The Definition of a SeatHog

SeatHog – noun – \ˈsēt-hog\ – a selfish or clueless individual who deprives another individual of any reasonable or unimpeded opportunity to sit down.

Once the seated area begins to fill up free seats should be liberated to allow others to sit down.

Here are some common examples of Seat Hogging

Depriving someone of a reasonable opportunity to sit down by:

1.  Putting Bags On Open Seats – Putting your shit on the seat next  to you.

2.  Claiming Extra Legroom/Armroom – Spreading out one or more limbs in a way that unreasonably occupies adjacent seating.  Some SeatHogs will use their elbows and even encorporate objects such as shoulderbags to accomplish the same.

3.  Blocking Access to Seats – Using your body or your belongings to physically barricade reasonable access to available seats.  Note – sitting in an aisle seat is acceptable so long as you are extremely welcoming to passing individuals who might want to sit in your row, taking every opportunity to grant access to the adjacent seat(s).

4.  Sitting in Elderly/Handicapped Seats – If you are 55 or younger and able bodied you should give your seat to anyone who looks older than 70 or appears to physically handicapped.  Even if ones seat is not marked as elderly/handicapped, one should still offer their seat to an elderly or handicapped individual if it is clear that such person could use the relief.

5.  Lying Down or Sleeping on Multiple Seats – No explanation needed.

6.  Not Offering Your Seat to Clearly Pregnant Women – If you are able bodied, you should always offer your seat to noticably pregnant women.

7.  Needing to be Asked to Move – Anyone requiring the words “excuse me” before freeing up access to a seat was hogging.  It doesn’t matter if they move their stuff or shift over a little bit AFTER being asked, they should have done this beforehand.

8.  Being Filthy and Stinky – Nobody wants to sit next a filthy stinky individual, so being filthy and stinky in a public seat is usually SeatHogging.  For instance if someone smells so bad that they literally clear out the area, this is SeatHogging and we will publish photos of this sort.  If however, someone has been involved in a sporting activity and is simply stinking of BO, while being somewhat unacceptable, this is probably not SeatHogging.

Here Are Some Common Examples of NOT Seat Hogging:

1.  Large People Who Occupy More Than One Seat are generally not considered Seat Hogs unless they are occupying seats paid for by another person.

2.  Small Children Occupying Big Seats are generally not Seat Hogs unless the child was given free admission to a seated area where others have paid for their seats.

3.  Occupying the Aisle Seat When the Inside Seats are Unoccupied – Generally this is not SeatHogging, since some people prefer the aisle seat, but if you need to be asked to move in order to allow people access to the inside seats, this is a form of seat hogging – you should be aware of the seating situation, know when someone wants to sit on the inside, and make every effort to move voluntarily before they have to ask thus allowing them clear and problem-free access to the inside seats.

4.  Saving a Couple of Seats at a Movie Theater or Similar Location – This could go either way.  One person getting to a movie early and saving a bunch of seats for people who get there much later is rude and unacceptable, probably SeatHogging.  Saving a seat or two is usualy OK, but once the previews begin, it is pretty rude to continue to hold the seat.

5.  Leaving One Seat Between Your Party and the Party Next to Yours – You know the deal.  You arrive early to a movie.  There’s a couple sitting in the middle section at the movie theater and you want to sit in that row.  You and your date do not want to crowd the people next to you when there are few people in the theater, so you leave one seat in between you and the couple next to you.  This is usually acceptable, but you should be prepared to move down if doing so will free up two seats that could be used by a couple, even if they get there later than you, so long as the theater gets crowded or all of the prime seat pairs have been taken.  We realize this is a hot button issue and welcome your comments.

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