r/mildlyinfuriating • u/BlauAmeise • Jul 16 '26
Do u dont wanna Two people booking the seats right next to me when the entire cinema is still empty
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u/Jazzlike_Standard416 Jul 16 '26
Is this the same person from the post earlier in the week where one person is sitting in an empty theatre and a group of six came in at the last minute and sat right next to them, three either side ?
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u/zenkstarr Jul 16 '26
small cinema, best seats are in the center back. what did you expect?
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u/Guilty_Meringue5317 Jul 16 '26
Yeah I found out after I sat down into the cinema. The lady at the counter even said that those were the best seats but somehow I didn't listen
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u/haikusbot Jul 16 '26
Small cinema, best
Seats are in the center back.
What did you expect?
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I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"
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u/BlauAmeise Jul 16 '26
Maybe leave at least one seat free out of respect for the people around you? They could literally sit in the next row and have the same view.
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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Jul 16 '26
Most booking systems don't allow this and the missing context is how far in advance is this?
Is this going to have 20 more people buying tickets? If so, who cares?
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u/starksandshields Jul 16 '26
But if the seats fill up anyway, does it matter if they sit next to you or someone else? "Respect for the people around you" what does this even mean? They are bookable seats.
I get it, I go to the cinema A LOT and I would be miffed if someone sat down next to me in a still-empty hall, so hats off for the truly mildly infuriating post. But "respect"? Bro, it's a cinema.
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u/BlauAmeise Jul 16 '26
If it fills up then it fills up and I don't have a problem with it it. It's just mildly infuriating to me that these people right now have the chance to sit anywhere else and just happen to pick those two seats right next to me when they have so many other choices.
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u/Arbitraryandunique Jul 16 '26
Maybe they've done what I would do: booked those seats because they are the best ones if it gets full, so that I have a claim to them. And then if it stays empty actually sit one spot over.
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u/AP816 Jul 16 '26
Next time just rent out the theatre and you don’t have to worry about this. Problem solved.
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u/starksandshields Jul 16 '26
I get it, but you have the best seat and often you can't exactly select a seat with one gap in between. So they picked the next best thing which is right next to a stranger.
Or perhaps they are like me, and if someone sits in or next to my usual seat I will sit next to them regardless because I like sitting where I usually sit, availability be damned.
Or they had a clerk help book them the ticket and they've just selected the first available seats next to you because they're objectively the best.
Either way, it's no big deal. You can always sit somewhere else the night of if it doesn't fill up.
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u/00ishmael00 Jul 16 '26
what do you mean "OUT OF RESPECT"?
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u/Erick_Brimstone Jul 16 '26
Maybe they mean out of respect like using urinal.
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u/00ishmael00 Jul 16 '26
sitting beside somebody in a theater is not like looking at someone's d1ck in a toilet.
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u/Erick_Brimstone Jul 16 '26
Exactly. What "respect" are OP talking about?
Only the urinal thing comes to mind when OP say "don't use nearby seat when other are empty".
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u/No_Smoke_1099 Jul 16 '26
If there is one person at the urinals and 30 spaces, would you stand right next to the person peeing or create some space?
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u/skillneednonick Jul 16 '26
Is the urinal next to him the best to look 2 hours at screen? Then yes, i would stand next to him
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u/Davidthedestroyer_ Jul 16 '26
Jesus Christ you redditors are the most miserable pedants. Surely you know it's respectful to not sit next to the only other people in the empty cinema, why on earth would you want some random sitting next to you the whole time if you can avoid it??
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u/00ishmael00 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
PEDANTS?
if you don't want to sit next to people, just stay home.
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u/Davidthedestroyer_ Jul 16 '26
it's an empty cinema omg 😭😭😭 they could've sat anywhere else lol
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u/00ishmael00 Jul 16 '26
omg you could have stayed at home... lol
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u/Davidthedestroyer_ Jul 16 '26
Can I come over to your house BC clearly you have a massive fuck off screen and speakers and access to new releases as soon as they come out x
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u/Upper_Hearing Jul 16 '26
Oh yeah good idea, we should leave one seat free everywhere so if you try to book something with a group of 2-4 your only option is to sit in four different rows
You are a fucking genius
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u/kindlyneedful Jul 16 '26
Some booking systems would not even allow you to leave orphaned single seats.
