A Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Saturday 11:00 AM performance of Pete the Cat at Mt. Lebanon High School began with chaos, confusion, and anger after the parking lot could only accommodate about half the audience.
“This is the worst parking situation for a venue hosting a show that I have ever seen,” said one of the event organizers from the Trust. She was also overheard commenting that Mt. Lebanon had been very difficult to work with.
By 10:40 AM, all the designated open spots were already taken. Families then began arguing with themselves, and each other, about who could use the spots with signs posted for “Superintendent Only” and “District Officials Only.” One parent said to an organizer from the Trust, “If they charged you anything for this venue, you should demand a refund.”
It was then explained to parents that the venue had been selected because it had far more seats that Upper St. Clair High School’s auditorium, which has only 800.
Meanwhile, panicked families negotiating mounds of dirt in the high school backyard, with some making spots of their own until all available land was full.
By 11:00 AM, many had dropped off half their families and gone far afield to look for a spot. Angry mothers approached leadership to beg them to delay the start time of the show so families could be reunited. One received the response, “It doesn’t matter when we would start the show – the parking here is horrible.”
Several guests arrived at close to 11:30 AM after running over a mile from distant parking spots. They ended up missing over half the show, which ended at 11:50 AM.
