to think people who do this are selfish twats?!

[motherbeyond]

take the sofa's in places like costa,when there are only one or maybe two of them?god,it annoys the hell out of me.
i come in with kids hanging off me..pram/double..buggy board..nappy bags..and mother! the only place to stick the pram is by the sofas.the only area with enough space to sit comfortably with everyone is the sofa area.but.fucking.no...there's some old bloody biddy nursing a luke warm americano.aaarrghhh.

i went into our local(coffee house..not pub!!) the other day and there was a guy sitting on one sofa(30 ish..slob-like).i had usual baggage and said "excuse me,is anyone sitting here?"

he replied " my wife is going to sit there" and looked away.

"oh,right" i said..thinking,why cant she sit on the sofa next to you and we'll have the other?! just rude.

if there's only one or two of you.sit at a table,with two chairs!

[MorrisZapp]

I don't get it. Surely when you arrive at any venue to meet friends, the first to arrive secures seats/ tables as required for the party?

Assuming everybody has tickets and everybody will get a seat, I don't see what could be wrong with that. What if it was your elderly mother who didn't want to fight with the hordes for a seat?

[expatinscotland]

Yes, violet, you can see such buggers, practically stripping themselves for articles to strew over the seats to 'save' them.

Such articles are just like party streamers to me, inviting me to come along for a party .

[expatinscotland]

'I was saving that.'

'Thank you!'

'You have to get up.'

'I have? But there's no reserved seating in this venue and it's a sold-out performance. But tell you what: why don't you bring the usher over or get hold of a manager. I've got my ticket stub right here.'

Then they sniff and move off, because well, it's a sold-out performance and there's no reserved seating.

[expatinscotland]

If you want to sit together in a venue like this and it's sold out and there's no reserved seating, then arrange to arrive en masse or go early doors to get a row of seats.

Don't expect to reserve prime seating for a crowded performance by strewing your clothes over it for people who arent' even there!

It won't kill you to sit separately.

[Mumcentreplus]

Oh please expat !..lmao..would really sit on your own when you came with friends?...are you one of those dodgy sorts who have no friends or who purposefully sit between friends so they can talk over you?.

[MorrisZapp]

If it won't kill groups to sit separately then presumably it wouldn't kill you expat, to sit in one of the other seats that your ticket entitles you to?

I'm sure you are a truly lovely person but in this regard I think you are unhinged. Is this part of the plan? ie to make them all so uncomfortable that they all move, rather then sit next to the bonkers lady?

[Sheeta]

YABVU. Stick your head in, if there isn't anywhere to sit, go elsewhere!

[expatinscotland]

I go with friends and we meet up and go in together to such places - mainly theatre although many of those are reserved seating so you book your seats together when you purchase the tickets.

But sure, there've been times when I've gone out with a group of us to say, a concert, and we had to split up for the performance.

I mean, no big deal!

Morris, if I've bought tickets to a performance and it's sold-out or crowded and seats are filling up and what's left had a guy you saw stripping to strew his clothes over it to 'save' it, then, yeah, I'll sit there.

Why should I have a shittier seat because his mates didn't show up at the same time I did?

First-come, first to park your bum in such places.

[expatinscotland]

I don't care if they think I'm bonkers.

If there's no reserved seating, then it's dog eat dog.

If you're on a bus that's standing room only do you stand up so someone can sit their bag on a seat?

It's the same thing as far as I'm concerned.

If they don't want to sit next to me, I can't say it's going to keep me awake at night.

Next time, come in as a group and all sit down if you know it's sold out and there's no reserved seating.

[jybay]

violethill, I guess it all depends on what you consider queue-jumping. Despite the fact that I usually go to cafes alone, so am often the "victim" of groups who have bagged tables, I just don't think of this as jumping the queue. I think you would have to be a bit mad to go to a cafe in a group of 4 (say) and all stand there in the line.

BTW, have you ever taken a baby or child to a busy cafe without buying anything for them? If so, how do you justify the space the child is taking up?

[expatinscotland]

And tbh, I've always been accompanied when I do this. There's usually two of us.

Have yet to have a problem with an usher.

I mean, a venue with no reserved seating is just that.

A lot of times, too, if an usher catches someone doing this in such a place, they'll tell them they can't.

[expatinscotland]

Mickey D's far better with kids.

