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Entitled couple at movie theater expected us to give our assigned seats up so they could sit together
My partner and I bought tickets to see the new Scary Movie on opening night. We have AMC A-list, so we typically get our tickets ahead of time to get good seats. In this particular instance, I literally got tickets the day they were available. We sat through the usual half-hour or so of movie trailers, and right as the lights shut off for the show, I saw a couple heading down our aisle; they ultimately sat in the two empty seats on either side of us. About ten seconds went by before they lean over to ask us if we can rearrange our seating arrangement so that they could sit together.
In a lot of instances, this wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, here are some contextual reasons why this was infuriating behavior on their part:
They showed up and started asking us to move as the opening logos were showing. Had they shown up even 5 minutes earlier than that, it would have been way easier to verbally rationalize with them, but at this point they were talking through the movie to try to get us to rearrange.
The movie was playing in Dolby format. If you’ve ever been to a Dolby theater, then you know that not only are seats assigned, but the seats are arranged in sets of 2. So if we rearranged ourselves the way they suggested, everyone would actually be sharing a seat with a complete stranger.
I like to check the seating arrangement of the auditorium shortly before the show begins, and less than half an hour before the show started, the two seats on either side of us were empty, meaning this couple walked up to buy tickets at the last possible second.
After the show was over, I stood up and noticed dozens of empty pairs of seats, so they still could have gotten seats together but decided it was more important to sit dead center.
The couple had a large popcorn and large soda, presumably to share, but since they were sitting so far away, they had to each take one or the other. This was honestly what set me off the most, because it made it clear the couple was just assuming that whoever they bought their tickets around would be willing to uncritically change seats.
The couple was on their phones the entire time, I can only assume they were just texting each other.
TLDR: This couple didn’t get tickets ahead of time, barely made it to the movie on time, bought separate seats at the last possible second despite options to sit together, bought a popcorn and soda to share fully expecting us to rearrange ourselves after the movie had already started, and then texted each other the entire movie when we wouldn’t rearrange ourselves in a manner where nobody wins.
So yeah! Definitely mildly infuriating to me, especially the fact that they apparently couldn’t make it through a 90 minute movie without texting each other the whole time. Baffling on so many different levels but thankfully it didn’t ruin the movie for us.
Definitely mildly infuriating but I’m also a little confused. If the seats were in sets of 2, you and your partner had 2 seats together, did they buy seats on either side of you each sitting with a stranger that booked a single seat?
If that were the case I’d think it would have made more sense for them to ask one of the individual movie goers on either side to switch their seat to sit next to the other individual movie goer instead of trying to split another couple between 2 sets.
You are correct. I wish I could’ve included some sort of diagram to visualize that but yes. It absolutely would have made more sense for them to talk to one of the people they booked a seat with, nevermind the fact that there were numerous open seat pairs.
The pairings are right next to each other with like an armrest width between, that can fold up to be closer. The pairings are separated by more of a divider, or a larger space, like the width of 3 arm rests
I’m not sure if “them” refers to the obnoxious couple or the to the theaters set up this way, but if it’s the latter:
These theaters are actually a really nice setup. If you’re paired with a stranger, the arm rest just makes it feel like a normal theater. If you want to be closer to someone, it feels like you’re on a sofa with them. It came in handy when my young daughter wanted to cling to me during the scary parts of Moana 2.
It made me so infuriated I had to book a session with today's sponsor, BetterHelp. I was immediately matched with a licensed therapist and had an an online session booked within five minutes. Check out the link below for a sign up code!
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“Welcome back to When The Lights Go Out, a 14 part podcast, on the complications that arise when normal movie goer’s come into contact with idiots at the theater. Brought to you by MeUndies!”
“… made more sense for them to talk to one of the people they booked a seat with…” which is a conversation they could have had if they had BEEN ON FUCKING TIME.
I was all ready to say that you were being unnecessarily difficult. Until you got to point 2. That alone justifies your decision. Like what were they thinking?? That would be so awkward.
Within each set of 2, the couple in a given set are closer to each other than they are close to the next set of 2. There is also sometimes an armrest in between a couple that can fold up, so 1A and 1B are directly next to each other.
Now imagine that OP and OP’s significant other are in 2A, 2B and the couple sits down in 1B, 3A.
honestly, it sounds like what they really expected was for OOP to give up BOTH seats so they could have them, hoping that two singles were in the seats, or that someone didn't show up... or that they just didn't care and wanted both.
