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Post by tonyloco on Mar 21, 2019 12:00:19 GMT
Today's Telegraph reports on a case where an irate opera-goer at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, arrived for a performance of Wagner's Siegfried to find that his seat was occupied by the coat of the woman sitting in the next seat. He picked up the coat and threw it onto the woman's lap, thereby starting a brawl with the woman's husband, during which punches were allegedly exchanged. The man denies assault by beating and there are apparently a large number of witnesses due to give evidence. Sounds like a fun day in court!
"And so, Mrs X, what did you think of the opera?"
It does make me wonder why people arriving at their seats in a theatre seem to think it is OK to drape their coats and other items over the empty seats in front of them or beside them, apparently in the expectation that those seats will remain empty for the rest of the evening. They then have to collect up their clothes when the occupants of those other seats arrive. Are these perhaps people who only go to the theatre on rare occasions and don't expect it to be well-attended, or are they just being thoughtlessly selfish and think they have a right to spread themselves onto seats they haven't bought?
I recall an instance many years ago when I reached my row in the Amphitheatre at the Royal Opera House and found literally a pile of coats on what was my seat. I immediately exclaimed in a loud falsetto voice:
"Oh, my seat's all covered in coats!"
This rather surprising outburst had the desired effect and there was a flurry of people in adjoining seats reclaiming their garments so that I could occupy the place for which I had paid. It never happened again!
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Post by Steffi on Mar 21, 2019 12:07:31 GMT
This has happened to me a few times when my seat was a single seat at the end of the row. Every time the seats next to mine were occupied by a party of two or more people. They obviously thought that surely no one goes to the theatre all alone so that lonely seat at the end of the row will definitely remain empty.
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Post by Backdrifter on Mar 21, 2019 12:35:07 GMT
I immediately exclaimed in a loud falsetto voice:
"Oh, my seat's all covered in coats!"
This rather surprising outburst had the desired effect and there was a flurry of people in adjoining seats reclaiming their garments so that I could occupy the place for which I had paid. It never happened again!
I love the detail of the falsetto voice. Please say you also either placed one hand on your forehead and extended the other, or threw both up in horror. I also like the "it never happened again" as though word had got around! "No, no, what are you doing? Don't put your coat there, I've heard there's this person who turns up and shrieks in a really high voice!" I once left my coat on the adjacent seat at a BFI screening. It was so close to start time I did that thing of thinking, well they're not going to show up now. Which I realise is silly, of course they might. The occupant did show up but she handled it very differently from the guy in the story above, she smiled and shook her head saying "No, not getting away with that I'm afraid!" It was good-natured and all was fine. In fact, 20 years later we're still married! (We're not. I never spoke to or saw her again. It'd be a brilliant story though). It is a bit irritating but just throwing the coat at the owner is a stupid way to handle it. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 12:43:04 GMT
I just sit on it. And tell the owner that I have a particularly bad wind problem which I think we're both going to end up regretting by the end of the show.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 21, 2019 12:53:53 GMT
Are we talking duffles and cagoules or an amazing technicolour dreamcoat?
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Post by crowblack on Mar 21, 2019 12:54:08 GMT
"I don't want to bother you, but Yay for politeness. My foot accidentally touched the leg of the girl next to me at the start of one of the Pinters and she snapped at me so nastily it left me fuming and tbh really took the shine off the play for me. |
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Post by alece10 on Mar 21, 2019 13:09:04 GMT
Probably the same people who put their bag on the seat next to them on the tube and glare at you when you ask them to move it so you can sit down.
I also get annoyed when people drape their coat over the back of their seat in the theatre encroaching on your limited legroom.
True story. Probably about 1977 I was at The Palladium seeing Liza Minnelli and the woman in front had her coat draped over her seat and in my way. I tapped her on the shoulder to ask her to move it. She turned around. Ingrid Bergman! Still made her move the coat.
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Post by harrietcraig on Mar 21, 2019 13:21:38 GMT
Then there’s the shopping bags problem. I once arrived at my seat to find that the woman in the seat next to me, who had obviously spent the day shopping, had neatly piled all her bags on my seat. She was quite put out when she had to remove them and find room for them under her seat. If I had the presence of mind of tonyloco, I would have exclaimed, “Are these all for me? How kind of you!” (Don’t ask me why she hadn’t been made to check her bags; this was at Carnegie Hall, where enforcement of the bag check policy can be somewhat haphazard.) |
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 21, 2019 13:23:12 GMT
I got no issues putting my coat and rucksack on an empty seat next to me. I also have no such issues moving my items, if someone comes to claim their set.
