I was sitting in the fifth row of the balcony. There was a family of four sitting in the front row of the balcony. The youngest member of their family - a college-age "girl" - was reading her Blackberry all throughout the first selection. After the number, I went up to her, and asked her to either turn it off or at least make an effort to hide the glare. "You're being quite disrespectful of my friends on stage who are playing right now."
-Oh... I'm sorry...Well...
The Handel started, and she still had her Blackberry on. I then went up to her, and placed a copy of the program on top of her Blackberry's screen. She just looked at me, made the "crazy" sign to her parents, and continued to read her email and text her friends. She did, however, stop for a bit.
Well...
At intermission, I thanked her for turning off her Blackberry.
-Well, I didn't do it for you. I did it because I fell asleep..
"Well, if you don't want to be here, then just go home.'
Then her parents spoke up.
She can anything she wants. Leave her alone."Do you know anyone on stage right now?"
-Yes, we do.. "Well, do you want to tell them that you spent the whole first half of the concert either texting away or falling asleep."
Leave us alone. If you don't want to see her phone, just move your seat. "She obviously doesn't want to be here, so why make her stay?"
That's when their son - the girl's brother(!) - came up to the balcony to say, Hi. He was the second trumpet player. They made their chit-chat. I just sat back in my seat...
The second half starts up. The bitch takes out her phone again. However, I did notice that she put it under her coat this time to hide the glare. I also noticed - like I did in the first half - that her parents were looking at her each time she pulled her phone out. It was even annoying them... and they made no effort to stop her.
Of course, as soon at the final downbeat of the Beethoven sounded, she bolted.
-I really should have said Hi to the trumpet player.