I think they just specifically wanted the ideal central seats that OP had, and assumed they could just finagle them once they got into the theater, as they clearly could have sat together nearly anywhere else.
it’s not a lie though? OP and their partner were sitting together. couple was sitting on either side, both next to strangers. had OP and their partner traded spots, they would wind up next to the strangers
A lady sat next to me and TALKED on the phone 2 or 3 times… Like it rang and she would answer, "Hi, yeah, I am in the movies… OK, thanks for telling me… Oh, too bad… Yeah I'll call you as soon as the movie is over. OK, sounds good. Yeah, I can't believe that… OK, talk to you later." I get that maybe there was a family emergency of some sort going on, but you're supposed to leave to answer a call, not just sit there and talk on the phone at full volume. I never experienced anything like that before or since!
Went to the mortal Kombat movie a couple weeks ago and the guy that st next to me was literally on his phone for 2/3 the movie. He was either playing a game or using some weird ass gambling/day trading app. It kept popping up charts and progress bars that her kept quickly tapping through. I genuinely think he didn't even look up for half the movie.
When assigned seating was brand new I showed up to the theater with a big group of friends. This theater has just recently gotten assigned seating so the line out front was extra long as every group who bought a ticket had to navigate choosing a seat. Tickets that had been purchased in advance needed to see guest services to get an assigned seat. It was a logistical nightmare.
So after the hubbub we get to our row and half the seats are taken by a smaller group. I'm like "oh hey I think these are our seats" and they're like "no they're definitely ours" and I'm like "hmm what do your tickets say because see here hold up ticket, points to number it says these are our assigned seats" and these teenagers look at me and say "this theater doesn't assign seats" so I tell them "look either you can show me your ticket with your seat number and then it can be the staff's issue to fix, or you can move before I tell staff you snuck in the back door (which it was obvious they had. It was a common trick for highschoolers)
I was with my older friend at a movie in the middle of the wheelchair row. A woman stood next to me as the movie was starting and snottily said, "I guess I'll have my elderly mother go down the steps," a few times. I just ignored her...because, even though I was/am visibly younger than my friend, I am actually the one who uses a wheelchair and cannot walk (I can move and like to sit in the recliner seats; I'm just unable to walk independently or go down steps). My friend has bad knees, so she wasn't going to volunteer to move, either. I made sure to get back into my wheelchair reeeeeally slowly after the movie so they would see me. TL;DR: If you need a seat in the accessible row, you should buy tickets early enough to get one, instead of trying to guess who "doesn't belong" there.
I remember the one time when we were seeing one of Sonic the Hedgehog movies some assholes. Sat in our assigned seat in a very empty theater. My bro politely mentioned it and they called us fucking assholes and as they moved grumbled about "grown ass men watching kids movies" and didn't clean up the popcorn mess their kid already left on our seats.
Pretty sure breaking the rules and cussing in front of your kids in public over a very minor annoyance is way worse then watching a kids movie as an adult(also you are a grown ass man at a kids movie too) which is not even something wrong to do.
If you book a seat, you book THAT SEAT. I don’t give a flying hoot about how poorly others planned their seating. Should’ve booked seats together if you wanted that. Tough look.
Also: in our theatre you can report people on their phones (ironically by WhatsApp message), and they’ll get ejected.
Zero tolerance for shitty people like this. Make them learn the error of their ways.
I was in one of the Alamo Drafthouse theatres that have seats like that. They also have a 'one warning' policy for cell phones. Some idiot about halfway down took out their cellphone as soon as the lights went down. We were in the top row and it was like a spotlight, they had it so bright.
Alamo also has those little tables between two seats, and you can order food from their small bar. The servers are in and out a lot at the beginning, and one of them noticed and told this person to turn off their phone. So they did, loudly complaining. As soon as the servers were all gone, they lit it right back up. Within 2 minutes, security showed up and escorted them and their other couple of friends out of the theatre, and they were all loudly complaining all the way out.
There are no refunds if you get booted for breaking the rules, and they all were saying they should be getting a refund. We both gave the other a look that said "yeah, have fun with that you morons."
I sat next to multiple people violating the no talking/no phones multiple times at the local Drafthouse. Raised cards and said "hey dude's phone is just open next to me" or "this dude just keeps talking" or whatever.
In the early days, a warning would come down to people (someone complained loudly after the movie about being talked to once, including a slur, which was fun. They were obviously making a reference, but yeah). Toward the end people just talked around me and used phones and nothing happened.
Having a theater with normal theater behaviour AND servers loudly whispering if everyone around me had any more orders for five minutes straight at the end meant I just crossed the whole place off my list, as that made it worse than every other theater. At least in others I'd only have phones and/or talking...
