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?

In the OP's situation, I'd be pissed off that the ice rink staff even considered it acceptable to rip all their other customers off just to appease one demanding man.

In general, I would try not to walk between the couple and anyone filming, that's about it. I do that for anyone with an obvious camera.

I wouldn't. Public proposals always strike me as coercive.

His gf crossly said ‘don’t even think about asking me to marry you’ and the rucksack was zipped back up. 😂

@neverenoughchelseaboots 😂That must have been an awkward aftermath

I’ve had this too. Not only did it wake me up, but they were in the row in front and everyone within about 30 seats radius spent the next hour congratulating them.

Tedious, basic nonsense

I'm not moving for anyone unless they are dying and need the space to lay down.

This. 10 minutes off your ice skating time wouldn’t bother me.

I really couldn’t muster up enough self importance to make a stand fuelled by my own opinion of “public proposals”
why not be accommodating and put your own opinion aside?

It’s hardly a common occurrence.
Let them get on with it I say .

Yeah, the plane proposal is definitely manipulative because not only are you proposing in public but no matter what the outcome you'll stuck with that person for the remainder of the flight. Also massively inconveniencing other people who are just trying to sleep etc.

@SmileyClare It's not really self-important considering the majority of people on this thread agree with me and would do the same. Like I've said I would move out the way, take photos of asked etc. But I would not cut a paid activity short for myself so someone who I've never met and would not even acknowledge me can propose without putting themselves out.

I’m amazed the staff would have actually considered this request??
Was the guy known to them, or something?

Same!

You don’t think the self important individual in this scenario is the muppet who expected everyone else to clear the ice for him? 😂

Not to mention how manipulative - coercive, for that matter - the whole thing is. Oh sure, make a man (do women ever do this?) who's essentially embarrassing a woman into marrying him, happy. That's sooo important.

Of course I would. It's ok to be nice!

I’m amazed the staff would have actually considered this request??
Was the guy known to them, or something?

@Hannahsbananas
Not at all, unless he was some Z Lister who I didn't know ... I think the ice skating rink thought it would be brilliant publicity for them (bit like the graduation proposal which backfired for the uni). He was probably a bit like that Spencer Matthews guy who didn't hold enough social skills to realise that people just came to do an activity and don't want to drop everything to watch him propose.

And a graduation is so many other peoples' special day to celebrate their achievements. WTF. That makes me sick. As do all public proposals. They don't even know they're being controlling and manipulative 🤮

I mean what is it all about, this need to do the grand gesture in front of lots of other people - usually strangers? Why not do it when alone, wouldn't it be more meaningful? It really gives me the idk.

Poor woman 😢 I hope she told him to fuck off afterwards. Way to ruin her achievement.

🤭 😂

Ooof! 😂

Public proposals are attention seeking and vomit inducing at the best of times. Even worse when they’re taking away from a woman’s achievement and making that moment all about her “wonderful boyfriend” proposing. Yuk!!

Yes but I wouldn't ask MN this. So many people on here hate anything to do with weddings, hen dos, birthdays, baby showers, proposals, parties....everything other than a quiet drink with their partner in the darkest corner once a month is tacky and attention seeking to them.

A public proposal isn't for me but of course I would try and help other people do something special and fun if I could. Tbf there's a limit to how much I would inconvenience myself but that's a general life rule for me not specific to proposals.

In real life, how many times has anyone witnessed a public proposal?

In all my 50 years I’ve seen one- in a restaurant a guy grabbed a microphone and proposed. All the waiting staff stopped and clapped.
It was great to share their happy moment, it took about 4 minutes and he bought everyone a drink afterwards.
It was nice to witness a bit of joy, I certainly didn’t see anyone trying to sabotage the moment- why on earth would you?

Maybe a trait of Modern society? People are far too quick to moan and complain (behind social media) over any slight inconvenience to THEIR day,

If you’re in a relationship with a manipulative coercive man then youre pretty fucked however he proposes.

In all my 50 years I’ve seen one- in a restaurant a guy grabbed a microphone and proposed. All the waiting staff stopped and clapped.

@SmileyClare That's absolutely fine as it sounds like it didn't inconvenience anybody, and sounds quite lovely. It's not so much the public proposal, but more the arrogance that other people should be inconvenienced/out of pocket just so you can propose and feeling self-important enough that everyone should want to watch your proposal rather than whatever they've paid to do (al la Spencer Matthews wanting to propose in the middle of a West End show )

The best story on this thread is the divers who had to wait on the seabed while someone proposed! Unbelievable.

never seen a public proposal but I imagine I’d be as grumpy as most of the other posters here.

Yes fair point, @LittleMissUnreasonable I’d roll my eyes at the west end show.

I find some of the anti views on here a little extreme though.
The bloke I saw publicly propose admitted afterwards he was “shitting himself but his gf had told him she wanted a “big” proposal. She definitely looked overjoyed.
It’s odd to assume that the woman is the victim of some man’s grand plan to show off and manipulate.

I suspect some men are under the misguided belief that it’s what women want- based on crappy romcoms and TikTok videos of similar (?) 😬

Id find it embarrassing but many women probably love it.