… of Strangers, at the Australian Open
The New York Times recently asked readers to send in accounts of “acts of kindness” they had experienced while traveling. I was inspired to submit the following.
Melbourne, Australia — I’ve had “restricted-view” seats before. I’ve even had restricted-view seats at the Australian Open. But in the past the restriction was just that the umpire’s chair blocked a bit of the court. This seat, the one I had paid over $200 for and just deposited myself in for the first of two quarter-final matches on the second Wednesday of the 2024 tournament, was something else again. It was in the first row of the upper section of Rod Laver Arena, and there was a kind of battery of metal and plate glass in front of me. To see anything properly, I had to either lift myself up uncomfortably in my seat, or crane my neck awkwardly to the right.
Fortunately, from past experience, I was aware of the Australian Open unwritten ushering rules. These hold that any customer can occupy any open seat, as long as he or she proceeds to it swiftly and confidently. The day was warm and clear, and the sunny lower section was about two-thirds empty. At the next odd-game change of sides, I hightailed it to an empty spot in the fifth row, from which I watched Dayana Yastremska defeat Linda Noskova in straight sets.
