Taking your place in a seated row gracefully

[ChristianRo]

Chiffers help, please! I never can remember what is PC when crawling to my seat in a theatre or cinema. When people pull their knees up to their chin to let me through, do I pass them staring in their face or do I keep my eyes firmly on the stage/screen? What's your preferrence? Do Europeans behave differently from Americans?
Investigating mind needs to know.

[buddhu]

Responding directly to the title of your thread... It can't be done.

[fearfaoin]

Do Europeans behave differently from Americans?

Apparantly, because speaking for my countrymen, we don't give a rat's patootie.
Though, here in the South, you still have to say "excuse me, "sorry", and "Thank you" to everyone you pass, unless the show is in progress.

[avanutria]

Do you mean folding seats or fixed seats? Most people that I've observed here will stand, letting their seat fold and giving the passer more room. The passer is expected to apologise quietly and sincerely as s/he passes, and to try not to step on anyone's feet.

I don't think I've been anywhere with non-folding seats recently.

[Charlene]

Responding directly to the title of your thread... It can't be done.

buddhu is right - no way to do it gracefully. Especially if it's cold and you are wearing a heavy coat and carrying popcorn and a drink.

Thank goodness for 2 things - 1) most movie theaters are pretty empty (around here anyway) so there's usually an empty row and 2) the newer auditoriums have wider aisles than the old ones did.

[Lambchop]

The seated party, if near the aisle, should step out into the aisle graciously. Otherwise, should turn at an angle so that their knees do not impede movement, or (better) should stand as far as necessary, and should turn their faces to the side, as if they do not notice what is passing.

A person in a row ahead of this should lean slightly forward.

The entering party should angle themselves so that neither heinie nor anti-heinie are directly in the face of the seated parties, and should excuse themselves as they pass by. Once seated, they should remain so as far as is possible.

This only holds prior to the performance or during intermissions. Once the performance has started, it is appropriate to wait for an intermission.

[Joseph E. Smith]

... and an added coutesy, eat a bunch of Beano.

[susnfx]

Emily Post says:

"In passing across people who are seated, always face the stage and press as close to the backs of the seats you are facing as you can. Remember also not to drag anything across the heads of those sitting in front of you. At the moving pictures, especially when it is dark and difficult to see, a coat on an arm passing behind a chair can literally devastate the hair-dressing of a lady occupying it.
"If you are obliged to cross in front of some one who gets up to let you pass, say “Thank you,” or “Thank you very much” or “I am very sorry.” Do not say “Pardon me!” or “Beg pardon!” Though you can say “I beg your pardon.” That, however, would be more properly the expression to use if you brushed your coat over their heads, or spilled water over them, or did something to them for which you should actually beg their pardon. But “Beg pardon,” which is an abbreviation, is one of the phrases never said in best society."

However, Lambchop's "angle yourself" seems very appropriate.

Susan

[jbarter]

Christian, is your avatar your suggestion for how to approach this situation?

[Flyingcursor]

Remember, the key to upsmanship is to always put others off balance. You must convince the seated persons that they are somehow in the wrong for being in your way. If that isn't going to work, make them feel guilty for being there. If done properly, they'll apologize to you.

[Crevan]

At the movies here people will kind of mash their way through a row to get to their seat and the seated will make no more than a slight knee-pull to make room. No apology or verbal communication is to be had. Brutal, yet effective.

[Jack]

I never thought about this. It's my experience that people really don't care. I mean, all except the first couple of people at the end of the row, just about everybody has to get up or go past them, and I never hear people say 'Pardon," or worry about which way they are facing. It doesn't bother me...

[Nanohedron]

I never thought about this. It's my experience that people really don't care. I mean, all except the first couple of people at the end of the row, just about everybody has to get up or go past them, and I never hear people say 'Pardon," or worry about which way they are facing. It doesn't bother me...

All the better for you. Me, I tend to have a sense of unease when confronted with a total stranger's big butt in my face, howbeit temporarily.

The entering party should angle themselves so that neither heinie nor anti-heinie are directly in the face of the seated parties...

Somewhat like imitating a pair of scissors, as it were.

[Lambchop]

I never thought about this. It's my experience that people really don't care. I mean, all except the first couple of people at the end of the row, just about everybody has to get up or go past them, and I never hear people say 'Pardon," or worry about which way they are facing. It doesn't bother me...

All the better for you. Me, I tend to have a sense of unease when confronted with a total stranger's big butt in my face, howbeit temporarily.

Thank goodness someone pointed this outt.

The entering party should angle themselves so that neither heinie nor anti-heinie are directly in the face of the seated parties...

Somewhat like imitating a pair of scissors, as it were.

Precisely.

You know, Nano, we think so much alike. We could have gotten along so well.

[Nanohedron]

You know, Nano, we think so much alike. We could have gotten along so well.

I know. It's my love of dishes featuring ovine body parts that gets in the way. *sigh*