Woman lies about being with child to get back at elderly man trying to steal her seat at a comedy show: 'It stopped him right in his tracks, and he just kind of stared at me'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 29, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

We're all familiar with lying to help a situation go a little smoother. Who among us hasn't done that? I am liable to do that in the back of taxis most of all. Sometimes it feels like a convenient place to lie, especially when they ask what I do for work. I rarely, if ever, feel like explaining it, so I just say I'm a teacher. Stolen valor? Maybe. But sometimes you have to animate certain truths just to make life go a little bit easier. You don't want to make a habit out of lying, but it's fine to do it every now and again. It's why we have the term "white lies." They're just small enough not to matter too much.

But what about lying to get what you want? Is that manipulation, or is that self-protection? Those are the questions that came up in this story, where a woman was made to defend a seat she had rightfully taken at a comedy show. When a man came along and tried to talk her out of it, she snapped into action. 

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  • A woman sits in a row of empty theater seats.
    via Pablo Lara

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • She tried all the ways she could to get him to listen to her, but none of them seemed to be working. So she finally pulled a lie out of the back of her pocket that she knew would solve the problem. But she was left wondering whether or not this was a good idea. 

  • Am I in the wrong for lying to get seats at a show?

    I (28F) recently went to a comedy show with my friend, Annie (27F). We were both super excited, and made sure to get there early to get good spots since our tickets only covered the section we were in, not the actual seats. Even though it was a little bit crowded, we managed to get super good seats on the upper balcony towards the middle, almost dead center to the stage.
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • At this point the show wasn't supposed to start for another half hour, and Annie needed to use the bathroom. When she left I made sure to set hers and my coat in her seat to make sure that no one would take it. As I waited for Annie I was scrolling on my phone, when from the corner of my eye I saw an elderly man squeezing his way towards Annie's open seat, and I realized he was trying to sit down.
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • When he got to me, I put my hands. over the pile of coats to assert once again that the seat was taken, but the man only looked at me and said that I needed to move the coat because that was his seat I was taking up. I was super taken aback and I'm already a little bit shy, so I told him sorry, but that the seat was already taken and she
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • was just in the bathroom. He kept insisting that I needed to move the coats, and that he had been there first despite me knowing we were there before anyone else in the whole row. I only doubled down and refused, telling him that he must be mistaken but we were here first. No one around us spoke to back me up, either.
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • He told me I was being selfish, and that I wasn't raised with manners since I wasn't allowing an older man to sit. It was so embarrassing, getting scolded like I was a teenager. And so, I said back that I was pregnant, and that he should have manners but to kick a pregnant woman from her seat. For context, I am not pregnant. At
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • the very least, it stopped him right in his tracks, and he just kind of stared at me before walking away. I felt so victorious in managing to keep our seats, and Annie had finally found her way back. I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should have just given up the seats, or not lied at all, AITA?
    via u/Subject-Bat-9234
  • A group of people sit in an audience of a theater.
    via Antenna

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters weighed in with their opinions.

    Sami_George · 16h ago . NTA. I don't see it any differently than saying "I have a boyfriend" to a dude who won't stop hitting on you.
    via u/Sami_George
  • SalaudChaud · 16h ago Hahaha! I don't care what anyone else says because you did a reverse uno on that asshole and it's funny. NTA Though it's notable that you were talking about your friend's seat with a bunch of not-pregnant clothes on it.
    via u/SalaudChaud
  • UpOnZeeTail ⚫ 15h ago NTA- you didn't lie to get seats at a show. You showed up early, sat in unoccupied seats and then lied to get someone who was trying to take one of your seats to leave you alone.
    via u/UpOnZeeTail
  • axels_mom 16h ago Nta. That was actually quick thinking. And as a pregnant woman myself, I am fine with you do that. He was being rude. Everyone knows if there are coats on a seat that it is reserved.
    via u/axels_mom
  • hbomb9410 . 15h ago NTA. You may have lied about being pregnant, but that man was lying about that being his seat, and he was not going to let it go without a fight. Sometimes we have to lie to get men off our backs if nothing else is working. If he needs special accommodations because of his age, he should have either arrived early or asked a venue employee for assistance.
    via u/hbomb9410
  • AlphaQueen3 • 15h ago Lol. NTA. I was totally ready to call you one based on the title, but you didn't lie to get the seats, you lied as the most convenient way to get rid of someone who was being a ridiculous ass. Your
    via u/AlphaQueen3
  • seat was obviously taken, he just thought he could manipulate you. And I agree with the others who said this is like saying you have a boyfriend when a dude won't leave you alone.
    via u/AlphaQueen3
  • owlbi 15h ago NTA. . He lied to try and create social pressure, you lied right back. Uno Reverse, fair play.
    via u/owlbi
  • ninja-camper • 15h ago . NTA and quick thinking. I'd steal the move myself, but I often drink at comedy shows so I wouldn't want to be caught later with a beer that could harm my fake baby
    via u/ninja-camper
  • That guy sounds like the AH. Being old doesn't mean you get to bully others. He made it up the stairs to the balcony. right? So it sounds like he can get around just fine and could find another seat.
    via u/ninja-camper
  • ConflictGullible392 15h ago NTA. The seat was yours fair and square. You don't have to be pregnant to have a right to a seat you claimed first. You shouldn't have had to say anything, but you were just saying whatever you needed to get him to leave you alone.
    via u/ConflictGullible392
  • BlueFire-and-ice 15h ago NTA. Guy can take a hint, with the jackets, and find another seat before he comes to berate you for holding YOUR seat.
    via u/BlueFire-and-ice
  • Grymflyk 15h ago NTA. You stood up for what was right, you made efforts to get to the venue to get the seats you wanted. He showed up at the last minute expecting to use the old man card excuse for being entitled
    via u/Grymflyk
  • and rude. You were no more deceptive than he, you just one upped him at his own game. You gotta do what you gotta do now a days. He should be ashamed of his actions, he got what he deserved.
    via u/Grymflyk
  • saucybishh 15h ago • Nta One thing if you both left and had your coats sitting there, but he was dumb to argue with you when you're holding one single seat
    via u/saucybishh
  • Gordatwork • 15h ago NTA and anyone saying you are the asshole is a dumbass. Like, your friend goes to the bathroom and all of a sudden the seat is up for grabs for any random person? The fuck kind of reasoning is that?
    via u/Gordatwork
  • unitedstateofaman... 15h ago . NTA. he had no right to your seats. And hopefully this was a lesson for him. Shame on that old man. Good for you!
    via u/unitedstateofamanda
  • _ JustKaira ⚫ 14h ago . NTA - if he was gonna try and claim a seat he should buy tickets with assigned seating, if none are available he should arrive earlier. Props on the pregnancy play though, that was genius.
    via u/_JustKaira
  • No_Frosting_9459 • 13h ago NTA I doubt he would have the same attitude towards another man. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get strangers to back off. I think a lie that doesn't affect anyone isn't worth stressing over.
    via u/No_Frosting_9459
  • PuzzleheadedSky60 • 14h ago When i saw this title i thought for sure u were TA, but no, NTA!! this dude is textbook definition a$$hole
    via u/PuzzleheadedSky60

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comedy show drama FAIL lies lying community drama reddit story karen neighbor etiquette story entitled pregnant reddit thread Reddit karen entitled people
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