[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

....This morning, a Recreation Dept. worker there in the street (diverting traffic at the road blocks closing off car/cart traffic to the street circling the square) at Spanish Springs told me that they are instructed to no longer take away seat-saving items like ropes and chair pads....

This past Saturday at the Lake Sumter Landing St. Patrick's Day event, my wife was told the same thing by a Rec. Dept employee and that any prohibitions against seat saving are not to be enforced...

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by NYGUY

This past Saturday at the Lake Sumter Landing St. Patrick's Day event, my wife was told the same thing by a Rec. Dept employee and that any prohibitions against seat saving are not to be enforced...

That is such BS!!!

[onslowe]

Threads like this must continue, as has been said above, to keep this disgraceful problem in the forefront. Maybe, just maybe, it will be universally and evenly confronted and stopped.

Unbelievable. "Mine, mine mine…" as one of us said above. Just a pack of selfish greedy twerps with the brains and emotions of seagulls. "Mine, mine, mine."

And as for the situation with Gerryann's elderly, infirm guest not being offered a precious chair….wow. As kids in NYC, we were taught and always did offer bus seats or subway seats to expectant mothers and elderly folk. Always. How many of the fine people averting their eyes forgot basic charity and civility and manners?

I rarely if at all go to the Squares for shows because the spectacle depresses me. And we have the nerve to only complain about today's amoral and untaught youth. Ha.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by aln

It is what it is. If I had guests in town and wanted to take them to the St Pats parade I would go early and save seats.

No different than people all over this great country that go to July 4 fireworks and set up blankets, chairs, tents, etc for the best viewing.

I don't go to the parade anymore for myself because I've see it and I don't want to get there 4-5 hours beforehand for a seat.

The ONLY thing all this complaining will get you is NO EVENTS.

Upon starting this thread, I wrote specifically that I was NOT commenting on the parade-route spots and tables/chairs in the parking spaces people were saving curbside to see the parade. I wrote specifically and posted a photo about people roping off and marking entire rows and blocks of seats for themselves IN the square where people hope to come and sit down for a while, to see and enjoy the nightly live entertainment. We're talking about hogging rows and sections of chairs for the NIGHTLY entertainment.

As is stated above, many people are simply not coming to the squares because they have no chance of getting a seat. This is especially inconsiderate of people who are visiting, are on the Lifestyle Preview Stay, are new, or are here for only a few days or weeks. People who live here full-time or for half the year have this live entertainment available to them 365 or 182 nights per year, while visiting guests, prospective homebuyers, tourists, and Preview Stay people do not. It is selfish to not allow others to have a chance to sit down.

The really sad thing is, these seat savers do not even offer a seat to elderly or handicapped people who come there! Our kids were taught in Catholic school that they were to get up and offer their chairs to adults they saw trying to find one, and if they didn't, they were sanctioned. These K-8 students behaved better and they still offer their seats to others, out of respect, regardless of perceived/judged fitness or disability!

Courtesy is going to the dogs in this society, but The Villages has been known for its friendly and courteous treatment of others. It seems that is being pushed out by The Pushy Crowd.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by aln

It is what it is. If I had guests in town and wanted to take them to the St Pats parade I would go early and save seats.

No different than people all over this great country that go to July 4 fireworks and set up blankets, chairs, tents, etc for the best viewing.

I don't go to the parade anymore for myself because I've see it and I don't want to get there 4-5 hours beforehand for a seat.

The ONLY thing all this complaining will get you is NO EVENTS.

And the more I see of these things, the more I would like to see no events. I just got back from Publix. I had to take an alternate route. There was literally no place to park in the Publix parking lot. The closest space was down near Ace Hardware. There are golf carts parked all over the place. I saw three near miss accidents by people just trying to maneuver around all of the cars illegally parked. There were carts parked all along side the road going to bridge all the way up to the bridge.

It was an absolute madhouse. Anyone that wants to do anything in that area beside go to the event in the square is in big trouble.

I have seen enough parades in my life but, like you, if I had company with children, I'd go early and put my own chairs where we could watch the parade. I would never rope off or mark off any of the public chairs however. That should never be done and the entertainment department had better start policing it or there's going to be a big problem some day.

[DianeM]

Either remove the chairs and tell people going forward events are standing room only or charge for the seat.

[ugotme]

I have said it before and will do so again . . .

YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!

A cliche? You betcha. But These "people" are entitled and would be the first one to confront you.

I don't go to these events because I don't want a confrontation and I don't want to deal with the crowds. It is a shame but until someone in authority does the RIGHT THING this is the way it will be.

OH . . . Happy Saint Patricks Day!

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by gerryann

It's very sad and events like today's parade just remind everyone of the overgrowth of TV.

And you know that all of those 'seat savers' and others attending the event are Villagers and NOT members of the outside community?

Seems more indicative to me that there are Villagers AND folks from the surrounding communities that appreciate and enjoy the efforts of the Resident's Committee that works so hard to produce a quality event!

[Laurie2]

Shameful/Shameless? confession from me:

Several days ago I went to a club that I often attend. Wow! It was packed.

I got my ID out and ready for the door-keeper who beeps us with that thing that crows -- or whatever that sound is.

