I know some of you are going to flame me for this, but it's ok, because you've been brain washed to do so. With that said, here's my story.
I went to the movie theater tonight to see X Men 3. We showed up an hour early so that we could get the prime seats, you know, the ones dead center in the front row with the bar. Anyway, there was one couple in front of us in line, and they also chose the row with the bar approximately in the middle.
As you know, the norm at movie theaters is to leave a one seat gap in between you're group and the next group, so that way you don't intrude on their space... which if you ask me, is courteous thing to do, because nobody wants to be crowded if they don't need to be.
Anyway, a few minutes before the movie started (it started a little late, so technically, it was a few minutes after the movie should have started), a lone warrior comes up asking if the seat between myself and the girl of the younger couple was available (keep in mind, there were plenty of seats around the theater because we chose a later start time).
Before I give you the details of this encounter, let me tell you a little back story. About a month ago, I witnessed this happen to someone else at a movie theater, and the person gracefully let the late straggler sit in the seat... And since that time, every time I've been at a movie since, I've pondered what I would do if a rude jack ass like that were to attempt to do that to me.
I came to the conclusion, that I would not gracefully tell him that the seat was taken, nor would I tell him the truth and let him sit there.
What I did was, tell him, that the seat was unoccupied, but he couldn't have it. He started to go over the bar, then I told him, NO, you cannot have this seat. I told him, I didn't sit in line for an hour to get the prime seats so some jack ass like you could come in at the last minute and crowd my space. He told me, "so it's like that huh", in a very disappointed voice like I was an a******, I told him "ya, it's like that". Then I looked at him with what I've been told is my scary face (which I haven't seen, but I know the feeling I get when it comes on).
Then I asked the girl next to me, "do you want this guy crowding you after you waited an hour for these prime seats?". She goes, "I don't care" in a voice that sounded like, she really did care but wanted to avoid the conflict. Then I said, well, I do care, and you are not going to sit in this seat. Then her boyfriend gracefully said he could sit in the seat next to him, which I think he did it to lessen the tension that was imposed on his girlfriend (or date) by this jerk off.
As soon as the guy snapped up the seat that he provided, the boyfriend looked at me and said, "I see your point though man, I see your point".
Anyway, if that guy would have proceeded to cross the bar, it would have meant his ass, so if by chance you are reading this, you should feel fortunate you didn't proceed.
Again, I'm sure this guy has gotten away with this tasteless, bullyish act many times. Because there were even seats in between other people in the front row, but he chose to try and impose himself on me and that young girl because were at about dead center to the screen as you could get. Also, I'm sure he's gotten away with it every time up until now, not because people truly don't care (because if they didn't care, they wouldn't have left a gap in the first place), but because of the pussification of the American Population.
So I say this on this fine Memorial Day, stand up for your rights as an American movie goer and don't let these a******s fill the gap.
Thanks for your support.
Movie Theater Etiquette, the Gap
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Posted By: Normalized Vector Posted on: May. 29, 2006 at 2:35 AM |
2.4 / 5
Based on 12 ratings.
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May. 29, 2006 at 10:48:42 AM
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| This is why I wait for movies to come out on DVD.
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May. 29, 2006 at 11:18:09 AM
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| Exactly NV. I will rate this one big time as you are right on. I would definitely have done the same thing and have about similar things. He wouldn't have gotten away with it with me either. Just like people are getting annoyed more than ever about lack of cell phone etiquette but of course that's another thing. Once again a negative rating from someone for something decent and proper. I don't understand why some would have let it go. Just because a person has the "right" to do something doesn't make it ok or tolerable. This what I have been saying in all my posts. Too many people think the have the "right" to do something even though it is "rude" and "tasteless". Especially when NV said " all the other seats around". What the hell was this guy thinking? |
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May. 29, 2006 at 11:39:32 AM
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| What negative rating are we talking about? I gave this article a 5 because it was neither here nor there with me. Does this make me a snob? As for etiquette in movie theaters, I think that we can agree this guy was being inconsiderate. But until you buy a third ticket to use as your personal buffer zone, you can't really complain that someone with a ticket in his hand for any unoccupied/unpaid-for seat wants the one next to you. |
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May. 29, 2006 at 12:03:09 PM
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| its times like that when i rely on looking scary/repulsive so people dont really want to sit next to me no matter the location. but of course i havnt been to a movie theater for a really long time. and i havnt had someone i didnt know sit by me since resident evil, and that was only because it had sold out and there were people literally sitting in the isles since every seat was full.
