Page 4 | Asked to move out of the way in the zoo

Auxiliary016 · 2021-08-05T13:45:08+00:00

Visited Chester Zoo today with my partner. All good - had a lovely time and admired the animals and quality of the enclosures (much more space than many I've visited before!). I was really looking forward to seeing the Jaguars, and fabulously enough, one sat right near where I was walking, so I stopped just in front of the enclosure to admire it. I was probably there for about 5 seconds when everyone started to crowd round, and suddenly this woman came out of the blue and said directly to me "Excuse me, coming through - I've got kids!", heavily implying me to move out of the way. I was shocked and so just moved straight away, but actually on hindsight I'm quite upset. [sad] I don't have kids, but I have as much right to stand at the front as anyone else, surely? I paid for my ticket and I was only there for a few seconds. If people wait their turn, there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to get a good view. AIBU to feel annoyed at this, and to have the right to stand at the bloody front for a few seconds if I want to?

SixesAndEights · 05/08/2021 15:55

My mum's in a wheelchair and we get this anytime we're out and there's a need to be at "the front" to see something in particular. People pushing past, deliberately standing in front, particularly familes as if they have rights no one else does. I have absolutely no idea what goes through their minds.

speakout · 05/08/2021 15:56

Surely adults generally let kids stand in front of them as they're smaller and then everyone can see?

I agree with this. Although she was rude.
I find there is a bit of an unspoken rule in such situations, adults (often parents) will let kids stand at the front. Adults can see over the heads of children, but kids can;t see if adults are at the front.

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 05/08/2021 15:57

How tiny are people's kids and how tall do people think the OP is?!

I know several adults who are dwarfed by 8yo's!

Glumgal · 05/08/2021 15:57

She was rude but I can kind of understand her eagerness. I've been visiting Chester Zoo for over 40 years and have NEVER seen a jaguar on any of my visits. It's quite rare for one to be that close to the glass. You were lucky to see it and so were the children

namechangetheworld · 05/08/2021 15:58

@Auxiliary016
I agree. Like I said, she was incredibly rude, and I always teach my own DC to wait their turn at attractions like this. I was just making the point that, as an adult, I would have automatically moved back a little if I noticed a child wanted to take a look. People often, very kindly, do this for my own DC, and I think it's the right thing to do in that situation.

ChikiTIKI · 05/08/2021 15:58

Before I had kids, I was put shopping (Manchester arndale) and the nearest escalator was out of service and taped accross. I was feeling pretty unwell for some reason so waited by the lift. Every time the door opened, parents with prams rushed in and I was stood there unable to fit in. After about the third time when a man with a pram told a teenage boy "move out of the way I've got a pram here" I thought FFS and went on a long walk to some stairs and then walked all the way back around to get to where the lift was.

I know they needed the lift more than me because they couldn't have used the stairs but they didn't need it with such urgency that they should push in and be dicks about it.

Thay woman was rude to you and she is teaching her kids to be rude and entitled too. Such a shame.

crazycatgal · 05/08/2021 15:58

Like the OP has said, with the Jaguar enclosure at Chester Zoo the jaguars tend to be close to the glass if they're out and about. If kids are stood at the glass at the front then people behind probably can't see, so if you just let all of the kids go to the front before you've had a look then you'll be unable to see.

ememem84 · 05/08/2021 15:59

I'm with you on this OP and i have kids. Just wait. or if she had asked nicely...its the unnecessary rudeness and entitlement.

LBOCS2 · 05/08/2021 15:59

The thing is, had she been standing there with her kids and said "hang on, let this lady have a look first" (the reasonable and polite thing to do), in my experience 99% of the time when people notice that there are small children waiting, they allow them in front anyway. All she achieved is making herself look like a dick.

speakout · 05/08/2021 16:00

I don't think animals like jaguars should be in zoos- they belong in the wild. Captive wild animals caged for human entertainment sticks in my throat. I don't support zoos.

.... misses point of hread.

Hemingwaycat · 05/08/2021 16:02

She was rude, you shouldn’t have moved and should have told her as much. She’s setting a poor example to her kids.

DeathMetalMum · 05/08/2021 16:02

Another regular at Chester Zoo, OP wouldn't have been blocking the kids view as most of the enclosures have very good viewing large windows where one person wouldn't be blocking whats going on completely.

As a regular it's also unfortunate that you get some extremely entitled people at the zoo who will push their way in front. Last time we went we (me and dc) were pushed out of the way several times by two women. No sing of any social distancing from them either!

eightyfourandahalf · 05/08/2021 16:05

YANBU

some people are twats, best to ignore but not them let get away with everything.

I remember a woman playing the "I've got kids" and trying to push me out of the way to a similar kind of place. Not only did I stand my ground, but I stayed a lot longer than I would had had otherwise
(and I was about 8 months pregnant with my toddler! So I mean, WTF!)

Bimblybomeyelash · 05/08/2021 16:06

I think you are being ridiculous to get upset about this! Yes it sounds as if she was being rude, but you could just have stood your ground! Or just assumed the best of her. Maybe she was fed up dragging her kids around and always being stuck behind dawdling adults and her kids moaning that they couldn’t see anything and their boooooooreeeeed after she had spent a fortune getting them tickets, and maybe yet another group of people blocking their view was the last straw on a stressful day.

MyShoelaceIsUndone · 05/08/2021 16:08

Why be upset? Annoyed yes because the person felt entitled

Waspsarearseholes · 05/08/2021 16:09

@Bimblybomeyelash

I think you are being ridiculous to get upset about this! Yes it sounds as if she was being rude, but you could just have stood your ground! Or just assumed the best of her. Maybe she was fed up dragging her kids around and always being stuck behind dawdling adults and her kids moaning that they couldn’t see anything and their boooooooreeeeed after she had spent a fortune getting them tickets, and maybe yet another group of people blocking their view was the last straw on a stressful day.

