To think its weird to put your coat on the chair in front rather than your chair..

[Bathsheba]

Very very trivial but its something I've notices a few times this weekend.

When I sit on a chair (like at a meeting or, in this case, at church) I put my coat on the chair that I'm sitting on, so its at my back.

I've never noticed this before, but now twice over the weekend I've noticed people putting their chair over the cahir in front of them - not folding it up and putting it "over" the back of the chair, but properly shaped with the shoulders on the top of the chair as if the chair is wearing it.

We have just had a really busy (and very good) women's conference at church this weekend, and seats are at a bit of a premium, and I've seen people coming in, saying "Is anyone sitting there" pointing to a "coat on chair" only for the person in the row behind to go "oh no, thats mine". Now its not being done in an "I want to keep the chair in front of me free so that I can see, so I'll set out to purposefully deceive people" type way....

Today I had to take DD1 to the loo, came back to find my seat and got all confused...I saw the seat that I THOUGHT was my seat (the girl I was sitting beside was there...and my bible was on the other seat where DD1 had been sitting looking at it) but it again had a coat on it.....like the chair was wearing it....which belonged to the woman behind...

Is this one of these modern things that I don't understand.....

How random! But I get your point, coats should be kept to your own chair. I'd be paranoid of trying to get my coat off a chair infront and someone be leaning on it and i'm too shy to ask them to budge forward, so I would be tugging gently for ages... cor, the thought of the whole senario give me the heebie geebies.

Haven't noticed this going on, but will be on the look-out now!

Not noticed this either. Is it a church thing? Do people at your church also put their feet up on the shoulders of the person in front?

Boco.

could it be so that you can SEE it? In case of pickpockets? Or someone just pinching your coat?

If it's behind you, you can't see someone slipping their hand in the pocket - and you may not notice someone taking it off the back of your chair, even, if they didn't pull at you while taking it.

This sounds odd.

I would only do this if I went to a coffee bar and sat down alone on a table for two, and was not expecting anybody to join me.

Thanks everyone...

I can understand the pick pockets thing, BUT not in my chuirch - trust me its a modern building, and its a very happy clappy evangelical church - I can safely say that nothing in the history of time has been pilfered in its walls...

I've certainly never seen anyone sitting with their feet on the shoulders of people in front but I can't be mind numbingly certain that it doesn;t happen

What do these chair-hoggers do when someone wants to sit there? Do they move coat, or expect the person to lean on it?

What do the people in the front row do?

I've seen people do it (although not at church as we still have horrible uncomfortable pews, V. jealous of chairs in church) but presumed it's because they don't want anyone behind brushing their big dirty shoes on the coat

How odd but it's on a par with people putting their bags on train seats etc. Why don't they just fold their coat and sit on it if they're worried about pilferers?

Oh the chair hoggers just seem to want you so sit down in that chair as normal - so you are sitting on their coat the way you would normally with on your own coat if you had put it on your chair - certainly the lady who said "oh no, thats just my coat" did nothing to move it to facilitate the person in front sitting down, so she just sat down on it....

The front rows are generally left empty....!!! (or are for people in the workship band, the pastor, or the children during the children's message). (And they have all left their coats elsewhere...)

Bathsheba, my church is also a happy clappy evangelical church, with a very open door policy... and a few weeks ago 2 people had their wallets stolen
We're not changing policy, we're just asking people to be more vigalent with their belongings.

BouncingTurtle - you are right of course - we are opening a community cafe next week and I think the days of leaving handbags on prams while in the creche and things have probably gone...

Bouncing Turtle do some churches not have an open door policy?

The coat on the chair infront is very wierd and a classic case of someone inviading the personal space of others - or even potential invading the individual space of others - which is a real of mine.

LynetteScavo - Ours has an open door policy in that anyone can attend any of the services (or the new community cafe when it is open)

It doesn't have an open door policy in that, if you are walking past at 3 in the afternoon on a weekday you can just wander in and sit down and have a pray (like Ma Boswell used to do in Bread)....

So yes, open door in that anyone can attend any event (unless its a members meeting or something like that which will be dealing with the finaces and the admin) but not open door literally in that the door is always open even if an event isn't on for people to wander in.

how very odd, I would feel very uncomfatable sitting on a chair with someone elses coat.
seems rude

I'm trying to keep myself from asking... why is this so important?

I know I know why!
It's to stop it getting as crumpled as it would if you put it on your own chair.

That is what I do in the cinema anyway....(ahem )

Oh its not important a all...thats why I say its very very trivial...I had just never encoutered it before and then twice this weekend and wondered if I was missing something...

That's a very Christian attitude Cath64.

See, is not weird but considerate.

Cat64 - Ah now that probably expalins it....we don't have book holders and things on the backs of our chairs, but the church was full of women from other churches this weekend so it may be habit for them in their church...

Phew...