Concertgoer refuses to stand up to let 8-months expecting mother pass by to use the restroom: 'I say again “excuse me, can I get by you?” and he ignores me'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Mar 1, 2026 10:00 AM EST

Concert etiquette is a lost art. Even the basic stuff. 

If you're on the internet, you've probably heard complaints about how people act at concerts these days. It seems that ever since 2020, we've lost our idea of how to be in public with each other. We've forgotten all the basic, unspoken rules that we have to rely on to make the world go round. It can make it pretty unbearable to be out sometimes. You don't want to constantly be at odds with the people around you. It can make your stress levels rise and make you reconsider why you ever wanted to leave the house. 

But we don't want to give up on the things we love. Seeing live music is incredibly important, and we're not going to let ourselves lose that just because some people don't know how to act. You want to fight for your right to have a good time and participate in culture in the way that you'd like to. If your favorite artist is in town, you don't want to skip their show just because you're afraid someone might disrespect you. But it's hard not to get down in the dumps about the way we treat each other these days. Especially when you're coming from a vulnerable place. You've put yourself out there, so you want people to respect that and give you the treatment you deserve. That's not what happened in this story, though, where a pregnant woman ran into a pretty tough situation.

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  • A pregnant woman in a black dress stands in front of a brick wall
    via Unsplash+ (Ivana Cajina)

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

  • We should agree to treat pregnant people with the respect they deserve. If you're on a crowded train, offer to give up your seat for them. If they're close to you, ask them what they need and be ready to give it. And when you're at a concert, you should get up to let them pass. You should get up to let anyone pass, as a matter of fact, since that's just a part of concert etiquette. But that's not what happened here. Read on for all the details of the story and see what you think, then scroll through the comments to see what they thought.

  • Rant - Didn't get up to let me (very pregnant) pass for bathroom break at concert.

    I'm 8 months pregnant. Hubby and I went to a show last night and were seated smack dab in the middle seats of the row. Being pregnant I obviously had to go after an hour or so into the show. The artist was off stage for a short break. I stand up
    via u/ToplessWrangler94
  • (crouched so I'm not blocking or disrupting the view of those behind me), holding my belly, and say "I'm so sorry but I need to sneak past you to use the restroom!" to the older man to my left. He blankly stares at me and doesn't move. I say again "excuse me, can I get by you?" and he
    via u/ToplessWrangler94
  • ignores me. I go to climb past him and my husband says to him "she's pregnant, you need to get up" so he half stands up to let me pass, rolling his eyes. His wife stays seated and doesn't move. I try to clumsily climb over her knees/legs and step on her foot and almost fall down.
    via u/ToplessWrangler94
  • The two seats to their left are EMPTY and the three individuals on the end of the row get up with no issues to let me pass. I obviously re-enter our row on the other end of the row upon my return. The family on that end stands up to let me pass with no issues.
    via u/ToplessWrangler94

  • Commenters gave their sympathies and ideas.

    Leobluetrailmap The guy was out of line. Moving for someone in a middle seat is standard theater etiquette, let alone for someone who's 8 months pregnant. Glad the people on the other end actually had some decency.
    via u/Leobluetrailmap
  • ChanFry "I'm either peeing in the restroom or I'm peeing here. It's up to you." (Is what I like to think I would have said.)
    via u/ChanFry
  • A group of people stand at a concert outside
    via Jeff Tumale

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

  • BigThunder3000 Should bumped into them as clumsily as possible
    via u/BigThunder3000
  • politicallymodera... Talk to an usher. If the show isn't sold out, they'll normally try to find you another seat that will allow you better access to the bathroom.
    via u/politicallymoderate2
  • My wife broke her foot (ended up in a wheelchair for 12 weeks) and we had tickets to a show. Called the box office and they switched our seats for no additional charge and actually asked if my wife wanted to sit in her wheelchair or if she wanted a regular seat with wheelchair access. They say the ushers handle these situations all the time before and during the show.
    via u/politicallymoderate2
  • WeepingWillow250 Sounds like a missed crop- dusting opportunity. I don't know about you, but at this stage of pregnancy I always had at least one in the chamber.
    via u/WeepingWillow250
  • Particular-Try5584 He was ride... But if it's a programmed break, and the artist is off the stage... why do you have to hunch over so as not to "block the view". Just stand up tall, say firmly "Excuse me" and don't try to climb over people. Stand over them, block their view, until they move. Use the room to force their behaviour.
    via u/Particular-Try5584
  • Here2comment2 I would have fallen all over them as I was trying to get out and make sure I grabbed onto them to steady myself.
    via u/Here2comment2
  • phdoofus "OMG I THINK MY WATER'S BREAKING!" "oh...so you CAN move when you need to....interesting"
    via u/phdoofus
  • OrdinaryMang... Turn and put the baby belly in his space..bet he'll move then.
    via u/OrdinaryMang
  • snoopysnoop2021 Man, you gotta channel all the clumsiness youve ever had your entire life and bring it out in that one moment.
    via u/snoopysnoop2021
  • hollyjazzy People who don't stand up or move to let me pass often end up with trodden toes. Can't help it, there's nowhere else for my feet to go.
    via u/hollyjazzy
  • Automatic_Gas90... Exactly why I don't go to concerts any more. It is a hassle. If you are not standing up to let someone out someone is standing in front of you. Happy to save money and stay home
    via u/Automatic_Gas9019
  • Robbiandcats I really don't know what is wrong with some people. Too bad you weren't a guy, you could have peed on his foot lol
    via u/Robbiandcats
  • Treehousehunter I've had a couple of people try to not get up to let me into an airplane seat. I just refuse to climb over them. I'll just stand there and say, "I can't climb over you, you need to get up." But then I'm a post menopausal woman and I have found my voice. Probably because I have zero f's to give and low estrogen
    via u/Treehousehunter
  • Fantastic-Mixture... I'm 35 weeks pregnant and honestly feel like people are more ride to me. I've not had one person hold a door open or let me pass in the grocery store. I feel this weird aggression towards me when I'm pregnant and it's very unnerving.
    via u/Fantastic-Mixture857
  • Impossible_Food_... The audacity of people who act like standing up for 10 seconds is some massive inconvenience. You weren't asking them to give up their seats, just to move so you could use the restroom. The fact that complete strangers on the other end had no issue says everything. Some people really think the world revolves around them.
    via u/Impossible_Food_9523

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pregnancy concerts FAIL concert etiquette story pregnant women entitled people
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