This comes from one of the “Letters From A Nut” books, where “Ted L. Nancy” (a presumed pseudonym for Jerry Seinfeld) writes to the head of a manufacturer of sports stadium seats to ask this question (to which the President/CEO of the company replies, admitting this was the “most interesting question” he’d ever received “in all his years in the business”).
Imagine you’re seated in middle of a row with 24 or more seats (pretty common these days in many ballparks and arenas, especially in the cheap “steerage” section seats). You need to get up to use the restroom, buy a special concession, whatever, and have to push past lots of people to reach the aisle.
So, which way is the more proper way to face? As “Mr. Nancy” puts it, facing the field means waving his butt into 12 peoples’ faces… And yet, doing the opposite could well be even worse.
I face the people. I want to make eye contact to make my excuses/apologies. I don’t want to step on feet, coats, purses and it seems easier to see and avoid that stuff if I’m facing the people.
I read in an etiquette book (Miss Manners? Emily Post?) that one is supposed to face the people, and I do that if is safe. Unfortunately, sometimes the combination of wearing heels and the narrowness of the “foot room” means it’s safer for me to face away from the people. I make my apologies to my row mates either way.
Yeah, I don’t get it either. How big a person or tight a row is the OP imagining that walking out normally (so people would see your side, not your front or back) wasn’t included in the options?
That was a great book. I read it a couple of years ago, and laughed several times out loud while reading it. (I really liked the “Topps the Slender Giant” letters.)
Anytime I exit my seat at a theatre or stadium I’m reminded of this letter, and the book it came from.
What stadium/arena have you been in where the seating rows had enough leg room for an adult to walk “sideways” (facing the aisle) without tripping over all the other people’s legs, bags, drinks/food they left on the ground in front of them, etc.? Remember this scenario is a fully occupied row, not one where you’re the only person in it.
I face the people. It’s easier to navigate the feet and bags if I can see them, and if I’m facing the people I’m squeezing past, I can give them apologetic looks as I do so.
Exactly. Tyler’s answer, as is the correct answer to this question, is to present your ass to everyone you find sexually undesirable, and the crotch to all others.
Facing the field/stage. While navigating the gauntlet of legs, I have the backs of the seats in the next row down to hold in case of loss of balance, which is a good possibility after several beers.
Which is exactly what I do, based on Tyler’s advice.
[slight hijack]
I once picked up a pack of Avery labels and was greatly amused to find the address printed on the sample label on the package was “Tyler Durden.” Og bless the Avery label packaging designer who did that. Made me lol. [/hijack]
People get the ass, of course. It’s easier both to balance and to dodge knees if your knees bend away from the person you are attempting to pass. Any other way is madness.