There were mother's with babies, there were those suffering from vericose veins that had to stand up. What about the rest of us? In my cong there were only a few "gifted ones" who'd do sound and it was behind the literature counter (our hall was tiny). There would always be an entourage of guys in "good standing" who could waltz back and talk about sports and anything else they felt like (including making fun of anyone in the hall) under the pretence that they were "pillars" of the congregation and had "important" things to whisper to eachother.
FBF