QueenCat Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Really? Why, when everyone is assured of a seat? Why would it be wrong or rude for people traveling together to sit together? Why would anyone want to interfere with that? Strange. Southwest's policy is that you board by group letter and number. They have open seating. You are allowed to take any seat that no one else is sitting in. If you checked in later, you board later (unless you purchased their early check in option, in which they check you for priority boarding). People who booked together should all be boarding very close together since they would check in at the same time. Only once has there been a gap in our numbers to line up for boarding but there was only one person in between us. I make sure I check in as soon as I can (24 hours prior) so that I can board in the first group and get a seat close to the front, in the aisle. Personally, I wouldn't ask for a seat someone was saving unless it made the difference between me being in the aisle/window or the center. I do not sit in center seats unless there is no other option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 That is not only not fair, it will get you booted to the back of the line via social pressure or an pimply 19 year old movie employee telling you to not do it. . Pimply 19 year old movie employee? What a smarmy, unnecessary descriptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Pimply 19 year old movie employee? What a smarmy, unnecessary descriptor. Lady, I married that dude (pimples and all- we were 21 when we eloped) and he's awesome. You can choose to take offense to a harmless descriptive comment or you can move right along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFG Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 How about this scenario. I arrive at a service or other open seating event before the event is to start but not super early. Say 20 to 30 minutes before the start. Many open but held seats. I stand in the proximity of a pew with many coats but only one person sitting on it. As the time for the event approaches, the seats remain empty. Just as the service is about to begin, I push a coat to the side and set my butt down. Voila! I now have a seat. Who is now the rude one? Dog, meet manger. And Merry Christmas to you too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Our church issues free tickets for large events, such as musical productions. We don't have pews, we have chairs, I don't know if that makes a difference. I can't imagine ticketing a church service, though, even on a holiday. Everyone who wants to come should be able to come. I do go to a large church that has multiple services and an overflow room (multiple overflow rooms, if needed). Our church offers free tickets for Christmas; we have chairs. There are a multitude of services, spread over several days. There are also satellite rooms. They don't bar the doors for anyone who wanders in; it's just that the guaranteed seating is for those who have reserved it ahead, i.e., me. If you just wandered in or you knew there were tickets, but wanted to take your chances, you could still just mosey in, but you will either be sitting in the satellite room, watching via video feed or you'll be standing in the sanctuary. Personally, I think it's awesome. If 1200 people try to come to the last service on Christmas Eve, hundreds of folks would have no seat at all. IMO, that would totally, completely suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Southwest's policy is that you board by group letter and number. They have open seating. You are allowed to take any seat that no one else is sitting in. If you checked in later, you board later (unless you purchased their early check in option, in which they check you for priority boarding). People who booked together should all be boarding very close together since they would check in at the same time. Only once has there been a gap in our numbers to line up for boarding but there was only one person in between us. I make sure I check in as soon as I can (24 hours prior) so that I can board in the first group and get a seat close to the front, in the aisle. Personally, I wouldn't ask for a seat someone was saving unless it made the difference between me being in the aisle/window or the center. I do not sit in center seats unless there is no other option. Many times I travel with someone I don't live / drive with. We may check in at different times but that shouldn't stop us from sitting together. Then again, I usually sit in the less popular seats anyway. I guess I could see not liking it if someone saved one of the front seats for a late boarder. (But now that you mention it, I'll sit in the aisle and save the center seat if my travel mate is behind me. Who wants to sit with strangers in a center seat? I don't like that either.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Many times I travel with someone I don't live / drive with. We may check in at different times but that shouldn't stop us from sitting together. Then again, I usually sit in the less popular seats anyway. I guess I could see not liking it if someone saved one of the front seats for a late boarder. (But now that you mention it, I'll sit in the aisle and save the center seat if my travel mate is behind me. Who wants to sit with strangers in a center seat? I don't like that either.) With Southwest, you can check in online up to 24 hours in advance. Since it can be done from my phone, it is never a problem to do it right when the time frame opens up. If you check in within the first few minutes of that time frame, you will be able to easily get on the plane in the first group (probably the second) and sit together. If I sit in the center seat, I am sore for a solid day. I will have one of my sons sit in the center if the whole row is going to need to be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 It's always the innocuous seeming little questions that bring out the hardline opinions here, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Taking action to achieve the best possible seating does not mean you think you deserve better seating. It's