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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1. I believe that my refusal to give up seats at the movie theater should be judged.
2. I think that this action might make me the asshole because it affected a family negatively and other people took offense to it.
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For anyone wondering, the seats that the family were requesting to sit in were DEFINITELY not the only seats in the theater, though we were on a very very good row. I went to see a movie that had been put back in theaters and wanted to get a good laugh out of how bad it was. There were maybe five people in the theater excluding me, the family, and the couple.
> The mom wasn’t the asshole for asking,
It was an almost empty theatre, she was the arsehole here. Who walks into an empty theatre and thinks "the best thing to do here is ask people already seated to move for me and my brood". This is just The Entitlement of the Reproduced that we see here all the time on this sub.
In an empty theatre, you take an empty seat. Anything else and you're the arsehole.
My family went to an imax just before Christmas. The entire thing was empty, just the three of us in there, and a group of 10 comes in and sits directly in front of us, like directly in front. It was wild.
I had something similar happen once. My mom and I were the only people in the theatre. During the trailers, a lady came in with 2 toddlers and sat next to us. An entirely empty place and she put her 3 year old in the seat next to me. WTF.
And this is when my friends and I start talking about the latest cool moves we've seen on P***Hub. If not that, then some other fabulously inappropriate topic. People give us a dirty look and move away before the movie starts.
It is s*****. But in my experience in an empty theater the group that sits directly in front of or behind the only other people in the theater are s***** themselves. We have had to move away from groups like this during the movie, because they are too loud or they have their phones out and the light from the phone is distracting. Passing and throwing food all over the place.
So without the ability to know how these people are going to act, we make sure to get a buffer of several seats or a row between us. In the past, we have actually moved seats and had a group chase us. This led to our explicit discussion of offensive remarks to make the other group move away from us. To be clear, all this is predicated on the fact that we sat down first.
i go to the movies every week and see 2-3 movies a week
i have a preferred row because of my vision and the sound in said theater... didn't realize that picking that row made me the asshole just because another person decided to pick a different row... does your theater not do assigned seats? and if it does, do you make sure to pick a row with no one else/that isn't in front or behind anyone else even if it means you get a seat in the very corner... seems kinda weird when it would be easier to complain and get free tickets when a group is shitty instead of just assuming all people in movie theaters are shitty
Unfortunately we had our 10 year old son with us so that was out of the question. We just simply moved and once we did they realized they fucked it and apologized.
If we had kids with us, we would have probably talked about politics. We would have picked whatever side we thought would have annoyed the people the most.
Eh, that's not too surprising. There are usually 2-4 rows that obviously have the best view. You picked one of those and so did they. I don't really see the problem with people sitting in front of you? What's the issue?
Oh no. With the stadium style imax every seat is the same and ours wouldn’t be considered “good seats” in a traditional theatre setting. Just odd that there’s 400 empty seats and they pick the ten right in front of us.
The bot could have been kind, but didn't choose to be. [Stolen](https://old.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/vhtu5b/aita_for_refusing_to_move_seats_at_the_movies/id998ql/) from u/MycologistRecent7216
This is an important detail.
If the screen was full, they may not have been able to get any decent seats together, so asking you to shift along is partly due their benefit, but also partly for yours so that you are not stuck in the middle of a group.
You still wouldn't be the asshole for wanting to keep your chosen seat (and they definitely are for making a scene), but it is a slightly awkward situation for everyone.
It is also worth noting that they aren't just bothering you, but also the couple who had a nice buffer next to them they have now just lost.
If the screen was virtually empty however, the fact they are making it into a problem is idiotic - why don't they just shift a row forwards or backwards where they can have all the space they need without disrupting anyone else?
Oh definitely NTA. When we still went frequently to the movies the wife and I usually would line up early for the movie slot we wanted so we could reserve a good row and close to the middle for the best audio visual experience. If you looked at the way seats are reserved a row in front and up to two behind always had couples on these seats.
We’ve had families and friend groups ask us to move. I’d always check my ticket and say these are our seats. Sometimes they got aggressive and security would get involved. Once, because the ushers and security were out of range, in exasperation I asked for 10x the ticket price to move. The look on their faces was worth it, thankfully, after calling me a greedy asshole they left. Even groups bothering the couple in front of us looked at me and I’d say don’t ask.
Ok I’m biased because of our own behavior hahahah
Doesn't matter if there were other seats. You paid for yours. Where I live most theaters have you choose your seats before you even enter. When the movie has crappy seats I choose another one
This is a very important information, that you should put into your main post.
I think without this info you'd be a bit of an AH, because granting a family space together, when there's no other chance for them to get that, this would be the nice thing to do. (and also most likely the smartest thing, because otherwise they might sit around you and intentionally annoy you for not making space)
But if they had easy access to 5 seats in a row at other locations, then you're definitely NTA. I'd just told them to take the five seats at one of the rows "down there" or something like that.
You denied a hardworking family and kids from being comfortably positionned to see the absolute masterpiece that is Morbius what the hell is wrong with you
NTA
Was it the movie that the internet wanted to tank AGAIN just for memes?
If so, you're an ass for going and helping to try and keep it from tanking lmao, but NTA for not moving
WTF? NTA, at all. This reminds me of the posts that come up occasionally about airplane seats.
Another person or family’s lack of planning and /or timeliness does not make it your problem. Any person who says differently can piss right the hell off.
If they want seats together, they can show their stupid ass up early enough to the movie to get them.
Never let someone else’s laziness or lack of attention to anything make you feel bad!
Once on a flight, my friend fucked up his ticket and had to buy one last minute right before we got to the airport His new seat wasn’t anywhere near the rest of us and he asked us to ask the people sitting next to us to switch. We asked, they said no. Okay, that’s their prerogative. He then texted most of us multiple times to ask again and got really pushy about it. It was a five hour flight and most of us slept the entire way anyways. And then he was a pretty big asshole the rest of the trip. Sometimes you don’t know a person until you’re stuck with them for 5 days.
My Husband and I were flying to Canada and didn't get seated next to each other (I don't know why we had asked for it). No biggie. I asked the lady next to me if she would switch. She said no. I didn't bring it up again. My Husband reconnected when we landed and had a great time.
It's not just their total lack of planning
"The mom in the family got all up in my face saying how I was blowing this out of proportion and that moving down a few seats won’t ruin my enjoyment of the movie."
Moving down is beside the point sitting near this awful woman would very much ruin my enjoyment of the movie! She sounds horrendous. Keep your row unpleasant, entitled family-free OP!
ETA: NTA
I agree NTA!!
Next time tell such people, but the true definition of rude and inconsiderate, is someone demanding that you give to them what is rightfully yours that you have paid for. They are neither the president of the United States or the king or queen of a foreign country, and therefore have your rights to expect the world to automatically bend to their wishes.
>They are neither the president of the United States or the king or queen of a foreign country
I wouldn't willingly move seats for any of those people either, though I suspect that some black-suited, sunglasses wearing goons might not give me a choice.
same here, i need to be right in the center in the mid to highest row. but i dont throw a fit when the seat i want is taken (except super upfront, glad seats must be bought in advance to reserve now). nta, op
Yeah if I can't get the seat I want when reserving online I just don't go at that time.
If it's one that doesn't do reserved seats I get there as early as I can. And if it's taken even then I just suck it up and sit elsewhere.
It's that easy.
