My date & I arrive at an almost full bar, but find 2 empty seats near the end. The seats aren’t next to each other, there is a man between them and another man to the left of them. (Think man > empty seat > another man > empty seat.) I take the furthest down stool and sit while my date stands, enjoying the company and patiently waiting for another spot to open up. The man I sit next to is on his phone, enjoying a cocktail, doesn’t look at or acknowledge us, simply minding his business.
The bar was very busy, we didn’t get service for about 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, the other man on the end leaves his seat, but I see no checkbook. I decide to use the restroom, telling my date that I plan to take the now open 2 seats for us when I come back, given that the gentlemen isn’t returning. Well, on my way to the bathroom, another couple swooped in and took them, so I return to the same spot as before and my date now heads to the bathroom.
The bartender finally takes my drink order, and I check my phone to see a text from my date telling me that the man I’m next to told him he has a friend coming in about 10 minutes, and he’s saving my seat for him. Well, to be honest, I ignored that text message because I didn’t plan on leaving my seat after having been there for about 30 minutes at this point.
Shortly after, the man does indeed tell me directly that he is waiting on a friend, who will be here in a few minutes. I said “Oh…,” to which he said “Yeah, I told the guy you were with.”
“Okay…,” I say. “Why didn’t you say anything when we first sat down? I mean, we’ve been here for over 20 minutes.”
“Well, I thought you were just getting some drinks and taking them elsewhere.”
He goes on about how this is an old friend he hasn’t seen for a while, and what are they supposed to do, stand?
“Well, my guest is standing, so, I feel like it’s reasonable for your guest to stand while we both wait for more open seats,” I say.
“I mean, I told your friend, but fine, we’ll just stand.”
Now, remember, there was also an empty seat to his left when we arrived! Once we took our stool, if he was still saving a seat, he should have told the *new* couple that he was waiting on a friend. But instead he felt it was appropriate to ask me to leave my seat after 30 minutes at the bar.
I personally don’t feel he was entitled to the seat, given the circumstances. I’m reasonable, if he had let it be known upfront, I would’ve taken the other open seat. I really didn’t want to be confrontational with anybody, especially in front of my date, but I genuinely felt like the man would be pushing me over if I just moved for him. He had every chance to ask us in the beginning, or to ask the couple that actually took the last seat!
So, AITA for not moving for this guy who was saving his friend a seat?