Rock On.
When I went into surgery on March 15, I had tickets to four concerts on my schedule. I was really bummed when I realized that there was no way that I could walk to my seats, or up and down stairs, for that matter.
And, then, I remembered a couple of years ago, going to Madison Square Garden to see Phish with my best friend, who had just broken his leg. We were going to walk to our seats, when a very helpful usher referred us to guest services, where a lovely young woman named Rose exchanged our tickets so that we could sit in the ADA section, which consisted of extra space for wheelchairs and folding chairs for a companion.
This was extra baller.
And, so, when I got home, I started making phone calls to different venues. And my pitch was always the same:
“Hi there. I bought tickets for this event, and since then, I have had a catastrophic life event, and lost my left foot. I’m wondering if there are any open ADA seats that I could exchange with.”
You know what?
There have been. Every time. And they have been super accommodating and gracious about it, and the seats have been excellent.
So, let me give you a couple pointers on how to deal with this situation:
Call as soon as you can, and talk to someone in the guest services department. If you need to, leave a message, and tell them the situation. They will call you back.
Be patient, and don’t panic. They’re going to accommodate you. (And, if, for some reason, they don’t, tell me, and I will put them publicly on blast here.)
Show up early for the show. Often, this ticket resolution involves you going to the guest services booth and showing them your old tickets. As these things are usually first come, first served, you’ll want to be there when the doors open to make sure you can get dealt with quickly. If you’re the type that likes to show up late…I don’t know what to tell you. Suck it up and go when the doors open.
Be polite. I shouldn’t have to tell you this one, but these people are at work, and doing something nice. Yes, it’s something that they need to do, but a little sweetness is totally helpful, especially with the ushers in the ADA section. They’re way more likely to give you preferred seating if you’re sweet to them. And, besides, it’s a concert. You’re there to have fun. So, have fun and be nice.
In the future, when you buy tickets, you can get ADA seats when you get them. Just look on the respective ticket sales site, and it will tell you where to go to get them.
In short, don’t let your disability stop you from doing the things you love to do. Concerts are magical experiences, and, for me, have evoked the purest emotional responses I’ve had since this all happened.
I’m genuinely grateful to be able to hear these things live and with people I love again.
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As always, if you have it in you, please give a thought to donating time or money to Hospice Austin. They do amazing work for people who are going through the hardest thing a person can face.
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