'I'm trying to enjoy my hard-earned PTO': Resort Karen dethroned by another vacationer after leaving the best pool umbrella unattended for 7 hours despite claiming it at 6 AM; gets taught a lesson

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 10, 2025 6:00 PM EST

Apparently, there's an unspoken rule at the fancy resorts that allows guests to claim pool loungers with nothing but a grimy flip flop or an old magazine. For hours, the best seats in the shade are empty as the late risers roll out of bed. As one who firmly believes that the early bird should get the worm, this unspoken rule irks me. While I understand that waking up at 6 AM to claim a good space by the pool demonstrates a valiant effort towards maximum chillage, I don't think it's right to assume that this pathetic display is enough to claim ownership over a chair for the entire day, when you're not even present. 

That's when you start straying into Karen territory…

Karens by the pool feel that they're entitled to a certain level of queen treatment, but this vacationer made sure to call out her bad behavior after several days of lamenting over empty chairs. Day after day, they saw the Karen's dusty pile of magazines to "claim" the best spot at the pool, but when they still hadn't shown up 7 hours later, something had to be done. A lesson had to be taught. A Karen had to be reminded that she didn't own this pool. 

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  • Woman sitting in the pool at the resort
    via Vika_Glitter

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • You claimed this chair at 6am but showed up at noon? Yeah no.
    via olivermontana09
  • So I'm currently at a nice resort in Mexico just trying to enjoy my hard earned PTO and honestly people are insane. There is this unspoken rule apparently that if you
    via olivermontana09
  • throw a cheap flip flop on a lounge chair by the pool it is yours for eternity. I came down at 8am and every single chair in the shade had a towel or a book on it but literally
    via olivermontana09
  • zero humans were in the pool area. I watched for like three hours while drinking my coffee and reading and not one person came to these three specific chairs under the
    via olivermontana09
  • best umbrella. So around 11:30 I finally got annoyed becuase the sun was blazing and I just moved their stuff neatly to a side table and sat down to relax. Well let me tell
    via olivermontana09
  • you about an hour later this massive family comes waltzing in acting like they own the place. The mom literally shrieked when she saw me. She started yelling
    via olivermontana09
  • that her husband woke up at dawn to save those spots and I'm a "thief" for moving their magazines. I told her politely that a towel isn't a person and they were gone for four hours so fair game. She demanded I
    via olivermontana09
  • move and even tried to get security involved but the guard just looked at her like she was crazy since policy says you cant reserve seats for more than 30 mins unattended. She spent the
    via olivermontana09
  • rest of the afternoon glaring at me from the direct sun while her kids splashed water near me on purpose but honestly I enjoyed my shade even more knowing she was fuming over nothing.
    via olivermontana09
  • dgb6662 I recently learned that at a lot of these higher end places with pool attendants (Atlantis), the attendants actually put towels on the chairs so you have to ask them to "find" you a seat. And they are always magically able to do so.
    via dgb6662
  • northernpikeman I have seen this play out almost every time we stay at a Mexican resort. I do it myself, but would never leave my chairs for hours unattended. But I would claim a chair, go to breakfast, then return. It is time the 30 minute rule gets enforced, and not by the hotel, by the patrons.
    via northernpikeman
  • MrSpud45 I've heard that some resorts will tell staff to move towels/items on loungers/chairs if they are left unattended for 30mins, or ask that no personal towels be used - you have to ask a member of staff for one.
    via MrSpud45
  • Jesters__Dead The trick is to move the sunlounger to another part of the pool, so it's impossible to prove it was originally 'theirs' Did this once with my girlfriend (both British) in Spain. We went to the pool at 1pm. The place was empty, but every chair had a towel on it We moved 2 chairs to the other side of the pool and laid down An hour later a lady turns up and realises what's happened, but by this time a few other people have returned so she can't tell who the culprits are So she starts
    via Jesters__Dead
  • iMakeBoomBoom This is a chronic issue at resorts and on cruise ships. They all have the non-reserve rules in place. If the resort does not enforce their rules, it can become a shit show, with the already limited chairs not even being used 1/2 the time. And can result in fights...they are basically setting it up to fail. A good resort will control this, and those that don't can and should get bad reviews.
    via iMakeBoomBoom
  • pikapikawoofwoof If you're not sitting on it a towel or flip flop is not going to stop me from taking it
    via pikapikawoofwoof
  • Ok_Location_471 I just got back from Mexico on Thursday. It was the same way at the resort I stayed at. We would claim 2 loungers for our family of 4, because the kids mostly wanted to play in the sand. They don't need chairs. If they want to sit they could squeeze in with us. We would throw towels on the chairs on our way to breakfast, eat quickly and come right back. Lunch, the kids wanted different foods. So, my husband would take my stepdaughter to eat, then when they got back, I'd take my d
    via Ok_Location_471
  • teewye86 I don't understand how a resort or cruise could ever be a good time. Take me to the country and let me have some peace.
    via teewye86
  • queenbee_1215 Went on a family cruise last year. 8 of us total. On one of the at sea days we (my mom dad and son) met my sister and her husband at the pool mid morning. A lot of chairs had towels and no one on them. My sister said the two chairs next to her had been empty the entire time they were there (about an hour). There were the six of us sharing 2 chairs. After about 2 more hours we decided to move their stuff and sit. There was a book. I placed it between the two towels so it wouldn't ge
    via queenbee_1215
  • Ben Dover522 Good on you.
    via Ben Dover522

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vacationing resort pool PTO Travel karen entitled people vacation
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