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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How would you have reacted- blooming sun beds!

29 replies

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 14:51

Sunbeds!

I avoid holidays where there’s sunbed wars- we normally go eurocamping but my kids fancied trying a jet 2 holiday and we had a nice time - we chose a hotel that said it doesn’t have sunbed problems and you can’t reserve them early.

My daughter and I went down the the pool at lunchtime and found a completely free sunbed with nothing on it. The sun beds either side were taken but not this one . Very normal to have random one free where we were staying and the etiquette is if something is on it then it’s not free but if it’s empty it’s free.

We put our things on the bed and jumped in the pool . 5 minutes later a family came over. Threw our stuff off and claimed the sunbed. They also had the sunbeds either side.

I got out the pool and said please don’t throw our stuff off as it was our bed. The lady said it was there’s, they’d got up since 6am and saved them and the towel must have blown away. She refused to engage and thought she was in the right.

We took our stuff and left. But I felt so angry. What would you have done? I mean it’s a sunbed I’m not that bothered in the grand scheme of life but it was her dismissive attitude and arrogance. When she was in the wrong!

OP posts:
BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 20/07/2026 14:52

Speak to management. Was there a life guard on duty?

ShetlandishMum · 20/07/2026 14:53

We never do this kind of holiday down to sunbed wars. My life is too short.

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 14:54

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 20/07/2026 14:52

Speak to management. Was there a life guard on duty?

Yes- my daughter went over when I was chatting to the woman as the life guard said they can’t do anything.

I know I should get over it but I just felt very wronged 🤣

OP posts:
hugasaurus · 20/07/2026 14:54

People are idiots. We are a family of four and only ever take a couple of sunbeds as there’s never a time four of us are lying down on them at the same time!

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 14:55

ShetlandishMum · 20/07/2026 14:53

We never do this kind of holiday down to sunbed wars. My life is too short.

Same and never again! We go eurocamping in Europe and never have any problems .

Ive done adult only jet 2 holidays with my husband and no problem at all but this was a family hotel and resort

OP posts:
Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 14:56

hugasaurus · 20/07/2026 14:54

People are idiots. We are a family of four and only ever take a couple of sunbeds as there’s never a time four of us are lying down on them at the same time!

Same! At best it would only be me and my husband using them as the kids are always in the pool or can use ours for a break.

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 20/07/2026 14:59

No not the life guard - management. I would have gone inside and told them exactly what you have says here.

BauhausOfEliott · 20/07/2026 15:08

they’d got up since 6am and saved them and the towel must have blown away

Yeah, right. She's a lying fucker.

QuaintBeaker · 20/07/2026 15:09

I would have waited patiently for her to move and regained the sunbed and then not moved all day 🤣

Netcurtainnelly · 20/07/2026 15:12

What a horrible woman why can't someone people be nice. Life's alot easier.

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 15:18

Netcurtainnelly · 20/07/2026 15:12

What a horrible woman why can't someone people be nice. Life's alot easier.

This is exactly what I said!

Not that I would ever move someone’s stuff- but had it have been me- I would have apologised and said our mistake , and then I would have said no problem I can find another sun bed and it would have been civil and normal. I wasn’t that bothered about the sun bed - though it was a pain!

I think that’s why I’m still feeling angry by it - I need to learn to not take it inwardly as we will be wronged a lot in life and it’s how to cope.

I don’t get in confrontation much at all and am kind and treat people well, maybe she has a tough life that leads to her behaviour .

OP posts:
Shloopie · 20/07/2026 15:21

It's inconsequential...and yet...her rudeness would probably be the start of my villain origin story.

Whatevergoes2025 · 20/07/2026 15:22

She was extremely vulgar and that’s on her. You could have escalated but sometimes people that gross aren’t even worth it.

StealMySunshining · 20/07/2026 15:24

Next time pick your stuff up, wait for them to vacate and then throw their stuff on the floor.

Rareoccurrence · 20/07/2026 15:24

I had similar at a spa , no free seating except one chair which had a book on it I stood for 5 mins nobody sat there so I moved the book to the table and sat down. There was even a sign to say not to leave belongings on seats or loungers as they would be moved. A woman got out of the pool and flew over to ask me what on earth I was doing as that was her seat. I said to her there’s a sign ? You can’t save seats? She went mad calling her friend over saying how rude I was !!

SeasideDaisy · 20/07/2026 15:28

I would have pounced and the second she left her bed to go in the pool I’d have dumped her stuff on the floor taken the bed and stayed put all day. I know that is very petty but that’s who I am.. bloody rude cow.

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 15:32

SeasideDaisy · 20/07/2026 15:28

I would have pounced and the second she left her bed to go in the pool I’d have dumped her stuff on the floor taken the bed and stayed put all day. I know that is very petty but that’s who I am.. bloody rude cow.

I wish I was ballsy like this! This is what she deserved! I wondered how others would react as I can’t imagine others letting it go.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 20/07/2026 15:43

Of have been tempted to chuck her stuff off the adjacent sunbeds and say “we’ve been up since 5am and our towels just have blown away”.

But I wouldn’t have the guts and life is too short!

When ds and I go away we took to buying a £1 lilo from Poundland before we went to use as a sunbed and just leave it there when we came home!

VanillaImpulse · 20/07/2026 16:01

I would have just seen red and chucked one of her towels in the pool

Niftywigglesheep899 · 20/07/2026 16:08

VanillaImpulse · 20/07/2026 16:01

I would have just seen red and chucked one of her towels in the pool

Well this was my problem! In my head I was livid with the injustice of it all- but I didn’t know where it would lead.

I had a cup of water in my hand and I thought I should have chucked it in her- but you know my politeness kicked in 😅

wild aren’t they holidays! Best to stick at home away from others 🤣🤣

What made me smile as well was that I recognised her child from the day before when I helped her when she fell down and bumped her head and the parents were at the bar.

OP posts:
Hunsterbunster · 20/07/2026 16:34

We’ve just had a week at La Pinede Eurocamp in SW France which was fabulous. The lifeguards managed sun bed hogging by playing a song for 10 minutes a few times each day which stated that any sun beds occupied by towels and objects but not people would be removed by the time the song ended. The lifeguards cleared so many sun beds, hanging up the items at the lifeguard station for offenders to claim. It really was effective. We never struggled to get a couple of sun beds at any time of the day (we are a family of four but as posters have commented above, only use a couple of loungers at a time).

https://www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/france/charente-maritime/la-pinede-campsite

La Pinède | Charente-Maritime | Eurocamp

La Pinède | Charente-Maritime | Eurocamp

Enjoy a luxury holiday on camping La Pinède - Grab a different lunch every day: pizza, fresh seafood, burgers…it’s all here - Choose the brilliant aqua park or the gorgeous beaches nearby

https://www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/france/charente-maritime/la-pinede-campsite

Mygardenshedisfallingdown · 20/07/2026 16:44

Speak to life guard or better still management about reservation shite.
I won't be leaving the situation without addressing it to someone in charge stop being British and nice just COMPLAIN !

ginasevern · 20/07/2026 16:50

No I wouldn't have the guts to chuck her stuff off and I wouldn't want to be in a position of not budging in case she reclaimed the sun bed. Anyway, someone that nasty would probably cause such a terrible row that it could easily escalate. You can only imagine what sort of people they are OP.

GeorgeMichaelsCat · 20/07/2026 16:51

I would be as cross as you OP but angry people like this can really ramp up the aggression if challenged, so best not to engage.

Doseofreality · 20/07/2026 16:53

I would have sat on the end of the sunbed.