Madonna was hospitalized in New York last June for a bacterial infection so severe she was in the ICU and put in an induced coma for 48 hours. Thankfully she recovered and was discharged to continue recuperating at home. But the health emergency meant that she couldn’t kick off her Celebration Tour in mid-July. Instead she assured her fans (and Live Nation) that she would be back on track with the European leg of the tour by October. The US leg began in December when she played the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and it was heralded as a triumphant return to New York… when it finally got started more than two hours late. We don’t know if the delay was due to health, technical, or other reasons, but two attendees were not happy about it and have now filed a lawsuit against Her Madgesty:
Two Madonna fans filed a federal lawsuit against the Material Girl for starting her concert several hours late, claiming they had to wake up early for work the next day.
Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden wanted to get into the groove and purchased tickets for Madonna’s Dec. 13 concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
According to the lawsuit, the tickets for the “Celebration” tour show stated the performance would start at 8:30 p.m. However, Madonna did not take the stage until some time after 10:45 p.m., a habit that appears to be en vogue for the pop superstar.
The men claim that by the time they left the venue at 1 a.m., they were “stranded” due to limited public transportation options and had to pay more to order a ride-share, which was also experiencing surge pricing due to demand. The concert was held on a Wednesday, and the men are hung up over the fact that they “had to get up early to work” the next day.
Fellows and Hadden are suing Madonna and Live Nation for “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices,” claiming a breach of contract. Barclays Center is also listed as a defendant.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, seeks class action status, alleging the 65-year-old popstar has a “years-long history” of starting concerts late, including at other “Celebration” tour stops.
I am not a lawyer, but I did play one on my high school’s mock trial team, and I fear the aggrieved concertgoers have said too much in this statement. The show starting two hours and fifteen minutes late is an undisputed fact (you better believe it was noted in real time on the interwebs). I would think that’s enough of a case right there. I don’t see how these gentlemen sharing that they had to wake up early the next day is strictly relevant — they bought tickets for a nighttime concert knowing they had work in the morning. That bit isn’t Madge’s fault. And calling attention to the fact that she’s (allegedly) notorious for starting late — doesn’t that just establish that they should have expected or at least anticipated that this would happen? It just feels like they’re undercutting themselves right from the get, when again, all you have to say is an 8:30pm concert didn’t begin until 10:45pm.
What kills me as a New Yorker, though, is the argument that they were “stranded!” at Barclays Center. Barclays sits atop perhaps the largest subway station in Brooklyn, if not the whole city. It’s a huge thoroughfare, above and below ground. There are 11 subway lines! Yes, after midnight the frequency of trains is somewhat reduced. But we’re talking about the city that never sleeps! I can personally vouch for being on the subway at that hour, multiple times. If they had to catch transportation like PATH or LIRR out of the city, then the late hour would have been a bigger problem. But if they had to go that far out, a ride-share would have been outrageously expensive anyway, before surge pricing. Aren’t we supposed to factor these logistics into the cost and planning for a night out? Or should I be spending more money on lawyers to get some money back on transit?
Finally, let us not forget that Madonna used to charge her backup dancers $100 a minute for being late to rehearsals. Oh the delicious karma of it all.
photos credit: Backgrid, Getty and via Instagram
This is kind of funny to me. I would be mad too, but especially if as they said in their lawsuit, she’s known for this…wouldn’t you have planned for a late start?
When Beyoncé came to Dallas, my friend went to the concert. It was on a Tuesday (I think?) and she sent me photos of them waiting for her to start—after 10:30 pm. It was a joke because we’re elder millennials and that’s normally bedtime, not when we would expect a headline to take the stage, over 2 hours later than expected. But those are the risks you take going to a concert, right?
I just dont understand why these performers eg Beyonce justify being sooo late. Is it a production thing or to show that you are a huge star? I dont get it ,why aren’t they on time!!???
This article is about Madonna being late. Not Beyonce or any other artist.
I don’t, either. It seems to be an ego thing and it’s annoying. You know you have a show that’s scheduled for 8:30, why aren’t you ready by 8:30? Just saw Madonna at MSG and she was still late (after this lawsuit). She started at 10:15.
