Bad Vibes

OK, Ravinia is now on my shit list. I got here fine, but when I pulled into the parking lot around 2:45, there were attendants there and they tried to charge me $20 for parking even though Betty is a Martin Theatre concert for which parking is supposed to be free. I tried to tell them this and they were insistent that that is no longer the case. I had the little information brochure with me and tried to point out that it clearly states that parking is free for Martin Theatre concerts, and they still continued to try to charge me. At this point there were several cars behind me, so I politely told them in effect to shove it and turned the car around and went to the remote parking lot in downtown Highland Park. Well, usually when they are charging for parking, they run the buses for free from the free remote lots, but apparently not today, there was no bus, so I had to trek about a mile back to Ravinia where I found the gate closed and a huge crowd assembled even though the concert was by now less than an hour away. Fearing the worst, I asked one of the people at the members' table if Betty was cancelled and she appeared a little confused as to why I would be asking that and assured me that no, the concert is still on and that the gates would open shortly. So, I'm sitting on a bench by the train tracks typing this out as I plan what to say in a shitty email to Ravinia when I get home tonight. I do not appreciate this opportunism that they are showing by changing their parking policy not only mid-season but without any notice. Really, is the money they are going to make from a Martin Theatre-sized crowd really worth the staffing expense? This may be the last year I subscribe to the Martin series. At least I got her in plenty of time to go to the remote lot and walk back, and I know to make time for that for Barbara Cook's concert in two weeks. As pissed as I am, if I had decided to cut it close, and got here with 15 minutes or so to spare and had to chose between mising Betty's first few songs while I drove to the remote lot or paying the $20, I would be even more pissed. At least I know that Betty will be worth the aggravation, which makes it easier to handle.