Sitting on my own at theatre

How rude and such a pushy woman. I probably would have gone home very upset.

She’s well and truly marked her card now and you and your other friends will be better prepared if she tries any more cheap tricks. It’s always easy to think what you should have done after the event but not quite so easy when taken aback by chancers like her.

I wasn't there but I'm shaking with fury on your behalf, just from reading how she behaved.

I’d like to think that the ‘friend’ will read this thread, but I suspect that, even if she did, it wouldn’t dawn on her that she was the villain of the piece! ??

I'd have been furious. In fact I'd have been so furious I'd have flounced out. I've never grown out of flouncing.

I'd have been devastated that I couldn't slam a door on the way out either.

Maggiemaybe

I think we’re all unanimous - you are most definitely not being unreasonable. That woman must have the hide of a rhinoceros! Did you join them in the bar afterwards after being so graciously invited?

Hi Yes I did. But was so annoyed with her I barely joined in the conversation.

Just read your update.
Your friends, or you, should have been much more direct during the interval. That was your ideal opportunity.
She should have been firmly told to go back to her own seat.

I agree that it's horrifying rudeness from her, tho.

I m not terrible assertive but in that situation I d have said sorry but you’re in my seat I would not have gone to the other seat although sometimes we do things and wish we hadn’t and kick ourselves afterwards
Your friends were in the wrong to why didn’t one of them say something
Horrid situation

What a pushy, selfish woman to do that, I’d be furious with her and with my friends for not making it clear it was your seat and telling her to shift. Difficult for you to confront her & cause a scene if the play was starting. I think I’d have felt like going home. As for her turning and asking you if you’d like to join them for a drink in the bar, what a cheek!!

Sometimes when a story like this is related it's almost as if we the reader are personally experiencing being on the receiving end of the sheer front of what you had to put up with from the usurper because quite honestly her cheek was gobsmacking I think I might have said something along the lines to your companions "why didn't you say anything? she had no right to grab my seat" in fact I'd have said so to her face, or maybe I wouldn't because I suffer from "delayed reaction syndrome" and fume afterwards. I suspect you and your friends were too taken aback to say anything.,

Sorry for your experiences, but maybe if you bump into seat grabber anytime soon tell her how annoyed you were at the time.

The person was rude! Your friends though should not have let it happen, they should have explained it wa your seat before she sat in it.

Seems the selfish woman came out tops then.
No wonder originally she had no-one to go with! Some people have no self awareness.

I think we’re all unanimous - you are most definitely not being unreasonable. That woman must have the hide of a rhinoceros! Did you join them in the bar afterwards after being so graciously invited?

Thanks for the replies.

To clarify I was with 2 friend not 3 and we had booked 3 seats together. I've just been talking to one of the friends. This woman came over said Hi fancy bumping into you etc. They said yes they were there with me, I'd just gone back to my car for my cert.
My seat was the aisle seat and she said something about blocking people's way and sat in my seat. They assumed it was just for a minute to get out of the way.

I came back, and a minute later the safety announcement was being made and I said we'd better get into our seats. She then pointed to the other seat. By this time the lights were going down and the first play was about to start. This was the point when we all realised she was planning to remain in my seat. But we couldn't do anything about it with disturbing everyone around us.

At the first interval one friend made a comment about me having chosen good seats, and the other friend said to the woman 'you'd probably have time to switch back before they start again' but the woman acted as if she hadn't heard and just started talking about the play.

There really wasn't anything any of us could do without creating a row. She just put us all in a difficult position.

You are certainly not being unreasonable!
I realise that you didn’t want to cause a scene just as the lights were going down, but I think I would have gone back during the first interval and made her move to her own seat.
So sorry that you're friends we’re no help to you.

I think I'd have cried

Yes, she was extremely rude! And so much for the other two 'so called friends'! They should have said something to her from the outset and maybe you should think twice about going with them again.

I would have told her to move back to her own seat she was being really rude. You were far to polite.

I feel hurt on your behalf just reading about this. Very rude behaviour from the seat grabber and poor show from the other 3. Reminds me of unhappy experiences at school

All of these people were unreasonable.

The original 3 didn't want to upset the CF but didn't care about upsetting you?

Did you have a numbered ticket? You should have fetched the usherette and insisted on having the seat you booked. Although what your 'friends' were doing I don't know, particularly as you were the person who booked the tickets. Very unkind.

I think she was trying to pass her ' friendless night out ' on to you . And then highlight it by calling out to you . You handled it well by keeping quiet about it . What a horrible woman muscling in on your night out and then excluding you . Avoid her .

Well when you came back You should have said hi etc and smiling I believe your sitting in my seat. And stood firm until she got message but why didn’t your friends say sorry that is such and suchs seat she just nipped to get something so if none of you said anything you can’t moan about something that’s already happened.

I am fuming on your behalf,the cheek of her and why didnt your friends say this is our friends paid for seat she has just gone to get her covid cert and will be back in a min,they could have also draped a coat or bag on the seat while you was gone to show the seat was taken.
To then ask if you would like to come for drinks as if you were the add on,utter utter cheek

Really, with friends like yours you don’t need enemies, as the saying goes. One wonders why they didn’t tell this woman it was your seat, I certainly would have done. Awful for you.