(I am seventeen. A few of my friends are seated for a midnight showing on opening day for the new “Lord of the Rings” movie. I’m am running late and will meet them there. The theater is absolutely sold out, and seats were all assigned by the theater when they were purchased. The first half of the story is told to me by my friends, as it happens before I arrive. There is an argument about seats in the row just in front of them. A group of four young guys is taking up the first four seats of the row, and there is one empty seat next to them. An adult couple comes up to them.)
Adult Man: “Excuse me, we’re supposed to be sitting in this row. I think you’re in one of our seats.”
Young Guy: “Nope. These are our seats.”
Adult Man: “Well, they’re assigned. Our tickets are for seats four and five.”
Young Guy: “You snooze, you lose. Sit somewhere else.”
(It’s clear that the young guys want to sit together, but one of their tickets is in another row.)
Adult Man: “No. You’re going to move so we can sit in our seats.”
Young Guy: “Make me.”
Adult Woman: *quietly to her husband* “It’s going to start soon. I’ll get an employee.”
(The young guy and the adult man begin to argue. They’re not loud or aggressive, but the young man is, I’m told, very rude. The wife hasn’t returned yet when I finally arrive. It’s relevant that I am hurrying from somewhere that required me to be in a full suit. I am in my finest outfit, but still don’t look a day over seventeen. I begin to scan the audience for my friends, and when I see them I point and begin hurrying up the aisle to them. I can’t reach my seat because of the argument is now blocking me.)
Me: “Excuse me.”
(I mean, “Let me through,” but everyone thinks I am demanding attention. The argument stops as both parties look at me. They take me for a manager. But I don’t clue in to any of this the entire time.)
Me: “Is there a problem?”
(I mean, “What are you all looking at me for?” but everyone thinks I’m asking them to explain the situation.)
Adult Man: “Yes, we’re having a disagreement about our seats.”
Me: “That can’t happen; the seats are assigned. You sit where it says on your ticket.”
Adult Man: “Seats four and five.” *shows me his tickets*
Me: “Then that’s where you sit.” *still totally oblivious as to why they would be telling this to me*
Adult Man: *to the young guys* “You heard him.”
(One of the guys slowly gets up and walks away, as the adult man sits down where he was. With them out of the aisle, I finally take my seat with my friends, who are all laughing.)
Me: “What’s going on?”
Friends: “We’ll tell you later.”
(The wife returned with an usher, and they both just shrugged as the problem was resolved.)