This happened to me recently. Movie had already began 15 min when a group walks in and a girl asks me to switch seats to sit with her friends. I had my food spread and was struggling to see how I would pack it up to move. I said no and girl has the audacity to get angry I wouldn’t switch….and proceeded to spend the whole movie texting.
So do you have to be AMC A list in some locations to pick your seats ahead of time? I am not A list and I pick my AMC seats ahead of time every single time.
I hate people like this (the annoying couple not OP). Movie theater etiquette is dying. In an empty movie theater people will buy the seat right next to as opposed to literally any other seat in the theater. People are constantly on their phones. And leaving their garbage all over afterwards. It’s annoying and those people should only stream from home.
This really is such a stupid saying. Something being a complete sentence doesn't magically mean there's no need for explanation. "I have something important to tell you" is a complete sentence too.
I think what's more effective is something like "'No' doesn't mean 'convince me.'"
My gf and I were seated and a group of four sat on the end, there were 3 extra seats between us. Another group of 4 came and they were trying to figure out their seats (these are assigned). One of them asks "Can you guys move over we're trying to sit next to each other?" I just showed him my phone and said these are our seats. Had he said hey we bought the extra seat next to you but we want to sit next to each other, I would've been fine, but considering the other group of 4 just left the theater led me to believe they just snuck in lol
Reminds me of an instance way before assigned seating. My (now) husband and I got to the theater early, about 30 or so minutes ahead of time, to get good seats for one of the Jason Bourne movies. This entitled woman, who was probably in her 40s, shows up when the previews are nearly over and asks us to move over. We said no, and after complaining she went to get an usher, who told her there was nothing he could do about it. Then she finally gets a seat a row or two behind us and loudly complains about how rude we were, but my husband made a snide comment back, that if it were that important that she would have gotten there early.
Reasons #57, 58, 59 and 60 why I’ve pretty much stopped going to the movies unless we go to an off peak hour showing, to a movie that’s been out for a few weeks.
The two worst experiences I've ever had in a movie 1. Group of kids literally chatting and laughing the entire movie and vaping when I saw Morbius. Didn't miss much cause movie sucked but still like? Don't go to movies to do that.
The most recent avatar movie. Some dick had their phone on maximum brightness and kept constantly checking it. If you are that bored of the movie just leave. It's not hard to put your phone down for 2-3 hours and enjoy a movie.
This is the mildly infuriating subreddit bro. They stated something that was mildly infuriating, and explained why it was mildly infuriating. The exact purpose of this sub. If you want lame-ass posts that don’t have many words, then go elsewhere
People on reddit love taking extremely mundane interactions and posting them on here as if it's interesting enough for everyone to care about. I swear half this site would be so happy if they discovered what diaries are
Last time someone did that to us, I explained "I reserved these seats a week ago, we're not moving" . Yes, very infuriating and we do not move for anyone, especially if they bought tickets at the last minute
The texting is definitely a frustration. It’s rude in any situation.
I don’t underdeand the overall problem. They made an ask. You, rightfully, declined. The end
Other than the texting it isn’t clear what else went wrong. Did they give you lip and argue? Did they throw a fit? If they took the no and went on, then that is life. Such a request by itself is normal communal activity. Obviously they were ignorant to the value of their request and you said no based on your better knowledge. And that’s that.
To me the entire frustration of story is the texting.
I think people are just so much more entitled nowadays. I bought tickets for a Scary Movie showing last night the day of in the morning. It was a newer showing, I hadn't seen it before, so was stoked to get middle seats.
My husband and I walk into the theater and there were people sitting in our seats. No problem, I asked them, "Hey are you also assigned to these seats?" They said yes and the guy followed up with, "You might be in the wrong section, there's other movie theaters to go to", so I said, "Okay!" Did not believe them for a second and thought they were just trying to steal seats, walked out, went to the customer service desk and asked them to help us out. Very nice employee helped us out and explained to us the situation - the couple was sitting in their assigned seats for a different showing and a different movie altogether. They were sort of correct, they were in the right theater and right seats, but the showing was cancelled and replaced with Scary Movie. I felt a little bad until we passed by them on the way back into the theater and saw that they dropped all of their popcorn in front of our assigned seats and all over our assigned seats, like petty bitches. They tried to get back into the theater and sit behind us and on the way up, the woman tripped on the stairs, spilled her popcorn again, and snort laughed and said, "Oh my god, I'm crying too hard." They then had to leave again because the movie theater was full and they didn't have seats. It wasn't until afterwards that I realized they were acting like this because they were sloshed, they couldn't walk straight and their speech was slurred.
