Picture this: I'm attending my friend's graduation in the huge university colosseum. I show up, hoping to find a seat with or near their family, but, alas, every seat is taken—but no one is sitting there.
This is my pet peeves with going to general seating events: people who reserve 10 seats for family that won't even show up until 2 minutes before the event starts.
What bothers me even more is when people are explicitly told they cannot 'reserve' seats.
Last I checked, this is a general admission event. I didn't realize I had to fight someone just to get a spot for myself.
Even looking for a single seat by itself at graduation is hectic because white women named Karen insist on saving 20 seats for an unknown amount of family members — who will show up 'any minute now!' — and yell every time you so much as look at the entire row of unmarked, untouched seats.
Sorry not sorry for looking at your untouched seats and assuming they were open.
If you 'reserve' general admission seats for people I'm not even sure exist, I dislike you.
If you want space for all 20 of your family members, show up earlier next time.
If seats at these types of events were meant to be reserved, you have to get a ticket online.
Other people shouldn't have to fight you for practically open seats because you couldn't schedule things better.
It's pretty safe to assume that a college graduation—along with many other events—is going to be slammed, and if you're expecting several people to show up for your one person, it's also safe to assume that everyone is expecting several people too.
Why not do the most efficient, intelligent thing and show up together bright at early to actually get all of the seats you need at one time?
Better yet, why not deal with the idea that some people might have to sit a couple of rows away?
The truth is, these seats are meant for you to save all willy-nilly. They're meant for everyone, and unless your people have already sat and claimed that space, you can't hoard those spots.
Sure, sitting with your friends and family to celebrate is nice, but what's truly important is everyone just being there to support whoever they're there for.
People don't show up to general admission concerts and try to reserve a million spaces along the barricade because those people know if you want to be upfront and have room for everybody, you need to get there on time with everyone.
Other events should work like this too.
If you didn't prepare well enough to have your 15 cousins, in-laws, and grandparents show up early enough to sit together, other people shouldn't have to suffer.
You can't get upset when people try to take open seats because they're trying to get in and see this event as much as you, and you wouldn't have to worry about defending them if everyone in your group showed up early and together.
It's not kind to keep 20 front and center seats empty and waiting when other people are trying to get in.
If people want to get a good seat, show up early.
If you can't manage your time well enough to get good seats for everybody, hope there's a next time and hope you get there earlier.