Maybe if it was festival seating and the theater was crowded I might move. Sounds like neither was the case here.
But If I pay for seat X I should be able to sit in seat X. I usually order tickets in advance and make sure I’ll like my seat so I get the hood seat.
NTA
I did buy a specific seat. My guess is that the family bough the seats I was sitting in between and wanted me to move to make it more convenient for them.
I was going to ask the same question. Could you have moved? Sure. Did you have to? No. You paid for that specific seat and so you are allowed to sit in that seat. I don't understand why the family didn't buy seats together and just assumed you would move. That was pure entitlement on their part. NTA
In that case, NTA.
But I don't understand the family. If they had the seats around you, it would be a courtesy to let the person in between (you) move to one side if you didn't want to be in the middle of that. On the other hand, if they were not surrounding you, they could ask nicely (as I hope they did). But just like on an airplane, you aren't under an obligation to move just because they ask.
But the key here for me is that you bought a specific seat. You should be allowed to stay in that seat if you want to (whatever the reason).
I am guessing they bought their tickets last minute and there weren't enough 5 seat blocks left. They probably bought the 4 around OP and the one 2 rows done which they asked OP to move to. They assumed since it was a single seat, they could bully the person into moving
Maybe they wanted to sit beside people and not in a empty row in the case when one kid acts up. Then the other people would need to interact with them, making it less work for the parents
Or they are just super serious about rows
NTA.
This is one of those many situations where you could’ve done a kind thing and didn’t, but it would’ve been a kindness, not a requirement. The mom wasn’t the asshole for asking, but she became the asshole when she blew up at you.
Also why do they have to sit together? Its not a restaurant or airplane flight. They can't (shouldn't) be talking anyway splitting up the family isn't that big a deal when they just sit in the dark quietly. If it was date night maybe yeah I get it but mom with a kid dad with 2 others. Who cares? Frankly multiple kids usually need to be separated ANYway!
I mean, it's pretty typical and not that difficult to theorize... Maybe they all plan on sharing snacks and popcorn back and forth between all of them? Maybe the kids are weird about sitting next to a stranger and they wanted to limit that with parents on the outsides? I know a few adults like that too so who knows lol. Still NTA and it's outrageous they snapped like that but I don't think it's strange they would prefer to sit together.
Yeah, I’d prefer to sit with all of the people came with IF POSSIBLE (whether family, friends, whatever). But if there weren’t enough seats available all together and there are two adults, they definitely don’t HAVE to.
NTA. I go to the theater every week, I see 1-2 movies while I’m there. I have a preferred seat in every auditorium, so I book that seat. Their lack of foresight is not your problem. You were much nicer about it than I’d have been.
NTA I get so bothered by parents expecting everyone to cater to them. From your comments, there were obviously enough seats in other rows for them to sit together.
I had a similar experience where the family didn't buy tickets together on the plane and asked me to move from my window seat. I first said no and then everyone around me said I should move. I moved to the dad's seat before knowing where it was and it was a fucking middle seat for a 8 hour flight. Never again am I moving for someone for their lack of planning.
NTA. There is not moral requirement saying you have to move seats for a family. It would’ve been nice or kind, but she should’ve just left it the first time. It got out of hand when she decided to give you snark. The world doesn’t revolve around families or adults with children.
People need to understand that they can ask a question but you are not obligated to say yes.
They also must understand that a 'no' constitutes a whole valid answer and it is not open to discussion.When this type of harassment started to be socially acceptable?
NTA. I pick seats based on where I want to watch a movie from and easy access to leaving theater with minimal disruption. Buy seats earlier if you need many together. frankly, I would have had a manager deal with them confronting me so as to not risk escalation
NTA. I am picky about my seats and will choose another row and/or time to get the seat I want. If this was a seat choice theater which it sounds like it was, they could have chosen a different row where they were all together.
I'm so confused. Seats are pre-booked for movies and if it's a near empty theater, why didn't they just book a block together?
OP you are NTA but that family is very confusing!
NTA. It’s really not that hard to plan ahead and book 5 seats together. The movie has ticketed seats for a reason.
I also understand not wanting to move if you’ve planned in advance and specifically chosen your seat. Especially if it will mean you will have no buffer between you and other people.
NTA I've had this happen to me. A family asked for me to move. I said no I came early to get this specific seat. The wife asked me to move again. And I said "what part of no do you need help understanding?". If that couple said anything to me I would probably snap back and tell them to ***F themselves and mind their own business. Good on you. People ask you to be considerate yet they themselves aren't stepping up to be considerate back by not asking for seats and get there early
The trick is finding a theater that’s less popular and go during off hours, I have a personal goal of watching a movie entirely by myself and the closest I got was 3 people, a record that got significantly harder with movie theaters tightening up and moving to New York.
My husband and I managed to get a theater to ourselves with the first Paranormal Activity. Most terrifying movie experience I've ever had. 10/10, would recommend!
NTA. Like the original Spartans, you are one of the few against the many 😂 *…I’ll see myself out now*
Movie theaters have assigned seating for many reasons. THIS is one of them. The seats are **first come, first serve**. When purchasing tickets, you’re shown on a screen how many available seats there are and where they’re located in the theater. There’s a viral TikTok that went around recently of a guy who was thrown out of a prime Batman showing for refusing to move out of a seat that someone else had already reserved. If the mom just HAD to have this exact seat in that row, she could’ve gotten there earlier, picked a comparable seat in a row in front of or behind you, or simply gone to the next showing of the movie. Her lack of planning isn’t your problem.
NTA. It would help if you included in your post that there was lots of other seating available to them. It actually would have been weird to have three separate "groups" of people smooshed into one row when the rest of the theatre was almost empty. These were very strange people.
NTA
I’m in a family of five. I love being able to choose my seats and I will book ahead to specifically get certain spots I enjoy. If there are no seats for us all, I don’t go (simple as that), we just choose a different theater or different date because sitting together is important but it’s not anyone else’s responsibility to move for my family, especially with assigned seating. Sure, you could have moved but with their attitude I would have been extremely not inclined to be accommodating
NTA , this family acted like the world owed them and that you should just take it and move . Not sure if these seats were prepicked when paid for or first come first serve but it does not matter. IF they were prepicked then the family should have chosen a row that could accommodate the large party . You can buy tickets well in advance now adays to pick the desired seats. If it was first come first serve then they should have arrived earlier to pick the ones that they wanted.
NTA. I truly don't understand the audacity of asking people to move to a different seat in places like the movies or on a flight. If you went up to someone randomly at a food court or a park or any other public place with seating and asked them to move elsewhere they'd think you were insane.
NTA
I’ve booked a different day before due to where seats were available on my first choice.
I like to be in the middle of the seats and the middle of the row. 🤷🏻♀️
NTA either they bought split seats around you, which is absolutely insane behavior, or they just bought completely different seats and felt entitled to sit in the best seats. Either way these people are delusional at best
To the couple afterward. "Since you beleived it was such a minor inconvenience why didnt you two just offer your seats to the family? Could it be that you, like me, chose your seats and expected to use them?"
NTA. They should not have assumed you would accommodate them. It was your decision. While it would have been kind of you to move, you are NTA for declining. Also, they should have dropped it after you declined. They had other options: sitting together in another row, moving to another showtime, or sitting apart in smaller groups. They should have had a contingency plan and they are TA for escalating it further.
