Dear Prudence,
I have a somewhat silly question that’s weighing heavily on me. I went to a show last weekend for one of my favorite bands. They’re known for outrageous theatrics, so I got there an hour early and claimed a good vantage spot. While the stage was being cleared for the headliner, a couple came through the crowd and tried to pass by me. I thought they had left their seats to get drinks or use the restroom, so I let them through, but then they stopped and stood right in front of me. I’m 5-foot-5 and both of them were easily 6 feet tall. I spent most of the show trying to get a view in between their heads. The girl was also on her phone the whole time (not even recording the band—mostly Snapchatting various mosh-pit antics). I saw more of her phone than the stage. I eventually got fed up and told her I didn’t pay to watch the show through her phone. She didn’t seem to care and kept doing it.
Is it possible she didn’t put her phone away because I was rude to her? Is there a better way to address these issues in the future? Do I go find a new spot and risk inconveniencing someone else, or just grin and accept that this is how it’s going to be sometimes? Should I have waited until someone in the pit bumped me and “spilled” my drink on them? This time, I moved so I was in between them and the mosh pit (they kept falling over when people ran into them) and pushed people back into the pit, but my tiny frame is not built for that and I felt sore the day after. (At least I saw the last half of the show!)