Your opinion on "seat-hopping" at Miller Park and other sports stadiums?

[bani1717]

Since in the Happy Youngster thread, he (among other things) got blasted for seat hopping during the game and sitting in seats for which he doesn't have tickets, I was wondering what people think about this in general.

 

Personally, I would say that it's ok to sit in seats for which you don't have tickets as long as a) the ushers allow it/don't ask you to leave, and b) someone with tickets for those seats doesn't show up. Other than that, I think you're fine. At Miller Park, they make the announcement that the staff will check tickets and that only people with a ticket for a particular seat will be able to occupy that seat. However, as some of you probably know, they only enforce this strictly on the Field Level. Therefore, since they don't check tickets and follow through on their stated policy elsewhere, I think it's ok to sit there - provided someone with those seats doesn't show up.

 

Looking forward to hear your guys' opinions on this, since some people seemed to be pretty negative about it in the HY thread.

 

EDIT: Mods, please move if this doesn't belong in the Major League forum.

[razzzorsharp]

The only time I do it is to move over a seat or two to not have to sit next to someone or behind someone. I don't care what other people do however, just worry about myself.

[TheCrew]

My opinion is that you should sit in the seats that you paid for - I have a feeling they are going to start getting stricter on the 2nd and 3rd levels, I've seen quite a few times this season already people getting caught moving up when the actual seat owners show up.

 

The one exception I see being made is that if there are 6 people in a row and the rest of the row is empty - I don't have a problem if they spread out down the row to give themselves some room (if it's been a few innings and its clear no one else is showing up), but you aren't moving up in this situation.

[rm121978]

I think if you are moving either within your price range or to a lower-value seat, it's fine as long as you don't inconvenience others around you by sitting directly next to or in front of them. One time I moved from a crowded field level section near the dugout/tarp to one further down the line that had some empty rows. The usher checked my ticket, saw that it was for a technically "better" seat and let me stay.

 

At 95% of the games I go to I'm in the club level, and they don't allow you up there without a ticket for a club level seat, so it's not much of a problem there. Just another reason why I love the club level.

[dadofandrew]

After a certain point, say the 5th inning, I don't have a problem with it. Spreading out into an emptier section that cost the same or less is fine too. It sucks though when you pay $32 for a good seat and some 8 year-old sits in front of you the whole game w/o a ticket.

[SeriesFinale]

After a certain point, say the 5th inning, I don't have a problem with it. Spreading out into an emptier section that cost the same or less is fine too. It sucks though when you pay $32 for a good seat and some 8 year-old sits in front of you the whole game w/o a ticket.

This is my feeling with the 1 and 2 provisos of the first post, additionally provided you put a "1" in front of that "8."

 

I'll take a father and son who didn't pay for those particular seats before a pack of college-aged kids (which is the likelier scenario) any day/.

[TheCrew07]

Generally I say sit in the seat you paid for. However in situations where the park/stadium is 1/3 full, I don't have a problem with people moving around. We let our boys do that when we take them over to MN for Gopher games (Badgers have priced themselves out), but when we used to take them to Camp Randall they were sitting in their assigned seats regardless of the view.

[logan82]

I have no problem with seat hopping as long as you are not inconveniencing the people around you who paid for their seats. Sit and watch the game.

[Baldkin]

Whatever you want to do is fine, but if someone has to ask you to leave the seat, just leave. Don't pretend that "Oh, I didn't know" and make the other people go get an usher blocking MY view of the game for another 10 minutes.

[NYChez]

There's a right way to do it. If you're smart and pick your spots, and as long as you realize that the moment you start inconveniencing those in the pricier seats then it's time to go back upstairs, then it's fine.

[RyDogg66]

I did it when I was in high school/college. Now that I am an adult I dont. Of course, it wasnt much of a problem when I did it back in the mid and late 90s.

[thablingster]

I will sit in my purchased seat if possible, but if by the 4th or 5th inning no one is sitting next to/infront of me and I'm sitting next to someone I don't know, I may move over a seat or two depending on the view. If someone comes for the seat I move no questions asked, and since I am sitting a seat or two over anyway it isn't a big deal. I like my space, what can I say. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

I mostly sit in 400 these days, but I still remember the days where there would be about 20 people in an entire section of bleachers and you could sit where you want, lol.

[3Putt]

I had a late Uncle who was a professional seat jumper. Thankfully he lived in Kansas City so when he dragged me to the games we'd only anger Chief or Royal fans.

 

I say it's OK if you wait until at least the 3rd inning. Also, if you have small kids forget it.

[brewerjamie15]

No problem with it.

When Miller Park used to be pretty empty for games, I'd move all the time. I would buy a cheaper seat and then after inning #3 or so, move down to level 100 with a location in mind, ask the usher, and almost always be told OK. I'd do it when I went to games alone (with headphones and scorebook, perhaps a dinner I brought in) or with my wife. I always told the usher I was not at all going to cause problems and I'd move if needed.