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May. 29, 2006 at 12:14:11 PM
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| MIC, you are really splitting hairs. Just like the opposite of people who would take up two seats on an airplane feel they shouldn't pay for two. The line is clear and anyone can say they are entitled to this or that for whatever reason, even when not technically or technically true, but the circumstances and the whole idea that there were other seats around negates his entitlement to that specific seat. Just the opposite is a scenario of people when they should be courteous instead of deliberately discourteous. This happens to me a lot: I am in a store. Any store. There are lines in every checkout. No one checkout line appears better than the other. I have two items. The person in front of me has 19,000 items. I have two. Very few times do people let me go ahead. I do it EVERY time. Now do they have an obligation to let me go ahead of them? NO! But I do it every time when it is someone behind me. Wonder what is so hard about people can't grasp basic courtesy no matter where they may be. Wonder what is so hard about the guy, even though he may be "technically" correct, that he can't see he is a discourteous boob? |
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May. 29, 2006 at 01:08:17 PM
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| ive let people go ahead of me when theyve had a cart full and i had a case of pepsi. mainly because they were old and haggard looking and it seemed to me that a trip to the store was a little more than just a run or errand for thier age/physical condition. i almost helped them, but i didnt. they have people at the store that get paid to do that.
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May. 29, 2006 at 02:27:09 PM
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| Thanks for your support L&C, glad to see there are still people out there with a sack. Oh, and moron, the guy probably didn't have a ticket, he was probably bouncing around from theater to theater all day pulling the same s*** over and over again (he looked like the type). Otherwise he would have went crying to management, and then they would have addressed it after the start of the movie. He knew he was pulling shady s***, so he took the next best opportunity available to him. I agree with L&C, I don't think because someone is "technically right", they should use it to be discourteous. About your airplane analogy, I think lard asses should have to purchase two seats if they take up two seats, and not try and cram themselves into one, then spill over into the other two seats. In fact, I had that happen to me once. The guy comes up and said, if I start snoring, just elbow me. I expanded my self out to the full seats capability and forced his fat ass to only occupy his own seat (at the expense of some fat guy sweat on my arm), then I proceeded to elbow the guy all the way home. I made his flight experience just as uncomfortable as he made mine, and I felt justified in doing so. Bottom line, I technically don't have to be politically correct and allow a******s to take advantage of situations like that. In the cases where it's the only way, I will give my best effort to make their life a living hell for the entire time that they encroach on my "personal buffer zone". |
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May. 29, 2006 at 03:04:51 PM
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| Don't agree, and I will defend myself with every ounce of determination left in my "sackless" body. He looked like he didn't pay for his ticket - then you should be calling for the manager to get him thrown out. Otherwise you yield the seat that you do not own to the guy that paid for a seat - any unoccupied seat. Maybe if you had asked him politely to please find another seat, the problem could have be solved right there. Just because he was thoughtless doesn't mean you have to escalate the incident to a confrontation. Look, I know how it is, and I have a hard time swallowing my pride and backing down on occassion. Just ask my wife. Last week someone cut me off on 51 and then proceeded to give me the finger because I honked at him for being recklesss. I gave the finger back, and he slammed on his breaks. I stupidly veered around him, rolled down the window on the passenger side, and gave him the long duration boobing panning finger as I passed. While this was happening he slowed to stop and was rolling down his window too. Nothing happened, but as my wife pointed out, what if he were reaching for a gun (and she is sitting in the middle of all this)? Point is, acting like you have the biggest pair in town is all well and good until you get your ass kicked in a movie theater for something as stupid as an empty seat. Fight the fights that are worth fighting - don't waste your time with this. The girl next to you said "I dont' care." Maybe she really didn't care. Her boyfriend "gracefully" let the guy sit down next to him. Maybe he didn't care all that much either. He wasn't exactly standing behind you during your brave confrontation, was he. He acted to defuse the situation. You see these people as silently encouraging you to do what you did. I bet they simply wished that you had shut up. I'm taking the Dr. Xavier approach on this one. On the other hand, if you're Wolverine, you can do whatever the hell you want. |
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May. 29, 2006 at 04:00:29 PM
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| MIC, you are just encouraging people to take advantage of you. It is one thing to swallow your pride on something that really, really warrants it. I don't see how you can let someone do that. The fact that the guy would want to cram himself in to a specific seat when there are open ones is beyond reason. Here's a little version of a different thing and I posted it on another chat room and a guy said I should have let it go. I do all our shopping. Everything I buy is either special, clearance, 2 for 1, or the lowest price in town. At this big chain market store I observed this. A six pack of Slim Fast I "WAS" going to buy was in the main isle for $4.86. They had the 8 packs "hidden" by pharmacy on the shelves for $5.46. The 8 pack plainly said on the carton "with this Eight Pack you get two free". ReallY? How can that be if the 8 pack was $5.46 and the six pack $4.86. The guy said "Was it worth arguing to save a few cents? Well, yes, I sure as heck thought it would have been. The lady in pharmacy said that was a good question and she will check with pharmacy. I didn't buy any because I thought it was a deception. But I was told I should have let it go on this talk room. No, when I catch things I don't let them go. It's not my nature. People need to be fair and reasonable and I "will not" swallow anything if they are being stupid for reasons like this guy wanting that seat. |
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BTW, we saw the movie yesterday too. Good stuff.
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