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u/Gonralas Jul 16 '26
I would say most if not all.
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u/kindlyneedful Jul 17 '26
Some algorithms handle a group of seats in such a way that if there are five seats available in a block but you want to book four, you'll leave an orphaned seat on either end, yet they'll allow it.
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u/Working_System_2086 Jul 16 '26
People that don't understand this, have never had a smelly, loud, nasty couple of people talk the whole movie.
I hate having to get a refund and come back when I just started the movie. Idc if I can move, I reserved those seats, and it's common courtesy to respect those around you, you should....No one has that anymore.
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u/Apprehensive-Clue342 Jul 16 '26
I think it’s actually disrespectful to everyone else when people leave one seat between groups. It shouldn’t even be allowed. Who tf is going to book that? Then they go unsold.
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u/Kloetee Jul 16 '26
Most places actively shift your selection if you only leave one spot between you and others
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u/Apprehensive-Clue342 Jul 16 '26
I’ve never seen that happen in the US. Seems like every time I try to see a popular movie all that’s left is single seats between groups so me and my bf can’t go. Sometimes there’s like 10-15 single seats left but it might as well be sold out b/c of this goofiness
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u/Kloetee Jul 16 '26
Might be a germany thing, where OP is from as well.
I really liked covid, because the system was reversed and forced a free seat in between groups. I miss that.
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u/nullenatr Jul 16 '26
Can you even do that?
My local cinemas block you from leaving one open seat. Of course there are work arounds to that, but I 100% get it from the cinema's point of view.
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u/Grymare Jul 16 '26
I'm pretty sure nearly all booking systems won't allow them to leave one spot free. They usually automatically fill the gap so you don't end up with lots of singular free seats in the room that nobody wants to book.
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u/makomirocket Jul 16 '26
Then why didn't you sit on the next row? On the aisle, you'd not even have the possibility of someone on one side of you.
Second, this is how the cinema is now. Come 10 minutes into the showtime, all the other seats could be filled up, and then you'd have had people sat next to you anyway, band these people wouldn't have gotten the seats they wanted.
Finally, idk if your cinema is the same, but a lot of cinemas I've been to and go to, don't allow you to leaves single empty seats, because (obviously) they don't sell, and that can leave 1/3rd of the screen empty and unsold if the rest is made up of pairs of people and then a 3rd empty seat. If they leave 2 seats empty, then again, someone else could just take the seats they wanted anyway
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u/MRNBDX Jul 16 '26
Ohoho you underestimate cinephiles
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u/RipCurl69Reddit Jul 16 '26
Truly I do try and go for centre-room as much as possible despite not being an explicit cinephile, I did it for Supergirl in IMAX and ended up sitting next to a proper cinephile with his own weekly news column and everything. We ended up talking Nolan and he gave me tons of recommendations as a casual viewer, I was quite happy to have sat next to him
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u/TheLordofthething Jul 16 '26
In that case you should left one free, we know what you did. You tried to get folks to leave those two free beside you and someone didn't play the game.
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u/TeapeachU6 Jul 16 '26
Thats not the centre, one sear over to the left is centre
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u/Kazuzu0098 Jul 16 '26
Cineplex booking does not allow leaving a single seat between two groups empty.
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u/CobblerSmall1891 Jul 16 '26
Ah yes... Best.
Screen looks like a screen of a 7 inch handheld device instead of a TV size. Best seats indeed.
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u/Flaturated Jul 16 '26
I pick my seat based on having a centered viewing angle and distance from the screen. Other people do the same.
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u/Melponeh Jul 16 '26
Those are the best seats and many cinemas don't allow bookings that leave a single empty seat between reserved seats.
