Entitled family tries to take over 7-year-old's birthday at public pool even though they paid $45 to reserve it: 'Your tradition is not stronger than my reservation'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2025 10:00 AM EST

There's a classic Seinfeld bit about car rental services when Jerry goes to pick up a rental car and they don't have it. He then says to the clerk, "You know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anyone can just take them." This is a key tenet of reservations. They're utterly meaningless unless you know how to hold onto them. Otherwise, they're just wisps of nothing. 

One group learned that the hard way when another family sauntered up and demanded their spot. Despite having printed proof of a reservation, these folks just wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They kept on pushing, making up reasons that they couldn't use their allotted space. As an adult, you're bound to run into more than a few people like this on your way. You have to learn how to deal with them, and it's far from an easy task. You have to use your spine way more than the average person. That's what these people did. 

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  • 01
    A group of people hang out in and around a swimming pool.
    via Brandon Hoogenboom

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

  • They stuck to their will more than most would, and were rewarded in the end. But that didn't mean that they weren't taken advantage of at every turn. Some people just won't let up, even though they know they're in the wrong. Scroll on to find out what happened and see what you would have done. 

  • 02

    "Your tradition is not stronger than my reservation"

    Happened last weekend at our community pool. My sister and I booked the shade pavilion for my nephew's 7th birthday, paid the $45 fee online, printed the permit, the whole thing. We showed up early with juice boxes, two Costco pizzas, a tragic but cute shark cake and a stack of paper crowns. At 12 10 a family of six marches in
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 03
    like a parade, drops coolers on our table and the dad goes, "Alright kids, like every year, grab the corner table." I say, friendly, "hi, sorry, we reserved this pavilion from 12 to 3, here's the permit." Mom rolls her eyes and says, "we always use this spot, the lifeguards know us." Then to me, "you can take one of the small tables, it's just kids." I point at our permit again. She goes, "you can't OWN public space." The dad starts moving our plates to the edge like we are a display.
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 04
    I walk to the lifeguard desk and explain, because I don't want a fight in front of seven year olds. Lifeguard checks the book, nods, comes over. He tells them the pavilion is reserved. Mom says, "we have a toddler who needs shade, your policy violates ADA." Lifeguard, very patient, points at
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 05
    three other shaded tables and says they can use any of them, this one is booked. Dad tries a new angle, "my taxes pay for this, her $45 does not outrank my taxes." Another lifeguard radios the manager. Manager arrives, same answer, asks them to move. Mom says to me, "you are teaching your kid to be selfish." I say, calm shaky
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 06
    voice, "I'm teaching him to not let people take his stuff and call it tradition." She huffs, calls me a witch, and they finally drag their cooler to another table, loudly narrating how unfair it is.
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 07
    Best petty ending, the manager comped us extra swim bands for my nephew's classmates who showed up late, and the whole birthday sang the loudest off key "Happy Birthday" ever. The toddler from that family came over for a crown, we gave him one, he smiled like a tiny king. So, yes, your tradition is lovely, but my printed permit and a shark cake beat it today.
    via u/carltonmaven
  • 08
    A lifeguard sits in a lifeguard chair.
    via Yiquan Zhang

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

  • 09

    Commenters agreed that there was a lot going on here.

    OMGyarn 39m ago . And you even gave their kid a treat when their parents are jerks. You're the role model to follow
    via u/OMGyarn
  • 10
    HUNGWHITEBOI25 50m ago This story reminds me of that moment in Futurama "you cant OWN property man" "I can but thats because im not a pennyless hippie" C D
    via u/HUNGWHITEBOI25
  • 11
    RebeccaMCullen 51m ago • Unless you're one of those people who don't pay taxes, your $45 booking fee outranks him paying taxes.
    via u/RebeccaMCullen
  • 12
    NMPapillon 24m ago Somehow I want pictures of the "tragic but cute" shark cake.
    via u/NMPapillon
  • 13
    series-hybrid • 33m ago I 100% guarantee that if the other family had used the pavilion, at the end they would have waited until nobody is watching, and they would have dipped out and left a mess.
    via u/series-hybrid
  • 14
    Bkseneca 22m ago Re: Entitled Dad's comment, "my taxes pay for this, her $45 does not outrank my taxes." You pay taxes as well. What an *ss.
    via u/Bkseneca
  • 15
    dljones010 - 31m ago Now you can shark your cake and eat it too!
    via u/dljones010
  • 16
    Mysterious-Relief2... .11m ago Awesome way to handle bad adult behavior. Obviously the toddler liked y'all better!
    via u/Mysterious-Relief226
  • 17
    Scenarioing 8m ago ""my taxes pay for this, her $45 does not outrank my taxes."'"' ---It absolutely does. It is EXACTLY what it does.
    via u/Scenarioing
  • 18
    SciFiWritingGuy • 23m ago Did the DB Entitled dad realize that you pay taxes, too?
    via u/SciFiWritingGuy
  • 19
    Stop_The_Crazy • 19m ago It's depressing that so many people are like that.
    via u/Stop_The_Crazy
  • 20
    MeatofKings • 25m ago . Paper covers rock
    via u/MeatofKings
  • 21
    • ShopGirl1974 · 6m ago I'm sure your taxes plus the extra $45 you paid trumps his measly taxes any day!
    via u/ShopGirl1974
  • 22
    Cubsfantransplant · 2m ago Giving the toddler a crown was icing on the cake.
    via u/Cubsfantransplant
  • 23
    ScowlyBrowSpinster · 1m ago Calling it now: "huff" is the new "mutter" in the botslop post syntax! Watch it come up all the time in future posts.
    via u/ScowlyBrowSpinster

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neighbors neighborhood drama drama FAIL toddler reservation neighborhood-drama community drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories reddit story pool karen neighbor story reddit thread Bad Neighbor Reddit karen entitled people
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