Me 45f and my husband 50m in were at a resort with a pool. We were sitting at the swim up bar and we noticed that some of the loungers that are on a ledge in the pool were being vacated by a couple. There were tons of these loungers open but this particular set had an umbrella. The couple in the chairs got up and walked away. We got up from the bar and went to the hot tub. When we got back 15 mins later those two loungers were empty. The couple who was in the chairs had left their towels on the pool deck behind the chairs and a small bag. While we were lounging the wife comes back. She tells me we stole her chairs. An argument ensued. I said these chairs are not reservable and you left. She said I know they aren’t reservable but we were just going to the water slide. I said you have been gone awhile so the seats are up for grabs. She leaves and comes back with her husband who says let’s just go. She keeps arguing with me saying these were their chairs and they just went to go down the slide. Her husband convinces her to leave after saying that people like me are what’s wrong with the world. I said no it’s people like you that feel like you are entitled in a public area to hog and hold chairs. As she is leaving she tosses her cup at my back. So, AITA. I can’t attach the picture but it’s a huge hotel pool with a ledge. There are easily 100 of these loungers. Only 6 are under an umbrella. Tons of chairs are open when she approaches me.
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Me 45f and my husband 50m in were at a resort with a pool. We were sitting at the swim up bar and we noticed that some of the loungers that are on a ledge in the pool were being vacated by a couple. There were tons of these loungers open but this particular set had an umbrella. The couple in the chairs got up and walked away. We got up from the bar and went to the hot tub. When we got back 15 mins later those two loungers were empty. The couple who was in the chairs had left their towels on the pool deck behind the chairs and a small bag. While we were lounging the wife comes back. She tells me we stole her chairs. An argument ensued. I said these chairs are not reservable and you left. She said I know they aren’t reservable but we were just going to the water slide. I said you have been gone awhile so the seats are up for grabs. She leaves and comes back with her husband who says let’s just go. She keeps arguing with me saying these were their chairs and they just went to go down the slide. Her husband convinces her to leave after saying that people like me are what’s wrong with the world. I said no it’s people like you that feel like you are entitled in a public area to hog and hold chairs. As she is leaving she tosses her cup at my back. So, AITA. I can’t attach the picture but it’s a huge hotel pool with a ledge. There are easily 100 of these loungers. Only 6 are under an umbrella. Tons of chairs are open when she approaches me.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> The people who said I stole their seats had left their towel on the pool concrete behind the loungers. As their way to claim the chairs.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
Would we even be having this conversation if she’d just left the bag on the lounger? Of course, hogging the shade ain’t great, either.
ESH. Particularly the hotel. Umbrellas for 6 in 100 loungers? Deserves a one star review.
YTA. Their stuff was still there. Suck it up and wait for another spot with umbrellas.
NTA She is obviously an only child. People with siblings have grown up preciously guarding the best seat in front of the tv. He gets it.
NTA. The rules of Pool Chairs is very clear on this matter; the towel has to be laid out on the chair to reserve it.
ESH – you for nicking the chairs when they had left belongings there, her for throwing her cup at you, and the hotel for not providing enough umbrellas.
INFO…You saw their stuff there? Did you really not think they were coming back? I mean, yeah the chairs aren’t reservable, but if I saw someone’s stuff there I would assume they’re intending to come back.
NTA – only slightly though. Yes their stuff was there, but I think the socially accepted rules are “to reserve chairs, put your items on the chairs”. You didn’t touch their things in order to get the chairs, so I feel like it’s fair game. Also, she threw a little tantrum when she threw the cup at you. Very naughty for littering.
NTA people dont get to reserve the only umbrella forever. If it was a minute for quick fetching something, you might be ta. But after 15 min, nope
YTA…You knew their things were there. You were at a pool. They could have gone into the pool for a bit. Or gone down the slides. Or whatever else was in that area. You knew they were probably coming back.
YTAH. Even tho their stuff wasn’t on the chairs, they left them their as a sign that they were coming back. Definitely stole their “spot”
NTA. If they had left their stuff ON the chairs, or even on the ground between the chairs, or under the chairs, that would be a different story. But if their bag was BEHIND the chairs… nope. That’s not a thing. Stuff has to be obviously ON or under the chairs to count.
If you had just arrived at the pool and saw empty loungers under umbrellas, how would you have known that the bags BEHIND the chairs belonged to those lounges? They could belong to the lounges behind you. That would make more sense, as people tend to put their things in front of them where they can keep an eye on them, not BEHIND them.
Her little tantrum and throwing a cup at you, though, proves that she’s an asshole regardless. Even if you did do something wrong, so did she – and she was worse, since she resorted to getting physical.
The worst people, however, are whoever decided that 6 umbrellas was enough for that many lounges. I keep saying that everyone – everyone who designs anything to be used by the public really needs to start taking climate change into consideration and designing shade – lots and lots of shade – in whatever they build. Pools, amusement parks, playgrounds, etc., all need WAY more shade.
YTA. Their stuff was there and you even acknowledge their stuff was there. Social rules imply that they’re coming back!
YTA – If someone has left their stuff at the table/chairs then they are still occupied and in use. Spaces vacant of any persons’ belongings are open spots.
You should be able to leave your stuff and go for a quick swim/slide down the chute without coming back to strangers sitting with your belongings.