just utilizing the options that are available to you. It is not rude to save an entire pew if you really need that many seats. It is rude to save an entire pew if you do not. If you need special accommodations, then you will have to take extra steps to make them happen. Taking proper action to achieve the best possible seating means you all arrive at the same time. Speeding is an option too, I don't because it's illegal. Going through the express checkout line with 50 items is an option as well. I don't do it because it's rude. I have the option to wear my fleece Batman PJs to Walmart but I don't because I find it tacky (for myself). I also have the option of hogging all the crab rangoon at the Chinese buffet, but I don't do that either, because I believe it it nice to save some for the other who are there to partake of the buffet. Saving an entire pew when others are already there and looking for a seat is an option. I don't do it because it's rude and frankly I think if you are there or your group is there you should have the best options of seats. Options abound around us, just because they're there doesn't mean they are equitable or common courtesy. Ideally the church itself would address the situation. But part of etiquette is not pointing out the bad etiquette of other people. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Maybe churches ought to do what my DD's former school did-they'd auction off reserved seats for all the major school events/productions as part of the yearly fundraiser. . No one was allowed in early to reserve seats-even when your child was participating, you didn't get to go in and sit down until X minutes before the production (30, maybe?). Those seats brought quite a bit of money to the school. I could see it being very helpful to a church, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I think it is rude. Although, if this happened I wouldn't mind so much, "Our parish will make an announcement about 10-15 minutes before mass starts that they are going to have ushers start seating people in those saved seats." I attend Church but not on Easter or Christmas Eve. I just don't like the crowds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I don't like the idea of selling tickets to a church service. It doesn't seem in line with the spirit of church. I really don't know what to do about it. Personally I think that if it's overcrowded on a couple of special occasions, no biggie, people can stand. I stood last year at the program where my kid was singing a solo and both kids were playing the piano. I wasn't even late. It is OK to stand for an hour if you don't have health issues. If it's frequently overcrowded, then I think the church should figure out a solution such as strongly encouraging folks to attend another service if at all possible. Maybe having to stand a couple of times, coupled with that recommendation, would help. I dunno. Thankfully the service I usually attend is never overcrowded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I don't think I'm explaining myself very well. If it is acceptable behavior by the host or whoever is in charge, then it is not rude. Speeding is illegal, dangerous, and rude to other drivers on the road. Going through the express checkout with more than the allowable number (even if you get away with it) is rude, even if it is not technically illegal. If whoever is in charge allows spots to be saved, then I suggest that you take advantage of that because most likely, that's how they address keeping large groups together. If they have some other way, then follow that. If there are not enough seats for everyone that is attending, then the host should find a way to address that. Until then, some are going to left be left standing. Those are entitled to feel frustrated, sad, and disappointed. But it is rude to call those who have seats jerks. If saving seats is not allowed or discouraged, then yes, it's rude to do it, even if you can do it and get away with it. If there is an open seating policy, and saving seats is allowed, then go for it. I'm sad for you if you can't. I would be sad myself. But if there's not enough seats, take it up with the host, not those still sitting. Some are going to get prime seats. Some are going to be stuck with less than desirable seats. That's just the way things work. If the theatre has open seating, and you arrive early enough to save seats for you group, go for it. If the theatre does not have open seating and/or saving seats is not allowed or discouraged, and you try to do it anyway, then yes, you are being rude and deserve to be called a jerk. If the church allows (or even encourages) people to arrive early and save seats for their groups, then it is certainly not rude to do so! If the church says no saving seats or no saving seats past a certain time, then it is rude to do so, even if you can get away with it. Sunday night at our church's Christmas cantata, I am going to arrive early and save an entire row for our group of 13 people who I hope will all fit on the one row. I won't be the only one. The church leadership encourages this so that large families can sit together. If, by some chance, there is not enough room for everyone to sit, then extra chairs will brought in and/or some might be asked to give up their seats to guests. And the leadership will be the first to give up their seats for others. In this situation, I don't think I'm being rude at all by saving seats. