faster than a glacier
Sorry for the NRR post. I know there's an off topic forum but I wanted to appeal to the general good common sense and collective B & B wisdom. Feel free to chastise me.
tl;dr: Am I a jerk for refusing to get up and change seats so a group showing up at the last minute can sit together?
Preface by saying I am a big believer in common courtesy and am generally non confrontational.
So me, my wife and my son go to the movies the other night. It was on a Saturday night, and the movie had just opened, so I knew it would be somewhat crowded. We like to get there early so we have a good choice of seats. I aint paying those prices to sit at the far edge of the screen. So we get settled into our seats and chill. Right about the time the lights are going down and the previews are starting, a group of 6 or 7 people come into our row and I assume they are going to split up since the theater is pretty full by this point. But instead the guy wants us to move down 4 seats toward the wall so they can all sit together. There are a few empty seats on either side of us.
I politely say no, we prefer to keep the seats we have. This seems to take him by surprise and he loudly says "seriously? You won't slide down so my family can sit together?" He wasn't mad so much, just purposely talking loud so everyone will know what a jerk I am. Anyway I just kind of shrugged and went back to munching my popcorn. They found a different row and sat in 2 groups.
Wife and son were embarrassed and thought we should have moved. I say no and here's why:
1. First come, first served, baby. That's how society works.
2. We got there early specifically so we could sit where we wanted
3. It's not reasonable to show up at the last minute to a crowded theater and expect to get a bunch of seats together in a good spot.
4. WTF does a group of 6 or 7 need to sit side by side anyway? Not like you can even see someone 5 seats down.
The wisdom of going to watch movies in the theater at all is a separate discussion. But we like movies and enjoy seeing some on the big screen, maybe 5 or 6 a year. If it's not your thing no need to judge me
No I wouldn't have moved either. In the first week of a movie I would get my group there early or 1 person does and saves seats.
Singer who runs a smidge
If it had been me and my family asked to move, we probably would've moved. But if it had been me and my big group coming in during previews to a crowded theater, I would've assumed we would need to split up. So I don't know, I think the level of jerkness here is pretty much a wash.
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
Super B****
I would have moved, but I'm a pushover.
They're assholes, you're a jerk, end of story.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
No. You did what I would have done myself. Well actually, being a wuss, I would probably have moved for them, then I would have whined and bitched about it to my SO for the whole time the movie lasted. If sitting together was important to them, they should have arrived early, like you and your family did. It's just a movie anyway, they don't have to sit 7 together, it's not like they will need to talk to each others during the film. On the other hand, you wanted good seats and arrived early for them. They're your seats.
In other circumstances (like a family with young children on board a plane), I will gladly change seats to accommodate anyone if I can.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Don't call me Buttercup!
I would have moved, but only because I am a people pleaser. I would have been pissed off at myself afterwards. LOL But you were completely in the right, in my opinion. My family and I were in a similar situation recently, opening weekend of a movie, we got there super early, got good seats, etc, and then watched people come in with huge groups and try to find seats. Fortunately, no one asked us to move.
Also, it's not like you're TALKING during a movie, right? So why do you need to all sit together? I mean, unless you've got little bitty kids with you who need to be supervised during the movie. If it's a group of 6 adults or whatever, get over yourselves. Jeez.
tl;dr, you were right not to move. =)
Slow and steady wins the.... wait a second! I've been lied to!
Agreed. The few times we have gotten there late, we accepted the fact we wouldn't get to sit where we wanted. It wouldn't even cross my mind to expect someone else to move out of the seats they chose before I got there. Then again I wasn't raised to believe I'm the center of the universe
And since I stopped typing just now to talk to my husband, Lily snuck in there and said everything I was saying anyway. LOL
Sorry!
Mmmmm...beer
I'm with you SO, I wouldn't have moved. You want good seats, get there early. I think he's the jerk for even asking.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
Oh me too. Totally different situation. And if this group had been like 2 parents and 4 small kids I would have moved. But this was a group of adults.
Walk-Jogger
When I go the theater for a movie, I want stadium seating, I want to be in a row at or just above the center of the screen, and because of my odd +/- glasses prescription I want to be one seat left of the center of the screen. IF I was in the right seat for me, having arrived 20 minutes early as my DW always insists on doing; there's no way I would later move for someone else's group.
On the other hand, if I was in some other seat that was less to my liking, I would probably be more agreeable to the person's request, as long as they asked nicely.
Retired & Loving It
Runs4Sanity
You did the right thing, those people are jerks (or the guy is) who think everyone should make way for them, if you're going to go as a large group it is common sense to go early and get your seats if you want to sit together. They didn't get there early, their fault, their problem, you had every right to say no.
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
Moving one seat is one thing, but four? You did the right thing.
exactly...
marathon pr - 3:16