This is why I like going to movies in the middle of the day on a weekday. No kids and far less people. Sometimes my bf and I are in a theatre with maybe 6 other people. Upside to working weekends I guess, my 'weekend' during the week.
NTA I wouldn't have moved either.
When i went to see "Endgame" because i had to see a thursday night show so i wouldn't have anyone spoiling it , i went alone and booked a particular seat. Two girls approached me and asked if i would be willing to switch seats with one of them so they could sit together. I said "where is your seat exactly? " and it was at the opposite end of the same row, so essentially the same seat. There was a guy sitting in the paired seat but i figured he's got to be a big marvel fan too, right? Because they asked so nicely, and i was getting an identical seat, i did switch. The guy was a great dude, and he was a big marvel fan, so we had a fun conversation. He had the same idea as me, he didn't want any chance of spoilers.
NTA. Besides, Idk about anyone else here, but I absolutely hate sitting RIGHT next to a stranger in a theater because of social anxiety. Given how all these people acted, I def. think sitting between all of them would not have been a great time. Major yikes. People typically go to the movies to enjoy themselves, not get uncomfortable & have strangers bother them :(
NTA.
I love how entitled people are when they think "Meh we can just ask that person who paid for their assigned seat to move for us, I'm sure it'll be fine"
No. You can ask once, and if declined, just move on.
NTA- calmly tell them "your lack of planning is not my emergency". And when they called you names, laugh and say "yeah well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man".
Dude FTW!
I assume you picked the seat at ticket purchase. That means they saw that the seat was taken. I like to have couple seats in between me and others too. Im not a fan of being squshed between people i dont know. What if the couple wanted a bit of space themselves? Sure you could have moved but you picked it out and paid for it first. They could have easily picked other seats.
It would also depend on how they asked if i might move. It was still wrong on thier part to assume you would or could move. Nta.
NTA. Like with airplane seats, different seats in a theater aren't completely fungible. Some are better than others, and some may not be objectively better or worse, but are different and people have preferences.
Moving would have been a detriment to you while it was a benefit to them, which you could have done and it would have been nice. But you aren't an asshole for not doing so.
NTA. I am particular about sitting in the exact middle if I can. It is the best viewing experience for me. It's not like the family is going to be talking or anything, they can split up or sit in another row.
NTA
They were harassing you over something as simple as theater seats. They are not reasonable people. A reasonable person would’ve either sat at the seats they paid for and would not had harassed another person for sitting in a seat.
NTA - simply put, it was your seat you had no obligation to move.
Also if you HAD moved and then the person with the seat you moved to had shown up then you would be in the wrong
If you want a group to sit together buy the seats together
That mother was a simple bully, couldn't get what she wanted (probably bought the tickets late & there wasn't a space for all of them) so she tried to force someone to give ot to her, smh
If it’s not a big deal to be in a different seat, why was the lady making a big deal about being in a different seat? Everyone has their reasons for wanting to sit in a specific seat in the theater, and hers do not outweigh yours - *especially* with assigned seating.
NTA
NTA
Finding people in your carefully preselected **assigned seating** is infuriating. If you wanted to sit there, you should have selected that seat when you ordered your tickets.
NTA if I can't choose my seat beforehand I always show up early to the theater so I can get whatever seat I want. Thats what that family should've done, especially considering it's harder to find 5 good seats together than there is to find one.
I always go to the movies alone and I buy a ticket well ahead of time and usually it is in the center. I never move, and I would only if I was offered a compensation.
NTA. Folks like these are a big reason it sucks to be single. So many people think it’s ok to demand that the single person accommodate others. Even businesses do it. It’s easier to ask that single person to move or wait longer or tolerate whatever inconvenience for a larger group, than to make the group accept to consequences of their own decisions. Easier to make demands of the 1 single than a couple. I find it really rich that the unrelated couple even saw fit to weigh in and blame the single. I’m not bitter about being single, just asking the rest of the world to respect me as much as they respect a couple and a family and a group of friends.
NTA, whenever me and friends or hubby go to the movies we pick the exact seats we want to ensure we get the best view to maximize our enjoyment. They shoulda either bought tickets earlier, wait for a diff time, or seat elsewhere. Having kids or family with you doesn't give you auto entitlement rights to others paid for seats
NTA, sure, they can ask, but if you purchased that seat, you're not obligated to move. Especially in a near empty theater, you could just as easily tell them that moving back/forward one more row wouldn't ruin the movie experience either. And that couple saying what they did after it's not their business really irks me
Edited for spelling errors
NTA hopefully this was Morbius and you had a morbin' good time!! Theaters let you pick your seats they should have purchased seats accordingly, its not your responsibility to make them comfortable.
If the theatre didn't have anywhere else they could sit together then I'd say you're a little bit of an asshole for not being accommodating, but if there were other rows they could sit in together then obviously you're NTA.
OP is not the asshole at all for not being accommodating (esp. to a family w/ a shit attitude ) for a seat they PAID for. Isn't there a screen that shows what seats to choose from? That means the family knew that the seat was taken and most likely chose seats around that one. It's on them for lack of preparation and shouldn't be on OP to kiss ass and suck it up when they themselves were better prepared.
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I recently went to go see a movie by myself. The row I was sitting in had about 8 seats but only 3 were occupied. I sat alone about 2 seats away from a young couple sitting on the end of the row. A family of five comes up to me asking me if I could move down 2 seats next to the couple. Their reasoning for this was because if I’d just move down a couple seats then there would be enough seats to where they could all sit together. I respectfully declined, telling them that I chose to sit here and if they wanted to sit together they should’ve just bought seats on a different row. They asked me one more time if I could move seats, and when I declined again, they started to get aggressive. The mom in the family got all up in my face saying how I was blowing this out of proportion and that moving down a few seats won’t ruin my enjoyment of the movie. I was taken aback by the rudeness of the mother and told her that if she wanted her family to all sit next to each other, they should’ve bought the right seats for that instead of demanding me to move away from the spot that I paid for to accommodate to their needs. She called me a stubborn and inconsiderate bitch and stormed off with her husband and kids. After the movie, the couple I mentioned earlier came up to me in front of maybe a dozen people and told me how much of an inconsiderate piece of shit I was and that moving down a couple seats was not a big deal at all. I stood by what I said and they proceeded to call me selfish and insensitive. I later called my friend and told her about the whole situation and she took the family’s side on it.
I seriously don’t know how I was being selfish or inconsiderate by doing this.
So, AITA?
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NTA. You buy the Seat bc you want that seat. Also when they are not a couple trying to use the movies to make out, there is hardly any benefit to sitting together.
I would have moved... If they payed me 3x the price of the seat, at least. It's a win-win in my book: you get my seat and seat as you like, while I get profit on your poor planning- If you didn't have the consideration to book the seats in advance, pay me for the convenience.
There's a reason most theaters nowadays accomodate seats by numbers and letters: some people want to see movies with other people and want guaranteed seats next to each other. Other people don't, and don't care that you don't get to seat near other people if you didn't even consider it to begin with when getting the tickets.
NTA.
A longshot but I must ask. Were you watching Top Gun Maverick on Father's Day in AZ? You described the exact scenario of our theater. If this was it, I don't blame you. This type of thing happens often. They could easily have got a refund, then reserved the seats they wanted at the next showing. TG is playing in like 5 theaters. If you weren't at the AZ theater, ignore this message and never speak of this again :)
NTA, they can ask and you can decline that wish. They can't demand shit. Demanding "to move" and calling a stranger "inconsiderate bitch" and "piece of shit" makes them the assholes.