I’ve been to a few concerts (from Beyoncé to U2 to Pavarotti to Oasis) and I think the most that I ever had to wait past a ‘scheduled’ start time was about 40 minutes. Being two hours late is incredibly disrespectful, regardless of who we’re talking about. It’s like the artist is saying that their time is more important than their fans’ time.
Now do I think that this lawsuit will go anywhere? Probably not, but I can’t really blame them for being angry about it.
It’s just plain disrespectful to make the people who keep you in business waiting for hours for a show to start, especially given ticket prices these days.
Don’t know what the problem was. Sometimes an artist hasn’t received all their money from the promoter. If that’s the issue, they won’t step foot on a stage until fully paid.
If you’ve ever put on a show you know how many things can go wrong from production (health & safety issues with the venue/waiting or equipment/techs etc) to the promoter screwing with your money. No one performs until that’s correct. The list goes on & on….There’s a reason, and you don’t start the show with excuses or reason-you just start the show as people have waited long enough. I have never in my life, gone to a show without building in a contingency plan for this so maybe people should consider that when they’re buying concert tickets.
More concert goers should start doing this. Concerts are so expensive nowadays. I don’t know why anyone would still go. If someone bought a ticket for a stated time and the performer fails to be on time they should be reprimanded.
It’s great that the late night transport in New York is good, but people in Amsterdam were missing their trains because of the late start. I personally think it’s rude behaviour towards the fans.
Inge, I just came here to say this and you beat me to it!
She showed up late 2x in the NLs, where not everybody has a car and people got stranded without public transport due to the concert ending late. She didn’t care. If you care about your fans and the environment, show up on time.
This.
People move around on bikes a lot more, so many don’t have cars and rely on public transport for further distances. There is some night public transport in Amsterdam and to some of the bigger cities, but if you live somewhere further out, trains stop running to the smaller places.
If a concert was supposed to run until somewhere before midnight but then goes over, people are screwed.
Fun (or not so fun) fact: Drake is notorious in the Netherlands for cancelling shows. Don’t know if he does the same somewhere else.
Being two hours late for any show is unacceptable. Those people should have left after waiting an hour for the show to start and demand their money back. I don’t believe they are entitled to any money for the inconveniences they had to go through. Suck it up.
I don’t want to be a curmudgeon, but most of her fans are older now (myself included) and probably live outside of the city proper. I mean, I’m 51 and I was only 10 when her first album came out so I imagine really long time fans would be even older. Getting into/out of that area of Brooklyn is a pain unless you live on a direct subway line. If you live anywhere else and you plan for a show that starts at 8:30 and you assume you will start the journey home at 11ish when the commuter trains are still running fairly often then yes, pushing it back 2 hours to 1am when LIRR, NJ Transit and MetroNorth trains only run every hour if you are lucky, would be super frustrating. Since Covid they have limited the service because of less commuters. If you then have to pay more money for an uber to get you to wherever you need to go, which could be into the suburbs, then that is super expensive. The ticket prices are so insane at this point that the artists need to understand that they are offering a service, for a very high fee, and they need to perform up to the standards of that fee. Two hours late is not acceptable.
At this point I only go to shows on Saturday night and I won’t go crazy on expensive tickets if it’s in NYC because I know I need to hire a car to get my home an hour away.
I think you’re bringing a strong point here, which is about the changing economics of live performances. When digital distribution started to disrupt revenues for artists over a decade ago, many sought out new means to monetize (totally fine, everybody needs to eat), and higher ticket prices, and new “packages, were part of the answer. The diva behavior *might* have been ok back when you could buy a concert ticket with your babysitting money in your teenage years. Now that tour promoters are selling “an experience” – for a much, much higher fee – the quality of the customer service and user experience is ten times more important, and 2hours of delay is a significant deterioration of that quality. I understand why they’re suing (not that they’re gonna win, but I think artists need to adjust to the economic reality they’re contributing to roll out).
Everything you said, D.
Idk, Madonna is notorious for starting shows very very late and they should have just factored that into their plans. I don’t feel super sorry for them.
