The Ticket Rule

I’m not sure, but I think my writing partner and I invented this concept for a script. We built a whole episode around it and now we’re both convinced it existed before that. But, still we’re not sure.

I’m talking about The Ticket Rule.

I heard you. Huh?

It applies to people who gift friends for birthdays or Christmas with a pair of tickets to some concert, theater event, etc.. According to our script, if Person X gives Person Y two tickets for Christmas to a show, Person Y naturally invites Person X to accompany him or her. I have adopted this regulation to my life for years. Gifted tickets and went with the presentee. Was gifted with tickets and invited the presenter. A no-brainer.

Naturally, this works only with single people. Well, actually, it could work with people in relationships, but it’s probably not entirely appropriate for me to have a night out on the town with your wife. Or maybe it is. I’ll let you make that call.

My partner and I thought this was a wide-adopted rule so we used it in a script. Our lead female character gave a girlfriend two tickets for a birthday and, of course, comedy mayhem ensues, when the friend decides to take this hot new guy she’s dating. When we got to the table read with the actors we regularly work with, there was a blank stare over the entire cast. None of them got it. No one had heard of The Ticket Rule. We were totally confused. Had this occurred in our little worlds and minds that were completely exclusive to us? In our own brilliance, were we completely and utterly obtuse?

I started asking about this amongst my friends. More silence and addled looks.

But, it does live on. I gave a good friend a Christmas gift of two tickets to a George Gershwin revue at the Geffen Playhouse. She took me along. I gave another good friend a Christmas gift of two tickets to a new musical at the Ahmanson Theater. As far as I know, I am going along.

I now must assume that The Ticket Rule is something that exists but is never openly discussed in public. Like your uncle who drinks too much or your co-worker with excessive body odor. One more thing swept under the rug.

And now I’m wondering which married friend I can gift with two tickets? The ultimate test.

Dinner last night: Liverwurst sandwich.