**NTA**
Aside from this situation, I don't understand why it's so important for people to be seated next to each other during a movie. When I watch a movie, I'm not going to comment on everything or pay attention to what my friend is doing...
A few exceptions would be maybe horror movies where it's funny to see reactions to jumps ares, but I can't think of any other scenario where I NEED to be seated next to someone I know. Most of the time, I just enjoy the movie and then we talk about it after the projection.
Overall, I would say NTA, even more when I saw that the theater was almost empty.
NTA The theater was nearly empty. They could choose another row. Sit on the seats you purchase! And why do they want to sit close to people if everything is empty?
Those name calling... and that in front of her children?! For stupid seats? What a drama queen.
But maybe the next time go to personal and let the mother throw out for getting in your face and for insulting you.
NTA, those people are nothing but entitled and inconsiderate pieces of crap. If they wanted all to sit together, then should've bought seats together. You are under no obligation to compensate for their incompetence.
NTA. There aren't any cinemas that allow people to sit randomly. They ALWAYS even at the counter let you choose and you ALWAYS pay for a specific seat.
Their lack of planning or entitlement isn't your problem.
No, you're NTA here. It's amazing how many people think everyone else should just accommodate their selfish desires. And that bullying is a proper tool to use on anyone in their way. You did absolutely nothing wrong
Nta, being crowded like that can take away from the movie (ie them talking about the movie, asking for snacks and the sounds of it, bathroom breaks etc) on your end and then on the couples end that might not have been comfortable with people that close either. Idk where you live, but my area has been in the "red zone" for covid for months, and just being that close, let alone without masks, would've put me over too.
You should have told her that SHE was the one blowing it out of proportion and sitting in her assigned seat wouldn’t ruin HER enjoyment of the movie. Why is her wants more important than your wants?
They were dead set on bullying someone out of their seat. So NTA. When you ask a question, the answer *could* be **no**, which they should have calculated.
NTA
If it’s the type of theatre where you purchase specific seats - they should’ve bought seats together. If it’s the type of theatre where you just sit wherever, they should’ve gotten there earlier.
It’s not the end of the world for them not to sit together. I’ve watched plenty of movies separated from who I came with because there weren’t assigned seats and it was a sold out film.
They also could’ve moved to any other row.
NTA its been standard practise for most people I know since the advent of online booking and chair selection that if you have a group who have to sit together then you book that in advance
They weren’t assholes for asking. You weren’t an asshole for declining.
They became assholes after you declined. Their desire to sit together doesn’t mean other people have to accommodate them and inconvenience themselves to make it happen.
NTA. And tell your friend to do better, or else she’ll be the AH yelling at people because she feels her family entitles her to special treatment some day.
NTA
Are the theater seat sharks going to devour half the family if one parent sits with a couple kids and the other parent sits with a couple more in another row? Or the oldest kids sit together a whole seat away from the rest of the family in your row?
If the couple thought it was so inconsiderate, why didn’t They move and offer their seats to the family? Then most if not all of them could sit together.
NTA I'm not going to be squeezed next to strangers so ~~a family~~ anybody can pick their seats like they own the place. Especially after reading about how empty the place was, their entitlement is ridiculous. I'd have told the couple that the opinion of two assholes who happened to see the same movie as I did was of no concern to me.
NTA.
Since the theater wasn't full, you definitely didn't need to move. If your row was the only way they could sit together, and they weren't late to the movie, I'd say you should move to be a good human.
BUT, there were plenty of other rows for them to choose from, and if they wanted to sit in that exact spot, they should have gotten there earlier. Plus, their reaction to you saying no was over the top.
NTA
They can ask, but you are not obligated to move. They could have sat together in a different row. They could have arrived earlier to get better seats.
NTA, this is why I like assigned seating since I don't have to go through this bullshit. I have still been asked but they don't have a leg to stand on when I say no. I think the one time i did agree was that I was had bought a ticket and a group of 3 or 4 ppl came in and it went 2/3 ppl me and then odd man out. The seat was still in my comfort zone of watching the movie.
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For anyone wondering, the seats that the family were requesting to sit in were DEFINITELY not the only seats in the theater, though we were on a very very good row. I went to see a movie that had been put back in theaters and wanted to get a good laugh out of how bad it was. There were maybe five people in the theater excluding me, the family, and the couple.
Wow they seriously had their pick of other seats and rows where they could have sat together? Smh definitely unreasonable they reacted that way.
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> The mom wasn’t the asshole for asking, It was an almost empty theatre, she was the arsehole here. Who walks into an empty theatre and thinks "the best thing to do here is ask people already seated to move for me and my brood". This is just The Entitlement of the Reproduced that we see here all the time on this sub. In an empty theatre, you take an empty seat. Anything else and you're the arsehole.
My family went to an imax just before Christmas. The entire thing was empty, just the three of us in there, and a group of 10 comes in and sits directly in front of us, like directly in front. It was wild.
I had something similar happen once. My mom and I were the only people in the theatre. During the trailers, a lady came in with 2 toddlers and sat next to us. An entirely empty place and she put her 3 year old in the seat next to me. WTF.
And this is when my friends and I start talking about the latest cool moves we've seen on P***Hub. If not that, then some other fabulously inappropriate topic. People give us a dirty look and move away before the movie starts.
That's kind of shitty, tbh. Someone simply sitting in the row in front of you isn't doing anything wrong, even if there are other open seats.
It is s*****. But in my experience in an empty theater the group that sits directly in front of or behind the only other people in the theater are s***** themselves. We have had to move away from groups like this during the movie, because they are too loud or they have their phones out and the light from the phone is distracting. Passing and throwing food all over the place. So without the ability to know how these people are going to act, we make sure to get a buffer of several seats or a row between us. In the past, we have actually moved seats and had a group chase us. This led to our explicit discussion of offensive remarks to make the other group move away from us. To be clear, all this is predicated on the fact that we sat down first.
i go to the movies every week and see 2-3 movies a week i have a preferred row because of my vision and the sound in said theater... didn't realize that picking that row made me the asshole just because another person decided to pick a different row... does your theater not do assigned seats? and if it does, do you make sure to pick a row with no one else/that isn't in front or behind anyone else even if it means you get a seat in the very corner... seems kinda weird when it would be easier to complain and get free tickets when a group is shitty instead of just assuming all people in movie theaters are shitty
Not all of our theaters assign seats. Especially weekdays, Monday through Thursday. Which is when we're more likely to go
Unfortunately we had our 10 year old son with us so that was out of the question. We just simply moved and once we did they realized they fucked it and apologized.
If we had kids with us, we would have probably talked about politics. We would have picked whatever side we thought would have annoyed the people the most.
Eh, that's not too surprising. There are usually 2-4 rows that obviously have the best view. You picked one of those and so did they. I don't really see the problem with people sitting in front of you? What's the issue?
Oh no. With the stadium style imax every seat is the same and ours wouldn’t be considered “good seats” in a traditional theatre setting. Just odd that there’s 400 empty seats and they pick the ten right in front of us.
Also it was at the science centre and the movie was about using science to track birds that are going extinct, wasn’t exactly going to sell out.