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation. It's not always rude to save seats. It's not always *not* rude to save seats. Well, I think I've been redundant enough in this post, but hopefully that clarifies my views. If you still disagree, no hard feelings. That's your right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I don't like the idea of selling tickets to a church service. It doesn't seem in line with the spirit of church. It's well beyond "not in line with the spirit of the church", it's against Canon Law. And unless they were numbered and the pews had numbers on them (like a football stadium, it wouldn't prevent seat saving anyway (as evidenced by Southwest Airlines) If it bothers you that much, go to the Christmas Morning Mass. You can walk in 20 minutes early and have the place to yourself. Might even have to turn on the lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 This has all been very interesting to read. I can offer a different perspective... Muslims arrive at the mosque for holidays in much greater numbers than on your typical Friday. Some of that has to do with the fact that our day of worship is typically a working day. At the door (sometimes separate doors) males and females are separated except for young children, who can go with either parent but often end up with the mother. So already families are split up except in the case of single parents with young children. Everyone sits on the floor except people who are unable to due to injury or because they are elderly. For the prayers, Muslims line up in rows facing the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The rows are flexible in terms of distance between them because everyone is on the floor, not fixed pews. Eventually room will run out in the entrance area and people will be asked to move forward to fill in any gaps in front of them. People will also move around because the prayers should be performed shoulder to shoulder, so if a person in front of you has nobody on one side you should move forward and fill in the gap. In this way people often do not end up sitting with the people they came in with. Uniformity and the collective take priority over sitting right next to friends or family. It's really not a big deal to sit together for us. We're all there, we're all near each other, we're all worshipping. Just another way of looking at it, from the outside. :blush: I'm not sure what would happen if Muslims were given pews. Given the state of the parking lot on Muslim holidays, it could be a disaster. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 My feelings on the topic of saving seats have waffled and I can see both sides. However, I can say without any reservation (pun intended) that I think a church auctioning off seats to a service would be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I'd just skip church and party instead. Maybe watch mass on TV. LOL None of that sounds like a good time. With hot toddies? I'll join you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I'm surprised some of you see no distinction between saving a seat versus an entire pew. I mean, a pew is pretty darn long and seats a bunch of people, lol. I liken that to standing in a parking space until the car gets there. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 My feelings on the topic of saving seats have waffled and I can see both sides. However, I can say without any reservation (pun intended) that I think a church auctioning off seats to a service would be wrong. And I think churches have moved away from the former practice of buying pews that are specifically for your family. Probably because people don't live close to their extended families, church attendance is lower and more people have smaller immediate families that don't take up but a small fraction of the pew. But also because paying for it seems unsavory to many. But actual ticketing seems pretty common in some faiths and even appearing in larger churches. It's interesting. Auctioning to the highest bidder used to be somewhat common for buying family pews for newly constructed churches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Since my family consists of only three relatively narrow butts, I reserve judgment on those whose family requires an entire pew. :) There have been times when I've had to let my kids sit on my lap after someone took my "reserved seat" while the kids were up front playing bells or whatever. As the kids get bigger, that really is not a good solution. I may have to be a little more assertive.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I'm surprise some of you see no distinction between saving a seat versus an entire pew. I mean, a pew is pretty darn long and seats a bunch of people, lol. I liken that to standing in a parking space until the car gets there. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Thirteen seats are thirteen seats. Am I supposed to stagger our seats throughout the auditorium? We'll actually be taking up less seats if we all squish into one pew...and we will be squished to get us all in there. I'd say our pews hold 10 people, snug but comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I would never think of it as rude. I would just be irked at myself for not getting there sooner if I missed out on doing the same for my family:) If I have lots of people coming to church together, I would want them to sit together. Someone going early to save the space would be the way to do so. My mother wouldn't want to drive 3 hrs to go to church with us on a holiday just to sit 6 pews behind us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Lady, I married that dude (pimples and all- we were 21 when we eloped) and he's awesome. You can choose to take offense to a harmless descriptive comment or you can move right along. Ah, it's the old "my best friend is <blank> so it's OK if I say <blank>." Carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I don't like the whole seat saving idea, but I do understand it. I don't go to church, but during the summer they have free movies at the local cinema. They save entire sections for some of the larger groups. I find that rather irritating and unfair because it's first come first serve. So if you don't get there early enough, you don't get in. And in order to make sure, you go there like an hour before and wait. And you know kids don't like to wait. So I'm stuck sitting there for an hour with my annoyed kids and the groups can stroll in even after the movie has started (which happens). I don't understand why they are allowed to reserve seats and I am not. This is wrong, IMO. Either allow everyone to do it, or none at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 She should save you a pew too. Since she is there, knows the issue, and is your BFF....she should have offered...but, since she didn't, ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 