Thought You Had More Friends?

[TheGeneralPublicSucks]

I hate this one because I really am a nice guy with actual feelings, so I have to have pity on you.
You booked a party for your birthday for 30, and there are 8 people sitting in your room.
Ok, that sucks.
For you and for us. However, you didn't think about us when you made up 22 pretend friends in your head. I mean, I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how many people would show up to a dinner I invited them to. And It ain't 30, not even half that. But at least I am honest with myself. I'm not going to go book a room for 30, tie up all that space and 2 servers for a couple of hours on a busy ass night because I told some acquaintances about my dinner. Plus, what looks worse for you, 8 people in a room of 30, or 8 people at a table for 10?
You make yourself look like the biggest loser of all time.
And we are left to pity you! This is just as bad as seeing someone stood up on a date in the restaurant!

[MoonCat]

Well, you never know. Maybe they really thought the other 22 people were coming. I know someone who, when she doesn't attend an event, will later ask the people who went if anyone talked about her. It's like she can't imagine not being the center of attention, even when she's not physically present.

[blas]

I really hate nitpicking and being deliberately obtuse, but I have to wonder if it's possible that this poor guy has a really awful group of friends, and he was ditched in favor of something more "fun" (aka, louder and with tons of booze)?

Just something to wonder. I know it's happened to me two birthdays in a row, and I won't be repeating the same mistake again. Especially after this past birthday, I got "I'm on a diiiiiet" excuses and my one friend and her husband kept changing their RSVP because they were non-stop fighting, but if I'd ever done that to them, there'd be Hell to pay.

[tollbaby]

For my brother's birthday, eight people bailed on us WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW. SO here we were at the restaurant, at a table for 20, with twelve people. However, we waited fifteen minutes and then told the waitstaff that it appeared our friends weren't showing up, we apologized and helped them move the extra tables back to their normal positions. We also tipped quite generously.

[Tora]

See, this is why I'm glad I have a small group of close friends I can rely on. Then things like this never happen. I can guarantee if I tried this and included acquaintances, I'd be left looking like a fool.

[Android Kaeli]

^This.

I usually go out to lunch/dinner with the same group of people, we may need to wait ten extra minutes for everyone to show up. But everyone comes anyways and, if they can't make it at the last minute, they know better then to keep everyone else waiting.

[Betweenshades]

People can suck. I've had and have seen other people get RSVPs for a certain number and a totally different number show up. It's a different mentality now- people don't think about the impact they have by just not showing up to a party.

Every wedding I've been to has had a drama with the reception because of a lot of people just not showing up and having people that didn't say they'd go show up. It's crazy!

Nowadays, I don't bother with parties, I just invite a handful of people that I know will show and don't bother with the rest.

[kibbles]

I agree with everyone that it may have very well be a case of someone with unreliable friends. That in itself would make anyone feel awful IMO.

[Indigo]

People can suck. I've had and have seen other people get RSVPs for a certain number and a totally different number show up. It's a different mentality now- people don't think about the impact they have by just not showing up to a party.

Every wedding I've been to has had a drama with the reception because of a lot of people just not showing up and having people that didn't say they'd go show up. It's crazy!

Nowadays, I don't bother with parties, I just invite a handful of people that I know will show and don't bother with the rest.

My mom had the same issue with her wedding - a bunch of people RSVPed and didn't show up so we had tons of food left over for the next week or so. I've also had the same thing happen to me when I schedule a gathering of friends. It totally sucks when people do that, with little to no regard to who they're affecting. I'm sure the person in the OP's post probably felt like crap because of it. Unfortunately it seems to be an ever-growing common thing nowadays.

[TheGeneralPublicSucks]

For my brother's birthday, eight people bailed on us WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW. SO here we were at the restaurant, at a table for 20, with twelve people. However, we waited fifteen minutes and then told the waitstaff that it appeared our friends weren't showing up, we apologized and helped them move the extra tables back to their normal positions. We also tipped quite generously.

Can you clone yourself!? I wish the general public was only half as considerate as you...

It's sad that I read your post and said to myself, "in a dream world, this would always happen". Why is consideration and respect a dream world?