I'm sorry, this aisle is taken...

[MikeWaters]

"I don't believe in saved seats."

That's what I would tell the people saving the seats as I sat down.

I went to a literary event once, and my friend was pissed I didn't save a seat for him. I told him I didn't believe in saving seats. It cuts both ways.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by UteStar

I have come upon quite possibly the most idiotic thing that I have ever seen in my ward. Over the years, people usually sit in a general area and other members of the ward expect that. The Smith family sits a couple rows back on the left side of the chapel...the Jacksons sit in the front row, etc. That is fine and it happens.

Let me tell you what is annoying. How about when your little boy wanders into the chapel during priesthood and you see bags, coats, scriptures, toys, etc. in nearly every bench in the chapel. People saving their spots over an hour before sacrament begins. I am not kidding. I would venture to guess that 75% of the chapel seating is 'saved' at least an hour before sacrament even begins. I fully expect that people will be camping outside of the church sometime in the next year in hopes and dreams of reserving their seat even earlier in the chapel.

At least nobody takes my family's seats in the overflow gym at the very back.

This is a major pet peeve. Ten mintues to the hour nobody's in the chapel but scripture bags dot the horizon. Men come in with half the kids on the hour and take their place. Women come in 15 minutes late with wet hair and the rest of the kids.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

"I don't believe in saved seats."

That's what I would tell the people saving the seats as I sat down.

I went to a literary event once, and my friend was pissed I didn't save a seat for him. I told him I didn't believe in saving seats. It cuts both ways.

Agreed.

For some reason, I've found myself being the one delegated to save seats before and I find it to be rude and uncomfortable when I'm in that position.

The only time I think it is okay is when the majority of your group is there and you are waiting for one or two people...but I hate it when one person is sent to represent 25. This happened at devotionals at Ricks all the time.

[cougjunkie]

i went to a movie a few months ago and a fight broke out because 2 guys saved a whole row, it was for Blades of Glory and it was opening night, 2 guys decided to each sit on one end and save a whole row. Previews are starting and no one is in their row and people are standing. So this guy and his wife walk right through them and sit down. They start arguing fighting, etc. Everyone is yelling at the 2 for saving seats.

The worst thing is whent he party shows up that they were saving seats for, they didnt even fill half the row.

[DrumNFeather]

Originally Posted by cougjunkie

i went to a movie a few months ago and a fight broke out because 2 guys saved a whole row, it was for Blades of Glory and it was opening night, 2 guys decided to each sit on one end and save a whole row. Previews are starting and no one is in their row and people are standing. So this guy and his wife walk right through them and sit down. They start arguing fighting, etc. Everyone is yelling at the 2 for saving seats.

The worst thing is whent he party shows up that they were saving seats for, they didnt even fill half the row.

Someone should teach them how to count...that might prevent situations like this...lol.

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by cougjunkie

we have 5 wards in our building, we go at 9am another ward starts at 930. The 930 has sacrament first, we have it last, well the 930 ward is asked to exit out of the south side of hte chapel and we are asked to enter from the north side. Well their sacrament always goes late, we get out of our meetings early. It is an absolute logjam trying to get in, then most of them exit from the wrong side and some of my ward enters from the wrongside. It is a disaster. One lady leaves Sunday school early like 20 minutes and has to be first in line at the door, she puts her back to the door and holds people back, then she runs in and starts saving pews for people. Its an absolute joke, she will save 5 rows some sundays for random people. Both wards need to be split so we are talking 1000+ people fighting to go in and out. I always just sit in sunday school and BS until everyone clears out, its a lot easier that way.

Same with us (only our ward meets at 1:00 and the other ward starts at 1:30). We have PH/SS first and have the same restrictions: enter the chapel from the east while the other ward exits from the west. Of course, there are the same goobers in our ward that go in/out the wrong way - it's like a salmon trying to swim upstream. We're usually able to get a seat because our 9 and 11 YOs primary classes always get out way early so the kids are able to get into the chapel first and they go and get some seats (half a row for the 7 of us). I'll be soooo glad when the new chapel is finished in September and we can be down to only three wards in a chapel instead of 5. Better yet, the chapel is across the street so we can just walk to church.

I hate not getting a seat and having to sit in the back. Sitting in the gym sucks. Here are the reasons why:
- Nobody sings. At all. Half the time there are no hymnals.
- The kids and even the adults are way noiser. It makes it harder for my kids to be reverent.
- The metal chairs suck compared to the padded bench pews.

I also love these people that talk about the back being the "overflow" section. Hah! The overflow section is more than half way to the front in our ward. The true back is back by the stage in the gym on those hard metal chairs. It sucks way back there - like outer darkness. Wouldn't it be great to be in a ward where only the overflow section was needed? To be in a ward where the overflow wasn't even opened up - that's just too much to hope for.

[MikeWaters]

our overflow has never been opened for our ward, nor the other two wards in our building.

[cougjunkie]

our overflow is open the gym goes long ways, and we fill the whole thing. But July 22nd the new church opens and we have already been informed we will be attending there.

[SoCalCoug]

It would be nice if they'd build chapels that have enough seating for a ward.

In the last two wards I've been in, there are more people in the overflow than in the actual chapel.

You do what you can to get the soft seats.

[BlueHair]

Originally Posted by UteStar

Boy, that is a new one. You get bombarded by visits from your home teachers? Doesn't that imply that there are home teachers that are actively going out and visiting their families every week? That is surprising and impressive and it sounds like for you, annoying.

They only come when they spot me somewhere. Seeing me is a reminder of how they are neglecting their duties. If I see my hometeacher at the store he always asks when he can stop by. I always tell him "anytime, but you can count this if you want". My personal favorite is when he tells me he always calls me and I'm not home. Apparently he doesn't know that I have caller I.D. and I know he didn't call. Last time we ran into him, he stared at my wife's boobs the whole time. Granted, she has nice boobs, but if you're going to stare, try and make it less obvious. She was offended. I took it as a compliment.