AIBU to think if you are in a theater you stand up when someone wants to get past you to there seat?

[RoseRedder]

Am I?

We were at the theater tonight (Lion King)

Or seats where in the middle of the row

I use walking sticks so not really steady on my feet and find it hard to manouver past peoples sitting down, plus there bags etc.

Out of 12 people to get past only 4 stood up to make it easier for me to get past

See I get really confused with what to do in these sort of situations.

How does standing up make more room? I'm genuinely struggling to see this as I feel when I do stand up to make room I take up more room.

Would love to know what I supposed to do.

I hate to be a pedant but it is a theatre. This particular Americanism seems to be creeping in and it must be stopped!

But YANBU.

I had to move past a lady in a wheelchair and there wasn't alot of room (basically I had to get out of the door to help her out of the room)

I did think "Is it ruder to have my arse in her face or my crotch ?"

I opted for arse in the end.

Some of us live in North America, Compos and the stupid spell check and keyboard keeps resetting to 'stupid'.

Yes, of course, people should stand up - it's just basic courtesy.

I think you struck an unlucky row/night at the theatre, OP, if only four people out of twelve stood up for you - I would have expected the vast majority, or all of them, to do so.

I always make way and would expect others to do the same but don't get upset if they don't.

I think it depends on the seats. If it is fixed seating where the seat part doesn't flip up then there is no point standing up as it doesn't offer anymore room, however if the seat part lifts up then of course people should stand up.

I'm going out on a limb here but I do think theatre etiquette should be taught. Somethings I'd like to see included are; don't wear perfume to a small or medium sized theatre venue you will over power the crowd, don't check the time on your phone, how to walk quite, with focus, and minimum interuption if you are a latecomer brought in by an usher, that theatre does not have 20 minutes of ads before the performance starts so come early rather then at or after the advertised start time, Oh and please ensure cast flower arrive at least 30 minutes prior to curtains up otherwise it results in cross SMs and distracted actors.

It depends.

For example, I'm very tiny and tend to just swing my legs to one side for most people. If the person coming past is elderly, unsteady or large I stand. Otherwise I don't need to. But my mum is very big. She always needs to stand up.

YANBU to think people should always make sure people have room to get past.

Unless they're late, in which case they shouldn't be afforded any courtesy whatsoever

I couldn't stand, but my walking stick would let you know that. That standing and leaning backwards thing would only result in me being in pain, so I'd move my knees to the side to allow you past and hope you'd understand.

Oh for fuck's sake. Yes, it would have been nice for them to have stood up. Especially as you have a walking stick. But just ask them politely ("excuse me, do you mind standing up, I have mobility issues"), then it's job done. Rather than saving it up for a AIBU rant that is frankly a bit dull.

I can recommend booking aisle seats in future to avoid this trouble too. I need to access toilets fairly quickly so always try to book them.

If you stand up it makes it easier because you are sort of standing where the seat is folded back but sitting your legs are further foward and taking up more room

Obviously it makes it easier, but it's not easy to do when you too have mobility and pain issues. As I say, try booking an aisle seat in future so you don't have to deal with the issue in the first place.

oops sorry MardyBra did I piss in your chips!

what's with the hostility ffs

Mardy by name *Mardy by nature

I'm sorry but surely it's an case of saying " would you mind standing up". I personally would have stood because I'm a fat bastard and I'm generally polite. And if people didn't stand, yes, they were in the wrong. But you could have politely asked them to help you out. End of.

What I'm saying is that yanbu. But YNTBMA (you need to be more assertive).

I agree that standing isn't always easier and doesn't make more room. If I have just arrived in my seat and am in the middle of juggling programme, coat, turning off my mobile and someone wants to get past, frankly, the performance would have started by the time I had disentangled my bag from around my foot and stood up to let you past. If the seats tilt, I usually find that some item of clothing gets stuck in it as well because my hands are full with stuff so I end up in a sort of obsequious crouch because my dress is somewhere up near my bottom!

I would always stand, for anyone, but if someone does not stand for me I am not usually upset, I understand they may have a reason to stand which isn't visible or obvious.

That said, only four out of twelve? That is outrageous. I would expect better there, not very likely eight people in a row have good reason to not stand, that's just a lack of etiquette.

For the record, I'm in the US. Standing for someone to pass in a theater is the norm and considered the proper thing to do.

No YANBU, it's basic common sense

Just had to say though, the Americanisms on here may be due to the fact that there are people on here from lots of different parts of the world, it's not just a U.K site (I realise that sounds sarcastic, it was not intentional)

Best thing to do is get there early so that you're seated before anyone else. The other option is not to choose seats in the middle of a row. My son has a condition that means anyth

Sorry, anything more than 2 seats from the aisle is not workable.

I agree wiith unexpected Standing up often does not make much more room and you'd be quicker squeezing
past.

They should stand up if they could, but why is do people who are sitting in the middle of the aisle always wait until just before the show starts to get in to their seats? If you're sitting in the middle of the aisle, step away from the bar and get your butt there early to avoid everyone having to get up for you in the first place.