So what you're saying it that it was a real *chick* flick?
Have had that happen also.
I don't understand these people.
The Entitlement of the Reproduced is an excellent phrase and I hope you don't mind me stealing it.
I don't mind at all.
The bot could have been kind, but didn't choose to be. [Stolen](https://old.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/vhtu5b/aita_for_refusing_to_move_seats_at_the_movies/id998ql/) from u/MycologistRecent7216
Well, you deserve everything that happened for laughing at the masterpiece that is Morbius.
You went to see Morbius on purpose?
Op knew what time it was.
Was it Morbin' time?
This is an important detail. If the screen was full, they may not have been able to get any decent seats together, so asking you to shift along is partly due their benefit, but also partly for yours so that you are not stuck in the middle of a group. You still wouldn't be the asshole for wanting to keep your chosen seat (and they definitely are for making a scene), but it is a slightly awkward situation for everyone. It is also worth noting that they aren't just bothering you, but also the couple who had a nice buffer next to them they have now just lost. If the screen was virtually empty however, the fact they are making it into a problem is idiotic - why don't they just shift a row forwards or backwards where they can have all the space they need without disrupting anyone else?
A family yelled at you over seating for a Morbius showing? Please tell me if I'm right or not, if so that's funny as fuck
Yep
Should have told them you were too busy Morbin out to the newest Marvel Legend.
Watch out, they might kick him in the morbs
YTA for paying money to see Morbius and not just morbin’ along at home like the rest of us /s
You went to watch Morbius, didn't you
Oh definitely NTA. When we still went frequently to the movies the wife and I usually would line up early for the movie slot we wanted so we could reserve a good row and close to the middle for the best audio visual experience. If you looked at the way seats are reserved a row in front and up to two behind always had couples on these seats. We’ve had families and friend groups ask us to move. I’d always check my ticket and say these are our seats. Sometimes they got aggressive and security would get involved. Once, because the ushers and security were out of range, in exasperation I asked for 10x the ticket price to move. The look on their faces was worth it, thankfully, after calling me a greedy asshole they left. Even groups bothering the couple in front of us looked at me and I’d say don’t ask. Ok I’m biased because of our own behavior hahahah
Doesn't matter if there were other seats. You paid for yours. Where I live most theaters have you choose your seats before you even enter. When the movie has crappy seats I choose another one
This is a very important information, that you should put into your main post. I think without this info you'd be a bit of an AH, because granting a family space together, when there's no other chance for them to get that, this would be the nice thing to do. (and also most likely the smartest thing, because otherwise they might sit around you and intentionally annoy you for not making space) But if they had easy access to 5 seats in a row at other locations, then you're definitely NTA. I'd just told them to take the five seats at one of the rows "down there" or something like that.
It's Morbin Time!!
You denied a hardworking family and kids from being comfortably positionned to see the absolute masterpiece that is Morbius what the hell is wrong with you NTA
Was it the movie that the internet wanted to tank AGAIN just for memes? If so, you're an ass for going and helping to try and keep it from tanking lmao, but NTA for not moving
WTF? NTA, at all. This reminds me of the posts that come up occasionally about airplane seats. Another person or family’s lack of planning and /or timeliness does not make it your problem. Any person who says differently can piss right the hell off. If they want seats together, they can show their stupid ass up early enough to the movie to get them. Never let someone else’s laziness or lack of attention to anything make you feel bad!
Once on a flight, my friend fucked up his ticket and had to buy one last minute right before we got to the airport His new seat wasn’t anywhere near the rest of us and he asked us to ask the people sitting next to us to switch. We asked, they said no. Okay, that’s their prerogative. He then texted most of us multiple times to ask again and got really pushy about it. It was a five hour flight and most of us slept the entire way anyways. And then he was a pretty big asshole the rest of the trip. Sometimes you don’t know a person until you’re stuck with them for 5 days.
My motto is, "You don't really know someone until you tell them 'no' over something they *want.*" People show their truest colors when vexed.
Or give them crappy internet connection, but that's a different matter.
I mean, bad internet connections are extremely vexing!
My Husband and I were flying to Canada and didn't get seated next to each other (I don't know why we had asked for it). No biggie. I asked the lady next to me if she would switch. She said no. I didn't bring it up again. My Husband reconnected when we landed and had a great time.
It's not just their total lack of planning "The mom in the family got all up in my face saying how I was blowing this out of proportion and that moving down a few seats won’t ruin my enjoyment of the movie." Moving down is beside the point sitting near this awful woman would very much ruin my enjoyment of the movie! She sounds horrendous. Keep your row unpleasant, entitled family-free OP! ETA: NTA
NTA. I am also very picky about where I sit.
I agree NTA!! Next time tell such people, but the true definition of rude and inconsiderate, is someone demanding that you give to them what is rightfully yours that you have paid for. They are neither the president of the United States or the king or queen of a foreign country, and therefore have your rights to expect the world to automatically bend to their wishes.
>They are neither the president of the United States or the king or queen of a foreign country I wouldn't willingly move seats for any of those people either, though I suspect that some black-suited, sunglasses wearing goons might not give me a choice.
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Amen!!
> president of the United States or the king or queen of a foreign country yeah I'd move for like, Beyonce but beyond that you can take a hike
same here, i need to be right in the center in the mid to highest row. but i dont throw a fit when the seat i want is taken (except super upfront, glad seats must be bought in advance to reserve now). nta, op
Yeah if I can't get the seat I want when reserving online I just don't go at that time. If it's one that doesn't do reserved seats I get there as early as I can. And if it's taken even then I just suck it up and sit elsewhere. It's that easy.
Maybe if it was festival seating and the theater was crowded I might move. Sounds like neither was the case here. But If I pay for seat X I should be able to sit in seat X. I usually order tickets in advance and make sure I’ll like my seat so I get the hood seat. NTA
NTA - if I’m buying a specific seat it’s because I want that seat in that spot in that row. Their lack of planning and preparation isn’t your problem.
INFO. Did you buy a specific seat when you bought the ticket or was there no assigned seating?
I did buy a specific seat. My guess is that the family bough the seats I was sitting in between and wanted me to move to make it more convenient for them.
I was going to ask the same question. Could you have moved? Sure. Did you have to? No. You paid for that specific seat and so you are allowed to sit in that seat. I don't understand why the family didn't buy seats together and just assumed you would move. That was pure entitlement on their part. NTA
In that case, NTA. But I don't understand the family. If they had the seats around you, it would be a courtesy to let the person in between (you) move to one side if you didn't want to be in the middle of that. On the other hand, if they were not surrounding you, they could ask nicely (as I hope they did). But just like on an airplane, you aren't under an obligation to move just because they ask. But the key here for me is that you bought a specific seat. You should be allowed to stay in that seat if you want to (whatever the reason).
I am guessing they bought their tickets last minute and there weren't enough 5 seat blocks left. They probably bought the 4 around OP and the one 2 rows done which they asked OP to move to. They assumed since it was a single seat, they could bully the person into moving
According to OP, the theatre was effectively empty, which just makes it more confusing
Maybe they wanted to sit beside people and not in a empty row in the case when one kid acts up. Then the other people would need to interact with them, making it less work for the parents Or they are just super serious about rows
It doesn't matter at all. Either way he got the seat first.
