Is this unreasonable?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

To save seats in the front row of the nativity for several members of the extended family (think mum, dad, grandma, aunty, cousin, cousins husband), 45 minutes before the performance starts. Then not allow other parents who's actual own children are in the show to sit there as you are saving the seats.

Just for the record I had already got my seat so it didn't affect me, but it's just not something I'd do.

I don't suppose anyone would fight but most people probably don't want to risk a confrontation.

These people definitely weren't getting a drink/gone to the toilet as they came in and fully greeted the mother. Also very unlikely that they all had a disability which required a seat at the front.

It reminds me of people who park over two spaces as their car is far too precious to have another car parked next to it.

My dm always worked on the basis that "It's bums wot save seats, not coats and bags".

I don't think it is unreasonable to want to sit together. I do think that if you want to do this then you need to turn up at the same time and occupy the seats.

It's very rude and selfish behaviour and I really think a couple of staff should have the job of saying 'I'm sorry, you can't reserve more than two seats together in the front rows' or somesuch. Or maybe in the letter to parents giving details of the time of the play a line could be included advising parents that seats cannot be block reserved.

I also wonder what these brass necked people would do if someone just said 'I'm sorry, but you can't reserve the whole row' and just firmly sat down.

I don't think it's unreasonable to save seats if you have tickets to something which are unallocated. there are 1001 reasons why the others couldn't get there until the last minute, and the one person felt happy to sit there for 3/4 hr, then that's their prerogative. Presumably any of the other people who wanted to sit in the front could have done so, if they'd got nothing better to do with their time than turn up an hour early.
I'm surprised one family got that many tickets, but as long as the allocation of tickets was fairly done, and the school decided not to number seats, then it's everyone's choice to get there an hour early, or to have a life.

It baffles me how rude some people are! At my DDs nativity a woman behind me was talking on her phone for the last fifteen minutes! (Nothing important either..."il have to go home to feed the dog" etc). It was one specific year groups nativity and the younger years were joining in the singing- she had a child in the younger year and obviously wasn't aware of this, as when it got to the end she seemed to be expecting her child to go on stage "il have to go now, il phone you back later, our babies about to go on stage" ?? nobody else's 'baby' deserved to be heard it seemed!

There weren't any tickets you just turn up so I suppose technically you could invite as many people as you wish.

That's where the issue lies then. Why not suggest it to the school next year?

Sam - why didn't you (or anyone else around you) say anything ?

No tickets? What fresh hell is this?

The setup at our school is no tickets, hall opens at around 8.30am before school starts, anything further back than the first two rows cannot really see anything and they ask you not to stand as the children walk around through the aisles.

Everyone would like a front row seat and there are probably 15. The early birds get the seats which is fair enough, but I think holding several seats for extended family is too much. It's always the same people every year too and for both performances.

I would have picked up her bag, put it of the floor and sat down. Our school has a no saving seats policy.