Sleepyjack

This is an interesting one for me. Basically, whats the deal with any kind of saving seats or position in line or what have you.

I went to see Return of The King on boxing day and there was a massive line to get into the movie (It was opening day in Australia). ANyway, we (me and my sister) were about 30 or so people back and when we finally got in, some guy had saved about 7 seats with bottles and other nonsensical items.

Now i was wondering if there should be some saving seat etiquette, where you can only save a seat with a certian quality item (not a fucking water bottle) and also in a certain ratio. Like, i couldn't be the first in and save 40 seats or soemthing. That'd be a 1:40 ratio. Surely they could work out an apt maths equation for this. They really should have more stringent rules for this.

It's a different story when someone has already been sitting there though and has got up for a second (to get popcorn or go to the bathroom). Cause, altohugh the seat would be officially claimed then, they'd probaly leave a better qaulity item (like their jacket or bag/clothing) to save the seat anyway. For example, once we got our seats, i used my catcher in the rye book and my bag to save the seat also, my sister was sitting next to it anyway...


It's the pre-emptive seat save which pisses me off. Especially when it's excessiveluy out of a ratio (like more than 1:2) and also, nonsensical items are saving the seats. What, a water bottle is better than me! aggghhhh

Same dealy with lines as well. I mean, you can let in 40 friends if you're the only one in line, that's not right. What are people view on line cuts as well, between friends? I've let in a few friends before and have had a few people let in in front of me as well. Although when you let in more people than you have people in line, it's really fucking dodgy. Also, there maybe some position issue as well. If the first person in line let in 3 people, then those 3 people are then ahead of all these other people. Although if someone in the middle of the line lets in 3 people, they're only pissing off half the people in line, which isn't as bad... i guess?
So they could be position ettiquettes aswell.

It'd be good is a stringent rule book covering a vast number of scenario's was issuesed, to sort out these subtles and annoyances. So if someone let in 3 people and he was the only one there, i could get him on a ratio violation error, in which he let too many people in (ie 3:1). Or if someone was saving a seat with a water bottle, i could get them on a water bottle save violation

What does everyone else think on this or just the etiquette and peoples experience with the saves etc in general?

good times

omega2K4

I don't really see why people save seats, I mean 1 or 2 seats is fine, just don't take the whole goddamned row. Some people are selfish.

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tokaok

i work at a nice big theathre (#2 in sales in north america for xmas week)

we only allow one seat to be saved per person.

for the 2 hour plus line ups for the rotk we asked that at least half o the people coming in be in line and no jumping ahead of the line.

ratbastid

Good policies, tokaok.

I'm with you, sleepyjack. Some guy glomming a whole row just isn't fair. I guess I don't judge the quality of the items in the seats--it might as well be a gold ingot as a water bottle. It's just the ratio-based injustice of it that gets me.

The other theater-based point of etiquette I usually try to follow is this: I'm a tall man. I'm no sixate, but I'm sixone! In a theater that isn't stadium-style seating, I usually try to be conscious of who I'm parking my ass in front of. If there's some small person behind the seat I'm angling for, I'll move one over so I'm not in their way.

rogue49

This is the reason we have SO many fuckin' rules.
Some people just go TOO far.

Just selfish, and inconsiderate.

sailor

Yeah, I agree. One or two seats, fine. Maybe even three in a less-popular movie. But anything more is selfish, and people should be able to see it as such.

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niarbdab

That seat-saving crap really ticks me off. 7 seats?! That dude needs to get a life...

I just won't do it for more than one person. When I went to see ROTK, some of my friends tried to get me to do that crap while they got high in the parking lot.

Uh....no.

quadro2000

I never hold seats at a movie for more than 2 people. However, I often go to general admission concerts and if I can get out of work early to wait on line, I will hold a spot for three others (a total of four) who can't get out of work as early as I can. I always check with the person directly behind me - I let them know I'm holding for three and ask if they're okay with it. Nobody has ever given me a problem about it, but if they did, I would let them go in front of me on line. But they're usually all on the line before it lets into the venue, and there aren't any seats.

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Elegant Holmes

I believe in that situation I might alert management. The guy needs to be taught a lesson in courtesy. At least half of the people should be there and spread out with a seat between them. I for one would never be so inconsiderate.

Angel

We saw a lot of the same thing when we went to see that movie.
We were first in line so once we were seated we watched all the people coming in and SO many were saving more than a couple of seats.
I can see keeping one or two for a short period of time. I'm okay with that....unless the people who the seats are being saved for come in AFTER the movie has started. Now THAT pisses me off. It is just plain rude and inconsiderate of those who know how to plan their time and have respect and consideration for others.

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Rubyee

Here is the cutting in line thing:

IF you are going to sit with the people wanting to cut while watching the movie, and they just showed up later than you did, than letting them cut up ahead with you is fine. I wouldn't go more than a 1:1 ratio on this one. Or, if children are involved, a 1:2 ratio.

IF you arrived all together, and one person secures a place in line while others are getting food and drink, this is fine as well. I wouldn't reccomend a family of over 4 for this one, though.

IF you see someone you know, but didn't go together, and don't plan on sitting next to them anyhow, forget it.

ALSO- this is the part that most people forget- If someone let you cut and stand next to them in line, that does not give you the right to as well. For every position in line, there is a one-cut rule. If you are the cutter, you have no privledges.

