AITA for leaving the dinner table?
A Reddit user recounts an uncomfortable dinner with their parents, where their father insisted on seeing their chest, despite repeated refusals. After trying to de-escalate and asking for the matter to be dropped, the father became confrontational.
Faced with the choice to fight or leave, the user left the restaurant. Their father later accused them of ruining dinner, placing the blame on their response rather than his actions. Read the full story below.
‘ AITA for leaving the dinner table?’
I was having dinner with my parents at a restaurant and we were enjoying our meal. Conversation followed the meal when my father asks me to take off my jacket so he can see my chest(I’m a dude). I was uncomfortable with the request at the time so I declined. There were other people around too. Whatever the reason, I said no.
He kept going at it trying to get me to take it off when I would repeatedly say no. Maybe 3 times. At that point he started getting a little angry and I don’t remember what he was saying but I remember pleading, “please stop”, and “I don’t want to fight”.
It didn’t work as he was totally in the mode to fight for some reason. I asserted that I’m allowed to say no and that he should just drop it. Then, I forgot what he said, but he said something in a way that there was no turning back. Like, “drop what?!” Which just totally conveyed the fact that he was acting on rage and ready to fight at a restaurant.
Faced with this ridiculous situation, I muttered that I needed to go and left. I’m proud of myself for that. If I was younger I definitely would have fought there. When I saw them again, somehow my father talked my mother into saying that I ruined dinner.
That me walking away was the ultimate wrong. I countered by saying that my father is the one who gave me no choice but to leave. I saw two options: fight or leave and I wasn’t going to fight at a restaurant.
My father blames me and says that I ruined dinner and that I could have stayed and ignored him or suggested wrapping up dinner due to the sour mood but that sounds like a load of bs victim blaming to me. If he wanted to enjoy dinner he could have just taken no for an answer.. Thoughts?. Thanks for reading.
Here’s how people reacted to the post:
FreeTheHippo − But why did he want to see your chest to begin with? In public? And double down on it??. NTA but your dad is kinda creepy
duebustyfriend − Your father pushed you too far, and you did what you had to do to avoid a scene. NTA.
DMonkeyMind − Yeah… NTA. Your dad wanted to basically violate you and your boundary. Who asks to see someone’s chest like that.. Dad is 100% a 🍆
Gold_Reference8247 − What’s wrong with your father????
[Reddit User] − NTA. Finally, someone who does not yell or curse and does the mature thing – walking away. You are a rare breed in this forum
B3Gay_DoCr1mes − NTA. Your immature father was trying to get into a pissing contest with you, you refused to play along, and now he’s throwing a tantrum.
Square-Minimum-6042 − OMG NTA. Your dad is a major AH though. Your mother was there at the dinner right? She saw what happened. If your mother is now taking your father’s side after witnessing the scene you posted she is an enabler.
MommaBear354 − What a weird thing to ask of your kid. NTA
DiligentPsychology97 − INFO: what the hell did I just read? Why was your father desperate to… see your chest? Either way, NTA.
Fickle_Toe1724 − NTA. Dad asked you to do something and you said no. That should have been the end of it. He decided to push it, and got aggressive. So you acted like an adult and left. Why do they think you are wrong?
Dad made a scene. Dad was aggressive. Dad would not take no for an answer. Dad ruined dinner. Dad needs to apologize, and recognize why he was wrong.
Do you think the Reddit user was right to leave to avoid escalating the situation, or should they have handled it differently? How would you address a similar conflict in a public setting? Share your thoughts below!