In the case the OP mentioned it is Rude. I have more understanding for families with smaller children where one parent might be "exercising" the littles in the entry way/outside or where family members are serving in the church in different capacities. But I would still sit there and be judgemental, which is why it is probably a good thing I am not a Catholic because I would need to spend the entire mass in confession :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Ah, it's the old "my best friend is <blank> so it's OK if I say <blank>." Carry on. Does this sort of snark, to so many people on so many threads, make you feel good about yourself? I remain, somehow, unconvinced that referencing the general youthfulness of the typical movie theater employee and the fact that youth often have pimples is somehow offensive. And people here have accused me that I'm overly politically correct? Yeesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I think it's fine to save seats for your immediate family. Saving an entire pew (unless it's a short one, and just big enough for your family) is obnoxious IMO. Unless your family takes up two pews like ours does. Fwiw, we are not seat savers. If we need to get up we intersperse kid, coat, kid, kid, coat, with never more than one or two seats vacant between children. I take the first group of kids to the bathroom then sit them where the coats were and make a second trip to the bathroom with the second group of kids. This way we never save more than a couple of seats at a time, but it is always for legitimate reasons like potty time for the preschoolers. Ha! I save an entire pew. And it's all for my immediate family. If I don't get there an hour early, there's no where a mother with 10 kids can sit with all her kids. And it's midnight. I'm spoiled bc I absolutely want a pew with all the kids instead of finding myself chasing little ones the entire time. Yes! I guarantee, everyone else wants us sitting together as well. Who wants to get stuck with someone else's 3 or 7 yo? Arriving an hour early to save seats--as in a whole pew--for adult people who could get themselves up and to church but can't be bothered, while people who are already there have to stand in the back? Fold up chairs. Standing room in a church just seems wrong. This reminds me why I hate going to the movies, and never go on an opening night. :D I haven't been in a situation where I had any impulse to save seats, or had a chance to observe others saving seats, in years. Aaaaaaaah, life is good. :001_smile: Our movie theater has assigned seating. You reserve your seats when you purchase. It. is. awesome. Agreed that it's like cutting in line. Or like being that person at the grocery store who leaves their cart in line and then goes to get a million other things. Just because it's not illegal, immoral or against some church policy doesn't make it any less rude. Yep. If it is normal for people to be standing in church, maybe they should offer more church services. That sounds ridiculous. I would not attend a service that regularly had standing room only. See folding chair comment. Southwest's policy is that you board by group letter and number. They have open seating. You are allowed to take any seat that no one else is sitting in. If you checked in later, you board later (unless you purchased their early check in option, in which they check you for priority boarding). People who booked together should all be boarding very close together since they would check in at the same time. Only once has there been a gap in our numbers to line up for boarding but there was only one person in between us. I make sure I check in as soon as I can (24 hours prior) so that I can board in the first group and get a seat close to the front, in the aisle. Personally, I wouldn't ask for a seat someone was saving unless it made the difference between me being in the aisle/window or the center. I do not sit in center seats unless there is no other option. We have never had problems sitting together. We just politely ask if someone will switch with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 nm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Pimply 19 year old movie employee? What a smarmy, unnecessary descriptor. Lady, I married that dude (pimples and all- we were 21 when we eloped) and he's awesome. You can choose to take offense to a harmless descriptive comment or you can move right along. See this difference here? I commented on the descriptor. Your comment is personal: "Lady, if you don't like it, move along." You are the one who took it to a personal level, not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 nm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 nm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Rude. They are grown ups....they should come early if they want a seat! Now if a parent is outside with littles , that's a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Thirteen seats are thirteen seats. Am I supposed to stagger our seats throughout the auditorium? We'll actually be taking up less seats if we all squish into one pew...and we will be squished to get us all in there. I'd say our pews hold 10 people, snug but comfortable. No, you're not. The people who will be occupying those seats should show up at the same time and you can take your seats together. The obvious exception is for the person who may be participating in the service (singing, ushering). Other than that, it's incredibly rude. If I bother to get myself up and dressed and out of the house early enough to get a seat, then everyone in your party can do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 honestly, if I was visiting a church for the first time and found a lot of the seats saved with coats and obviously no one was there---I am talking about one person saving 15 seats - not three people saving two seats If I walked in and saw this done more than once, (meaning several rows of saved seats for different families) I would walk out and never come back--+ I would feel unwelcome and that the people were selfish and I would not want to attend church with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 