We go to a lot of movies that have lines, so we think these things out.

And on saving seats- there is a 1:2 ratio if no one has arrived yet. However, once you get seated, you can save an infinite number of seats- i.e. someone goes to get snacks. And an item of more than $10 in value should be used to save the seat- otherwise you end up having tic-tacs used to save a seat.

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Psivage

Coat on chair with one person there. 2 people max for cutting in line.

StormBerlin

Don't cut in line, and don't save seats. Ever. Buy your shit before you go and sit down. Just common courtesy. If you don't want to follow those rules, go see the movie when there aren't fifty billion people wanting to see it with you on opening night.

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wallaby72

Yeh, I agree this queue jumping and seat saving is just not right, and at absolute most, should be a 2:1 ratio only. Any more is just plain inconsiderate.
If these idiots do insist on this over-claiming, the rules should allow you to make a challenge based upon the paper-rock-scissors approach to dispute settlement. This always provides a fair result.

Shokan

Fuck that. Just move the fucking water bottle and sit down. You payed for any seat you want in the theatre. Whats the person gonna do? Call security?

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soccerchamp76

I went to the Urge concert at the Pageant in St. Louis. Anyway, it was only standing room but there was a line of chairs surrounding the place. These 2 guys were sitting down and we were standing behind them. They had one seat saved in between them and after working then going to a concert, my back was starting to hurt so I wanted to sit down. Their friend never came after like an hour so we asked for their chair and they hastingly gave it up. Then they both got up and asked their other friend to save those seats. I was with 2 other people so we just sat down in their seats not caring about them. They left for about 30 minutes but we got up before they came and they were none the wiser.......assholes

Seat-saving should not be allowed.

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analog

Exactly. I'm at the theater once or twice a week, and I see this all the time.

The way I see it, you should make your snack purchases BEFORE you go and sit down, therefore nullifying any reason for having to "save" a seat in the first place. If, once seated, you want to go to the restroom or get something additional, this should not be a problem... and 1 guy saying 7 people got up to piss would not cut it.

EDIT: And I don't care if you got there "earlier" than the rest of your party, they can deal with what's left for being late. Get there on time next time, slackasses. (can't believe _I_ called someone ELSE a slackass)

I always get to the theater about 20 or 30 minutes before the movie comes on, so that I know I will get the seat I want, and do not run into such problems.

Common fucking courtesy, people, jesus!

Lasereth

The only time I can see seat-saving as perfectly ok is if the person has already sat down in the seat. After that, I don't care if the entire theater gets up to piss, their seats should remain empty. They were there first, so it's their seat.

People breaking in line are a different story, however. I was waiting in line at Circuit City at 5:00 AM on Black Friday this year. By 6:00 AM, there were at least 500 people in line all around the parking lot. There was a MASSIVE line. Some people were simply getting out of their cars and walking to the front and then breaking out their cell phones. Ha ha, like we don't know that you're just buying time until the doors open.

3 people cut in front about 30 minutes before they opened, and one guy behind us actually got the cop to go and get them. Ha ha, if you have to have a cop tell you to stop breaking, you're simply pathetic. 1 person is fine even though it annoys me very badly, but any more than 1 and I start thinking of what I'm gonna say to them.

-Lasereth

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mingusfingers

Asshole. I would have gotten pretty mad at him. Seat saving only good when person whose seat is being saved was already there.

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Harshaw

I really won't save more than 1 seat... I guess 2 if I know the other person is going to be fast. I think movie theaters would make a lot of money if they would rent "seat savers" some kind of towel that you can throw over a seat that saves it without question.

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punx1325

I will save no more than 2. If my friends can't be responsible to get to the theater ahead of time for the movie then they can sit next to the screen. Not only does it make me look like an ass for saving seats, I get pissed off on waiting for people. It is cheaper and easier to rent the video in the comfort of my own home.

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NeverBorn

Line jumping, no matter how much an advanatage for you even , is intolerable.

ekneh

BS tell them to take a hike. No jacket, purse etc. Get the f_ ck out of the way.

Elegant Holmes

Apply the code of the schoolyard. Say "No saves" smile and sit down.

Sleepyjack

hehe, it'd be good if we had a special day each year wehn you could carry out that schoolyard code anarchy in everyday things. Or not

Soggybagel

I'd have to disagree in some instances with "Buy your shit then sit down." Simply put if I get there ahead of time, and I sit my stuff down...I think I'm entitled to the spot. For example, in a recent showing of LOTR Return of the King I went with a boat load of friends. We all got in line and there was no budging as we just waited to get in. We were there pretty early so we got a good section in the middle of the theater. I'd say 7 people or so were there in our group. We all sat down and waited for a bit (around an hour still to go til movie started) and we just sat and talked. Eventually a few guys had to pee and another few wanted to buy some stuff. So now theres this big blank spot in prime seating position and its just me and another friend holding 5 or 6 other seats.

Now tell me, how would it be fair that 6 people who show up 10 minutes before the movie as opposed to our hour ahead of time get those seats simply because they are either hitting the bathrooms, refilling drinks, or getting food? Also, if you say lifes not fair, then don't even farking complain about cutting in line

Sleepyjack

No, if someone is already there and claimed it, then that's ok. It's the pre-emptive and assumed seat saves which are annoying