Costa's a rip off! Starbucks, too.

[MorrisZapp]

No, I say 'could you move your bag please' as the bag hasn't paid a bus fare.

Bit different in a theatre where everybody has a ticket.

Actually you sound like my mum, she says stuff like this in a loud voice all the time. On some level of course you have a right to sit in an empty seat but it just sounds so embarrassing the way you go about this. If my mum was with me and lifting people's coats, declaring 'We ALL have a right to sit here' etc I would cringe.

[expatinscotland]

Well, someone's jacket or handbag over a seat didn't pay for a ticket, either. Their mate did. The jacket or handbag can't produce a ticket stub for that seat, so it's free to anyone who has a ticket and wants to sit there, or who has to sit there because there's no other place, or who got there early in order to score a seat with a good view.

I don't do it loudly. I just hand it over calmly and sit. DH does it, too, and so does MIL.

If you want to sit with your mates at a sold-out venue with no reserved seating then meet up and go in.

It's rude to expect to saunter in and get seated in the mezzanine when others got there earlier at a first-come, first-seated event (a lot of them I notice to use the wording first come, first seated these days).

[Mumcentreplus]

I think it's a form of wickedness..I would never separate friends...if other seats are available I just don't see the point...unless you are trying to make one..

[Confuzzeled]

After I was diagnosed with pnd I started getting councelling. The charity that offered the service would offer childcare for 2 hours so I'd get an hour with the theropist and an hour to myself. That hour was something I looked forward to so much every week. I used to go sit in Starbucks, read a magazine and be child free.

I always sat on the sofa if it was free. I guess I was being selfish but I don't care because I needed that time and I was there first. If someone with kids had asked to use the other seats I would have said okay but I probably would have just left.

OP, just try and consider other people for a second. The couple not talking may have had issues, maybe this was their quiet time. The old lady may have been the same.

[expatinscotland]

And by that I don't mean someone who came in with their mate, they got sat down, and then he/she went to get a drink or go to the loo.

Because, well, he/she would leave their own stuff there.

That's pretty obvious.

I'm talking about like violethill's scenario, where one bugger gets there and strips off to reserve a row or most of a row of prime seating for the mates who arrive after the lights have dimmed and the curtain's gone up.

[expatinscotland]

'I think it's a form of wickedness..I would never separate friends...if other seats are available I just don't see the point...unless you are trying to make one.. '

for getting to a performance early enough to get a good seat?

yeah, read into it what you want.

but i can't say it's going to break my heart to 'separate friends' at a friggin' sold out performance because they didn't get there early enough bag a good seat.

and no, i don't see why i should take a less good seat for people who aren't even there (and oftentimes don't all show up so there's half a row of empty seats with a prime view).

[Mumcentreplus]

uh huh..lol

[expatinscotland]

it is pretty funny to see someone strip off tie, shrugs, etc. in order to strew them over a row of seats.

[Mumcentreplus]

LOL...exactly why I pity them..you know they are so pissed everyone said they were going to be there at 7:30 and then they called and said save us seats!

[motherbeyond]

givepeasachanceoh,lighten up,it's not as if i mean it, i love old biddies!!but for your info..i am a long way off!

ok,maybe twats was a bit strong,but i was feeling belligerent earlier.
let me clear up a few things...
i don't expect people not to sit on the sofa if they go in and it's free..obv! but what i was trying to get at,is that yes,i do think it's selfish to hog 6 seats for two people.
i dont care abou the sofa,just the space..id actually prefer a proper chair!
and as i have said..it may not be the most child friendly,but i live in a small place,and this is the only place with toilets downstairs and a babychange

[expatinscotland]

i've run inot some really nice biddies. i prefer biddies to people who strew their clothes over a row of seats in a theatre .

[Mumcentreplus]

I like biddies too..very sweet and funny..(usually)..can have excellent convos about the weather with them ...but I understand the clothes strewers (is that a word pedants?) too..they just want to sit with friends ..I have been told I'm a softie

[serendippity]

my dp wanted to park in a very busy car park once we were over the road watching for a space, one became available and he told me to stand in it and reserve it^.
Wtf? I have absolutly no right to stand in a spot a reserve it. What the hell would I do if, say, expat came along?! Stand there at 5.4 and 9st 5lbs and go "no I had it first?" {{trembles at thought}}