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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cinema and covid

108 replies

Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 12:42

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 15:59

@Frazzled2207

Perhaps they sat in their special favourite seats that they had prebooked Are you saying they should have moved from the seats that they purposefully chose just because you got sat down first?

Can you imagine this scenario on a plane? No of course you can’t you just sit where you’re told!

So if they plane was empty and I had 2 children with me. You would of decided to stay where you are?
OP posts:
girlmom21 · 18/10/2021 15:59

Why should they move rather than you move, all 6 of you were sat in your allocated seats?

Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:00

@DampSquidGames

OP I don’t get your thinking at all.
My thinking is that if you have booked to go out and the place is empty. Surely you have the foresight to see this and you make allowances for where to sit
OP posts:
Shodan · 18/10/2021 16:00

OP did you book your seats online? If so, did you check that none of the seats next to you were already booked?

It may be that they'd booked their seats before you booked yours and were as miffed as you that someone had booked to sit right next to them.

DampSquidGames · 18/10/2021 16:02

I’m imagining the OP tutting at the poor teenagers who simply sat down in their prebooked seats, then after much huffing she moved away.

DampSquidGames · 18/10/2021 16:03

OP is this your first cinema trip since the pandemic and was you like this before?

DappledThings · 18/10/2021 16:06

So if they plane was empty and I had 2 children with me. You would of decided to stay where you are?
If that was my allocated seat then yes, I would still have (not of) stayed where I was. Why wouldn't I?

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 18/10/2021 16:06

Ah this is one of those threads.

OP: AIBU
Everyone: Yes
OP: no I'm not you're all wrong.

Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:07

Husband booked seats last night and made sure no one was sat next to us

OP posts:
Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:09

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

Ah this is one of those threads.

OP: AIBU
Everyone: Yes
OP: no I'm not you're all wrong.

Didn't say you were wrong I just thought people would have common curtosey thats all. I don't care where people sit but in an empty cinema I think they could of at least moved up a seat
OP posts:
Piggy42 · 18/10/2021 16:09

They were given numbered seats. They sat in those seats. YABU.

SocksAndTheCity · 18/10/2021 16:10

@Rizzoli123

Husband booked seats last night and made sure no one was sat next to us
Are you saying your husband booked and paid for the two seats either side of you as well as your seats? Because that's the only way for him to have made sure that nobody was sitting next to you.
Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:11

@YourFinestPantaloons

Don't most people go for high up and centre? That's all you've both done
No we were sat on the front row
OP posts:
Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:12

No one was an isle. I just thought if you go into a cinema and see no one is there you sit at least one seat away from someone else

OP posts:
Thelonelyranger · 18/10/2021 16:14

Is this your first time at the cinema?
Who picks the front row when the full cinema is empty?

Kb2942 · 18/10/2021 16:15

Even before covid I'd try sit away from people. Not always possible if busy but I would avoid busy times too by going in a heatwave etc. YANBU. We had similar at the circus back in the summer. The staff were trying to space people out. So the row in front of us was sat on the right end of the section and us the left. Then they had friends turn up and sat right in front of us. Even though they were trying to leave seats directly in front of people free!

At our local cinema seats are allocated but I haven't actually been since they re opened 😟

NigelSlatersXmasTaters · 18/10/2021 16:17

Surprised everyone booked the crappy front row but that aside, you're wrong OP.

They paid the same as you, your seats are no more valuable than theirs.

I book the seat I want to sit in and then sit in it, why would I move? I wouldn't move on a plane either

Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:18

@Thelonelyranger

Is this your first time at the cinema? Who picks the front row when the full cinema is empty?
I have 2 children they wanted to sit at the front
OP posts:
Anonymous48 · 18/10/2021 16:18

At first I thought you were being reasonable, because of course if you walk into a cinema and there is one other family there you don't sit right next to them. But where I live they aren't assigned seats so everyone sits where they want. I didn't realize you had been assigned specific seats. It's weird that the only seats that were sold were right next to each other, and it probably felt pretty awkward, but they didn't do anything wrong. I also don't think covid has anything to do with it. Presumably you were all wearing masks?

Original poster
Rizzoli123 · 18/10/2021 16:20

I didnt ask you to move I asked you to use your common sense. I am guessing from your messages you have none of the either 🤔

OP posts:
yesterdayisinthepast · 18/10/2021 16:21

It's honestly not about common courtesy.

It's not as if it was a free screening and they saw all the seats were empty and purposely came and sat right next to you and your family. They actually paid money to sit in those seats so really haven't done anything wrong. I can see how it's annoying that they sat right next to you but it's more unfortunate than anything

DroopyClematis · 18/10/2021 16:21

Either the teenagers booked those seats or the booking allocation system chose those seats for them.
Up you just turn up , particularly during a normal weekday then you'll be told to sit where you want, in which case these teenagers just chose to sit next to you , which seems unlikely.

Maybe have a chat with or email the cinema manager.

Seems a bit odd.

Comefromaway · 18/10/2021 16:21

@Rizzoli123

No one was an isle. I just thought if you go into a cinema and see no one is there you sit at least one seat away from someone else
No, in fact you are not usually allowed to leave a single seat in between.
yesterdayisinthepast · 18/10/2021 16:23

@DroopyClematis

Either the teenagers booked those seats or the booking allocation system chose those seats for them. Up you just turn up , particularly during a normal weekday then you'll be told to sit where you want, in which case these teenagers just chose to sit next to you , which seems unlikely.

Maybe have a chat with or email the cinema manager.

Seems a bit odd.

Have a chat or email the cinema manager for what exactly?? Let's not overdo it now
Verite1 · 18/10/2021 16:26

You are being utterly unreasonable. You sit in your allocated seats. If you are unhappy with that, you move. Which you did. So problem solved.

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