To reserve the entire park benches?

[anyplate]

I took my children to the park today and packed up a picnic, it was a woodland area with apparatus and was a short drive away.
When we arrived we headed straight to the park and thought we’d eat our picnic but every single bench had a “polite notice”
bench is reserved for children’s birthday party
don’t be that person.

There was about five benches and no one around so I got a blanket out of the car and sat on it and we had our picnic.
We stayed at the park over an hour and in that time many cross looking people went to sit down and saw the note and didn’t but there was no children’s party in the hour or so we were there.
Were they not completely unreasonable reserving every single bench for an unknown amount of time so nobody else could use it just so they were free for when they wanted?
We could have sat there eaten our lunch and gone without it affecting any party.

Very rude of them. They can bring picnic blankets and use those if the benches are full with others.

You were a better person than me. I'd have sat on the bench for sure if noone had been about - I may or may not have moved if they had arrived depending how I was asked

Completely ridiculous, YANBU

Of course they were completely unreasonable. Not sure you need to ask. If they wanted reserved seating for a party they should have paid for a venue - and I say that as someone who has organised two parties in the local park over the years.

They are CF...kers! I would have sat on the benches!

I would also have left a note saying that THEY are THOSE people and how rude THEY were!
OR, maybe snuck around and removed all their signs 😆

YANBU, unless it was the sort of place where you can reserve benches (which in a public park, I doubt it, I have only ever seen barbecues that you can book ), then they were being CF.

Assume this was just a normal parent who had reserved the benches not the park keepers.

Tabby. If it’s a public park they can’t just reserve benches. I’d have taken the signs off and sat on a bench. They should bring picnic blankets for their party to sit on.

I would have thrown the notice in the bin. In fact in your situation when they were all still on there and no sign of the party after you'd been there for that long, I would have thrown the full lot away. CFs.

since the stroke I can get on/off the ground, so had I taken kids there for a picnic, we'd have sat on one of the benches & wouldn't have moved if they'd turned up, until we were finished.

if I was by myself I'd either have moved (if I felt I could) or told them they were welcome to share, but I needed the seat.

unless there's some weird booking process you can't go around 'reserving' public amenities like that, ridiculous twats!!

Are they allowed to "reserve "benches ?
Or have they just took it upon themselves to do so?
If it's the latter I would just ignore its akin to reserving sun beds with towels in holiday resorts imo.

Were they not completely unreasonable reserving every single bench for an unknown amount of time so nobody else could use it

But you and anyone else COULD have used it.

What currency does a ‘polite notice’ have over a public bench in a public area?

More fool you. I would have used the bench but may then have moved if the birthday group had arrived and asked very sweetly. Cos it’s nice to be nice.

I'd have just sat on the benches. You can't reserve public property.

I’d have sat there. You can’t reserve park benches, if they want a guaranteed venue, they need to pay for a hall.

I’d have looked around, checked the party hadn’t started, then removed all the signs and sat down. If challenged I’d probably say as there was clearly no party going on, so I assumed the party had already happened and they’d just forgotten to remove the signs “because obviously nobody would try to reserve all the seats for a party happening later on”.

But then I’m a bit of a dick and don’t care anymore.

I probably should have just sat down but I didn’t want a confrontation in front of my children half way through eating our lunch with no idea who had put it there but in hindsight I should’ve especially as they weren’t even there.

Unless the party was yesterday and they really had forgotten to remove the signs.

Why the hell didn’t you just sit there! It’s utterly rude to do what they've done. It’s a public space no one gets to dictate who can use it unless they’re breaking the law.
I’d have been fed up enough in your shoes to turn up and find all the picnic space being used for a birthday party. Let alone pre-reserved benches for people who aren’t even there!!
I can’t believe no one sat on them.

I'd have done exactly the same.

Were they not completely unreasonable reserving every single bench for an unknown amount of time so nobody else could use it

Absolutely anyone could have used it. People are strange at times.

No, they shouldn't have done it, but I can't believe that you turned up to an empty public picnic area and jist obeyed a written notice!

Nobody who arrived after you sat there because they were following your lead and assumed you knew something they didn't.

I'd not only have used a bench, I'd have removed all the signs! but I am a mardy cow.

I’d have removed the signs, chucked them in the bin and feigned ignorance if someone turned up
’i don’t understand, you reserved this bench? How do you reserve a bench….’ and on and on…

I'd have removed all the signs and invited every mum I knew to come and grab a bench, then stayed there all day.

I would have sat on benches...its not their park or benches. Cheeky Fuckers.

Reserving five benches is cheeky. At least put a time on if you want to do this.