Oh righto, being a mum on a normal day out allows you to be as rude as you like?

ChittyChittyBangBangChicken · 05/08/2021 16:10

Yeah, next time, ignore rude people or say, "Just a moment," and then ignore. You have as much right to stand there as anyone else, and surely there was more than one spot from which to admire the jaguar, so you needn't have moved.

Doesn't matter how old the children are, parents shouldn't suggest others move for their exclusive benefit.

MrsWhites · 05/08/2021 16:10

She was very rude but people can be very passive aggressive at Chester zoo I find, lots of loud ‘oh I’m sure they’ll move for you in a minute’ type comments - when you’ve only been looking for 10 seconds yourself!

We went to Disneyland Paris a few years ago and my daughter had waited so patiently for a character, lots of children had crowded around. A man walks over to the group, pushed his daughter who was maybe 3 forward to try and get her through the crowd, she cried and didn’t want to leave him so he lifted her up and literally lifted her over my dd’s head and plonked her down right in front. The poor kid was screaming, didn’t know where her dad was! Thankfully the character attendant was having none of it and made a point of commenting that she was picking children who had waited very patiently!

InTheNightWeWillWish · 05/08/2021 16:11

Posting about it is ridiculous

AIBU is the home of ridiculous, 90% of the posts are petty things (not specially aimed at you OP). If this type of stuff winds you up, don’t read AIBU.

If this is such a big deal to you hours later, your life must be pretty sweet-maybe focus on that.

Can we stop with this shit too? People can be dealing with bugger things in their life. They can have dealt with some big things previously. They’re still allowed to get pissed off with the little stuff. Sometimes if we’re dealing with the big stuff, it’s the little stuff that sometimes tips us over the edge. If you’re not in a good enough place to deal with our people complaining about the little stuff, then you need to distance yourself rather than implying their life is a walk in the park when you literally know nothing about them.

eightyfourandahalf · 05/08/2021 16:12

@Bimblybomeyelash

I think you are being ridiculous to get upset about this! Yes it sounds as if she was being rude, but you could just have stood your ground! Or just assumed the best of her. Maybe she was fed up dragging her kids around and always being stuck behind dawdling adults and her kids moaning that they couldn’t see anything and their boooooooreeeeed after she had spent a fortune getting them tickets, and maybe yet another group of people blocking their view was the last straw on a stressful day.

Are you for real?

Everybody paid for their tickets, everybody gets a chance to see the animals. You can just wait like everybody else does and like the person currently looking at the front very likely waited!

SquirryTheSquirrel · 05/08/2021 16:13

@Disfordarkchocolate

Don't ever visit the train museum at York. Train spotters will be far worse than this.

I think they were very rude. I'm all for tiny ones squeezing in a gap when they are too small to see over anyone but generally, they need to wait their turn.

My husband and I are railway nuts and we go regularly to the NRM at York. We've never had a problem!

The size and height of the locos mean they are very difficult to block from view and for smaller exhibits people move round in an orderly way.

I had an incident at Cotswold Wildlife Park - my elderly mum was in a wheelchair and I'd wheeled her over to look at some animals, when a gaggle of Brownies pushed in front of her wheelchair and stood in her way. Brown Owl/adult helpers did nothing. Very unimpressed. Most people on that day out had been lovely and considerate, holding doors etc.

Soubriquet · 05/08/2021 16:14

OP, to quote, press the 3 little dots in the bottom right hand corner.

The second one down says quote

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 05/08/2021 16:18

@Bimblybomeyelash

I think you are being ridiculous to get upset about this! Yes it sounds as if she was being rude, but you could just have stood your ground! Or just assumed the best of her. Maybe she was fed up dragging her kids around and always being stuck behind dawdling adults and her kids moaning that they couldn’t see anything and their boooooooreeeeed after she had spent a fortune getting them tickets, and maybe yet another group of people blocking their view was the last straw on a stressful day.

Presumably OP paid for her ticket as well so why does the other woman's right trump hers. OP was there first and the kids should be taught to wait their turn.

missmarplesapprentice · 05/08/2021 16:18

@Auxiliary016 The Jaguars at Chester Zoo is madness! Most of the time they are hiding but all that means is when they are on show that people go wild (ironic).

I was rammed (not even exaggerating much) by a mobility scooter user while looking through the window. I hadn't been there long (been patiently waiting like many others) then this woman rams in behind me. When I have to then move to sit down as it hurt she took my spot and didn't apologise. My OH then calmly spoke to her to explain what she had done (on the small chance she didn't see) and he got a mouthful of abuse as she was disabled and he was discriminating against her.

I'll admit I then approached her and gave her a peace of my mind...she started back tracking and half-apologising as I was telling her that being in a scooter was no excuse for bad manners and that it gave other wheelchair/scooter users a bad name.

It has always stuck with me and i now avoid the Jaguars whenever the zoo is busy even though the majority of people are very polite and evenly share the view.

Teflondreams · 05/08/2021 16:19

www.cheshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/childless-woman-chester-zoo-upset-21235897?fbclid=IwAR3JWHyvbZl_jvzPROVbgHFFSDDBCnmu9DIpsvY-xTB6l6qXiBv7f5pZ8KU

You’ve made it to the local rag OP.
They have a standard of journalism that is usually based on asking inane questions such as ‘what is your favourite thing to have on a butty’ - so I guess it’s some improvement on that!