Looks like some of her more gruesome fillers have dissolved as I can see the semblance of her original face. But What on earth is she wearing on her head in the one photo?
I think it makes her look arrogant and is really disrespectful to her fans.
Yeah, definitely arrogant and disrespectful, but she’s known for this! It’s not like she is some new performer and we are just learning her disdain for her fans, she’s 68 years old and been doing this for forty years. They chose to take on the risk that she would be just as rude to them and as callous about their time and money as to prior audiences for decades.
She’s giving strong Grey Gardens vibes.
I’m assuming these people will lose based on assumption of risk legal theory. And let’s face it, they’re not hurting for cash if they can hire a lawyer for this (unless the lawyer is being “paid” in publicity and the hope that it gets class certification and they can rope in the venues and the promoter). This seems more about driving an industry change. As someone noted above, all the big artists do it and its extremely disrespectful to the people driving their success.
I just don’t understand *why* these concerts start so late. Unless you’re having a tech issue, what the f*ck else are they doing that day besides preparing for this show?
I’m sorry, it’s just so disrespectful to the fans to be late for no reason, let alone 2 full hours. I cannot imagine being so far up my own ass to treat people that way. It’s so gross to me.
Well said!
The garters with a knee brace pic….i don’t know, it made me laugh out loud. Being 68 with two knee surgeries behind me, it was ” a picture is worth a thousand words” moment🤷♀️
Yes, it’s certainly a lewk. I probably would’ve worn leather chaps or something to hide the brace.
Does this mean I can sue movie theaters for falsely advertising their movie start times? It used to be movies had 15 mins. of previews before the actual movie started, now the actual start time is 45 – 60 mins. later. Regarding Madonna’s tardiness, I agree with Alex Petridis: ‘Want to Sue Madonna for Being Late on Stage? She’s an Artist, not a Service industry worker” (The Guardian), 01/19/24). Her fans and anyone hearing about her concerts would know she starts later; casual viewers may not know this — or may know and go anyway. As a fan, I factor in the later start time because it gives you time to find your seats, schmooze with other fans, or go to get your preferred beverage. I feel sorry, however, for those casual concertgoers who miss a train/bus or have a problem with babysitting.
To use the term artist with Madonna is arguable. She’s an “artist” that became a millionaire because of her fans patronizing her music. She would not be where she is right now if not for her fans. The least she could do is to respect them by being on time, or explain and apologise for the delay. One thing that is inarguable is that she’s an entertainer and people are paying her to entertain them starting at a specific time. Just because the wrong practice of not starting on time has become the norm does not make it right. And yes, may be you or somebody with the means and time should start suing theatres as well.
As other have pointed out, venues practically have the whole day to prepare and they can open earlier for people to get to their seats so the show can start on time. This has been known to happen. Again, if there were some unexpected trouble, inform the paying audience and apologise.
Inspite of her saying “A queen is never late”, she’s not one. Ironically, in this day and age where you have people shouting out to abolish the monarchy, there are people who still seem to want to have someone they can adore, put on a high pedestal to step on them. Monarchy is being replaced by celebrities and are treated as above reproach. These enetrtainers are just people like us. Moreover they depend on our patronage to succeed. Respect should be two-ways.
I believe she’s 66…but who’s counting?
I go to a lot of concerts, usually smaller artists and smaller venues, and I absolute hate when shows start late. 20 minutes or so, whatever, not a huge deal, but over two hours? That’s bullshit. Only show I’ve ever been at where that happened was a U.S. Girls concert in Philly where one of the vans was in a car accident on their way to the show.
I hope these guys win, and I hope it prompts some change.
I typically go to musicals, not concerts. And I would be so mad if they started late. Completely unprofessional. Who cares if she does it all the time? In that case, she wasn’t late because she’s been ill. With all the ticket problems, crowd breathing issues, and now this 2 hour late start, my old butt is going to stay with Cats, Wicked, and MJ. Although, I might go see BTS in 2 years.
I can’t wait for BTS to come back from the military.
They never got to do a full tour after their most successful songs. Even the stadiums they did were sold out in crazy time.