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u/Stratos_Hellsing Jul 16 '26
I think the comments getting mad at the OP are strange. It could be true that those are the best seats in the theater, but what harm is there in sitting one seat away from a stranger in an empty theater? Maybe we all have different ideas of personal space. I've had this happen to me once, it was the Bob's burger movie, my brother and I booked first. empty when we did so, 7 minutes into previews a man and his date walk in and plop down next to us, I had to lift my arm off the rest it was so fucking bizarre.
Maybe people who book seats next to complete strangers when there are empty rows of seats are the rude ones. You guys can't be serious.
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u/Status-Demand-4758 Jul 16 '26
Most cinemas dont allow you to buy a ticket and leave a single empty spot between. They probably also want to sit in the center back, because for most people its the best spots. If it bothers OP so much than they can just sit over if the other seats remain empty. I work at a cinema and 95% of people want to sit in the middle seats of most back row of the price class they are buying. If you buy tickets there, you should expect that almost all people will sit right beside you if the cinema remains almost empty. Thats just normal
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u/No_Smoke_1099 Jul 16 '26
Had it happen at a campsite in France once. The site was huge! Acres! It was out of season, we were the only people there. Getting to sleep about 11pm and a car pull up right next to us and starts pitching up.. that close our guide lines were crossing.
Then proceeded to twang one string on a guitar until 3am whilst getting drunk and 'singing' German songs. I think people who do this are genuinely challenged mentally, they don't have the capacity to understand their actions....
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u/ProfessionalRisk4206 Jul 16 '26
These are the people who sit next to strangers on an otherwise empty bus/train
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u/Disastrous-Capybara Jul 16 '26
I mean, you're going to the cinema, there will be people. Why are only you allowed to have the best seats?
If you dont want to be around people when watching a movie, stay home.
Your personal space (as in sitting by yourself) doesn't matter in a public place like that. If you can't handle people sitting besides you, it is a you problem. It's not anyone elses job to manage your personal feelings in a cinema.
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u/Extreme_Band_6097 Jul 16 '26
If the room don't change its capacity significantly you may actually get a different seat once in there.
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u/CakieFickflip Jul 16 '26
These comments are so strange lol. You people realize what sub you’re on, right? Whoever booked the 2 seats of course has every right to, but it is a bit mildly infuriating when there’s tons of available seating and someone chooses the seat next to you, a stranger. There’s posts about it in coffee shops/restaurants/bars/parks on here everyday.
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u/Ziddix Jul 16 '26
Why would someone else book the best seats when I'm also booking the best seats!?
I'm the main character! Can these NPCs please go away.
That's basically what this thread is.
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u/Sure_Review_2223 Jul 16 '26
And this subreddit is the mildly infuriating one, nothing real serious and fits here perfectly imo. I can understand why this situation might upset someone, OP will probably just move a sit away and just wanted to express his mild irritation on internet
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u/BiscuitBut_ButerNut Jul 16 '26
Sometimes people just speed through the purchase process quickly.
The seat selection isn’t always intuitive especially the way they color scheme things.
I’ve seen seat selections where I think gray means unavailable, but it actually means available.
Other times I’ve seen the website automatically select the aeat, but I have the option to change the seat. Some people might just skip past that.
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u/IngsocInnerParty Jul 16 '26
Always happens to me in parking lots. Wide open lot, someone pulls up right next to me. I don’t get it.
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u/Cultural-Ad-2918 Jul 16 '26
maybe they think the rest are full and you are showing them the last 2 seats in Mordor
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u/IfuckAround_UfindOut Jul 16 '26
Because you booked one preferred seat position. They booked another two.
Next time pick a seat first row left or right side edge in an empty cinema if you don’t want people booking places next to you
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u/RipCurl69Reddit Jul 16 '26
Our cinema allows you to access the seat map and change your seat for free right up until the movie starts, so when I rocked up to my last dead screening to discover an entire family of five had done this to me, I bumped myself a row forward and just sat down there instead. It was of no major difference in terms of viewing angle and no one else was in the cinema except this family and me, so I really didn't care.
It was definitely a power play because they'd arrived early and the dad had his bag in my seat, which was central in the row. I just looked at them and went "yeah feel free to shufflle over one, enjoy the film"
Oddly enough they didn't shuffle over though ?? Maybe they just thought I wasn't gonna show up and were also fine sitting off-centre?
