We were going to be in Chicago and if we had any extra time we were overdue for a visit to the Art Institute. In anticipation, we took two membership cards from museums that are participants in a nationwide museum reciprocity program.
When we arrived at the ticket desk, the young man checked the cards and advised that the Art Institute did not honor either of the reciprocity programs but was in a partnership with the Whitney in New York. Problem was that we didn’t have our Whitney membership card with us and despite showing emails from the Whitney and our membership number, without the card he couldn’t extend the courtesy. After twenty minutes and an appeal to a supervisor, we were resolved to pay for admission.
I went up to the young man and presented a Bank of America credit card.
“Bank of America? I can let you in for free.”
I thought he was kidding.
“Bank of America sponsors free admission on the first Sunday of every month.”
We had the right card after all.