It’s going to be mad trying to get tickets, but I will try.
This is why I wouldn’t pay to see her – she’s notoriously late and it’s both rude and disrespectful to her fans that pay so much for a ticket. She does this constantly, which tells me she doesn’t even try to start on time and really doesn’t care. She sucks these days!
One time, I was almost stranded in Vancouver after a Pearl Jam show because the garage was closing at midnight and my car was inside. Mind you, this was because the show ran 4+ hours, not because they were late…
I don’t get the defense “you knew she’d be late. She’s always late”. Are we really blaming these guys because the artist was late?! Maybe they thought she’d be on time for once. She’s the one who made the commitment, not them. Maybe they don’t really want any money, maybe they just want to bring the spotlight on this issue and I say good for them if that’s the case. I know people who went to her show in Paris, and she was also very late, and I guarantee you in Paris, they won’t have transportation like they do in New York at all times of night. I don’t live in Paris. In France, and in Europe, it’s not rare for many people from other parts of the country to travel to the place of the show. This involves a lot of logistics. Getting a hotel room (Paris is a nightmare for that!), figuring out transportation (I used to live in the Paris area, so I know my way around a little bit, but it keeps changing and if you come to the capital once every few years, you’ll definitely get lost ). This is plain disrespectful. If this was a technical issue, just let the audience know. They’re smart people. Maybe they’ll make the choice to walk out. But you wait two hours because you think the show will start at any moment, and that’s just not true. I don’t know why this makes me so mad! I’m not even a Madonna fan! But I do agree emphatically with the commenters who said that concert tickets are a really really big budget nowadays! I do still enjoy live shows, but I have to make choices. I cannot attend everything I would like to see. I don’t have the budget for that. The least they could do is try to respect the people who put their hard earned money into going to these shows. Having said all of that, if they’re really after money, they won’t get any. I’m OK with that as well. But at least we’re having a conversation.
I know from BTS fans in Europe that it’s quite common to try to get tickets in different countries.
Many countries here are small so it’s easier to hop over, but it still involves international travel, which tends to be more complicated than domestic travel, unless it’s between the Netherlands and Belgium or something like that (and you live in a big city).
It’s even possible people fly in and out on the same day (or early hours of next day) and they would be screwed if a concert starts 2 hours late.
Yeah but did they receive as much Madonna concert time as they would have received if she had started on time? It isn’t as if LiveNation promised them 6 hours of Madonna and they only got 2. She performed the full show. The rest is almost always covered in the terms of the ticket nobody ever bothers to read. That stranded in Brooklyn claim will get laughed out directly. They should really drop this before Madonna and LiveNation ask the court for legal fees for this frivolous lawsuit. If you didn’t want to pay Uber surge pricing, you definitely won’t want to pay that!
I saw Madonna in 2008(9)? Don’t remember the exact year at MSG in NYC and she was 2+ hrs late to go on that night too (no reason and no apology). I remember how annoyed everyone was and it really put a damper on the experience. Everyone that I was there with only remembers how late she was and nothing about the show (except I remember being impressed that she could sing while jumping rope). So, I don’t think this diva-like behavior is achieving what she thinks it is.
I saw Madonna in 2015 and she was 1.5 hours late.
No apology just a “Hey bitches, I’m here”
It honestly was the worst concert I’ve ever attended and I was a huge fan in her early years
My ticket was free yet I still thought I had paid too much money with hotels and transportation
I don’t know anything about the lawsuit.
My comment here concerns her two hour and 15 minutes late to begin the Concert. I have been to concerts since 1969 and enjoyed them all. I have never seen any artist being that late starting their Show. I personally find that shocking and very unkind and disrespectful. Artists are successful because of their support from fans.
I certainly understand that Madonna has had health issues. She is elderly. Not quite as old as me but close.
What makes me sad and angry is her failure to apologize to her fans. Offering an explanation would show her respect and appreciation for their support these many years.
Then you never went to a Guns n Roses concert they were 10x worse than Madonna.
I was thinking of GnR too. Maybe I am remembering this wrong, but I feel like when GnR did it, everyone agreed that they were unprofessional assholes.
