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?

Again. If you book an aisle seat you cannot be sitting BETWEEN two seats therefore you would not need to even consider giving up your precious space. So you don't need to worry about these ridiculously entitled people having the BAREFACED CHEEK to even consider inconveniencing you in any tiny way.

What's the point in booking a seat if people like the OP just think you should all move anyway because she can't book two seats together another day? It's not ok to book separate seats and then think everyone will just move for you. So entitled.

Completely unreasonable to book seats knowing they are unsuitable for you.

Sure...people might move for you, but that's not the point.

artemisia no. Why would anyone else need to separate? The person next (person a) to OP would move into OPs seat. Person b moves to person a's seat. Person c moves to person b's seat. And so on, for five people, til there is now a space next to OP's son. The line up remains completely unchanged.

I wouldn't move once I'd sat down and got comfy with my drink or whatever. Also if moving made it so I was sitting behind someone tall or near people that were talking I'd point blank refuse. If sitting together is that important to you I'd give it a miss as people are likely to say no and that would be a bit embarrassing for you. Also the staff are going to find it a bit strange if you start trying to get people to move out of their allocated seats.

And five people get inconvenienced because the OP booked seats she didn't want - yup that's brilliant

I did something similar once when I went to see a friend in an amateur production of something. I didn't know which seat I had been allocated until I collected my ticket on the evening of the performance and found myself mid-row, which was slightly problematic as my last train home was literally minutes after the show was due to finish.

I mulled this over during the first act and came to the conclusion that me sitting at the end of the row to enable a swift exit was preferable to me saying "excuse me, excuse me" in hushed tones and stepping on people's toes as I get up to leave during the bows.

So, during the interval, I explained my situation and asked the audience-members sitting along from me if they would mind each moving one seat towards the middle to enable me to have the aisle seat. Which they good-naturedly agreed to.

Of course the sensible thing to do is either book earlier or don't go at all. Relying on other people to do you a favour is a tad risky

I always see people offering to do this, but on mumsnet it always seems like a massive deal or as if you're asking people to sit on laps or something. I have never even seen people ask for it, just seen others doing it without being asked.
Personally I wouldn't book though, just in case, or would book seats one behind the other with DS in front of you.

Can't believe some of the responses - I'd shift for you op , unless it was behind a pillar I really can't see the issue!

If the five are all from one group, then the person furthest from the centre could switch with the centre seat, and only person would have to move. They wouldn't all have to move up.

However, when I looks at the seating chart, I wonder why someone would choose not to sit closer; they didn't buy that single seat. There may be a reason (although I can't think what) they do not want to sit closer to the action.

OP, as the seats are in the front row, with no seats in front of you, it might not feel so strange for your son to be apart from you. He could easily reach you if he needed to. Have you ever taken him to a puppet show where the kids are seated up front and all the adults are in the back? You could present it to him this way, and show him the diagram. It might not bother him.

If you are OK with your wee boy sitting 5 seats away from you (and he is OK with it,) then book the tickets. But it has to be ok with him, because the people may not want to move. As someone said earlier it's not that far away, 5 seats, but if you're not sure if your boy will be ok 5 seats away, then don't risk it. Many people would say yes they will move, but they are entitled to say no.

Also, as a few people have said, it's quite likely that the people in the row (one of the 5) will move. But as I said, don't assume they will.

Me personally, I have moved seats before in situations like this, and done similar things; like I have got up and stood up for the last 30 minutes of a train journey to enable a child to sit next to mum, (coz I'm soft,) and I let people in front of me in queues quite often if they have a lot less items than me, and I've done things like this, quite a few times (and people have done it for me.) But some wouldn't. And as I said, they don't have to. It's entirely up to them, and people shouldn't be judged for not wanting to do it.

YANBU to ask though, but if they say they'd prefer not to, say 'sorry to have bothered you,' and smile, and say 'thank you anyway.'

It's your call.

Andylion, if it was anything with live music I would not go dead centre as depending on the layout of the pit the conductor could be in the way.

Automated ticket systems automatically book from the centre outward so if the first person to book did it automated they might get dead centre. The next to book might have wanted an end of row then the next may have wanted to be near the end etc.

This won't havevlive music I'm sure though.

YANBU to ask... YABU to assume they'll move- I guess it's a bit of a risk

Look, if you are one of those people who doesn't need a particular seat, and you'd happily move, then great. Tell the OP that you'd move. But FFS could you not have a massive dig at those of us who DO book early and DO need a particular seat, and would mind an entitled late-booker rocking up and asking us to move.

Yes, some of us ARE organised and DO book early - for good reason. If you don't, fine. But that's your choice. I'm not saying other people are unreasonable if they would move, but for those of us who wouldn't, apparently we're awful/selfish? Bugger that.

Relying on other people to do you a favour is a tad risky

Evidently.

How sad to go through life in such a mean spirited way as some of the people on this thread.

I would prefer not to give up an aisle seat, but I can't see the harm in moving one seat along. I'm surprised so many people think that's a big deal

It's unfair to put people you don't know in the position of being the bad guy if they want to say no.

I book isle seats, at most I'd sit one or two seats in. I'm claustrophobic, I don't want to have to explain to a stranger why I wouldn't want to move up one seat.

Don't book if you can't get the seats you want.

People will be helpful but a lot on this thread expect people to inconvenience themselves when they have been organised enough to book the seats they want. I have had to move for people on trains etc because they have insisted asked and have ended up standing for an hour. So no, if I book a seat I won't move.

I wouldn't mind moving either OP.

Enjoy the show

I think it is unreasonable, sorry. It reminds me of when I went swimming a few weeks ago. I was swimming next to the lane ropes for the fast lane, but not actually in the fast or any lane...suddenly some macho man who had had the lane to himself for a goodly length of time, but was now pissed because several other people had joined him asked if I would mind moving over so that he could swim where I was swimming, next to the outside of the rope. I was gobsmacked, but I had actually just finished (he didn't know that), so I said yes..somewhat dazed..but as I left the pool I got angrier and angrier..because actually I swim in that spot if I can because it's a bloody good spot..because it's next to the lane no one can muscle in and pinch it..because it's not in the lane you don't have to keep up or avoid other people..and again, because it's outside the lane you don't have to think so hard about where you are in relation to others..all of which makes for a cracking swim..So, he wanted me to vacate my sweet spot so that he could have a better swim, while I could move over into the crowd and have a worse swim. Purely because he was a macho man, and I'm not. Hell NO. So, yes, sorry, if someone has chosen that spot, there is a reason, and yes, it's unreasonable to ask them to move.

Ha ha. Are you for real?

It's a big deal because, like a PP, I have anxiety.

Its like those plane threads - people refusing to pay extra to book seats together on a plane and boasting that their child will be a pita so a randomer will move for them.

If you aren't as organised as other people, don't expect them to accommodate you

I think quite a lot of people would move for you - it's only one seat. They would still all be sat together.

But clearly others disagree so there would be a risk that you would not be sitting with your 6 year old, which I guess would be unacceptable to you?