To ask people to move seats at the theatre

[Homemoans]

My 6-year son really wants to see a play of one of David Walliams on Saturday, the only seats they have left are on the front row but they are 5 seats apart. WIBU to buy the two tickets and ask the 5 people sat in between us to either move up or move down?

I've just shown you a price list where the difference is £26 between 2 seats next to each other. It does happen, it's perfectly normal in London theatres.

Well good luck with being thoughtful and kind - I hope that one day it extends to people who think differently to you.

Oh and I don't drive so have never parked anywhere. I have however reported people for parking across blue badge spaces when there has been doubt as to their entitlement.

But if it suits you to think we are all evil, you crack on

FFS people love bandying around the word 'entitled' on here. It is not entitled to make a polite request and hope that strangers can accommodate this request. If the request is turned down saying 'OK fair enough' or words to that effect does not make the request in itself unreasonable.

Entitled/unreasonable would be expecting to get what you want and acting like an arsehole if you don't.

OP if you think your boy would cope badly sitting apart then don't take the risk, if you explain to him that you might not be able to sit together and he is confident of managing that, go ahead.

How do you know that the person will say 'okay then' instead of kicking off if you say no. People are odd. Some people will get lairy over that kind of thing.

I worked in a cinema for years and the kick offs we had over allocated seating were unreal.

Bigbluebus - are you really using the events of Manchester and London and the acts of kindness to fellow men displayed then as a comparison with moving along theatre seats? Really?!

It's a very poor comparison and aside from that it's a cheap shot to prove a point regarding something like theatre seats.

And it is entitled to say that people who won't accommodate the OP are bad people who park in BB spaces etc. Kindness is one thing but trying to show how nice you are by slagging off those who think differently? Hmmmmm that seems to be a tad contradictory

I can just imagine this conversation.

'Excuse me, could I possibly ask a favour? My little boy and I are seated separately - my fault entirely, but if you could move down one seat he could come and sit next to me. Would you mind?'

'You are bloody rude, entitled, selfish and disorganised, why didn't you book your tickets 6 months ago like me, why should I bend over backwards because YOU are so lazy and inconsiderate?'

Sits righteously in allotted seat fuming at the audacity.

Or

'Sure no problem, have a lovely evening'
'You too'

Smiles and warm glows all round.

I just don't know why anyone WANTS to be the person in that first scenario. I am happy to be completely bewildered by this though because I really do think it makes me a nicer and happier person.

They aren't going to call them entitled to their face!

How about this:

'Excuse me, could I possibly ask a favour? My little boy and I are seated separately - my fault entirely, but if you could move down one seat he could come and sit next to me. Would you mind?'

(Internally) Oh fuck what do I do. I really want this seat but I don't know what the reaction is if I say no. Okay two options - move seats (even though i don't want to) or if the anxiety really kicks in, stand up, collect stuff and go home.

Moron? Really? Wow. and there was me thinking that that was a not very kind word that is considered offensive on here

It's always the virtue signallers who are the most insulting

At least one person has said they would Livia

I'm really sorry for anyone who faces such extreme anxiety on a day to day basis, I really am, It must make life so hard.

But realistically, nobody else knows about your anxiety, and people can't be expected to modify quite normal behaviour which wouldn't cause extreme anxiety to the vast majority of the population, on the offchance they meet someone with those issues.

It's overwhelmingly more likely that the person in that seat doesn't have anxiety that would cause them to leave the theatre if asked to move along one seat, so people will have to continue to operate on that presumption.

I can't imagine how many other thousands of scenarios there might be in daily life which would cause somebody I don't know suffers from MH issues to react badly, it's very unpredictable and I can't live my life anticipating all such scenarios.

No but here is the thing...

If you don't approach that random person with a request for a favour then you can pretty much guarantee that you will in now way upset or annoy them.

Now if you are a kind person then surely you can see that this is a good thing?

Expresidents You've ignored the posts from people like me who've given reasons why it's not black and white as you suggest.
But you know, if it makes you feel better to claim the moral high ground then that's fine, isn't it?

Sadly when I'm internally panicking I don't have capacity to be kind and caring.

Poster above said they shouldn't have to factor in other people's issues. I'm just pointing out that if you leave people alone and deal with your own cock up, you don't have to consider anyone else's issues.

The world would be a nicer place if people just left each other to get on with their lives

Yes YWB as unreasonable as the two witches who nicked my prime spot seats at a BFI preview screening (booked within two minutes of going on sale) and refused to move, leaving me and DD with their crappy seats in the corner.

You know who you are, bitches, I have put my best curse on you

I really wasn't expecting such a response
Something has come up now so I am looking at tickets for the Sunday matinee instead. I am of the mindset of posters such as expresidents and bigbluebus but I guess this post shows not everyone else feels it's nice to be nice in life

It's overwhelmingly more likely that the person in that seat doesn't have anxiety that would cause them to leave the theatre if asked to move along one seat, so people will have to continue to operate on that presumption.

You know F.A about the five people. How laughable. And people don't HAVE TO presume anything.

I don't think it's just moving "one seat" that causes that panic. It could be just the idea of having planned your evening and knowing where you are at mentally and being prepared to see a show and being happy with that and in a relaxed head space... to then have someone ask you to move who - if you refuse - may throw daggers at you the whole time, mutter under their breath, even seeing their disappointed face as they accept you won't move (for perfectly valid reasons), or having them ask why and having to explain your issues etc.

All sorted by booking your seats timely and not asking strangers to accommodate you, potentially at their cost.

bigbluebus Firstly I'm sorry for your distress but I really can't see how you make assumptions about someone who's chosen, booked, paid and received seat tickets and then equate them to people who deliberately misuse parking spaces designated for those with a specific need. That's wholly insulting. I also don't see how you draw parallels with people extending kindness to strangers after a disaster to accommodating someone who knowingly makes a choice that wouldn't suit them.

And I say that from the viewpoint of someone who would move up the row if it didn't put my new seat at a disadvantage or split my party.

No - someone asking me would. I wouldn't feel able to say no (im sure as shit not going to justify myself to someone) so 9 times out of 10 I'm going to panic internally to the point of having to leave. of course the Op in this situation could have any number of seats then.

I go out rarely. On the odd occasion I do, I don't think it unreasonable to expect to be left along to enjoy myself. You don't know who had anxiety or even SN (some posters above have given examples of their children with ASD) so why not leave people alone?

If it's life or death, fine, but since when is it okay to fuck something up and then intrude on someone else to sort it?

I'm sure all these kind people would fall over themselves to offer to move. If someone doesn't offer then suck it up