Superman! (also, moral dilemma)
So, I just got back from seeing Superman Returns! I disagree with Ebert's review; I think this movie was easily a 4 out of 5 stars. But then, I'm a sucker for men in tights. Er... superheroes, I mean.
So okay, I liked the movie. My friday-night movie group made a field trip this weekend, and saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse near my new apartment. Hey, I can chip in and help, I'll show up early and hold our spot in line. I was actually the first person in line, showing up two hours before the showtime. (I had a book).
The rest of the group was carpooling, and would show up 45 minutes before showtime. But traffic was terrible for them, and they were 30 minutes late! You know what, this calls for a timeline.
1.) 5:15 pm, I show up and get in line
2.) 6:15 pm, My six friends were supposed to appear
3.) 6:30 pm, Alamo started seating
4.) 6:45 pm, My friends show up
5.) 7:00 pm, Showtime!
The moral dilemma arose between steps 3 and 4. I got my seat, and "held" six others. It was awkward, because people kept streaming in saying "are these seats taken?", and I had to turn them away. Was that ethical? Most people think it's okay to reserve 1 seat, I'd bet they'd allow 2. Twenty is probably way over the line. But the actual line isn't very well-defined!
A couple sat down to my right (after inquiring and learning the 6 to my left were "taken"), and the woman made not-very-quiet remarks about how selfish I was being. I was pretty offended, but I spoke up to the woman and said "I know it's a lot of seats, I feel pretty bad about it. But my friends were supposed to have arrived a while ago, traffic is awful. They'll be here soon."
Then, as each successive group streamed into the theater and asked if the seats were taken, the woman kept making snide comments!
new person: "Are these seats taken? ALL of them?!?"
me: "Yes, I'm sorry."
woman: "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
np: "Is anybody sitting here?"
me: "yeah"
np: "f---ing unbelievable!"
woman: "That pretty well sums it up, huh?"
me: "Well, I'm sure I'll be in good company when I go to hell for this."
And so forth in that vein. Then the woman sneered at me and said "You could sit in a group of three and a group of four. Lots of people do that, it doesn't hurt." Can you believe her? Was she volunteering to hold the other group of seats? 'Cause this show is sold out, and I was the only one who'd arrived yet. Eventually I told the woman "Fine, I'm sorry this bothers you so much, you win" and moved over six seats, and stopped telling people they were all taken. I wound up with two empty seats next to me, and Carrie's family (who arrived 15 minutes before showtime!) sat in two other pairs of chairs in opposite corners of the theatre.
So my question is, who was right? Should I have stood my ground, offending the stream of strangers who were behind me in line? Should I have defied the woman on the grounds that I don't negotiate with emotional terrorists? Did I do the right thing by letting another group take those seats, thus letting down my friends (who I had promised to hold seats for?)
These are the things that keep me up at night... That and an attention-starved cat, and excited insomnia for my plane trip tomorrow (I'm flying to NC to visit the Schroeders!)
So okay, I liked the movie. My friday-night movie group made a field trip this weekend, and saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse near my new apartment. Hey, I can chip in and help, I'll show up early and hold our spot in line. I was actually the first person in line, showing up two hours before the showtime. (I had a book).
The rest of the group was carpooling, and would show up 45 minutes before showtime. But traffic was terrible for them, and they were 30 minutes late! You know what, this calls for a timeline.
1.) 5:15 pm, I show up and get in line
2.) 6:15 pm, My six friends were supposed to appear
3.) 6:30 pm, Alamo started seating
4.) 6:45 pm, My friends show up
5.) 7:00 pm, Showtime!
The moral dilemma arose between steps 3 and 4. I got my seat, and "held" six others. It was awkward, because people kept streaming in saying "are these seats taken?", and I had to turn them away. Was that ethical? Most people think it's okay to reserve 1 seat, I'd bet they'd allow 2. Twenty is probably way over the line. But the actual line isn't very well-defined!
A couple sat down to my right (after inquiring and learning the 6 to my left were "taken"), and the woman made not-very-quiet remarks about how selfish I was being. I was pretty offended, but I spoke up to the woman and said "I know it's a lot of seats, I feel pretty bad about it. But my friends were supposed to have arrived a while ago, traffic is awful. They'll be here soon."
Then, as each successive group streamed into the theater and asked if the seats were taken, the woman kept making snide comments!
new person: "Are these seats taken? ALL of them?!?"
me: "Yes, I'm sorry."
woman: "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
np: "Is anybody sitting here?"
me: "yeah"
np: "f---ing unbelievable!"
woman: "That pretty well sums it up, huh?"
me: "Well, I'm sure I'll be in good company when I go to hell for this."
And so forth in that vein. Then the woman sneered at me and said "You could sit in a group of three and a group of four. Lots of people do that, it doesn't hurt." Can you believe her? Was she volunteering to hold the other group of seats? 'Cause this show is sold out, and I was the only one who'd arrived yet. Eventually I told the woman "Fine, I'm sorry this bothers you so much, you win" and moved over six seats, and stopped telling people they were all taken. I wound up with two empty seats next to me, and Carrie's family (who arrived 15 minutes before showtime!) sat in two other pairs of chairs in opposite corners of the theatre.
So my question is, who was right? Should I have stood my ground, offending the stream of strangers who were behind me in line? Should I have defied the woman on the grounds that I don't negotiate with emotional terrorists? Did I do the right thing by letting another group take those seats, thus letting down my friends (who I had promised to hold seats for?)
These are the things that keep me up at night... That and an attention-starved cat, and excited insomnia for my plane trip tomorrow (I'm flying to NC to visit the Schroeders!)
posted by Colin at
10:03 PM
1 Comments:
Hey Colin-
It was good to see you in NC. This post cracked me up. In response to your question, if you shouldn't have saved six seats in the theater, should you have saved six spots in line to get into the theater? Effectively, it's the same thing. I say, don't let nosy ladies who aren't being affected bother you.
Next time a lady gives you a hard time, turn to her and ask if she's ever been to the church they're advertising on the screen or something else equally unrelated to her complaint. That would also make a blog-worthy story.
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betsyjo, at 1:03 PM
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