Friend and her DH dropped out of going to a show, passed tickets to a couple we don’t know

[TheSconeOfStone]

An old friend of mine suggested going to a comedy show with our DHs. Tickets bought early in the year. She bought them I transferred the cash. Show is soon so I mentioned I was looking forward to it. She sheepishly mentioned they have since been invited to a wedding and have sold their tickets. It’s OK though because they’re a really great couple and we’ll get on with them.

I have recently lost a parent and I’m exhausted and probably a bit depressed. I don’t want to be stuck with friends of friends I don’t know. AIBU to have preferred her to actually tell us about the wedding when she was invited and given us the opportunity to sell her tickets people we already know?

Yeah it was insensitive of them and bit foolish to not offer you the tickets. I would scale the friendship back based on this but not fall out or let it ruin my evening. You know what makes a good friend and this isn't it .

BackforGood, did you not see the bit where OP said she would be fine with total strangers? The problem is that she is clearly expected to interact with these people.

How keen are you on going to the show, OP? Is it worth selling your own tickets?

The other couple may not even be aware of the situation. I really doubt they’ve bought the tickets wanting or expecting a night of socialising with friends of their friends.

It would have been nice if she’d given you first go at the tickets, but that could also have caused some awkwardness. If they wanted/needed to recoup their money rather than give the tickets away or sell at a loss, letting someone else handle that isn’t the best idea.

I’d be annoyed if friends hadn’t mentioned they were no longer going on a planned night out until I mentioned it. It’s rude!

What??

Just make your own way there, have dinner and drinks beforehand just the two of you then head to your seats and say “Oh hi! You must be Karen’s friends, good to meet you.”

Then sit down in your seats and enjoy the show.

When it ends,
a) go home
b) go for a drink with your H
c) go for a drink with new people

It’s really not a big deal.

Yes, as I said, I've read all the thread.
I 'interpreted' that as the friends just saying "oh, it's ok, they are really nice" as if it were a sort of justification for selling the tickets and not mentioning it to the OP, not that the friend was expecting them to spend a long evening socialising with the couple. Which they won't have to if it is a theatre style.

It'll be dark whether it's a theatre/arena or table type seating. The table seating you'd be sat with other people too anyway. Plus you won't have to make small talk as you'll all be watching the stage. As pp stated quick 'hi/bye' will suffice. Your friend is a CF to not mention it though.

It’s extraordinarily rude and gauche. But you can just have a nice evening out with your husband. Say hi to the couple in the theatre and that’s it.

Conversely, I'd be annoyed if someone couldn't go to a thing, and then made it my problem by handing back their tickets to me.

??? This is bloody odd, you’ll just be sitting in a row of seats with lots of other people you don’t know surely? Why does it bother you who has the other tickets if your friends can’t go?

^^ Because there is an expectation that she will have to socialise with this couple and can't just ignore them like all the other strangers.

^^ Because there is an expectation that she will have to socialise with this couple and can't just ignore them like all the other strangers. There isn't tho.

The friend said something to the effect of "they're a great couple, you'll get on". That doesn't give OP any obligation whatsoever to socialise. Friend said it at the time she was realising she'd made a faux pas by not telling OP she'd sold the tickets, so said as a palliative and (misjudged) sweetener. The couple she sold them to may not even be aware of OP going and extremely unlikely to want to spend time socialising either. At most, OP only needs to say hello, there's absolutely nothing to suggest any more is expected.
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catedory I think if that were the case, OP wouldn't have started the thread!!!!