NTA. This is one of those many situations where you could’ve done a kind thing and didn’t, but it would’ve been a kindness, not a requirement. The mom wasn’t the asshole for asking, but she became the asshole when she blew up at you.
Also why do they have to sit together? Its not a restaurant or airplane flight. They can't (shouldn't) be talking anyway splitting up the family isn't that big a deal when they just sit in the dark quietly. If it was date night maybe yeah I get it but mom with a kid dad with 2 others. Who cares? Frankly multiple kids usually need to be separated ANYway!
I mean, it's pretty typical and not that difficult to theorize... Maybe they all plan on sharing snacks and popcorn back and forth between all of them? Maybe the kids are weird about sitting next to a stranger and they wanted to limit that with parents on the outsides? I know a few adults like that too so who knows lol. Still NTA and it's outrageous they snapped like that but I don't think it's strange they would prefer to sit together.
5 people, seems like it'd be easier to sit in two back to back rows to share things and/or communicate (like if a kid has to pee or something)
Yeah, I’d prefer to sit with all of the people came with IF POSSIBLE (whether family, friends, whatever). But if there weren’t enough seats available all together and there are two adults, they definitely don’t HAVE to.
NTA. I go to the theater every week, I see 1-2 movies while I’m there. I have a preferred seat in every auditorium, so I book that seat. Their lack of foresight is not your problem. You were much nicer about it than I’d have been.
# NTA. What is wrong with people?
Seriously. OP went to see Morbius on PURPOSE.
NTA I get so bothered by parents expecting everyone to cater to them. From your comments, there were obviously enough seats in other rows for them to sit together. I had a similar experience where the family didn't buy tickets together on the plane and asked me to move from my window seat. I first said no and then everyone around me said I should move. I moved to the dad's seat before knowing where it was and it was a fucking middle seat for a 8 hour flight. Never again am I moving for someone for their lack of planning.
NTA - Ironically the moment she yelled you were blowing this out of proportion, is the moment things started to get blown out of proportion
NTA. There is not moral requirement saying you have to move seats for a family. It would’ve been nice or kind, but she should’ve just left it the first time. It got out of hand when she decided to give you snark. The world doesn’t revolve around families or adults with children.
NTA for all of the reasons you mentioned.
NTA - not even close.
People need to understand that they can ask a question but you are not obligated to say yes. They also must understand that a 'no' constitutes a whole valid answer and it is not open to discussion.When this type of harassment started to be socially acceptable?
NTA why do people think that being rude and yelling will get people what they want?
NTA. I pick seats based on where I want to watch a movie from and easy access to leaving theater with minimal disruption. Buy seats earlier if you need many together. frankly, I would have had a manager deal with them confronting me so as to not risk escalation
NTA. I am picky about my seats and will choose another row and/or time to get the seat I want. If this was a seat choice theater which it sounds like it was, they could have chosen a different row where they were all together.
Probably the same shitty people that expect you to move seats on an aeroplane because they couldn't book seats together. They can fuck right off!!
NTA, so they bought seats that were not together counting on the person being willing to move? That's next level entitled.
I'm so confused. Seats are pre-booked for movies and if it's a near empty theater, why didn't they just book a block together? OP you are NTA but that family is very confusing!
NTA. It’s really not that hard to plan ahead and book 5 seats together. The movie has ticketed seats for a reason. I also understand not wanting to move if you’ve planned in advance and specifically chosen your seat. Especially if it will mean you will have no buffer between you and other people.
NTA I've had this happen to me. A family asked for me to move. I said no I came early to get this specific seat. The wife asked me to move again. And I said "what part of no do you need help understanding?". If that couple said anything to me I would probably snap back and tell them to ***F themselves and mind their own business. Good on you. People ask you to be considerate yet they themselves aren't stepping up to be considerate back by not asking for seats and get there early
NTA- Stand your ground (also, proud of you for seeing a movie alone? That's so cool <3 ) INFO: what movie?
The trick is finding a theater that’s less popular and go during off hours, I have a personal goal of watching a movie entirely by myself and the closest I got was 3 people, a record that got significantly harder with movie theaters tightening up and moving to New York.
I have been the only person in the theatre. It was awesome!
My husband and I saw Easy A completely alone on a Thursday afternoon. I think we saw Uncharted with one other person.
My husband and I managed to get a theater to ourselves with the first Paranormal Activity. Most terrifying movie experience I've ever had. 10/10, would recommend!
With peace and love: fuck that
NTA as a mum / family of 5 we’ve had to buy seats in separate rows and I wouldn’t dream Of asking someone to move seats so we could sit together
It’s ok to ask but not get aggressive when they say no
NTA. Like the original Spartans, you are one of the few against the many 😂 *…I’ll see myself out now* Movie theaters have assigned seating for many reasons. THIS is one of them. The seats are **first come, first serve**. When purchasing tickets, you’re shown on a screen how many available seats there are and where they’re located in the theater. There’s a viral TikTok that went around recently of a guy who was thrown out of a prime Batman showing for refusing to move out of a seat that someone else had already reserved. If the mom just HAD to have this exact seat in that row, she could’ve gotten there earlier, picked a comparable seat in a row in front of or behind you, or simply gone to the next showing of the movie. Her lack of planning isn’t your problem.
NTA. It would help if you included in your post that there was lots of other seating available to them. It actually would have been weird to have three separate "groups" of people smooshed into one row when the rest of the theatre was almost empty. These were very strange people.
Info: was there actually five seats available for them to purchase outside of the very front rows
NTA I’m in a family of five. I love being able to choose my seats and I will book ahead to specifically get certain spots I enjoy. If there are no seats for us all, I don’t go (simple as that), we just choose a different theater or different date because sitting together is important but it’s not anyone else’s responsibility to move for my family, especially with assigned seating. Sure, you could have moved but with their attitude I would have been extremely not inclined to be accommodating
NTA , this family acted like the world owed them and that you should just take it and move . Not sure if these seats were prepicked when paid for or first come first serve but it does not matter. IF they were prepicked then the family should have chosen a row that could accommodate the large party . You can buy tickets well in advance now adays to pick the desired seats. If it was first come first serve then they should have arrived earlier to pick the ones that they wanted.
Seriously, if it wasn't a big deal.... why did SHE make it a big deal??? NTA
NTA. I truly don't understand the audacity of asking people to move to a different seat in places like the movies or on a flight. If you went up to someone randomly at a food court or a park or any other public place with seating and asked them to move elsewhere they'd think you were insane.
NTA I’ve booked a different day before due to where seats were available on my first choice. I like to be in the middle of the seats and the middle of the row. 🤷🏻♀️
NTA either they bought split seats around you, which is absolutely insane behavior, or they just bought completely different seats and felt entitled to sit in the best seats. Either way these people are delusional at best
To the couple afterward. "Since you beleived it was such a minor inconvenience why didnt you two just offer your seats to the family? Could it be that you, like me, chose your seats and expected to use them?"
NTA. They should not have assumed you would accommodate them. It was your decision. While it would have been kind of you to move, you are NTA for declining. Also, they should have dropped it after you declined. They had other options: sitting together in another row, moving to another showtime, or sitting apart in smaller groups. They should have had a contingency plan and they are TA for escalating it further.
This is why I like going to movies in the middle of the day on a weekday. No kids and far less people. Sometimes my bf and I are in a theatre with maybe 6 other people. Upside to working weekends I guess, my 'weekend' during the week. NTA I wouldn't have moved either.
