[Carl in Tampa]

I don't have much of a dog in this fight since I bring my own (wheel) chair and it's no hardship to also bring a folding chair for Barbara on the golf cart.

Having said that, here is a thought. Legitimize saving seats...... but only beginning an hour before the entertainment starts.

WHY? Because allowing saving seats rewards people who show up early, just as people who are early to the movie theater are first in line. But there is no reason that a person who shows up early and obtains a seat should be obligated to be confined to that seat until the entertainment starts. Allow the person who obtained the seat to save the seat while going to purchase something to drink or an ice cream cone just as the person who gets a choice seat in the movie theater can get up and go get popcorn without losing the seat.

HOW? Simply keep the chairs locked up until an hour before the entertainment starts. Don't task employees with setting up the chairs. People get them, first come, first served when they are unlocked. Employees are only tasked with keeping exit paths clear.

Paint exit path outlines on the concrete. Employees would only be tasked with pointing out to the public that they must keep the paths clear.

RESULT? If you show up "fashionably late" you risk not getting a seat, unless an early comer has decided to leave or there are still chairs available in the unlocked supply.

Face it. The population of The Villages has grown to the point that the town squares are often unable to accommodate the number of people who would like to attend a free entertainment event. We no longer live in The Villages of the past.