UPDATED: Public property etiquette, or lack thereof?

Myrrhaj · June 2014

(This is a scenario that I ran into today. I'm curious to see if I was in the wrong- so I'm going to try to narrate as neutrally as possible and reveal what role I played after your answers.)

Let's say that Person A found the perfect picnic table, in a shady spot under some trees at the local park. Person A sets down some of their stuff on the table to claim it, and walks away to a different part of the park. A is gone for about an hour, and when A returns, A finds that their stuff has been moved to the next picnic table over (that's not so shady), and a group of people (Group

are sitting at the picnic table that A had thought had claimed as theirs. Person A confronts Group B about the situation. Group B won't move. Who is in the wrong?

Hilaboo86 · June 2014

At the beach people walk off, I'm not seeing it any different.

Hilaboo86 · June 2014

Unless of course you were the other option, I'd pick you! Ha

ashie624 · June 2014

Normally I would say the table is spoken for but if I notice someone is gone for that long I might move the stuff too. That is a long time.

Myrrhaj · June 2014

For those who are curious- I'll reveal my role in the situation at 50 votes, or when I wake up tomorrow morning. Whichever comes first.

sparkymcgeee · June 2014

An hour is a bit long.

Myrrhaj · June 2014

Annnd... We're at 40 votes and my phone's battery is dying. Bonne nuit!

JessieH8686 · June 2014

I wouldn't move someone's stuff ever.

sparkymcgeee · June 2014

We're now past fifty votes. I expect SN update by the time I wake up.

karen0477 · June 2014

I would never move someone's stuff, but I think an hour is too long if you're not using the space at all....different if you come and go ....

thegoodpotato · June 2014

Myrrhaj said:
Annnd... We're at 40 votes and my phone's battery is dying. Bonne nuit!

Cruel, cruel @Myrrhaj‌. Leaving us with a cliffhanger.

valstulas · June 2014

Hmmm. I think both parties did the wrong thing in this scenario. Leaving your stuff on a table to claim it for an hour is too long, but moving someone else's things is not cool.

flkong · June 2014

Myrrhaj said:

Annnd... We're at 40 votes and my phone's battery is dying. Bonne nuit!

Let me guess.....you're person A?? I agree with the others, both parties could've done things differently. A shouldn't claim a table and leave for an hour and B shouldn't touch someone else's property. [-X

opheliainwaders · June 2014

livvyx said:
An HOUR? Hell no. You can't do that. I might as well put my stuff on that picnic table and leave it forever just in case I want to use it at some point if that's the rule.

ETA: I have always lived in cities and we're less friendly but still
[-X

Yeah, in a city at least, where there are more people than tables, I think you need to have someone physically there to hold your spot. I mean, if you have to run to the bathroom, sure, but an hour? Nope.

Myrrhaj · June 2014

@Meimsx *yawns* *rubs eyes* I'm up! Sorry ladies for the long tease......

@fklang Good guess, but..............

No.

The general consensus of this poll has been that I was in the wrong. I was the ringleader/butthole of Group B. And before you get out your pitchforks and torches

:P ,please allow me to explain the rationale behind why I was nervy enough to move this person's things:

We arrived plenty early at the local free public park to set up a small birthday party for our LO. The fact is that we live in a Metropolis, and arriving earlier wouldn't have changed a thing. We could've arrived at the asscrack of dawn and would've found ourselves in the same situation seating-wise. (So yes, you could argue that we knew this was a gamble going in, and could've celebrated elsewhere- but it's a lovely local gem, and even better- it was free.)

When we arrived, there were two tables unoccupied (by people). One was sitting in almost total shade with a hoodie and a book sitting on it. The other one nearby had been "claimed" by seagull droppings and was sitting in the sun. So, out of respect for the other person who may or may not have been occupying the well-shaded table, we cleaned up the other table and set up our picnic.

Fifty something minutes goes by, and our guests are set to arrive in about ten. It's 80 degrees, and our guests include a 96 year-old woman and several babies. Taking that into consideration, it occurs to me that this wasn't the best idea, annnnnd the owner of the hoodie and book hasn't returned to the well-shaded table. At this point in time, I start to wonder if they're even coming back.

So...... I swapped tables with this person's hoodie and book. The owner came back mid-party and confronted me about having moved their stuff, and how they were "saving the table". I apologized and explained why I did it, but at that point did not offer to move. Hoodie and book wasn't happy.

FIN.

So am I banished to the dorito-crumb-foraging periphery of J13 now? Or will you guys still have me?

valstulas · June 2014

@Myrrhaj‌ I would never ban you!!! :x

Myrrhaj · June 2014

Yeah. Hoodie and book was alone.

Stina2012 · June 2014

Hoodie and book is a turd.

I would've moved their items as well after an hour. Someone could have easily left a hoodie and book behind.

Myrrhaj · June 2014

Picnic tables were cemented into the ground, but good thinking!

ashie624 · June 2014

LauraC122 said:
Before I read the whole thread and your explanation I was thinking an hour is way too long to just leave your things and I think it would also matter what types of things were there. For instance... If someone had out out coolers, chairs, party stuff, I would consider it a well-saved spot. A hoodie and a book? Who knows if that was just forgotten there? If after an hour, those things were not claimed, I'd move them too. Especially for an elderly woman to sit in the shade.

If I were hoodie/book and sitting at "my" claimed table all by my lonesome, I'd feel like a total schmuck for not offering you the table when I saw said elderly woman sitting in the sun.

I don't really agree with claiming public property as mine without someone being with my things or me being in direct eye sight of it (like at a beach), but can understand setting up a large party and needing to be back and forth from a car or bathroom.

Hoodie/Book is a douche.

All of this!

KateJuly2013 · June 2014

Group B is not wrong, but its not a very classy act.

Now to see who you were!

KateJuly2013 · June 2014

Ah. The details change my answer

I also think approaching someone's birthday gathering to whine about having had their sweater and book moved to another table, is unclassy. People act so entitled sometimes!

Carrie3102 · June 2014

I voted a but the details change my mind.

martyn17 · June 2014

@myrrhaj team you

giraffeluvspi · June 2014

I voted B then scrolled to read the story. An hour is way too long regardless of what you parked on the picnic table. If someone left a carload of stuff I would still consider moving it if I didn't see anyone around for a whole hour.

If it was me I may have pleaded ignorance about their stuff being moved. "I'm not sure who moved it, this table was open when we arrived". For all they know some other family may have had a picnic at that table in the long ass time frame they left their stuff alone.

Of course they may have been across the park watching their table, so they could have called "liar".

Meh, you had a good party and their book caught some rays. Don't feel bad about it. I just hope they didn't make a huge scene in front of your LO or do anything douchey.

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UPDATED: Public property etiquette, or lack thereof?

Public property etiquette, or lack thereof? 151 votes

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