Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was I the asshole?

109 replies

BadLayout · 19/09/2026 17:53

I’m on holiday in a European country.

Stopped at a tourist site that’s free to enter, and open air (so not a museum etc.).
The site contains a number of items of interest- let’s say they’re sculptures.

Lots of tourists wandering around, going from sculpture to sculpture, taking photos etc.

I got to a particular sculpture which is quite large and round and there weren’t many people at it. I was looking at it for a few second. Spotted a man at the other side of the sculpture waving at me. I cocked my head towards him to see what he wanted and he gestured to show that he wanted to take a photo but wanted me to move out of the way (literally flapped his wrist in a “shoo” motion and pointed to where I should stand instead) so I wouldn’t be in the way. I said it’s fine, I don’t mind if I’m in the background, and he said he wanted me to move because he just wanted a photo of the sculpture without anyone in it.

I laughed and stayed where I was until I was ready to move away and see the next sculpture.

He got very irate when I wouldn’t move, and started gesturing in quite an animated way for me to move out of his frame.

Interestingly, just as I was leaving, another man came along and the first man didn’t ask him to move at all.

Was IBU? Because I think that, if you’re a tourist amongst tourists at a busy sightseeing spot, you don’t get to dictate where people can and cannot stand.

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 19/09/2026 18:05

"literally flapped his wrist in a “shoo” motion and pointed to where I should stand instead"
I'd have returned his hand gesture with one of my own. Or possibly moved, then photobombed with it. Cheeky sod!

DangerousLesions · 19/09/2026 18:04

YANBU. I wouldn't have asked someone to move at a busy tourist site like this and I would really get the ick if someone made shooing gestures at me. I'd be showing him a gesture of my own. You can't monopolise a public space.

hethor · 19/09/2026 18:02

100% reasonable of you, even if he had asked nicely. Since he was a dick about it, absolutely no need to move

It does annoy me when people taking photos think they have some sort of priority. If anything, people in the moment looking at it with their own eyes should be able to shoo photographers away.

Ponoka7 · 19/09/2026 17:58

@Raquelos what if you both don't speak the same language?

MellowSubmarine · 19/09/2026 17:58

I wouldn’t have asked someone to move, but would have no issue moving if someone asked me.

Raquelos · 19/09/2026 17:58

Yeah, it's okay for someone to politely ask other people to move if they want to get a clear shot, but no one has to, and if they are going to be a dick about it, then they shouldn't be surprised when no one feels like indulging them. Well done for holding your ground OP.

TwinklyAmberSloth · 19/09/2026 17:57

It would have taken you 10 seconds to move for a photo.

He clearly wanted to take a photo so why not move? The gesturing was probably because he didn't think you spoke the local language and he didn't know how to ask in English.

I don't get scenarios like this.

Ponoka7 · 19/09/2026 17:57

Once upon a time we moved so people could take photos, it seems to be the norm that we don't do that anymore. If you could see from the point of being out if his photo, then, yes, you could have moved.

Badleg89 · 19/09/2026 17:57

Ive said you are being unreasonable because where would be the harm in moving over a little? Just a nice thing to do

Swipe left for the next trending thread