Advise on a Pep Peeve I have.

[My Dream]

Advise on a Pet Peeve I have.

This weekend dw and I are going to watch several tribute bands in an outdoor venue. It has a large stage at the front and people bring there lawn chairs, sit and let the entertainment begin. It's a free event with vendors that sell food etc.

Now onto my pet peeve:

It seem that no matter how early you get there to get a good spot or where you position yourself, later on in the evening someone always manages to stands right in front of you, block your view to get a better spot. Alcohol is served at these events so sometimes by simply asking...."um excuse me.....we can't see the stage with you in front of us". works short term until someone else seizes the opportunity of the open spot and stands in front again. This goes on all evening and it seem that by midnight, the chance of the person in front of you being "hammered", is more likely, if you get my point.

Simply asking them to move is a short term solution, moving ourselves to another location is a waste of time. And standing in front of others ourselves, well, that's just not right.

I guess we just can't win.

I'm waiting for someone to suggest using one of those outposts that lifeguards use to view far out into the waters.

Below are a couple pictures of the area.

A picture of the center of the park and the gazebo is not the stage.

 

[REWahoo]

My pet peeve is misspelling pet peeve.

Sorry, couldn't resist....

 

[Leonidas]

My pet peeve is misspelling pet peeve.

Darn, you beat me to it.

 

[Sarah in SC]

What, y'all are the grammar police now? sigh....
My Dream, what I guess I'd have to do in the same situation is recognize ahead of time that you are there to *hear* the music and the people in front of you don't diminish that enjoyment.
A peeve of mine is traffic related, so I started actually timing how long the backup really was at my peeve-y spot and found out that it only "cost me" less than 5 minutes to wait. Helped immensely to reframe the problem.
Perhaps you could try reframing the situation to be that you are there to hear the music instead of watching it?

And it is a lovely venue!

 

[CuppaJoe]

I haven't been to an event like that since someone in our group started a wine/beer throwing fight. Dang those were good seats. "There is no such thing as a free" concert but it sure does reveal character.

So, is it the only game in town this weekend? The free venue near me is in a park where there is good hiking above the concerts. Sound isn't as good but it's more relaxing.

 

[Leonidas]

What, y'all are the grammar police now? sigh....

It's all REW's fault!

Perhaps you could try reframing the situation to be that you are there to hear the music instead of watching it?

That's a sound approach. Free entertainment, non-reserved seating, a crowd of strangers with alcohol tossed in and you have a recipe for exactly what OP describes.

 

[HFWR]

My pet peeve is misspelling pet peeve.

Sorry, couldn't resist....

I thought maybe it was going to be a rant about coffee...

My pet peeve is tribute bands.

 

[audreyh1]

My pet peeve is misspelling pet peeve.

Sorry, couldn't resist....

Yep, my first reaction too. Misspelling of common phrases is very common!

 

[Sarah in SC]

My pet peeve is tribute bands.

LOL--I got free tickets to see a Journey tribute band a few months ago that was actually extremely awesome. They sounded just like Journey and we had a great time singing along with every song. I loved it--I'm not sure if I would dig any other sort of tribute, but Journey totally lends itself to the genre.

And of course, I love the Talking Heads tribute band Same As It Ever Was--they play in Charleston a couple of times a year and are probably more enthusiastic about singing David Byrne tunes than he is at this point.

And cheaper than the real deal, of course.

 

[CuppaJoe]

I thought maybe it was going to be a rant about coffee...

My pet peeve is tribute bands.

My pet peeve is being so out of it I had to Google "tribute band."

 

[ERD50]

I've come to hate just about anything that is 'free', and concerts are probably #1 on that list. Since people didn't 'pay' (directly), many do not value it either.

Sorry, I don't think you can win this one, unless you can just mentally lower your expectations. By the time I lower my expectations that far, I decide to stay at home most times. The only way I can enjoy a concert these days usually involves a smaller venue that is filled with people who appreciate what is being presented. Even then, there can be people who cough in the quiet parts, search through their purse, forget to turn off the cell phone, etc.

If you can't find places like that, get a good stereo system.

-ERD50

 

[audreyh1]

Yep, my first reaction too. Misspelling of common phrases is very common!

I don't know if I have any particular advice to give on this one.

I know, I misspell often enough myself.

Audrey

 

[TromboneAl]

Problem solved.

 

[travelover]

I'm with you . Our small town has a fantastic 4th of July parade every year and people come from miles around to be there. I run down very early and set two lawn chairs on the edge of the road to save a spot. It almost never fails that someone decides to stand in front of the chairs, forcing us to also stand to see over them or be blocked.

Similarly if we go to a concert with lawn seating, if you leave one square inch between you and the blanket in front of you , some squatter will show up 10 minutes into the concert and plunk their blanket onto that tiny spot.


Ahh, I feel better now.

 

[TromboneAl]

You guys were so focused on the "pep" that you missed the "advise." Some grammar police you are!

 

[Sarah in SC]

You guys were so focused on the "pep" that you missed the "advise." Some grammar police you are!

