Would you pay a friend to 'hold your spot' in a public park?
By @dani · Would You Do This
My friend group is planning a big picnic for the long weekend coming up. One friend suggested that to get a good spot, one of us should go at 6 AM and the rest of us 'pay' them for their time.
The full story
I'm probably overthinking this, but the whole thing feels weird to me. We have a group chat for coordinating stuff and for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, someone suggested a big get-together at a popular park. The park has specific 'first come, first served' grilling and picnic spots and they get taken super fast on holiday weekends. A few people were worried we wouldn't get one if we all showed up at a normal time like noon. Then one of my friends, let's call him the 'organizer,' proposed a solution. they said he would be willing to go to the park at 6 AM to claim a prime spot for the group. But, he said that since he'd be spending his entire morning waiting for the rest of us to show up (we agreed to meet at 1 PM), we should all chip in to compensate him for his time. He suggested everyone else (about 8 of us) Venmo him $15 for his 'spot-holding service.' He presented it like it was a totally normal and logical business transaction. A few people in the chat immediately sent thumbs-up emojis and said it was a great idea. I haven't responded yet. It just feels...transactional? We're friends. Isn't this just something you do for the group? It's not like he has to do hard labor, he'll just be sitting in a park. But I also get that giving up a whole morning isn't nothing. I don't want to be the one guy who makes a fuss if everyone else is fine with it, but I can't shake the feeling that this is a weird precedent to set.
How people voted
- Bad Move — 19% (26 votes)
- Needs Context — 50% (68 votes)
- Reasonable — 31% (42 votes)
Readers say “Needs Context” (50%) — 136 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@niahm — I get the feeling the 'organizer' has tried stuff like this before.
@kirahm — LMAO
@maeok — That's a tough spot to be in, it's so awkward when friends start making things feel like a business. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.
@ellie — My friends and I do this for concerts all the time. The person who waits in the merch line gets their t-shirt paid for by the group.
@umalately — Why not just have everyone take shifts waiting for the spot?