We do it for any church service that will be crowded. Christmas Eve, Choir concerts, Easter. DS is 6 and very wiggly. He does SO much better close to the front, where he can see well. If he is happy and paying attention, then we will be too! We don't save more space than we really need and the ushers actively seat people and work the space well. You can squish in lots of people on pews and if it gets crazy crowded, we have the kids sit on our laps (for worship - couldn't do that for a concert - Ds is too heavy!). We usually all arrive early and kids run outside or play with friends, use the restroom etc. until about 15 minutes before the music starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 On a happier note, the upside to not enough seats is that I get to see the heartwarming sight of devout men kneeling on the hard marble floor. There is no requirement to do so, standing is acceptable if need be, but at ever service I'll see a few men, often the ones wearing jeans and a tshirt, kneeling in prayer. Always something wonderful to see. Also, thanks to this thread I took the time to call and find out Mass times at the parish near my parents's house. 4pm Childrens, 6:30pm Contemporary (what the heck is a contemporary Christmas Mass? A carol is a carol, right?) and the midnight Mass. I asked if the midnight service starts at midnight, or at 11pm, or? (BTDT....showed up at the END of a "midnight" service...turns out it ended at midnight). She didn't know..she said songs will probably start around 11 or 11:15, she thinks. Thinking we will shoot for one of the earlier ones, depending on what time dinner is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 We have never had problems sitting together. We just politely ask if someone will switch with us. There's nothing wrong with that...... but there is also nothing wrong with the person saying "no". I would personally say "yes" to such a request unless it put me in the middle seat for more than 1- 1 1/2 hours. My body can't take that, which is why I make sure I don't end up with a center seat to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 On a happier note, the upside to not enough seats is that I get to see the heartwarming sight of devout men kneeling on the hard marble floor. There is no requirement to do so, standing is acceptable if need be, but at ever service I'll see a few men, often the ones wearing jeans and a tshirt, kneeling in prayer. Always something wonderful to see. Also, thanks to this thread I took the time to call and find out Mass times at the parish near my parents's house. 4pm Childrens, 6:30pm Contemporary (what the heck is a contemporary Christmas Mass? A carol is a carol, right?) and the midnight Mass. I asked if the midnight service starts at midnight, or at 11pm, or? (BTDT....showed up at the END of a "midnight" service...turns out it ended at midnight). She didn't know..she said songs will probably start around 11 or 11:15, she thinks. Thinking we will shoot for one of the earlier ones, depending on what time dinner is. They probably sing "Mary, Did You Know?" at the Contemporary service. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 No, you're not. The people who will be occupying those seats should show up at the same time and you can take your seats together. The obvious exception is for the person who may be participating in the service (singing, ushering). Other than that, it's incredibly rude. If I bother to get myself up and dressed and out of the house early enough to get a seat, then everyone in your party can do the same. Yeah, that's my thing too. Or are other 12 people in the party all toddlers or using walkers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 They probably sing "Mary, Did You Know?" at the Contemporary service. :-) Ha! Good one. (and I actually like that song, so that would be fine with me!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 honestly, if I was visiting a church for the first time and found a lot of the seats saved with coats and obviously no one was there---I am talking about one person saving 15 seats - not three people saving two seats If I walked in and saw this done more than once, (meaning several rows of saved seats for different families) I would walk out and never come back--+ I would feel unwelcome and that the people were selfish and I would not want to attend church with them. I'm sure people don't intend for it to make others feel unwelcome, but "no room for you here!" is the message it may send—which is especially ironic at Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I'm sure people don't intend for it to make others feel unwelcome, but "no room for you here!" is the message it may send—which is especially ironic at Christmas. Which makes you wonder if the inns were really full on that first Christmas or they were just holding reservations for those who had not yet arrived. :leaving: **kidding** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 How about this: my toddler is going to whine and fiddle with my Smart Phone (w/Flashlight app) through the whole performance. You want that sooner or later? ;) I don't have a toddler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antsam Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 It's always the innocuous seeming little questions that bring out the hardline opinions here, huh? I know! I was just thinking crock pots, cupcakes, shoes in house, grocery carts and now church seat-savers!! :) Jodie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 When my dd was in a theater company that had general admission seating for their shows, the director had a seat-saving policy. It was 1 seat saved per person who was actually there. So, if you were expecting a group of 10, at least 5 of them had to show up when the doors opened to secure seats for the group. I thought this was a good way to do it. I never saw it strictly enforced because I never saw it abused. Her reasoning was that it was rude and unwelcoming to plant one person at the end of each row to save the entire row. I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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