Maggots, all of you! As a card-carrying member of the grammar police, I can sympathize, but geez!

Like Fuego, I prefer smaller venues where I can really get close to the stage and action. I enjoy our annual Floydfest pilgrimage to Virginia as it is a smaller festival (about 13k) and has 7 stages of music to choose from. We can be part of a large crowd or a small one. The tickets are steep enough to keep out the rabble and as a bonus, they only have beer and wine sales in one small restricted area, so the likelihood of drunken boors is diminished.

I avoid the big local festivals as a rule. We used to do them when we were younger, but my tolerance for the GP (gen public) has gone down to near zero.

 

[REWahoo]

I avoid the big local festivals as a rule. We used to do them when we were younger, but my tolerance for the GP (gen public) has gone down to near zero.

The first stage of curmudgeonhood has arrived.

 

[FUEGO]

You guys were so focused on the "pep" that you missed the "advise." Some grammar police you are!

I just assumed "Advise" in the OP's thread title was the imperative form of the verb "to advise". As in the OP is telling us to advise him on his pep peeve.

 

[audreyh1]

The first stage of curmudgeonhood has arrived.

Uh-oh! DH and I decided we'd had enough of crowds at local festivals/concerts when we were only in our 30s! We have been avoiding the general public ever since.

And we lived in Austin! - where the public music venues were pretty darn good!

Audrey

 

[audreyh1]

I just assumed "Advise" in the OP's thread title was the imperative form of the verb "to advise". As in the OP is telling us to advise him on his pep peeve.

Yeah - I also realized it could be interpreted as "Please advise me on..."

Audrey

 

[ERD50]

You guys were so focused on the "pep" that you missed the "advise." Some grammar police you are!

I think 'Advise" could be correct (though grammar ain't my strong point). As in "Please advise me regarding this issue", versus, "I need advice regarding this issue"? With the shortening of titles, you need to read into it a bit.

I avoid the big local festivals as a rule. We used to do them when we were younger, but my tolerance for the GP (gen public) has gone down to near zero.

The first stage of curmudgeonhood has arrived.

But, has the GP changed, or have we changed (I think it is some of both, with the GP public politeness getting lower all the time)?

-ERD50

 

[FUEGO]

Like Fuego, I prefer smaller venues where I can really get close to the stage and action.

That was ERD50 (whose name I often mistake for my own, possibly because most of the letters are within a letter or two of the letters in my screen name or appear idential. And all caps.)

But I have the same sentiments as ERD50:

"Sorry, I don't think you can win this one, unless you can just mentally lower your expectations. By the time I lower my expectations that far, I decide to stay at home most times."

I would guess the harsh feelings by OP comes from different concepts of personal space and what rights he is entitled to. He thinks he has reserved a seat with a view. Then the late comer walks into the venue and thinks "oh, no one is standing up near the front yet. Awesome I just got a really great place to stand and watch the concert."

Tragedy of the commons. My advice to ensure you get a front row position with the best view? Get there first, sit/stand for hours on the front row and then stand up and jockey for position to stay in front. I've been to many concerts (back in my crazy days) where you had to physically muscle your way into the front, and then fight to stay there.

 

[Texas Proud]

It is always like that... people think they can just move in that REALLY SMALL space and enjoy...


I can give you another one... at the changing of the guard in London, you need to get there early to get up front... the police keep you off the street, but you can walk on the street to get around....

SOOO, we were standing on the curb... toes to the edge... and these people walked up and just sat down right on our feet... We were surprised... but move back a couple of inches... then when the show started.... they stood up!!! My 250 pound BIL suggested they move behind us or into the street... they decided to move... I think most people would have just let them cut to the front...

 

[CuppaJoe]

And now let us paws for a few words from the patron saint of curmudgeons:

 

[Westernskies]

People are just plain rude. (Or just oblivious to their surroundings, or just don't care.) The same thing happens at the airport baggage carousel- I'll get there early, (as a frequent flyer, I get upgraded a lot, so I'm usually off the plane first) and respectfully stand back a few feet to give others a chance to identify their luggage and step up to get it. Invariably, some a-hole talking on a cell phone will wedge his/her way in front of me, plop down his/her carry on bag, and block my view of the carousel, while blathering on the phone about who did what to who or how traumatic the flight was. When the baggage conveyor fires up, it gets worse. The families (including it seems, every inbred cousin, and snot-nosed neighbor kid) rush up to the carousel and line the rail like the seventh race at Belmont. No way for anyone to see their bags, let alone reach it in time. When the baggage arrives, I usually just force my way through the throng, say "excuse me", use my suitcase as a plow to scatter six kids and crush the carry on bags on the floor, and if I'm lucky, shift the phone conversation to "you can't believe how rude some people are"

As for the OP, the only suggestion I have is maybe take a couple of small blankets with you, spread them out in front of you, and put your coolers, etc. on them. Stake your claim, maybe paving the spot will keep squatters off. Worse case...poison the well- "spill" a whole 2-liter bottle of coke, ( or a broken glass , a sack of nails, rubber dog turds ) on the blanket....maybe they'll get the message and stay away..