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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
World
Ellie Kemp

'Entitled' family seen stealing people's seats at theatre before getting instant karma

A theatre-goer has told of the moment an 'entitled' family who stole four people's seats received instant karma.

Spotting their opportunity, the family was seen removing the strangers' coats from the theatre seats and settling themselves in before things turned heated. The incident took place at a small theatre during a production of Beauty and the Beast.

The seats were at the very back of the venue near to the bar, and the section was not assigned seating, so essentially people could sit anywhere. The drama was described on Reddit's Entitled People forum by a person who watched it unfold, reports the Mirror.

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They said: "So, me and my friend went to see a play at a small theatre (Beauty and the Beast, loads of fun), we got the tickets late so ended up at the absolute tippity-top of the place, but right next to the bar so no problem. During intermission, my friend went to the bar and I stayed to watch our seats (this section is not assigned seating).

"So I'm looking back over my shoulder in anticipation of her coming back, when I see a family of four approach four kinda empty seats. I only say kinda empty because the previous occupants had left their jackets over their chairs to reserve them. This isnt a rule, but where I'm from, it is generally respected, if there's a coat on the chair it's occupied - find another."

The family had put their coats on their seats to reserve them before the other people swept in and claimed them as their own (stock photo) (Getty Images)

They then explained that the family "ignored etiquette and gathered up the other family's belongings and dumped them on an empty chair in the row in front". They continued: "So now I'm glued to this, how are next family going to react? I wasn't close enough to hear anything, but the previous occupants came back, another family of four, and things get heated, I could see the parents of newly seated family pointing aggressively and their mouths moving fast. They're not giving the seats up."

Eventually, the family walk away and come back with a member of staff. The poster wrote: "They keep walking and disappear out another door, only to reappear a few seconds later inside one of those fancy boxes that sit right next to the stage, the ones that usually seat famous/important people.

"I look back to entitled family, the mood is visibly ruined. I'm just sitting there buzzing off the contact high of witnessing such a satisfying moment of karma."

Dozens of people replied to the post, with most praising the staff. One commenter wrote: "Saintly theatre workers doling out karma to entitled a**holes everywhere, love it!" Another said: "I hate the idea of strangers moving my jacket in case I left something in the pocket and it falls out when they carelessly toss it on another theatre seat."

A third wrote: "Theaters should have a 'revenge box' for things like this and during intermission/right before the bow and it’s announced who got to sit in the revenge box and why.

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