first world problems, a/c (I'm always thankful for A/C in AZ, haha), my handyman hubby, a nice soft bed, nice soft sheets
Last week, we went happily to attend commencement exercises for my lovely daughter. Here she is with one of her good friends.
Emily girl and Kelly girl
We took Emily out to dinner early, and then headed over to the Jr college football field to get some good seats. We were almost an hour early. Did I say good seats? I wanted to sit in the middle section. I truly wish I could publicly humiliate the guilty parties, but I didn't think to take a picture of it until later. By then the seats were filled. Here is a tiny portion of what I faced. TINY.
This was the bench below us, saved with twine and programs. The. Whole. Row.
But what was worse was the other 5-10 people saving row upon row upon row, with blankets and other butt blocking devices.
Here are some other forms of seat saving under other circumstances. The magazine method.
The horizontal reach.
The limbs to chairs ratio.
The Whatever it takes method was clearly being used at graduation.
I was curious. My Granny, having raised me with constant reminding about proper social behavior, came to mind. I wondered what the rules were. I had a hard time finding what I was looking for, but here is one article.
Table Saving
Because my aformentioned Granny gave me a Miss Manners book when I graduated, I went to her website and wrote this to her:
Dear Miss Manners,
I am happy to have been the recipient of manners training by my dear Granny, who not only taught me proper etiquette, but bought me a Miss Manners book upon my graduation. I am sure she would have been as astonished as I was, when attending my daughter's graduation from high school, I was presented with a dozen unrelated people saving seats for HUNDREDS of others.
I came an hour early WITH my family, including our daughter's grandparents in their late 70s. When I tried to secure a seat in the middle section so we could enjoy the commencement exercises, I was told that row after row of seats were saved.
When I expressed under my breath, "this isn't right", one woman who had literally spread blankets over 3 or 4 ROWS of bleachers, replied, "you could have come earlier." I simply told her it's not right to save 100 seats, to which she repeated her previously smug statement. I resisted the urge to tell her that none of the people she was saving seats for had come as early as I.
What is the proper rule for seat saving? I admit I have saved a seat or two in my time. But it never would have occurred to me to save 100 or multiple rows. When the man below us, who was also saving an entire row with twine and programs called his family member to tell them to hurry, minutes before the program started, he said, "I can't hold them anymore. People are going to steal them." I was incredulous.
Perplexed in Arizona
I am happy to have been the recipient of manners training by my dear Granny, who not only taught me proper etiquette, but bought me a Miss Manners book upon my graduation. I am sure she would have been as astonished as I was, when attending my daughter's graduation from high school, I was presented with a dozen unrelated people saving seats for HUNDREDS of others.
I came an hour early WITH my family, including our daughter's grandparents in their late 70s. When I tried to secure a seat in the middle section so we could enjoy the commencement exercises, I was told that row after row of seats were saved.
When I expressed under my breath, "this isn't right", one woman who had literally spread blankets over 3 or 4 ROWS of bleachers, replied, "you could have come earlier." I simply told her it's not right to save 100 seats, to which she repeated her previously smug statement. I resisted the urge to tell her that none of the people she was saving seats for had come as early as I.
What is the proper rule for seat saving? I admit I have saved a seat or two in my time. But it never would have occurred to me to save 100 or multiple rows. When the man below us, who was also saving an entire row with twine and programs called his family member to tell them to hurry, minutes before the program started, he said, "I can't hold them anymore. People are going to steal them." I was incredulous.
Perplexed in Arizona
When she answers, I'll update the post. Yes, yes, there have been a few occasions when I have gone early to a church meeting and saved a few seats for my family. The conclusion I am coming to that makes sense to me is that, either the people you are saving for should be in the building or on their way in, OR you should not save more than the 2 hands God gave you with which to save them. Feet don't count as hands for erect sentient beings. :-)
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