You’re Blocking My View! [WMQ]

Fellow Sports Fans,

We need to have a chat. There are unspoken rules of etiquette at live sporting events. We all spent good money to buy our seats and watch the action. Everyone wants to see the big plays as they happen. It’s why we paid to be here!

So then why did I have my view obstructed for so many of the at bats yesterday? You want to get a soda or you need to go to the bathroom. That’s fine and good, but you shouldn’t be getting up to do it in the middle of an at bat! The time for walking is in between batters if you’re going to move quickly and you’re relatively near the concourse. It’s between innings otherwise.

When I was a kid going to games at what was then called Joe Robbie Stadium, the ushers didn’t let you head to your seats until those aforementioned times. In almost every other ballpark I’ve been to it’s just chaos. Official Nats policy is to follow this convention, but they’re hardly strict about it. They allow fans to walk to their seats at all times. This Nats fan yesterday and I had the following exchange.

Nats Fan: (Bewildered) Why are we standing here?

Usher: We’re waiting for a pause in play.

Nats Fan: (Sarcastically) The pitcher’s not throwing the ball right now. That’s a pause in play.

Me: I think they mean between batters.

Nats Fan: (Incredulous) That’s ridiculous! Why do I have to wait to go to my seat for that?

Me: (Angry) Because it’s obnoxious to not be able to see the pitcher throw the ball because people are walking down to their seats.

Nats Fan: …

It’s bewildering.

Sports fans, I’m calling upon your common decency and asking you nicely. Please don’t start walking to your seat between pitches. You will be someone’s way when they want to see what’s going on and no one likes it when their view is obstructed.

Annoyed, but hopeful that things can change,

Dan

PS: Figure out where you’re seated or what you need to do before you start walking down. The aisles are not a place for conversation or hesitation. You should be quickly getting to your seats.

PPS: The aisles are also not a place for you to stand and talk to your friends. Take a knee if you’re gonna be there for a while chatting about inane nonsense. I’m already annoyed by your stupid conversation, but you being in the way of the batter is worse.