Parents Spark Debate Reserving Park Benches for Little Kid’s Party with ‘Rude’ Note

A family earned the ire of some parkgoers after leaving a note on a park bench to reserve a few tables for themselves for the day. However, some also came to their defense.

A Reddit user took to the platform to share a photo of a note they had found in a busy public park on a hot day over Labor Day weekend last year. The note was intended to inform parkgoers that a few tables were not to be occupied because a family intended to use them for a party. Four hours after the park had opened, the party guests were nowhere to be seen.

The post immediately gained a ton of attention, and the person who posted the photo had to update those avidly following the story, hoping to find out what happened to the people who left the note.

By the time the people arrived for their party, others at the park had set up picnics around the area the people had reserved. The person who posted the photo then shared a few updates on the image.

What Happened at the Park?

The original poster (OP) shared that there were no reservations at that park. The poster also shared that they were at the park with ten kids for a birthday party and had arrived early to ensure they got a table without reserving one.

However, when OP arrived at the park and all the other tables had been taken, they noticed a table that had not been occupied but had a note on one of its benches that read:

"Reserved for a birthday party. Please respect the space we've set aside and do not use our tables. This is a 4-year-old's party. Don't be the one to mess it up. Thank you."

The post was met with many horrified commenters, who thought the note rude, considering how many people must have wanted to use the tables at the park on a national holiday.

What Did Netizens Think?

While some people thought the people who wrote the note were entirely within their rights, others found it ridiculous to be reserving tables in a busy park on a National holiday. Meanwhile, the poster was particularly annoyed by the note, writing:

"Its the fact that the note was written aggressively while also depending on other people’s decency to allow them to bend common courtesy that i found annoying. Its rude and mannerless. I would not respond in kind of course."

One commenter said the people could have added the party time to the note so people could use the tables until the party started and then leave before the guests began arriving.

Another commenter said they had woken up at 5 a.m. many times to go and sit at one of these tables to ensure nobody else used the tables before their party began. The commenter thought it was rude of the people to leave the note. Others also called them "super entitled."

One person advised what they would have done if they had seen the note; they said they would have neatly folded the tablecloth that adorned the table, put it nearby, thrown the letter away, and then left. The commenter's logic was that it would have allowed someone who honestly didn't know the table was reserved to use it.

Some commenters knew the park's rules well, with one saying that unless the people had gotten specific permission from park officials and there was a sign-up, nobody was allowed to reserve the tables in a public park. Another commented, "That 4-year-old is doomed."

Other commenters came to the note writer's defense, suspecting they may have paid extra to reserve the tables and that the poster was acting more entitled than the people who had booked it. Another agreed and asked if the poster had kids and knew how much time and effort it took to plan a child's party.

Some were confused that OP was upset that people had reserved two tables for a four-year-old's birthday party. Others said that the child would never have that party again, and the poster should allow the child to enjoy their special day in peace. One person added that they would use the table and be more than happy to get up and move when the partygoers arrived.

OP updated the post, saying the partygoers had arrived six hours into the day. They played loud music, which park rangers asked them to turn down. After that, they enjoyed their day peacefully.

While there was some speculation as to who exactly was acting entitled in this story, there was no doubt that one bus driver was the entitled one when he wouldn't allow a child a second chance to get on the school bus. Read the full story here.