At the point they returned to their spot you should have graciously vacated.
YTA
Ignoring someone’s belongings while they were gone for the length of a swim lands you firmly in asshole territory.
It’s entirely different than the people who stake out lounge chairs and then disappear from the pool area for hours.
NTA. They left. That’s that.
YTA. you knew their towels and bag were there. And for people saying that they should’ve left their items on the chair, I agree. But I also understand that they probably had some valuable items (wallet, phone, cash?) in the bag and wanted to try to keep discreet.
YTA. They couldn’t put the things ON the chair because its in the water. They put their stuff as close to the chair as they could because they were leaving temporarily.
You just apologize, leave the chairs and go find another spot.
>She said I know they aren’t reservable but we were just going to the water slide.
A classic, lol. Were the other couple Germans by any chance? We’re sadly infamous for “occupying” loungers with towels.
NTA but next time let the hotel staff deal with this mess.
This is why we rent our own house.
ESH. How old are you people, and how do people get so entitled that they complain about something as trite and temporary as flippin’ lounge chairs when they are privileged enough to vacation at a resort. SMH.
100% YTA
You say the loungers are IN the water, so all they could do was leave their belongings out of the water behind them. They are still their chairs if they left belongings, whether they left for 15 mins or 30, to the bathroom, the slide or the restaurant to grab lunch, or whatever.
At minimum when they returned, you should be said “so sorry”, and given them back.
Next time, get down there earlier to reserve umbrella loungers.
YTA, they clearly showed they intended to come back with the towels and bag.
While you can’t ‘reserve’ chairs formally, it’s an AH move to take chairs that other people are clearly using. If they left a good lawn spot at a concert to go get drinks, would you feel that you could just walk up and take that?
ESH. You knew they were saving the chairs and just wanted to be petty. They’re AHs too for saying that and throwing stuff. The hotel sucks for not having more umbrellas.
YTA. They left their stuff.
NTA — What are they, adult children? It sounds like they were away for 30 minutes or more. That’s ridiculous, they can deal with it.
You knew they’d left their things there to reserve the chairs for themselves. 15 minutes isn’t a long time to be gone in a pool setting.
You stated there were a ton of open chairs – you should’ve used some of those instead of the ones someone else had very clearly put their things by or, at minimum, vacated them when they did return.
YTA
YTA. Pool rules are that if there’s a towel/stuff on a chair, it’s taken. By your logic, if you went in the pool, you don’t get to keep your chairs; if you walk away to grab a drink, someone can take your chairs. Their stuff was there, those are their chairs until their stuff is gone.
Not only are you the ashole but you just tanked your pool chair karma
YTA they left their towels and bag. Obviously they were coming back. What they can’t leave and go to the bathroom?! Can’t go in the pool and come back? YTA.
This has to bait lol 🪱🪝
There is no way you are 45. This is so immature and rude. YTA!
You didn’t steal anything; you just exposed her entitlement. Pool rules aren’t a scavenger hunt. If you leave your throne, it’s fair game. Next time, take the towel with you!
YTA entirely. They left their towels and a small bag there and decided to go down a water slide. You can’t bring those things down a slide. They left them by their spot they had chosen for the time they were spending there. You felt entitled to the shade they had and took it because “they left”. They didn’t leave. They didn’t hog anything. You , again, you felt entitled to take what they had because no one was watching. Doesn’t matter how long you waited. You’re not entitled to it because they left to enjoy the accommodations provided at the pool. I bet you would change your mind if those were your seats and you went to the bar to grab drinks and came back and someone was in your spot. That you had you items at. But you left, right? YTA, in case you forgot.
NTA. Some resorts I’ve been to have signs posted everywhere specifically stating that chairs / loungers cannot be reserved and if you leave they are up for grabs. None of that “towel reservation” BS. You leave, chairs are free. They were gone for a while and should not have expected their seats to still be available when they returned.
NTA
They aren’t allowed to reserve the chairs by leaving things behind them, nor by leaving things on them.
You gave them sometime before you took the loungers, and that was more courtesy than you are required to show.
People who think they’re allowed to hog seats in spaces like this are entitled and more people need to speak up and stop this nonsense.
> The couple in the chairs got up and walked away. We got up from the bar and went to the hot tub.
> When we got back 15 mins later those two loungers were empty.
> The couple who was in the chairs had left their towels on the pool deck behind the chairs and a small bag.
YTA. Get real. You don’t get to steal their loungers on a technicality. You knew they were using those chairs.
YTA.
NTA. The old adage holds true: Shuffle your feet, lose your seat.
YTA. You noted the fact you saw their stuff there. You also state that you can’t put stuff on the chairs because they’re in the water. You knew what you were doing and I suspect you knew those people would be back. Big time YTA.
I mean, everyone takes their stuff down to the pool and sets up on a lounger, leaving their stuff at their chair while they get in the pool, use the restroom, get food/drinks if it’s that sort of place. I don’t think they were wrong for expecting to come back and use the chairs, especially since you note there were many other loungers open. So they weren’t, as you claimed, hogging chairs. Did you ask the staff if they have more umbrellas?
It’s ESH cuz she shouldn’t have thrown a drink at you but you were out of line as well.
YTA they left their bag and towels
with the chairs. You know you were the AHs
NTA. Everyone saying YTA are putting themselves as chair hogs honestly.