children on adult's shoulder for fireworks

[cstephens]

This has been something that I've been thinking about for quite some time, but since it happened again Sunday night, it's a bit more immediate at the moment. One of the things that I think of as rude is putting a child on an adult's shoulder during the fireworks or another kind of show like that, where the view of the people behind is now significantly blocked. I'm of the not-tall variety, so when I find a spot to watch the fireworks or Fantasmic or something like that, I pick someone who isn't too much taller than me to stand behind, or if they are taller than me, then at least I know what I'll be missing since I know how much over their head I can see. And then the lights dim, and the show starts. And the person in front of me is now a foot or two taller because he/she now has a child on his/her shoulders, and my view as well as that of some of those around me is now significantly blocked. I've often said something to the adult, but their response is generally "the child can't see", and that seems to be a good enough reason for why a few of us now aren't able to see much of the show.

Is it really just a matter that the child is most important, so any inconvenience to anyone else is entirely irrelevant? "You have an AP, you can see the fireworks/show anytime you want to," some might say. Well, true, I can go back. But I don't think that having an AP means I'm supposed to be standing behind a 7 foot tall child-and-adult every time I watch a show. And what about the non-AP-bearing person next to me who also now can't see over or through the 7 foot tall child-and-adult? What about the child who's too short to see over most people but too big to be picked up at all, who could see something before but is now basically just staring at the people's backs? I get that it's difficult to carry a child high enough so the child can see, especially during a show as long as "Remember", and putting the child on your shoulders is the easiest way to accomplish that, but for me, it still doesn't justify doing it. And in a situation where it's very crowded, it's not even like you can move somewhere else.

I remember watching "Believe" one night, and several rows in front of me, three adults side-by-side all hoisted a child onto each of their shoulders as soon as the lights went down on Main Street. They were far enough in front of me that my view wasn't affected, but there was now this wall on Main Street, blocking the view of quite a few people. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I heard what I presumed to be complaints. None of them budged. The people behind them scrambled to move to different areas to try to see around the wall of adult-and-child.

I like that for the parades, they've made it so you have to sit if you're in the front row, but you stand if you're behind. However, that wouldn't work for the fireworks, as sitting down on Main Street doesn't give much of a view. So what's the solution?

And before anyone brings it up, no, I don't have any kids, and I've not had this problem, and no, I don't know what I would do in a situation where my child couldn't see over adults, but I just can't accept that the only answer is the complete disregard of other people.