The person who picked up the coat and threw it at the woman was wrong and showed complete bad manners and this situation could have been resolved with good manners.
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Post by sophie92 on Mar 21, 2019 13:29:13 GMT
On one of my visits to Heathers, I was sat in the back row of the Dress Circle. The person in front had draped their coat over the back of their seat so it was hanging in my leg/foot space. The hood of this coat had a big fur (I hope faux!) trim and it was absolutely tipping it down, so that was a fun one as I hadn’t realised how much the coat was draped over until I sat down and my jeans were dampened by the hood.
Also, if I’m remembering correctly, when I first saw Groundhog Day at the Old Vic, I was on an aisle seat and arrived to find that the woman next to me had put all her bags in my seat space
Whilst I think some people do put their belongings on seats in the hope they’ll stay empty, I do think some people are just that oblivious as to the consequences of their actions/other people
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 21, 2019 13:36:58 GMT
I witnessed another incident with coats at the ROH, but somehow different.
Firstly we arrived to our Stalls Circle seats 5 minutes prior to the performance and a couple were seating there. I told them politely that they were in our seats, they apologised and left. Then we realised they had standing tickets.
We noticed 2 great seats in Orchestra Stalls which were empty during the first half. The couple next to those seats left their coats in those empty seats. The couple with the standing tickets rushed to those seats during the first interval, move the coats to the seats next to them and sat. When the other couple came back from the bar and noticed what happened all hell broke loose.
First they started with 'Who gave you permission to touch our coats?' followed by a heated argument saying 'these seats were empty during the first half and they are going to remain now, so get out of here' or something along those lines. Finally the house manager came along, asked to see the tickets of the couple with the standing tickets and escorted them back to their standing positions, telling them that if they try to take any empty seats again they would be asked to leave.
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Post by eatbigsea on Mar 21, 2019 13:46:42 GMT
The Times says that the coat-thrower was seated in the row behind and climbed over the seat to sit in the empty (except for the coat) seat. Seems a bit unusual for Covent Garden. The Times story also quotes the chairman of the bench in magistrates’ court as saying there were an “awful lot of witnesses” so it would be a 2 day trial.
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Post by ctas on Mar 21, 2019 14:07:27 GMT
The bit that gets me about this story is that the cloakroom at the ROH is free...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 14:11:03 GMT
I've taken to draping my coat over my lap and legs like a blanket. Keeps it firmly in my own space, pockets are still accessible, and in some overly air-conditioned theatres I'm pretty sure it's saved my life. Though that said, when I get a box or a slip seat with very clearly defined individual space, I do take an unreasonable amount of pleasure in spreading my belongings around...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 14:26:27 GMT
I've had instances of going to my seat, mid-row to find a coat in/on my seat and been tutted at when asked to move the coat.
How very dare I inconvenience someone by wanting to sit in the seat I've paid for.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Mar 21, 2019 15:07:04 GMT
Then there’s the shopping bags problem. I once arrived at my seat to find that the woman in the seat next to me, who had obviously spent the day shopping, had neatly piled all her bags on my seat. She was quite put out when she had to remove them and find room for them under her seat. If I had the presence of mind of tonyloco , I would have exclaimed, “Are these all for me? How kind of you!” (Don’t ask me why she hadn’t been made to check her bags; this was at Carnegie Hall, where enforcement of the bag check policy can be somewhat haphazard.) I had this in New York too - at the interval we took a little walk around the theatre, came back to find the woman next to us had put her large bag on our seat - ex (being a polite old thing) said "excuse me" .. stood there as she looked him up and down; she gave an exaggerated sigh - with eye roll - and moved her bag. Felt sorry for the guy with her. I did read the initial story yesterday. The ROH was staging a four parter over different days, the couple had the same seats for all four performances. The man throwing the punches at the interloper shoving the coat at his missus is some wealthy hedgefund type with a large and potentially lucrative project on the go, which could all go horribly wrong for him ... The interloper had asked if he could sit there and they said no (smacks of posh privileged types). Years ago, I was looking for a ticket for Love Never Dies (shuddup I loved it) and was being offered poo seats. It was nearly the end of the run, and it was Kids Week, and there were a couple of nice stalls, so I bought them both (2 for the price of 1). Interval ends, orchestra starts and this woman leaps gazelle like from the aisle over peoples knees and into my "spare" seat, which had my coat on it, chucking my coat at me... I could have been miffed but I really couldn't be arsed. Just a shame she didn't think to approach me and ask in the interval. |
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Post by crowblack on Mar 21, 2019 15:23:46 GMT
if they try to take any empty seats again they would be asked to leave. Bit mean! Had the other couple bought all 4 seats? Even if they had, bloody hell, if I'd booked a load of seats and the friends couldn't make it I'd be happy to let some with a poor seats take it. Btw, expression my mum's friend has: "it's bums what keep seats, not hats." |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 17:09:39 GMT
Thankfully never had a real issue with coats on seats - it’s feet that have caused me problems before. I was once turned up at the theatre and have gone to sit in my seat and had (what felt like) the entire row behind me shout at me not to sit down (halfway through the motion).
