The Entertainment Department should step up and take the responsibility for ending the saving of chairs. This has proven to be a problem and to do nothing will never solve anything. The hiring of someone at $10 per hour for a couple of hours to police the saving of chairs is a small price to pay. What appears evident is that the Entertainment Department could care less about the fairness of seating at the squares.

I would just like to ask the question:

When is the last time you (personally) went to Spanish Springs or Lake Sumter Landing, arriving at least a half hour before the music began (arriving at 4:30) and could not find a seat for you and your date?

There is NO seating problem IF you arrive early and/or bring your own chair.

Good point. We went to LSL on tuesday to hear Uncle Bob's Rock Shop. Arrived around 5:30PM ( got a late start). Brought our own chairs (as we always do) and plopped down without any problems.

Why are some so insistent that there is simply no problem with seat-saving? I'm not saying it's a major problem. But why are some so annoyed that there are people who may not want to go early to a show, or bring their own chairs, or sit in marginal seats while good seats are roped off and empty?!?

If you don't mind doing all those things, wonderful for you! But many people obviously feel differently. Go ahead and go to the shows early, bring your chairs, whatever. Just stop trying to convince others that they should feel the same way.

No, but our friend on this website, 2BNTV sent them an email and got a response. It's in the thread.

I think that the reason that this is such a compelling subject and such a long thread is that there will always be times that groups of humans do things that just seem plain wrong...and it bugs the heck out of us.

In this situation, you really can't pass a law, and to ask, tell, direct, sign for people to stop doing it, will be overlooked again and again by the selfish and defiant people of the world.

When the rubber hits the road and the stuff hits the fan, what then? When big old drunk bruiser says to the Entertainment staff.... Make me.

HOW CAN THEY MAKE HIM????

That is my point.

Good points all! As usual Gracie, you are a voice of reason and sanity on this website when others might allow tempers to rise. This would be a very difficult issue for the Entertainment Division to solve, but I don't think that absolves them of the responsibility to solve it. My choice would be to enlist the applicable sheriff's office to assist with the policy enforcement. Mr. Big Old Drunk Bruiser is always going to be there, doing what he always does. If Mr. BODB, for any of a myriad of reasons, starts a fight with someone tonight, who deals with him? It's a sheriff's deputy, as it should be.

And honestly, I don't think Mr. BODB is the main problem. I think it's probably Mr. Thoughtlessly Selfish Villages Resident who is the culprit with the seats. And maybe there is no easy solution, but I think people on the website (even you :smiley:) finds that it sticks in the craw a bit to see something that is flagrantly wrong and no apparent solution.

I believe there are a number of people who are simply saying that there is no viable solution to the problem so you need to work around it. You can try to confront The Villages Entertainment but I can't imagine a scenario where they will actually do anything. I think everyone agrees that roping off seats at 3:00PM is wrong/obnoxious/inconsiderate/rude. I previously suggested forming a committee to personally address the issue with The Villages Entertainment - perhaps you can shame them into enforcing their own rules. If you can't then I don't see any remedy to the problem. When people say there is no problem I think they really mean there is no problem for them as they are resigned to the situation and have worked around it. As others have suggested/demonstrated, if you see roped off seats (with nobody present) then take a seat as you have the high ground with regards to the "rules". I believe the only "confrontation" you will see from the Villages Entertainment is when people put seats that encroach on the aisles as that is a safety issue.

The people who rope off seats will probably ignore those signs. Would this mean that I can't go get a drink, dance, go shopping on market night, or go to the restroom without losing my seat? There are lots of grey areas with regards to "saving seats".

Huh? Are you saying you rope off a bunch of seats when you get a drink?
Now this discussion is just going to veer into the absurd. What if a group of 20 veterans with health issues wants to reserve 20 seats!! What if some hard-of-hearing orphans want to save a few seats close enough to hear the music? What if 10 drunks with big swords get mad that you threw their rope away...

If I tie off a section of seats every night... does that make me a serial ropist?

There is no way you can change some of the "Village Bone Heads" that have self anointed themselves as "Village Royalty" and feel that the rules or at the very least, common courtesy does not apply to them.

My thoughts is to come to the Squares to enjoy the venue and if there are no available seats due to rows of roped off empty seats, pull out a small pair of scissors and cut the ropes and take the chairs to another part of the square to avoid confrontation from the "royalty".

Once one or two grab these seats, the rest will disappear quickly. Then everyone sitting there will be entertained at the puzzled look of the "Royalty" when they come back to reclaim their empty space!

No. When many folks get a drink they typically have a cushion or piece of clothing left on the seat. I was referring to the concept of saving seats by any means, not just ropes. You should be able to save your seat if you go to get a drink, dance, whatever. This is different than roping off a bunch of seats and disappearing for an hour or so. I think it is unreasonable to say "you can't save seats" in a black and white manner.

[QUOTE=George Bieniaszek;1027896]

My thoughts is to come to the Squares to enjoy the venue and if there are no available seats due to rows of roped off empty seats, pull out a small pair of scissors and cut the ropes and take the chairs to another part of the square to avoid confrontation from the "royalty"
__________

Nothing wrong with that action at all. I have not seen the situation of no available seats due to rows of roped off empty seats in the 5 years of full time living in The Villages. However, if you come across that situation, go for it.

Only if they are Navy Vets should this be allowed.

Twenty veterans with health issues, some hearing impaired orphans, and ten drunks with big swords walk into a bar............................