No, there were not two teenagers of the three at the table at first. I said, it was myself, my Mom and my DD. The teenagers were my DGD and DGS, that saved the table, that were involved in the concert.

Maybe people should actually read and comprehend before they pass judgment.

Still only adds up to three people.

 

[DisneyCher]

I read only the OP and page 1, but I wouldn't have thought the whole table was reserved, from how you described it. I would have guessed only a few seats were taken.
Why not just bring a home-made sign next time that says "reserved." That way there won't be an extra old, rude lady at your table?

 

[Cinderelley]

I am amazed at the stuff people get upset about.

I concur. And even when there is perfect reason to be upset, it seems that more people these days can't work it out like adults. I am embarrassed about the current "its all about me" philosophy. So what if you don't get your way. There are things that are just not meant to be or perhaps there is something better. I can speak from experience.