Turns out the person sat behind me had taken their shoes off and put their feet between the folds of (my) seat in front, and when I’d pushed my seat down they experienced some sort of pain as the seat took its usual position.
They never did seem to appreciate the fact I hadn’t sat down and that it would have been an entirely different evening for them if I had.
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Post by peggs on Mar 21, 2019 17:48:15 GMT
There's a seat at the donmar which due to the pillar means it has extra space in front of it, so in my head the space could be claimed the seats rither side of it or the one it is in front of. I've been there and had someone from down the row come up and fill it and then go back down the row and cos I'm me I probably looked unimpressed by said nothing.
And not coats but when people either stretch out their legs and take your leg room from either side or allow their bags yo fill it. I need to practice monkeys response.
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Post by kimbahorel on Mar 21, 2019 19:17:23 GMT
I haven't had coats on seats and if I did and not remembered its probably because they just moved their coats. I do however remember like what was said about people removing shoes AND socks next to me * vomit *. And also people who invade my space with there legs or body. I mean I hate touching people but if you're going to stretch out... I will too. Until they know I am not giving up and sometimes maybe move back into their leg space!!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 22, 2019 7:34:21 GMT
There's a seat at the donmar which due to the pillar means it has extra space in front of it, so in my head the space could be claimed the seats rither side of it or the one it is in front of. I've been there and had someone from down the row come up and fill it and then go back down the row and cos I'm me I probably looked unimpressed by said nothing. And not coats but when people either stretch out their legs and take your leg room from either side or allow their bags yo fill it. I need to practice monkeys response.At 42nd Street front stalls the legroom is (was) so bad that I couldn’t sit in the seat without “manspreading”. Fortunately I was on the aisle as always so one knee wasn’t bothering anyone but the other one physically would not fit without putting it in the space between the next seat. It was embarrassing and I was mortified to have to apologise to the lady next to me for invading her space. Fortunately she was charming and very understanding but had it been some other big bloke it could have been a right mess. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2019 8:18:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2019 8:20:12 GMT
There's a seat at the donmar which due to the pillar means it has extra space in front of it, so in my head the space could be claimed the seats rither side of it or the one it is in front of. I've been there and had someone from down the row come up and fill it and then go back down the row and cos I'm me I probably looked unimpressed by said nothing. And not coats but when people either stretch out their legs and take your leg room from either side or allow their bags yo fill it. I need to practice monkeys response.Fortunately she was charming and very understanding but had it been some other big bloke it could have been a right mess. Or the beginning of a beautiful love affair ... |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 22, 2019 8:54:03 GMT
We could have been tapping into the sunset... pavement cracking as we go
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 22, 2019 9:01:40 GMT
if they try to take any empty seats again they would be asked to leave. Bit mean! Had the other couple bought all 4 seats? Even if they had, bloody hell, if I'd booked a load of seats and the friends couldn't make it I'd be happy to let some with a poor seats take it. Btw, expression my mum's friend has: "it's bums what keep seats, not hats." I wondered about that. My guess is that probably they had bought the 4 tickets and the rest of the party couldn't make it, but i couldn't hear the whole converstion. They seemed very and confident that the other couple shouldn't sit next to them. And they made an even bigger fuss because they touched their coats and bags without permission.
Maybe they had just seen the couple in the standing area and they guessed that they had standing tickets. Who knows?!
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