The cost of culture

I took a mental health day Friday and headed to the city for a New York Philharmonic concert. It was a $21 TDF ticket* – what a deal – and a great concert. Opened with Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, moved on to Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto 2 and ended with Kodály’s Dances of Galánta and a thunderous Firebird Suite (Stravinsky). I had an orchestra seat, the Philharmonic was in top form, it was a 2pm concert – all was perfect.

Until I tried to go home.

I made it to Grand Central in time for the 4:15 train. Scheduled to arrive Stratford at 5:48; I’d be home by 6:15. The dogs would be happy.

Didn’t work out that way. As we pulled into the Greenwich station the conductor announced that a bridge in East Norwalk was stuck in the up position and all trains were being held. We weren’t going anywhere and no one could say for how long. What to do? Sit and wait or get off the train and scramble?

I believe this is the offending bridge - 117 years old!

Not one for patience, I got off the train, along with dozens of others. It was a curious scene as maybe 80 people stood near each other all talking separately on their cell phones, trying to make plans. A taxi dispatcher was in the midst of the throng and he had no good news. The situation had developed some time ago and all 60 cabs at his disposal had been sent ahead to ferry people from earlier trains. He was friendly and clearly wanted to help, but there was no queue and no clear path to portioning out the few cabs that were returning.

I am by nature pretty shy with strangers. The woman next to me on the train down had said, “Good morning,” and I thought that was pretty weird. But standing there at the Greenwich station I knew that shyness was not going to get me home. So I started asking who was going to New Haven. I shortly found two women who were, and then corralled the dispatcher, telling him we had three ready to go.

The first cab took some folks to Danbury, but persistence -- and a glowering scowl – paid off and we got into the second cab to show up. The dispatcher set the fare at $67 a person. Fine, whatever. So we headed off – into the Friday afternoon hell that is Interstate 95 North on a summer Friday rush hour. Along with all the commuters you have the weekenders heading to the beaches; the highway resembled a rolling parking lot, and it was rolling pretty damn slowly.

I paid the driver with a credit card, looking with surprise at my fellow travelers, both of whom had cash. (Life lesson here: carry more folding money). I gave the cabbie a $10 cash tip – every bill I had. We crawled up 95, finally getting to Stratford at almost 7pm. I was home by 7:20.

So what is the cost of culture? Well, $21 for the concert, $11 for the trip down, $5 round-trip subway, $18 rush hour ticket home and $77 cab fare. Comes to a tidy $132 I think. Not such a cheap concert after all. (Sorry, honey, not my fault). But a great concert.

*Note: TDF is the Theatre Development Fund. They promote theatre in New York by, most visibly, running the half-price tickets booth (TKTS) in Times Square. They also allow members to buy tickets online to many events, though not the biggest Broadway hits. Events include theatre, dance and music.