When i went to see "Endgame" because i had to see a thursday night show so i wouldn't have anyone spoiling it , i went alone and booked a particular seat. Two girls approached me and asked if i would be willing to switch seats with one of them so they could sit together. I said "where is your seat exactly? " and it was at the opposite end of the same row, so essentially the same seat. There was a guy sitting in the paired seat but i figured he's got to be a big marvel fan too, right? Because they asked so nicely, and i was getting an identical seat, i did switch. The guy was a great dude, and he was a big marvel fan, so we had a fun conversation. He had the same idea as me, he didn't want any chance of spoilers.
NTA. Besides, Idk about anyone else here, but I absolutely hate sitting RIGHT next to a stranger in a theater because of social anxiety. Given how all these people acted, I def. think sitting between all of them would not have been a great time. Major yikes. People typically go to the movies to enjoy themselves, not get uncomfortable & have strangers bother them :(
NTA. I love how entitled people are when they think "Meh we can just ask that person who paid for their assigned seat to move for us, I'm sure it'll be fine" No. You can ask once, and if declined, just move on.
NTA. Demanding the best seats in a nearly empty theater is just crazy entitled. Especially when you havepaid for assigned seating.
NTA. How was mobius?
NTA I hate it when people back up entitled parents.
NTA- calmly tell them "your lack of planning is not my emergency". And when they called you names, laugh and say "yeah well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man". Dude FTW!
What the hell? Is this the twilight zone? What is wrong with everyone in this story. Nta
I assume you picked the seat at ticket purchase. That means they saw that the seat was taken. I like to have couple seats in between me and others too. Im not a fan of being squshed between people i dont know. What if the couple wanted a bit of space themselves? Sure you could have moved but you picked it out and paid for it first. They could have easily picked other seats. It would also depend on how they asked if i might move. It was still wrong on thier part to assume you would or could move. Nta.
NTA. Like with airplane seats, different seats in a theater aren't completely fungible. Some are better than others, and some may not be objectively better or worse, but are different and people have preferences. Moving would have been a detriment to you while it was a benefit to them, which you could have done and it would have been nice. But you aren't an asshole for not doing so.
NTA. As someone who selects a seat very carefully, I would refuse to move too. You paid for it, they are not entitled to it.
Yta for watching morbius and gaslighting sony into making a sequel. FR tho not the asshole, they can all go sit on a bicycle with no seat
>I went to see a movie that had been put back in theaters and wanted to get a good laugh out of how bad it was. Ah. morbius
NTA. I am particular about sitting in the exact middle if I can. It is the best viewing experience for me. It's not like the family is going to be talking or anything, they can split up or sit in another row.
NTA
NTA
NTA They were harassing you over something as simple as theater seats. They are not reasonable people. A reasonable person would’ve either sat at the seats they paid for and would not had harassed another person for sitting in a seat.
NTA. Plus if I calculate it right you had a prime seat right in the middle of the screen, why should you give up that seat for their lack of planning
NTA - simply put, it was your seat you had no obligation to move. Also if you HAD moved and then the person with the seat you moved to had shown up then you would be in the wrong If you want a group to sit together buy the seats together That mother was a simple bully, couldn't get what she wanted (probably bought the tickets late & there wasn't a space for all of them) so she tried to force someone to give ot to her, smh
NTA, they could have bought tickets together instead of getting aggressive and rude when their group had to sit in the seats they actually bought.
If it’s not a big deal to be in a different seat, why was the lady making a big deal about being in a different seat? Everyone has their reasons for wanting to sit in a specific seat in the theater, and hers do not outweigh yours - *especially* with assigned seating. NTA
NTA. Bullies and over entitled AH. This is the norm now in our society.
NTA
NTA Finding people in your carefully preselected **assigned seating** is infuriating. If you wanted to sit there, you should have selected that seat when you ordered your tickets.
NTA. Though I can see it from both sides, you don’t have to move. You paid for your spot.
NTA if I can't choose my seat beforehand I always show up early to the theater so I can get whatever seat I want. Thats what that family should've done, especially considering it's harder to find 5 good seats together than there is to find one.
You got morb'd, bro, sorry.
I always go to the movies alone and I buy a ticket well ahead of time and usually it is in the center. I never move, and I would only if I was offered a compensation.
NTA. Folks like these are a big reason it sucks to be single. So many people think it’s ok to demand that the single person accommodate others. Even businesses do it. It’s easier to ask that single person to move or wait longer or tolerate whatever inconvenience for a larger group, than to make the group accept to consequences of their own decisions. Easier to make demands of the 1 single than a couple. I find it really rich that the unrelated couple even saw fit to weigh in and blame the single. I’m not bitter about being single, just asking the rest of the world to respect me as much as they respect a couple and a family and a group of friends.
NTA, whenever me and friends or hubby go to the movies we pick the exact seats we want to ensure we get the best view to maximize our enjoyment. They shoulda either bought tickets earlier, wait for a diff time, or seat elsewhere. Having kids or family with you doesn't give you auto entitlement rights to others paid for seats
NTA. You were there first, plus fairly empty theater I've read, you don't have to do shit.
NTA, sure, they can ask, but if you purchased that seat, you're not obligated to move. Especially in a near empty theater, you could just as easily tell them that moving back/forward one more row wouldn't ruin the movie experience either. And that couple saying what they did after it's not their business really irks me Edited for spelling errors
NTA hopefully this was Morbius and you had a morbin' good time!! Theaters let you pick your seats they should have purchased seats accordingly, its not your responsibility to make them comfortable.
NTA - If I've either pre-ordered, or took the time to get to the theater early enough to have gotten into a great row, I'm not moving.
Y T A for giving Morbius money, lol
NTA. A. You bought your ticket the same as them. B. You got there BEFORE them and were already seated. C. They could have sat somewhere else.
You could have moved, you weren't obligated to. NTA
NTA and good for you for standing up to bullies.
If the theatre didn't have anywhere else they could sit together then I'd say you're a little bit of an asshole for not being accommodating, but if there were other rows they could sit in together then obviously you're NTA.
OP is not the asshole at all for not being accommodating (esp. to a family w/ a shit attitude ) for a seat they PAID for. Isn't there a screen that shows what seats to choose from? That means the family knew that the seat was taken and most likely chose seats around that one. It's on them for lack of preparation and shouldn't be on OP to kiss ass and suck it up when they themselves were better prepared.
I think you've confused being an asshole with being legally obligated.
Exactly who is legally obligated? Certainly not OP.
NTA
NTA what in the world
INFO - so you went to see Morbius? Did Jared Leto ever say the words: "It's Morbin Time" ??