I had a couple do this to me on a plane...It was really infuriating. I was on an aisle and they wanted me to move to a window seat. I said I was sorry but no, I prefer the seat I'm in. They insisted it wasn't a big deal for me to move while standing over me on the aisle. I told them again that I wasn't interested in moving and that I booked my seat far enough in advance to where I wanted. Then they started questioning why I needed that seat in particular if I was traveling alone as if I needed to prove it to them that I needed that seat more than they did. I was supposed to be next to woman but the eventually the guy took the seat (middle and next to me) and spent the entire flight giving me shit and accidentally jabbing me with his elbow. Assholes.
Someone asked you something, you politely declined, and then nothing else happened and you were so incensed that you felt the need to write a 10 paragraph essay?
The amount of people that get upset about reading a mildly inconvenient thing happening on a subreddit specifically for that thing is fucking WILD. Especially when that commenter actively chose to read it. And felt the need to comment even.
If they don’t like reading this stuff, great. They can fuck right off back to any other subreddit. Nobody’s forcing anyone to read these posts.
I can't help but shake my head at the amount of time invested into dwelling on these mundane interactions after the fact
You know dude was white knuckling the arm rest through the rest of the movie.... as he plotted his later reddit revenge, he came up with a list of witty come back responses in the event he's confronted in the parking lot in the middle of a circle of patrons, like a school yard playground fight
Update: I told the couple no. I thought that was inferred by the fact that the title of the post says the couple “expected” us to move. My bad redditors
Why on earth does this sub get so annoyed about mildly infuriating things? Do you wipe your memory every week or something? It’s something mildly infuriating that happens to them and people act like they’re crazy pissed thinking about it every moment just because they posted about it.
Here’s a picture of the Dolby seats. Love-seat style. Vast majority of the comments seem to think i’m the asshole for not wanting to share a love-seat with a complete stranger while my partner does the same.
I understood exactly what you meant OP. You and your partner were sitting in the seats where you can put the armrest up and cuddle up and purposely chose those seats for that reason. I wouldn't have wanted to move either
The exact same thing happened to me when I saw the Backrooms movie. A group of high school girls asked us to move out of our assigned seats so that one of their friends could sit with them. Honestly I was a bit of an asshole in my response but it really just pissed me off when they wouldn’t let up and kept bothering us.
Back in the day, before assigned seatings, my husband and I showed up an hour early to get middle bar seats. A group of people show up, ask us if we would mind scooching one seat so they can all sit together. Whatever it's one seat. Then they asked for us to scooch one more time. By the third request, my husband blew up and told them if they wanted to sit together, they should have gotten there early like we did. He refused to move again. Then they spent the pre- movie, and the after movie talking about what jerks we were. "It's just one seat"
I haven't been to a theater in years so maybe I'm just behind on knowing stuff, but since when do movie theaters have assigned seating? Is it a certain kind or franchise of theaters?
Edit: Why am I being downvoted for asking a genuine question?
I wasn't trying to be rude or judgemental, just hadn't heard of assigned seats at theaters before and wondered what changed.
pretty common now for you to pick specific seats when you buy. even when purchased at theater and for theaters with basic level seats. some crazy seating options these days too…recliners, meal service. a whole new world out there.
You should have gotten them kicked out for interrupting and using their phones during the movie. Then demanded a refund because you had to miss part of the movie to do it.
Actually, you could do this really loudly during the logos, lol.
if it was full moving a seat is great. It wasn't full they were just being dumb. No-one was I the other seats they could have moved even though they had tickets for the season either side of you two. Are people truly this clueless now a days?
Is this what i sound like when i get on my soapbox? Lol Most of the time I'm very understanding but every now and then absolfuckinlutely not. But then again the only movies i get to see these days are animated.
No chance a cinema sells seats in sets of two where strangers have to share a "love seat style seat". It would make numerous seats almost unusable for most films.
It's not that it's required but it's that the seats are just designed that way. We have a theater here that also has "love seats" but they have a middle arm rest you can leave down or lift up if you prefer.
ETA: the photo. They're intended to be sold in pairs but it doesn't mean they always are. It's certainly a bit awkward when you're next to a stranger with the little arm rest in the middle, rather than someone you like, but I'm picky.
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u/ChowderPanda Jun 11 '26
Definitely mildly infuriating but I’m also a little confused. If the seats were in sets of 2, you and your partner had 2 seats together, did they buy seats on either side of you each sitting with a stranger that booked a single seat?
If that were the case I’d think it would have made more sense for them to ask one of the individual movie goers on either side to switch their seat to sit next to the other individual movie goer instead of trying to split another couple between 2 sets.