Museum Rules

[LibraryLady]

I think it's just about universal that art Museums don't allow visitors to eat in the galleries. We might blink at a baby's baggie of Cheerios but adults are expected to understand this. There are even large signs posted at the entrance to the cafe that read. "No food or drink past this point unless bagged". To anyone with half a brain this refers to food wrapped to be eaten in an office or outdoors. Today, I heard a new interpretation.

They were a professional-looking couple in their late 20s. They were in the African galleries right outside the cafe. She was eating a bag of chips and he was drinking a coffee. I pointed out the sign and said they'd have to finish their snacks in the cafe. The woman looked at me as if I was a bit dim and said, "The chips ARE in a bag".

I wonder if they may have been Lawyers.

[Evil Queen]

"A sealed bag, you asshat."

[crazylegs]

The first thing I thought when I saw the thread title was...

They DO!

Then I read the thread and was suprised...

Perhaps we should go to their house, look at something irreplacable (like their wedding photos) and eat some cheesy nachos at the same time, what do ya'll think?

[LibraryLady]

Thank you CrazyLegs. Museums do rule, when people understand what museums are about.

In every gallery we have books in which visitors can write comments about the objects on view. Most of the entries are written by Middle-School students and they are equally divided between, "This place sucks!" and "This place rocks!"

Eating isn't the least I've stopped in the galleries. There was a woman in a business suit and heels who wanted her picture taken climbing a West African ladder. It's an art object, fer Crissake! It isn't a jungle-gym or a photo prop. I've also had to stop people from lying down to have their pictures taken on the Chinese Day Bed. Young women who want to imitate the pose of an Chinese anatomical doll are the biggest offenders. Thank dog they keep their clothes on. There are also couples who want their pictures taken sitting on the Chinese chairs.

I could go on and on.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

Or dangling like monkeys off of ceremonial ropes from the 1800s or so.... thank dog these were made solid. I wanted to die when I saw the other girls of my group (aged 20 and up) run to those ropes and play tarzan off of them...

[RetailWorkhorse]

I can understand taking a drink with you, so long as you KEEP IT WITH YOU (I carry a bottle of water in my cargo pant pocket), but something like Chips? Those are greasy and can leave little crumbs everywhere. Nightmare to clean up without a damp mop. Hate it when people touch my displays with greasy little fingers. >.<

[Apathy]

Wait... museums aren't playgrounds/cafeterias?

Then what are they here for?

[jerkface11]

Wait... museums aren't playgrounds/cafeterias?

Then what are they here for?

Daycare of course.

[edible_hat]

woo! Museum rules! Take that Art Gallery!

edited to add something more coherent:

The South Australian Museum of Natural History (my local museum) has a complete human skeleton (the original owner left it to the museum in his will) and a giant squid that hangs down from the second floor all the way to the ground floor.

[Kiwi]

I remember having to tell people daily at the gallery

take away coffee is NOT allowed, i dont care if it has a lid, or is in one of those damn coffee junkie flask cups

it is not going in that gallery