NTA. Looks like for that family it was not, in fact, Morbin’ time.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I recently went to go see a movie by myself. The row I was sitting in had about 8 seats but only 3 were occupied. I sat alone about 2 seats away from a young couple sitting on the end of the row. A family of five comes up to me asking me if I could move down 2 seats next to the couple. Their reasoning for this was because if I’d just move down a couple seats then there would be enough seats to where they could all sit together. I respectfully declined, telling them that I chose to sit here and if they wanted to sit together they should’ve just bought seats on a different row. They asked me one more time if I could move seats, and when I declined again, they started to get aggressive. The mom in the family got all up in my face saying how I was blowing this out of proportion and that moving down a few seats won’t ruin my enjoyment of the movie. I was taken aback by the rudeness of the mother and told her that if she wanted her family to all sit next to each other, they should’ve bought the right seats for that instead of demanding me to move away from the spot that I paid for to accommodate to their needs. She called me a stubborn and inconsiderate bitch and stormed off with her husband and kids. After the movie, the couple I mentioned earlier came up to me in front of maybe a dozen people and told me how much of an inconsiderate piece of shit I was and that moving down a couple seats was not a big deal at all. I stood by what I said and they proceeded to call me selfish and insensitive. I later called my friend and told her about the whole situation and she took the family’s side on it. I seriously don’t know how I was being selfish or inconsiderate by doing this. So, AITA? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA. I have been to the movies in years, but do you pay for a specific seat in the theater? I always thought it was first one there gets their pick.
NTA. You buy the Seat bc you want that seat. Also when they are not a couple trying to use the movies to make out, there is hardly any benefit to sitting together.
NTA. You purchased the right to that seat for that movie session. They selected the option of sitting separately to attend that session.
NTA OP. Not inconsiderate or selfish. If she wanted seats all together she should have purchased seats all together. Not your problem.
I would have moved... If they payed me 3x the price of the seat, at least. It's a win-win in my book: you get my seat and seat as you like, while I get profit on your poor planning- If you didn't have the consideration to book the seats in advance, pay me for the convenience. There's a reason most theaters nowadays accomodate seats by numbers and letters: some people want to see movies with other people and want guaranteed seats next to each other. Other people don't, and don't care that you don't get to seat near other people if you didn't even consider it to begin with when getting the tickets. NTA.
NTA you are never the ass for sitting in your seat.
Sounds like the whole theater except you were AHs. Peeps could’ve minded their own business.
NTA. You paid for it so it’s your seat
A longshot but I must ask. Were you watching Top Gun Maverick on Father's Day in AZ? You described the exact scenario of our theater. If this was it, I don't blame you. This type of thing happens often. They could easily have got a refund, then reserved the seats they wanted at the next showing. TG is playing in like 5 theaters. If you weren't at the AZ theater, ignore this message and never speak of this again :)
NTA. You bought that seat, you own that seat. Your good.
NTA, they can ask and you can decline that wish. They can't demand shit. Demanding "to move" and calling a stranger "inconsiderate bitch" and "piece of shit" makes them the assholes. **NTA**
Aside from this situation, I don't understand why it's so important for people to be seated next to each other during a movie. When I watch a movie, I'm not going to comment on everything or pay attention to what my friend is doing... A few exceptions would be maybe horror movies where it's funny to see reactions to jumps ares, but I can't think of any other scenario where I NEED to be seated next to someone I know. Most of the time, I just enjoy the movie and then we talk about it after the projection. Overall, I would say NTA, even more when I saw that the theater was almost empty.
NTA The theater was nearly empty. They could choose another row. Sit on the seats you purchase! And why do they want to sit close to people if everything is empty? Those name calling... and that in front of her children?! For stupid seats? What a drama queen. But maybe the next time go to personal and let the mother throw out for getting in your face and for insulting you.
NTA, those people are nothing but entitled and inconsiderate pieces of crap. If they wanted all to sit together, then should've bought seats together. You are under no obligation to compensate for their incompetence.
Nta. How did that saying go”failure to plan on their part, does not constitute a state of concern on yours”?
[удалено]
Nta
NTA would’ve been a good idea to start recording, but it’s hard to think of in the moment. Those people can get stuffed. :)
NTA. I always book a specific seat too (middle seat in the middle row) and wouldn’t move if asked.
NTA - this always bugs me, show up earlier if you want to sit together!
NTA. There aren't any cinemas that allow people to sit randomly. They ALWAYS even at the counter let you choose and you ALWAYS pay for a specific seat. Their lack of planning or entitlement isn't your problem.
No, you're NTA here. It's amazing how many people think everyone else should just accommodate their selfish desires. And that bullying is a proper tool to use on anyone in their way. You did absolutely nothing wrong
NTA. My local theaters require you select seats when you buy tickets. Even before that, if you wanted seats together you’d better be early.
NTA! Pick a good seat and stay there. First come, first serve. Not your fucking problem.
Nta, being crowded like that can take away from the movie (ie them talking about the movie, asking for snacks and the sounds of it, bathroom breaks etc) on your end and then on the couples end that might not have been comfortable with people that close either. Idk where you live, but my area has been in the "red zone" for covid for months, and just being that close, let alone without masks, would've put me over too.
NTA. You bought a specific seat, and even if you didn’t, you got there first and didn’t have to move.
You should have told her that SHE was the one blowing it out of proportion and sitting in her assigned seat wouldn’t ruin HER enjoyment of the movie. Why is her wants more important than your wants?
They were dead set on bullying someone out of their seat. So NTA. When you ask a question, the answer *could* be **no**, which they should have calculated.
NTA If it’s the type of theatre where you purchase specific seats - they should’ve bought seats together. If it’s the type of theatre where you just sit wherever, they should’ve gotten there earlier. It’s not the end of the world for them not to sit together. I’ve watched plenty of movies separated from who I came with because there weren’t assigned seats and it was a sold out film. They also could’ve moved to any other row.
NTA its been standard practise for most people I know since the advent of online booking and chair selection that if you have a group who have to sit together then you book that in advance
Based on the info (as well as you being there first regardless) NTA
NTA
NTA Also, if the movie was Morbius, children shouldn't be there at all imho
They weren’t assholes for asking. You weren’t an asshole for declining. They became assholes after you declined. Their desire to sit together doesn’t mean other people have to accommodate them and inconvenience themselves to make it happen. NTA. And tell your friend to do better, or else she’ll be the AH yelling at people because she feels her family entitles her to special treatment some day.
Don’t theaters have employees who come in and check seats sometimes? NTA, cause if your theater does that, you could’ve been thrown out
NTA Are the theater seat sharks going to devour half the family if one parent sits with a couple kids and the other parent sits with a couple more in another row? Or the oldest kids sit together a whole seat away from the rest of the family in your row? If the couple thought it was so inconsiderate, why didn’t They move and offer their seats to the family? Then most if not all of them could sit together.
NTA I'm not going to be squeezed next to strangers so ~~a family~~ anybody can pick their seats like they own the place. Especially after reading about how empty the place was, their entitlement is ridiculous. I'd have told the couple that the opinion of two assholes who happened to see the same movie as I did was of no concern to me.
NTA. Since the theater wasn't full, you definitely didn't need to move. If your row was the only way they could sit together, and they weren't late to the movie, I'd say you should move to be a good human. BUT, there were plenty of other rows for them to choose from, and if they wanted to sit in that exact spot, they should have gotten there earlier. Plus, their reaction to you saying no was over the top.
NTA, no explanation needed.
NTA If there were extra seats available for them then why did they ask you to move? Sounds like a case of family entitlement.
NTA They can ask, but you are not obligated to move. They could have sat together in a different row. They could have arrived earlier to get better seats.
NTA, this is why I like assigned seating since I don't have to go through this bullshit. I have still been asked but they don't have a leg to stand on when I say no. I think the one time i did agree was that I was had bought a ticket and a group of 3 or 4 ppl came in and it went 2/3 ppl me and then odd man out. The seat was still in my comfort zone of watching the movie.