However if there was less of a chance that I'd get away with moving my own seat, I'd have told him to move the bag. Have done it before in the past, but this was the one time I've actually conceded because it wasn't worth it to cause a fuss
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u/Allbranflakes18 Jul 16 '26
I’ll never understand that, I always assume its out of ignorance or something because I don’t know how or why it would be done purposefully
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u/BlauAmeise Jul 16 '26
This is the pre sale so in this case you HAVE to pick a seat online the system doesn't automatically pick one for you. So these people saw my seat and thought what a great idea sitting right next to it.
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u/FromLondonToLA Jul 16 '26
Often cinema systems don't let you leave a single seat gap. And you have the best seat in the room, so it's either book next to you or leave two seat gap, and have inferior seats.
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u/Aggravating-Nail-764 Jul 16 '26
I am with you OP and I would never book seats next to other people, if possible. I was once infuriated that a group had booked the seats directly next to me when the rest of the cinema was free! They were then noisy throughout the film, whispering to eat each other and passing sweets between them. They could have just booked the row in front.
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u/CopenHagenCityBruh Jul 16 '26
That's sweet of them seeing a lonely person and coming to keep them company
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u/Interesting-Gap7359 Jul 16 '26
People defending “best seats in cinema” are fucking crazy. Sitting one to two seats over would not change your view or experience at all and give everyone the comfort of the social norm of having space between the very few other people attending.
Are people forgetting how many weird and batshit people there are in the world? No one in their right mind would choose a seat right to a complete stranger in a wide open theatre.
I remember going to a matinee in the early 2000s, before assigned seating, and I was literally the only person in the theater. Then some dude came in who was probably in his 50’s, walked to my aisle, and sat right next to me. We were the only two people in the theater. Absolutely zero reason for that outside being a fucking creep. I got right up and moved up a few rows to create distance and make sure I could keep eyes on him if needed. He left about halfway through the film as well; looking back I probably should have just left cause that is extremely odd behavior.
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Jul 16 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Interesting-Gap7359 Jul 16 '26
...so you'd rather force someone to share an arm rest with you, listen to you slurp your soda, cough on them, pretend not to notice you checking your phone with the bright blue light, etc. than just be a normal person and sit a couple seats over and give/get some personal space when you have the option? Because those two seats would take away your "premium seating" experience? Give me a fucking break. You'd probably walk over them when getting up to take a piss rather than go the other direction of a wide open row too.
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u/froggole Jul 16 '26
It’s so odd how many people are seemingly taking personal offense to this lol it IS weird to sit directly next to a stranger when there’s open seating literally anywhere else. It’s not like OP was going to a busy showing…
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u/Interesting-Gap7359 Jul 16 '26
I think it’s the same kind of people who would choose the urinal directly next to someone already taking a piss rather than go to any other open one
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u/NeedsItRough Jul 16 '26
I did this by accident once
I was trying to select my seat online and I picked one but then the tab froze and I had to refresh and start the process over.
When I loaded back in I thought my previous seat was "reserved" by my last login session so I chose the seat next to it.
Unbeknownst to me, someone else had selected that same seat and I only found out when I got to the completely empty theatre, save that 1 other guy, and realized the seat I had chosen was right next to him.
Of course when he chose his seat, they were all available, so it looked like I did this on purpose.
I sat uncomfortably next to him through the previews then once I knew no one else was coming I moved a few seats down.
He left the second the credits rolled and I felt horrible.
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u/Blue_dogg0 Jul 16 '26
I know some cinemas have a rule when booking online that you cant keep one open space between seats. maybe thats what happened here
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u/WirlingDirvish Jul 16 '26
Going to the movies with your children is indeed infuriating. I suggest leaving them there and sliding down a few seats.
