Would you inconvenience yourself so a stranger could propose in public?

[LittleMissUnreasonable]

Inspired by the thread of the bloke who proposed to his girlfriend during her graduation ceremony. I shared an anecdote of once being asked by staff to clear an ice rink in the middle of my (expensive) slot as someone wanted to propose to their girlfriend. I refused as did many others as we'd paid and time couldn't be added on to the end (set time slots) and why should I miss 1/4 of my slot so someone I don't even know can propose.

The guy ended up proposing anyway outside the ice rink, I think if someone wants to propose in a way that inconveniences people, they can pay (hiring the ice rink for the hour)?

Anyone been in a similar situation?

No. But then I think public proposals are crass and attention seeking. Like the bloke who proposed just after his girlfriend had won an Olympic gold medal, fgs, thereby ensuring the moment was all about him.

https://inews.co.uk/sport/olympics/charlotte-dujardin-takes-gold-marriage-proposal-18216

Oh yes I heard about that, talk about making her shining moment all about him!

Absolutely not. Like you say, if you want to do it somewhere like that then hire it yourself for the time.

I used to work in nice hotels and restaurants and have seen so many proposals, and my DH knew that was not what I would want.

This unsolicited opting in of bystanders to personal dramas is tedious and conceited. Usually just for sm likes. You were all quite right to refuse

She didn’t marry him in the end!

Oh hang on, yes she did. She was engaged at London though?

That's awful!

I suppose it depends on the extent of the inconvenience, but generally no, and certainly not in the scenario you've shared.

A friend of mine who's a dancer has been a part of a few flash mob proposals. She said there was one particularly awkward one where she was sure the lass was gonna say no. She said yes in the end, but most people would feel very much obligated to say yes in that situation.

That's why I can't stand public proposals and wouldn't go out of my way to enable them. They're very manipulative, because most women wouldn't say no if they wanted to.

I would be happy to move a bit so I was out of camera shot or similar but no way would I leave a venue or stop an activity I had paid for.
Public proposals are awful anyway

Public proposals are nasty. I wouldn’t stop doing something I’d paid for.

I was in a tv studio watching a game show being recorded and someone in the audience proposed to his girlfriend on camera. We all thought it was really sweet (expecially since she was obviously thrilled and said yes!) but I'd have been slightly less thrilled if they had interrupted something I was paying for.

Iwould be happy to move a bit so I was out of camera shot or similar but no way would I leave a venue or stop an activity I had paid for.
Public proposals are awful anyway

@Hoppinggreen

Oh yes same here, I'd happily move to the side or walk to a different spot. It's the entitlement that would annoy me, like the graduation one. I'd be furious if I was the next person due on stage, psyching myself up for my moment, and it was interrupted by the Big Important Man wanting to propose to the person in front of me 🤔

No, public proposals are basic as fuck and I want absolutely zero part in supporting them.

Absolutely this. I wouldn't mind moving slightly to be out of the way, but I would definitely not miss out on a paid for activity to accommodate this twattery.

I hate public proposals unless you are really sure of the response. But in any event a proposal should never hijack someone else's occasion like a graduation or winning a medal.

Especially a graduation, there seems something particularly offensive, slightly coercive, about wanting to tie someone publicly to a commitment at the time when the world is their oyster.

From reading your title, I thought ‘of course I would!’ thinking this would mean maybe walking a longer way round something to avoid getting into their moment… but based on your example, no way would I give up something I’d paid for.

The Olympic proposal is shocking!

To me that's not quite the same
He had already proposed and it sounds like she had probably said "yeah marriage after Rio though/gold medal" and that's why he was saying can we get married now
They were already engaged

DD had the opposite. Her fiancé proposed to her when they were alone on the bridge over the lake in Central Park, New York, while out for an early morning jog.
But a tourist over the other side of the bridge saw him go down on one knee, realised what was happening, and promptly filmed it, then rushed over and interrupted to offer them the footage!

They should hire out the ice rink and not expect people to pay for them.

That’s kind of sweet! They meant well. Did they take it/ watch it back?

I'd want the ground to swallow me if anyone ever proposed to me that way but I wouldn't mind being inconvenienced by someone's proposal. It's not like it happens every day.

I'd move out the way to avoid being in a photo/video but not much more.

I find it annoying when people are arrogant enough to force members of the public to be props for their love life.

Would I heck 😂 if some very important man wants to organise a big fuck-off gesture then he needs to, well, organise one. Not just expect to dominate everyone's space on the off chance they will all accommodate him.

Absolutely not.

I detest public proposals. It doesn't actually allow the person being proposed to, to say no. Well not without looking awful.

I'd move to not be in the way, but I wouldn't stop a paid activity.

No and I would be tempted to find out who the person (usually a woman) who was about to be proposed to, and spoil the surprise.