At the Fair, there is a front section for paid admission, but the back 2/3 of the arena is free for the taking. Katie and I staked out two aisle seats next to a concrete pillar and had a pretty good view.
The premium section up front wasn't sold out, and when the concert began the lead singer basicallly demanded that the security staff let the freebies fill in the empty seats. We stayed behind, knowing that we would likely make an early exit. Bored, Katie began fidgeting, first standing on her folding chair and then leaning against the pillar behind us.
Within minutes, a large and imposing security guard descended upon us and, looking at me, said that Katie needed to get down. Annoyed, I snapped back to the woman, "Tell her, not me!" I immediately felt bad for being one of those moms who argues with authority despite the fact that their kids are out of control. And when the guard reached for her back pocket, I felt particularly bad. At that moment, I assumed I was either getting a citation of some kind (do they give tickets for being a smart ass? yes, of course they do) or she was getting ready to kick us out of the concert/fair.
But to my surprise, she handed Katie two 5th-row tickets and said, "tell your mom to take you up front for you can see the band better."
It was a nice surprise. Perhaps not a great teaching moment -- act like a jerk and you get rewarded -- but nice, nonetheless.