A man arrived at the door at the same time I did. The door-keeper said, "Only two seats left."

I smiled at the guy next to me and said, "I guess that works. We can split them."

BUT, the other person trying to get in was too busy telling the door-keeper, "Oh, good. My friend is on the way."

At which point, I slithered through the door, got beeped, and disappeared into that big crowd in the room.

In my own defense though, had he been older or had mobility issues, I really would have stepped aside. I know that about myself. Without a doubt.

There is no answer to the seat-saving issue. They would need to hire big bouncers, not nice retired people who just want to work a few hours a week. And what would happen with the first punch or trampling if they tried to open the seats at a certain time. It ain't purdy either way.

There is no way I want to be among 'em tonight.

And so I am celebrating quietly.

I went to Publix wearing my green shirt. And guess what! Everybody working there was wearing a green shirt. It was so St. Pat's festive. (And they were all nice, too.) I also went to the liquor store where a guy gave me a little sample of Kerrygold Irish Cream. I guess Kerrygold is ready to give Bailey's a run for the market.

And then I came home where we will have dinner with company.

Sometimes Agile Laurie

[billethkid]

How many chairs would anybody guess are at the squares? 500? I think that would be a lot.
How many bring their own? Another 500? More like 250 or less.

If it makes one feel better double my numbers.

With well over 100,000 population we these threads are upset about seating for one percent of the population (make it two percent....but don't know where all those chairs would be found?).

Maybe on a crowded event there could be 5000-10,000?

The puzzle that is coming into focus is there never was any intent or ability or capability to provide dequate seating.

I have been to many, many, MANY events at the squares and have never seen fit to need a chair....(I do not like being hemmed in).
I again suspect that the largest population of attendees at the squares or in or around or near the entertainment are like me....we enjoy what there is....crowded? Yes. If one doen't like crowds there must be a lot of places these folks never get to enjoy!

The 90% of us that do not need a chair do not think the 1-2 or 5% that do should not cast a negative aspect to what TV is.....a good time for MOST OF US!!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by billethkid

How many chairs would anybody guess are at the squares? 500? I think that would be a lot.
How many bring their own? Another 500? More like 250 or less.

If it makes one feel better double my numbers.

With well over 100,000 population we these threads are upset about seating for one percent of the population (make it two percent....but don't know where all those chairs would be found?).

Maybe on a crowded event there could be 5000-10,000?

The puzzle that is coming into focus is there never was any intent or ability or capability to provide dequate seating.

I have been to many, many, MANY events at the squares and have never seen fit to need a chair....(I do not like being hemmed in).
I again suspect that the largest population of attendees at the squares or in or around or near the entertainment are like me....we enjoy what there is....crowded? Yes. If one doen't like crowds there must be a lot of places these folks never get to enjoy!

The 90% of us that do not need a chair do not think the 1-2 or 5% that do should not cast a negative aspect to what TV is.....a good time for MOST OF US!!

Once again a post of reason.
The posts on these threads are burning a lot of calories over a very small part of the population.
It has been said over and over again..........just take your own damn chairs!

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

All of this has been said on the other thread..............................

And this too has been said before, on this thread????

[cquick]

Originally Posted by aln

It is what it is. If I had guests in town and wanted to take them to the St Pats parade I would go early and save seats.

The ONLY thing all this complaining will get you is NO EVENTS.

NO< there is so much positive about these events from The Villages getting publicity to the vendors making money to the restaurants getting more customers to The Village residents having fun participating!

The Events will go on.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Be sweet and put honey on all their seats!

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by billethkid

How many chairs would anybody guess are at the squares? 500? I think that would be a lot.
How many bring their own? Another 500? More like 250 or less.

If it makes one feel better double my numbers.

With well over 100,000 population we these threads are upset about seating for one percent of the population (make it two percent....but don't know where all those chairs would be found?).

Maybe on a crowded event there could be 5000-10,000?

The puzzle that is coming into focus is there never was any intent or ability or capability to provide adequate seating.

I have been to many, many, MANY events at the squares and have never seen fit to need a chair....(I do not like being hemmed in).
I again suspect that the largest population of attendees at the squares or in or around or near the entertainment are like me....we enjoy what there is....crowded? Yes. If one doen't like crowds there must be a lot of places these folks never get to enjoy!

The 90% of us that do not need a chair do not think the 1-2 or 5% that do should not cast a negative aspect to what TV is.....a good time for MOST OF US!!

Following the logic of the highlighted quote portions above,

How many holes of Executive, Free Golf are there? 270?

And how many people in TV out of 105,000 are playing Executive Golf at a time? 900?

So how about dropping the tee time reservation system that does not allow people to hog certain tee times at certain courses more than once a week.

How about leaving the Executive Courses open for golfing groups to come and rope off all 9 tees of a course so that their group of cronies can all go directly to a tee and have a Shotgun Start round at 10:00 a.m., and those 9 tees are roped off and held for them while they go and have breakfast at Mallory CC and then they can just walk on 5 minutes before their Shotgun Start round??

"The 60% of us who don't golf don't want the 1-2 or the 5% who do to cast a negative aspect to what Executive Golf in TV is�..��."