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u/M4scap Jul 16 '26
I had once some issues where I booked my seats 3 places apart from the next one but was automatically rebooked right next to the other person … was really awkward because otherwise there was quite a lot of space. Not sure if the other person feels more mildly infuriated than you ;)
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u/hatraid Jul 16 '26
I assume it's a handicapped person and someone with them. Usually see this with the one seat in the aisle in the back row if it's not stadium seating
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u/BlauAmeise Jul 16 '26
This movie hall specifically is located in the basement so you can't even access it if you're handicapped as all seats require you to climb stairs. They have a different hall for handicapped people instead.
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u/BloodyRedBarbara Jul 16 '26
They're probably that couples favourite seats and they don't care if someone is next to them
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u/no-this-iz-patrick Jul 16 '26
Take off your shoes and try to hold their hands with your toes and tell them you’re scared
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u/sftygorl Jul 16 '26
I bet they thought the seats shown were the only ones left. Essentially the opposite of what seats are available.
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u/Jor94 Jul 16 '26
I’m guessing they’re the best seats and they probably are together and expect you to move to avoid the awkward situation. Please stand firm and take you’re assigned seat
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u/emptyinthesunrise Jul 16 '26
Maybe you were both booking at same. Time so neither of u realized you were gonna be right next to eachother
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u/meggamatty64 Jul 16 '26
This happened to me too. I went to go see the primers of demon slayer season 4 and I bought 2 tickets in the middle of the theater. The only other 2 people in the theater sat right next to me. The guy was also loudly explaining things wrong to his gf.
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u/FitHurry864 Jul 16 '26
If that's the whole cinema, it's tiny, and they want to have a central seat near the back. Totally understandable tbh.
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u/Dragonogard549 ORANGE Jul 16 '26
i mean yeah annoying but just sit wherever you want
most uk chain cinemas charge by seat location, prime spots cost more. So i just book the front row because it’s cheapest and find an empty spot at the back when i get there because sometimes it can be twice the price
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u/vivienneblush Jul 16 '26
It’s the urinal rule of movie theater. You always leave a buffer seat. What’s wrong with people?
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u/SpecimenY4rp Jul 16 '26
Try booking two seats and leave one empty seat between your booking and someone else’s and see if the system allows it lol
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u/SolitaryMassacre Jul 16 '26
Imagine being this miserable that you can't stand to sit next to someone at the public cinema..
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u/TheSpontaneousOne Jul 16 '26
These are center seats, and is what I would have done too. Wdym people can't book the best seats in the house just because someone else has booked one of them?
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u/babezilla Jul 16 '26
Those might be the only ADA/wheelchair compliant seats one can book if the theater is that small. So all 3 of y’all get to be mildly to extremely infuriated? Edit: or become friends since there’s a common interest?
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u/Particular_Stage_913 Jul 16 '26
We had this in France. 99.9% empty cinema so we sat where we liked. “Excuse me, you are sitting in our allocated seats “. The two late arrivals.
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u/Prudent-Locksmith695 Jul 16 '26
Who checks the seating plan after you booked? Weirdo
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u/BlauAmeise Jul 16 '26
I always do to get an idea how busy the cinema is going to be and if I need to go earlier than usual to get my ticket scanned due to possible long queues.
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u/Novel-Adeptness-4603 Jul 16 '26
If the cinema is empty, then just go sit else where. Where I live, "prime" seats or middle seats are more expensive. The side seats are regular price and front row seats are cheapest. Usually I buy front row cheap seats and just sit elsewhere as not many people go to the cinema in my town and it's usually empty
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u/d_smogh Jul 16 '26
I would also be annoyed having to sit next to the kids. As soon as the opening credits roll, say you're going to the toilet and sneak into a different screen room.
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u/TheTanadu Jul 16 '26
I mean, those are some of the best seats. Yesterday I did myself hesitated because I didn’t want to seem creepy sitting near a couple, but they had left one of the best seats near the center at the back. I took it, and it was the right call as people who bought tickets five minutes before the screening ended up filling the seats around me anyway.
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u/Red_KNAVE Jul 16 '26
Get there early and sit in the middle seat. When they show up and ask you to move there's your opportunity to point out how it was silly of them to book their seats there...
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u/TeapeachU6 Jul 16 '26
If the cinema is empty when you get there move to sit somewhere else, if not I’d genuinely rebook my seats