Please, Sit By Me!

I think this phrase must have been tattooed on my forehead a couple weeks ago.  I had two experiences that just amazed me!

The first was the night that we decided to go see the movie Salt.  It was a Friday night, but the theater was probably only 1/4 full.  Jen, Simone, and I were all stretched out with our feet on the seats in front of us, and I was the one on the aisle seat.  Just as the movie theater got dark for the previews to begin, a woman came into the theater, walked up the stairs to the row in front of us, and just stared at me until I moved my feet.  Um, hello???  Were there not enough other empty seats in the entire theater?  Was there a reason you wanted that exact seat?  Could you not have moved down one row, or perhaps moved in closer toward the middle if you really liked that row?  It's not like she even needed to save an entire row for her group because she was there all alone!  Weird.

The next experience came a few days later as I was on the plane headed to Portland for our girls trip.  It was an early flight and I could tell by the waiting area in the airport that I could probably look forward to having an entire row to myself so I could lay down and sleep for the duration of the flight.  As I boarded, I selected a window seat, put my feet up on the middle seat, and set my purse on the aisle seat.  I didn't make eye contact with any of the other passengers who boarded after me.  It was clear that I wanted the entire row.  Well, sure enough, one of the last passengers to board the plane decided to stand at my row and asked if he could have the aisle seat.  I was kind of stunned, as I looked around the plane and saw at least 15-20 completely empty rows.  Why did he have to pick my row???  Why wasn't the aisle seat in the row in front of me good enough?  It's not like that row had anyone in the middle!  I had my nap all planned out.  I was kind of irritated, and considered moving back a few rows so I could have my own row, but I was stuck because I was by the window and didn't necessarily want to climb over the top of this man.  I seriously thought I must have been sending out some vibe that I wanted people to sit by me!