Asked to move out of the way in the zoo

[Auxiliary016]

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. 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?

Some people are just really awful and frankly shouldn't have kids. The best comeback when she said I have kids would have been 'ah what a shame'. Understandable you were too shocked to react though, it was so rude.

I feel like this thread just needs Audacity Baby’s mum to arrive and lecture us all on the importance of a child’s joy.

I’m with you OP. If it’s to be done by height then my time has come as I’m barely 5ft.

A lot of people are so narcissistic, having kids just gives them what they think is a legitimate reason to be treated like the special people they are convinced they are. So shocking when it happens that it would be hard not to respond as you did, but it would be great if someone just said no.

In this situation the dream response would’ve been, “oh thank God, the poor cat is starving. Let me give the kids a leg up into the enclosure pronto.”

@FreeBritnee

It might be awful but it’s true. The term exists whether you like it or not and it refers to people like her.

It might exist but it's ageist, misogynistic and used to shut a woman up. People who use the term "Karen" are frankly a bit thick

Kids don’t get a free pass to everything - whatever their parents think. You paid / you’ve every right to be where you were. The parent and kid can wait.

I would’ve said “Will be a good lesson for them in taking their turn then” 🤭

*NeverDropYourMooncup
Are you only three foot four tall?

If you are, then she is being unreasonable. If not, then step back 24 inches and let the children in front to see.

Why should she though, the mother should have told her children to wait*

Exactly, so entitled!

Had this at festivals when I have got to the front and waited for a very long time so that I can be in the front, then some entitled parent comes over and tries to insert their kid in front of me. Not happening !!

I cannot stand people who are entitled like this about their kids. It gives me the rage!

Thanks to the 1218(!) of you that voted IANBU!

I still can't believe this story got lifted so quickly 😂

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

Wow.

Just.

Wow.

Loser

The woman was awful. We live 10mins by the zoo and are members. I know the enclosure you mean. It's enormous and there are plenty of viewing windows. However, the Jaguars are rarely spotted so I get (but disagree with) her entitled attitude.

Eurgh…hate this kind of parenting. Such a bad example to set for kids.
Entitled parents raise entitled children.

You were very unreasonable to move.

No. She was being entitled. I would have said "that's nice. Do you teach them to take turns?"

I was watching a street performance a couple of Christmases ago, kneeling on the pavement level with my DS6 and was rammed - hard - in the small of the back by the footplate of a pushchair. Some entitled mother was using their child as a battering ram to get to the front! Some people, op. Take all the time you want next time.

@Burnt0utMum

Surely adults generally let kids stand in front of them as they're smaller and then everyone can see? She does sound rude but you didn't have to move if you didn't want to and wouldn't be unreasonable to refuse to move but YABU to move and then get upset about it afterwards.

I agree

said directly to me "Excuse me, coming through - I've got kids!", heavily implying me to move out of the way. How can people say such things and feel like anything other than a massive twat?!

OP I'd have just ignored her. See if she would say it again. If she did I'd probably still ignore her, I could be deaf for all she knows!

Like you I automatically allow children to go in front of me, always have. However, her rudeness would have made me ensure I waited a short while before moving as I'm quite petty!

I, like many parents, have taught my own children know to wait patiently for a space. That woman is doing her children no favours and they'll either grow up very rude or very embarrassed of their mother.

She was rude. I have also been irritated by other parents who make absolutely no effort to prompt their kids to share playground equipment. One recent example was a group of four kids playing on large swing. They were on it for over a half an hour before I eventually gave up waiting for them to offer dd a turn. Parents sitting nearby did absolutely nothing to prompt them. In the end, I approached them myself and said 'would it be OK for my dd to have a short turn?' I am always mindful of other kids waiting and make sure that we don't monopolise stuff. The only exception to this is SN as I know that kids with SN struggle with transitions so I wouldn't ask in this scenario.

What an entitled cow! Unbelievably rude

YANBU what a way to raise entitled children by modelling entitled behaviour.

More fool you for moving! Let this be a lesson that the entitled are everywhere and you need to learn to stand your ground

I don't know, "coming through, I've got kids" sounds like she just wanted her kids to go in front of you, so they can see, not necessarily asking you to move away?

If not, then step back 24 inches and let the children in front to see. - the chances are that mum won't let their PFB out of the clutches and will expect the adult to be allowed to stand in front of them.

I get this loads. In shop queues, on the bus (mums arriving last minute and barging to the front, then insisting an adult stands up so they can sit with their child - I kid you not), at museums or attractions.

"Children coming first" is sadly a sign of the times. I've seen mums at hairdressers skip the queue "because you can't expect Charlotte Emily/Nathan to sit around for half an hour".

Actually the most hysterical thing I saw was during the school holidays, you would inevitably see families who had taken their offspring to a museum in London during the school holidays, and were travelling back during the evening rush. They, unlike the hardened commuters, were not savvy as to where the seats were and how to obtain them.

I watched a family (2 adults, 2 teenage children) arrive at the last minute to a packed rush hour train at Kings Cross and walk the entire length of a 12 carriage train looking for a 4 seat bay, to no avail. The woman of the group was pass-agging passengers saying "YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD ALLOW A FAMILY TO SIT TOGETHER, WOULDN'T YOU?" whilst glaring at people sat in bays - so, let me get this right. You want 4 complete strangers to volunteer to stand all the way to their station just so you (2 adults as well) can sit with your kids? The children are not made out of porcelain ;-), they will survive a 25 minute standing journey. Heaven forfend, when I was their age, I was asked to stand up for an adult to sit. I am sure they have probably never travelled by train again.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Are you only three foot four tall?

If you are, then she is being unreasonable. If not, then step back 24 inches and let the children in front to see.

Op probably would've moved anyway, but from her post the woman was implying that because she had children she was something pretty special! Rude and entitled

I went to Bletchley park last week, and was using some of the interactive exhibits. I felt really under pressure to live on and let kids use them. No one said anything. But I still felt it.