Cinema and covid

[Rizzoli123]

I took my boys 4 and 6 to cinema today as its a first day of school holiday treat.

Me and my husband and children sat in the seats we had picked. Two teenagers came in just after we did and in an empty cinema sat next to us.

We ended up moving in the end but am I being unreasonable to say that it wasn't our place to move and we were here first.

I understand that taking kids to cinema is a luxury

AIbu rhag the kids should of respected rules saw we were sat here.and moved instead of us.

So tell the staff at the time.

Even in non covid times its bad manners in an empty cinema to sit right next to or in front of someone in an empty cinema.

Happened to my husband the other week. He went by himself on a Sunday morning and sat in middle, was alone until just as film started and a couple came and sat directly in front of him. Better than next to him but he was annoyed.

We were at the cinema yesterday... pretty much every seat was taken. Instructions are to sit in allocated seats (at least until film starts!)

Did they maybe book those seats and not want to sit in other seats in case someone else came along who had booked those? If you booked best row in middle maybe they did too, expecting the rest to get booked up later. Even if no seats were booked they may have chosen best seats thinking other rows would all fill up too.

Maybe they had prebooked those seats. I haven't been to a cinema without prebooking in a long time.

In our local cinemas all seats are allocated so you can't just sit anywhere. Is it not the same where you are?

They should have respected the rules. But ultimately your choices were to tell the staff to ask them to move our move yourselves. Which you did.

@EllieSattler

Maybe they had prebooked those seats. I haven't been to a cinema without prebooking in a long time.

Oh that's a good point. Most theaters here have assigned seating.

All of our local cinemas you have seat numbers printed on your ticket and you are supposed to sit there.

Pretty weird for them to sit next to you in an empty cinema, but also there are no rules on distancing now??

So they were free to sit where they chose.

@steff13

They should have respected the rules. But ultimately your choices were to tell the staff to ask them to move our move yourselves. Which you did.

Ugh. Or not our.

Our local cinema (Showcase) won’t let you book a seat right next to another group. The computer leaves a gap of 1 seat.

Our local Vue says you have to sit in your pre-booked seats. They may have booked those seats for the position, I know I'm particular about where I sit for the best view!

Also if they're comfortable enough to sit there and you're not happy with it, then you do need to move as you're the one with the issue!

Our cinemas don't have allocated seating anymore (perhaps because it is still a bit quiet), but they have taped off seats. Only two people can sit together, then the two either side are taped off. Yet STILL someone came to sit behind us but to the side. In an empty cinema.! I just do not get it. And they were teenage girls. Talked all the bloody way through the movie.

Are you sure they hadn’t pre booked those seats ? as can’t imagine why anyone would choose to sit right next to someone if lots of other free seats .
I went to the cinema recently pre booked and someone also sat next to me also pre booked. No restrictions on social distancing now so if you don’t like it then it’s down to you to move .

Did you sit in your booked seats? I'm assuming they did too!

Do people actually sit in their booked seats or do they just sit anywhere?

The cinema I've been to this year has prebooked seats. I'd always sit in my rebooked seats because I chose those seats for a reason and I wouldn't want to move to different seats that someone else might have prebooked. If seats weren't allocated, while I wouldn't sit directly next to anyone else, it's not the ed of the world or wrong. I'd probably move if someone sat next to me, as you did, because Im the one with the problem.

When I went to the cinema in September all seats were available. That's been the case for the theatres and stadia I've attended too. One theatre's booking system didn't let you leave a gap of one seat between different groups. No rules about leaving seats empty because of Covid anywhere. Social distancing is no longer mandated.

I haven’t been to a non pre booked seat film in many years. I’m assuming you booked good central seats and they did the same.

@toastofthetown

The cinema I've been to this year has prebooked seats. I'd always sit in my rebooked seats because I chose those seats for a reason and I wouldn't want to move to different seats that someone else might have prebooked. If seats weren't allocated, while I wouldn't sit directly next to anyone else, it's not the ed of the world or wrong. I'd probably move if someone sat next to me, as you did, because Im the one with the problem.

When I went to the cinema in September all seats were available. That's been the case for the theatres and stadia I've attended too. One theatre's booking system didn't let you leave a gap of one seat between different groups. No rules about leaving seats empty because of Covid anywhere. Social distancing is no longer mandated.

I went to the cinema last week and this was pretty much the system.

@SirenSays

Do people actually sit in their booked seats or do they just sit anywhere?

Ds once went to to the cinemal where they refused to start the film because someone wasn't in the correct seat and another family couldn't sit together

Some people were sitting in the wrong seats when I went to see Bond and it caused absolute bedlam.

I'm fairly particular about what seats I book because I like to be two thirds back from the screen, in the middle third of the room and preferably by the aisle. If I manage to book the seat I like I'm not shifting.

Were your seats allocated or did you just pick the ones you fancied when you walked in?

If the former, presumably they were just doing the same, having been allocated the best available seats by the booking system.

If the latter that's a bit odd and annoying but not against "the rules".

not sure what this has to do with covid.

If they sat in their assigned seats they did nothing wrong.
But in an empty cinema and if my seats were next to another pair I think I would purposefully leave a gap.