Move it or go...

[Emerald Knight]

There isn't a specific SC on this, but I really have to get this off my chest.

Our cinema has two classes of seats, standard, which isn't allocated, or VIP, which is. This poses a number of problems.

This is not your seat...

The number of people who do not realise this is a seat that costs extra is appalling (or it's the can't-read-won't-read scenario) so there's always someone who decides to sit in a VIP seat unless a member of staff is around. Sooner or later you get someone who refuses to move until we threaten to call security to eject them.

"We were here first!"

How many people come alone to the cinema? Not many you say? Congratulations, you have a brain! On sold out screens, we have to ask you to move on occasion to cater for the majority. Shit happens right? Well, there's always someone who starts acting childish 'they should've gotten here earlier like we did!' 'we were here first!' well sor-ry, but my job is to cater for the majority, even if it makes a few (Heaven Forbid! Not!) move one seat.

Yeah

[georgie]

i agree with you on the first part. if you dont pay for a VIP seat then you dont get to sit in one.
doesnt matter if the seat stays empty the whole time.




the second one tho im going to respectfully disagree with you. if someone makes the effort to get to the cinema early to get a seat they like then they shouldnt be moved because someone (group or single) turns up late

the large group can be sat separately. maybe it'll teach them to get there earlier next time

(nothing i hate more that getting into a movie and have a large noisy group turn up and take ages to get organised grrrrr)

[Moosenogger]

I also have to respectfully disagree with the second story. If I decide to go to the cinema alone and find a seat where I can actually see the screen (I.e. some 6' 5" jerkoff hasn't planted his ass directly in front of me) then the newcomers can kindly go pound sand. I'm not moving.

[Sapphire Silk]

Yeah, the first customer is definately sucky. Pay up or move.

But I have refused to move for groups that waltz in at the last minute, find the place packed, and have to break up to find enough seats. I always get to the theater early because I prefer specific seating. You snooze, you lose.

[Lyse]

The few times I have gone to a movie in the last couple years we get there early so that I can specifically get an end seat with a straight line to the exits. If I am forced to sit in the middle of the row - especially in a crowded theatre - I spend so much time trying to keep my anxiety at bay that I can't enjoy the experience. I will gladly stand so you can get by, but I have chosen my seat.

[barainga]

I dont mind moving if its to accomadate people will small children or someone with a disabilty or health issue. But thats it.

[bainsidhe]

I dont mind moving if its to accomadate people will small children or someone with a disabilty or health issue. But thats it.

Yeah, that's about it for me too. Whining because your group of 8 was silly enough to sit where only 7 seats were open and you didn't realize until after the previews started? Tough, I don't wanna move to another row. It's rare that theaters are sold out here, but it's hard for largish groups to find a clump of seats in a single row, so they start asking random people to move out of their way. It's always adults, too. Me, I always sit at the end of a row because I'm a plus-size gal and end seats give me more room. Plus I'm not squished on either side by someone's 60oz soda in the cupholders, or by others taking up both arm rests.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I dont mind moving if its to accomadate people will small children or someone with a disabilty or health issue. But thats it.

Likewise.

And I agree with the rest. I took the time to come in early enough to get the seat that I want. Unless it is to accommodate someone with a disability or small children that can not be split from their parents...I am not moving.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Agreeing with the majority on the second story. If it's a case of little kids or disability, I'll move.

Anything else? First come, first serve. Sorry you and your friends can't sit together, but get in early, and you can sit where you like.

[Emerald Knight]

I should clarify here.

The problem is usually because people don't want to sit next to strangers, so they leave a seat between their party and the one next to them. This is usually fine, but when a screen sells out, it causes staff and managers a headache because even fewer people can sit together because of it. When we have someone on seating duty, we aim to ask them before they settle down completely (i.e. when the ads are on at the very most) not to do this. If you really must do so on the opening weekend, then we ask people to make it two seats or more, so that a couple can sit in between.

The managers keep promising the standard seating will become allocated...

But they said it would be by April...

... last year.

[Legal Eagle]

i go to the cinema by myself occasionally i sit wherever there is a free seat, if a group arrived later and there were no empty seats together then, tough.

If you treat some customers as being more important than others, then i will simply not return.

[Caractacus_Potts]

As a patron I've run into someone in my assigned seat at venues before. I don't think anyone has ever refused to move though. Most people know they aren't supposed to be there but I've always gone to places where it was all assigned so the person in my chair has a ticket for another chair or the assigned seating is clearly delineated (usually with staff only allowing assigned seat ticket holders to enter that area).

I have no problem with someone asking me to move and if it won't inconvenience me I will probably accommodate them. I actually think I would find it more inconvenient in the long run to have two halves of a couple on either side of me for the whole show than it would be to move one seat over.

The key there is ask. If someone orders me to move they better have a gun and a badge or they will most likely get a simple, "No".

[Jetfire]

I usually go to the movies by myself, and generally the shows I go to aren't sold out, so I don't think I've ever been asked to move.

That said if a group of N comes in and there are N-1 seats to my left and 1 seat to my right, I've got no problem shifting over to accommodate them. But many more than that and it would probably be tough luck for them.

Personally, if I do go with a group, I prefer to split up into a more rectangular grouping (ie 2 in one row, and 2 behind them in the next row), since that way you don't have to shout across multiple people to talk to the far end of the group. (in the premovie wait of course)

[BuryMe]

How many people come alone to the cinema? Not many you say? Congratulations, you have a brain! On sold out screens, we have to ask you to move on occasion to cater for the majority. Shit happens right? Well, there's always someone who starts acting childish 'they should've gotten here earlier like we did!' 'we were here first!' well sor-ry, but my job is to cater for the majority, even if it makes a few (Heaven Forbid! Not!) move one seat.

Yeah

I think I have to agree with the customers here. True, moving 1 seat to the side is no big deal, but you still shouldn't expect some one who has been sitting there for a while to move just because a group came later.

[MoonCat]

I've never heard of assigned seats in a movie theater. I guess we just don't have those here.

With general seating, I look at it this way: Each ticket sold is a single ticket sold. Whether you come in with a bunch of other people or not, you paid for one seat, and each of your friends paid for one seat. That's a contract between you and the theater, and there is nothing inherent in that contract that says you're entitled to sit together. Get there early enough so you can find seats together, problem solved.

Personally I like to sit at the back right against the wall, that way idiots can't put their feet up on the back of my seat.