It enabled me to hit an extra few games per season by saving money. Now that sell outs are commonplace, it's sometimes hard enough just getting a seat in the first place let alone moving around.

[jeffy]

I used to do it when the park had lots of empty seats, but don't any more now that most seats are sold. Most of the time when I did it, I would just sit up in a pretty high row in the lower level(s)...where there was a section that was maybe about 1/2 empty.

 

Once, though, at County I got greedy and saw 4 seats down by the dugout that were still empty in about the third inning. The usher soon came and said we could not sit there, it was the owner's box http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif.

 

At the last game I went to, my kid and I moved over a couple seats just because some tall cub fan with a huge head blocked our view of home plate. Whoever had the seats next to us never showed up.

[twobrewers]

I've actually had a few ushers on the lower level offer to find me a seat if I came back down later in the game.

 

I always stayed in my seat.

 

If you can do it without being a bother - I have no problem with it. However, I would say most people are not so tactful.

[joshjs]

I don't have a huge problem with the idea, but I don't do it. One note: If you're going to the game with somebody who's not comfortable with it, don't pressure them to do it with you. That's not cool.

[Weirdos19]

I say if you are sitting in the same level it's fine.

 

A Uecker seat person should never sit in the lower deck. No reason for it.

 

Dismissal for going down levels? I'm for it.

[diener34]

I can never pull the trigger... There is nothing more embarrassing than getting removed from a section.

 

I actually encourage people around me to move around to create myself some leg room. I am a bigger guy, so leg room is always nice.

[strawbossisevil]

I personally think that people should only sit in the seats that they pay for or one that is equal or lesser in value.

 

If you want to sit in the expensive seats, pay for them. Otherwise I see it as essentially stealing (since you aren´t paying for the quality of seat that you are sitting in by moving up).

 

However, I will add an amendment to that, saying that in the last couple of innings (when the park is open to anyone to enter for free (assuming they are still allowing this) - which I believe is after the 7th inning, than you are more than welcome to tactfully move up).

 

Since this spawned off of the Happy thread, I had a big problem with his sneaking into seats directly behind the visitor´s dugout and staying there the whole game despite paying for far less expensive seats (as he so happily points out in his blog). That I believe is stealing and unethical.

[JimH5]

I sit in the seat I'm assigned, unless I'm next to an especially unpleasant person, in which case I move to a lesser seat.

 

Somewhat related. . .I never buy from scalpers, as I would rather that the Brewers get my money.

[Invader3K]

I don't really ever do it. These days my wife and I have a 9 pack, which make up the majority of the games we go to. We have pretty good seats in section 215, so no real reason to move up.

 

The only exception would be moving up a few rows in the same section I'm, if say by the third or fourth inning no one has showed up to sit there. With how crowded Miller Park usually is these days, I don't think there's any real justification for buying a terrace reserved ticket and then moving down to the loge or 100 level. I guess if the usher says it's ok, that's one thing though. I just can't stand when you're watching the game, and the real ticket owners show up to get the seats in front of you, and then the squatter occupants take five minutes to leave. Just bugs me.

[jeffy]

Somewhat related. . .I never buy from scalpers, as I would rather that the Brewers get my money.

Is it scalping when you pay face value or less (and/or less than the team would charge you for single game tickets)?

 

I converted to buying from season ticket holders last year. The way I now look at it is I am encouraging them to continue to be season ticket buyers, by helping provide a secondary market for the tickets they can not use. Even the team itself sees the value in this as indicated by the stub hub link on the team website.

[joepepsi]

I used to go to Twins games on "teacher/student" days and get in for 99 cents. The stadium would have about 7-9,000 people in it. If there were open seats behind home plate in the 5-6 innings you bet I would move down there. Last year my daughter and I were on the 1B side, in the middle of the row and crammed in by people all around us. We got up mid game to get something to eat and decided to sit out in RF rather than deal with crowd at the other seats.

 

It's rude to start the game in someone else's seat and put them through the angst of a confrontation. When you get to the ballpark, find your seat and sit in it. If the row isn't full and your group can spread out that's fine. I think it's OK to move to another seat, even a higher priced one, after the 5/6th inning. However, I think if you are going to do that, you should be respectful of the people around you. Don't be a drunk, obnoxious lout.

[Patrick425]

I'm not a fan of it at all. However, I can see the situation where you are moving within your same row or section.

Even if you might think you are not bothering anyone, sometimes you are. Just because you are not drunk or obnoxious, does not mean you are not bothering someone. While it happens rarely in our section, there is the occasion when someone comes down and sits in front of us. I'm not a tall person (5' 8") and my son is 11. It's nice to occasionally have an unhindered view of the field. I don't mind it when a taller person is sitting in front of us and I know they have paid for those seats. I'm not happy when it's a seat jumper who is blocking my or my son's view.

If you are going to jump seats, be aware of this and try not to sit in front of kids (or at least kids who appear interested in watching the game).