The Unfriendly (at least to the disabled) Confines were at it again. When I got off the Red Line after watching the White Sox as the first part of my day/night doubleheader, I noticed that the brisk wind would be blowing into my face all night long. So I went over to the box office and asked if I could exchange my bleacher seat for a ticket in the wheelchair section in the upperdeck behind home plate. The guy in the ticket window, checked, and said there should be no problem as long as there was still one seat left when my ticket was dropped off at the courtesy dropoff window a little after five. But he said I’d have to do that in any of the last four ticket windows.
I told him I’d go to my favorite place to eat in Wrigleyville, the Salt & Pepper Diner, and I’d be back. I don’t know what it is, but the Salt & Pepper Diner is always empty, despite the fact the food is great and a pitcher of beer will only set you back $7.00. My dinner, which consisted of a black bean burger, tater tots, and the most delicious chocolate malt ever was just over ten bucks. After chowing down it was time to return to one of the last four ticket windows after picking up my ticket from the courtesy dropoff window.
I told the man that I wanted to exchange my bleacher ticket for an upper deck wheelchair seat. The ticket guy went away, came back, and asked if I was going to be in a wheelchair? Although I walk with crutches and long leg braces, I don’t use a wheelchair, someday I may have to, but not yet. He said the only way he could do the exchange was if I was in a wheelchair. I told him the last time I sat in those upperdeck wheelchair seats I’d purchased just an upperdeck ticket, the usher up there had customer service run my credit card for the difference in the ticket price, and told me the next time I wanted to sit there I should just ask for a seat up there. The ticket window guy said it was policy and he couldn’t sell me a wheelchair seat without me being in a wheelchair.
I took my bleacher ticket back from the ticket window guy and told him I’d never be coming back to Wrigley Field. I told him I have had seasons tickets for the Bulls for over thirty years, never a problem. I go to about 40+ games a year at the Cell to see the White Sox, never a problem. I go to the UC to see the Hawks, never a problem. The ONLY place where I have a problem is Wrigley Field. Then I told him, I HATE THIS PLACE! It’s no wonder this organization has been losing for going on 100 years.
A similar incident happened a few years back when I attempted to purchase a wheelchair seat in the lower deck boxes behind the plate. I had been sitting in those seats on and off since I attended my second big league game at the age of thirteen in 1969. However on this day I was told I needed to be in a wheelchair. When I questioned the Cubs, Frank Maloney informed me that it wasn’t his policy, it was ADA telling him that only disabled persons in a wheelchair should be allowed to sit in wheelchair seats. I called the ADA, they told me this was untrue. I informed Frank of what the ADA said, he said, it was the Cubs official policy. He told me he’d provide me with a written copy of this policy when I asked for one, then he called me back to say, there was no Cubs official policy, this was his policy. The kicker was the Cubs provided me with a seat behind the last row of the old grand stands, when I got to my seat there was no seat, just a spot for a wheelchair, they could bring me a folding chair if I’d like. Since that incident I’ve attended only Cub games in the bleachers, except for the one time I was accommodated with a wheelchair seat in the upperdeck.
Like I said, I walk with crutches & long leg braces, cannot climb stairs, and I cannot sit in regular seats because my legs do not bend & cannot fit, also people need to climb over me. Plus I cannot jump to my feet when something exciting happens, so I end up missing the best part of the game when everybody stands up in front of me.
I’m not a snot nosed whiny little loser Cub fan, I’m a White Sox fan! I will never set foot in Wrigley Field again. To my way of thinking the Cubs don’t exist, there is only one major league team in Chicago. I’ll continue to go to the Cell, where they know how to take care of their fans. LET’S GO WHITE SOX!
Sorry to hear about your rotten experience at Wrigley. The front office needs to know about the terrible treatment you received. Time to write someone a letter, Teddy. Let them know about it on paper!