Sometimes I feel I live in a parallel universe, so would you have handled this differently? Asking as now a week later the woman concerned is giving me looks across the waiting room...
Last week’s dance class was ‘watching week’, two rows of chairs in the studio to watch the class.
Bit of a scrum going in, so I held back. Most the second row was still free, the woman in front of me did that annoying thing sitting one seat from the end of the back row so I couldn’t pass. I said ‘excuse me softly’, so as not to talk over the teacher, but she was transfixing with a smile on watching her daughter. I tried again leaning forward and a little louder asking if the seat nearest was free and gestured, no response. I sat down and shrugged in the end seat. The row filled up quickly from the other end which was nearer the door.
Her partner then strode in and boomed ‘I asked you to save me a seat!’, she glared and said ‘I did, this one!’ and pointed at me. They looked at me impatiently then the woman in front turned round and said she’d heard him say it in the queue. I quietly evenly replied ‘well, I also expected a seat, may I have yours?’. I then just tried to watch quietly, rather than disturb the class.
I stayed for a bit in the seat but he stood so close almost in front of me I ended up rolling my eyes and moving so I could actually see, plus I didn’t really want his arse right next to my face. He looked rather smug and I stood for the remaining half hour (not the worst thing as I saw more tbh and I’m comfortable with standing from work, I moved on quickly and forgot after the initial annoyance).
Now she’s glaring at me pointedly the following week and I’m pissed off, definitely scowling.
On what planet was she???
(Tbf there were enough seats for 2 for every child, which was stated as a limit which many ignored. I don’t blame the class on not having enough...)