Man slammed online for paying someone to reserve picnic spot as trend spreads across Sydney

Sydneysiders are offering cash online to have people reserve public open space for birthdays, weddings and other events, in a lucrative and growing trend that has been slammed as “getting out of hand”.

A growing trend of people paying others to reserve public open space for birthdays, weddings, and other events has been slammed online.

Sydneysiders are offering cash online to have people reserve public spaces for birthdays, weddings and other events, in a lucrative and growing trend that has been slammed as “getting out of hand”.

The backlash was a reaction to an Airtasker ad, in which a man offered $50 for someone to sit at a picnic table at Alison Park, in Randwick, from 7am until 9am on Sunday.

The man, who used the name Matt, said he was planning a children’s birthday party and needed “someone to mind the only picnic table at the park” because it could not be reserved through the local council.

“So essentially, just need someone to sit at the table and mind the spot for two hours,” Matt wrote.

It wasn’t long before the ad was posted on Reddit, where users were quick to criticise the request, with one writing “this reserving behaviour is getting out of hand”.

A family has posted an ad asking someone to mind a picnic table for a few hours ahead of a children’s birthday party at Alison Park in Randwick. Picture: Supplied

The top comment pointed out that a fold-out table from Bunnings cost less than $50, declaring “this guy is an idiot”.

But other users found the post amusing, with one noting “someone has a chance to claim the spot before 7am”.

Another asked if someone wanted “to pay me $50 to get there at 6.30am just to bugger their plan up”.

One user bluntly said Matt should “go (and) sit there himself if he (wants) the table that badly”.

However, Caringbah mother Sarah Kibby, who was out for lunch in Coogee on Monday, told The Daily Telegraph she was “all for” the growing trend.

Sarah Kibby, 26, with her daughter Scarlett Cassidy, 1, and her cousin Kahlia Lees, 26, after lunch at Coogee Beach. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I’d probably do it,” Ms Kibby said.

“It’s hard if you don’t have a backyard these days for parties and stuff.

“There’s places near where I live where they do that but ... I haven’t done it before.”

Ms Kibby said with more families living in units and lacking backyards, it was an “awesome idea” for parents to ensure there would be an outdoor space for kids at their event.

Lucrative ads have been posted to Airtasker. Picture: Supplied

The ads have asked people to reserve picnic spots for cash. Picture: Supplied

Some of the ads will pay people up to $230. Picture: Supplied

Sunday’s ad is not the only request of its kind on Airtasker, with a user named Kellie offering $175 in search of someone to reserve space at a Milperra park for seven hours ahead of a wedding on February 23.

In another example, from December, an offer of $230 was made to set up chairs and tables for a function between 6am and 11am in the inner west suburb of Cabarita, while

On the same day, a user named Zoya was willing to pay $150 for someone to “sit and reserve” a picnic spot at Ramsgate Beach.

Originally published as Man slammed online for paying someone to reserve picnic spot as trend spreads across Sydney