But when Madonna does it, a lot of people are kind of defending her with statements like “everyone should know she is notorious for starting late”.
If I got tix to Madonna, it would be a Boston show and I would likely drive in from the burbs, so the public transit situation wouldn’t be an issue for me. But I would be SO bored and annoyed to sit around a venue for 2+ hours waiting. Madonna has been big for most of my life, I’m not a huge fan in that there are other artists that would be more my ride or die favorites, but I would definitely appreciate one of her shows. I’ve really loved a lot of her music and the nostalgia factor would be huge. But I think the only thing that would keep me from leaving if there was a 2+_hour wait would be the fact that the tickets are so pricey, and I would worry that she was going to take the stage 2 minutes AFTER I left.
It would be one thing if she was late for a couple of shows, things can happen. But to be routinely HOURS late? It really is obnoxious.
I was about to say that. GnR came to mind for me as well. I also know when they were late to concert in England, they were fined for it. GnR has been much better lately, I saw them in Saratoga Springs and they were pretty much on time.
Her show here in Boston a couple of weeks ago was 1.5 hours late, but most were anticipating a delay anyway. The venue said it was because of the “intricacies of the production.” That would make sense if something broke down and it was a one-time thing, but if she’s always late, then why not set up the production earlier, or set the start time later?
I kind of feel like Madonna wants to set up a club atmosphere at her concerts, so she deliberately starts them late, if that makes sense. She has the DJ playing music and people are dancing and then she gets on when she gets on. If I wasn’t so old and have to get up early the next day for work, I might actually enjoy it, as it would remind me of my clubbing days. She has the kids voguing in the aisles. It’s quite a scene, actually.
Rammstein has a huge production set up and they’re rarely late. Their pyro alone is intricate plus it’s fire, so there’s safety to be considered there as well. So I think the “intricate production” thing is a lie of an excuse.
A zillion years ago I saw Madonna in DC what was then known as the MCI Center (I’m really aging myself!). It was the middle of summer and the ac stop working so it was boiling in there. Madonna was 2-3 hours late and it was awful. No reason given. So this seems to be a pattern going back decades. As a performer I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to do to your fans without giving them a reason.
Samsies, August 2013 Yankee Stadium waited for hours iin the sun sweating like a pig on a rotisserie. Only upside Avicii was the opening act/DJ. So I got to see him once before he passed.
Never, ever, ever will that woman get a dime out of me. And she lip synched 90% of the songs and maybe sang 1 song live acapella. Not her finest voice either. I knew she barely sang live going in. And it’s more about the theatrics and dancing.
But an 8pm concert starting at almost 11pm in the dead of summer in an open stadium was outrageous indeed.
Die-hard Madonna fan here up until the last decade. Her behavior on social media, her Kardashian plastic surgery on her body and face, and her chronic lateness turned me off. Add to that her desperation to be hip which actually makes her dated. The younger pop stars look sophisticated, while Madonna made herself look older and out of touch with her looks. I said I would never see her again or be interested in present day Madonna. Madame X was a nice album, though.
Cut to Madonna almost dying and then her tour opening. I am eating my words. She opened with “Nothing Really Matters,” a favorite of mine I never thought I would hear. She looks like a goddess in the opening. She actually looks more like herself again. Then so many other brilliant bits and pieces to this show. I could go on and on about the artistic touches to this show. It’s part theatrical production/part concert taking you musically on a journey through Madonna’s life and career.
Stuart Price is the musical producer. I adore him. Honestly, she can’t really dance because of her injuries, but they work around it so beautifully. She’s going on stage between 9:50 and 10:30 it appears, with a few 10:45s. I’ve accepted it and will see this tour twice. Even the lackluster Bitch I’m Madonna ending doesn’t hurt the show. Although it is perplexing she didn’t end it with one of her iconic songs. And YouTube videos don’t even touch what this concert looks like in person.
She had really damaged her place in history and her legacy with her antics for the last at least five years, actually more, but this tour cements her legacy. She is even very emotional and warm towards her fans in the show and still feisty. That near-death experience changed something in her. I didn’t think she was self-aware enough to put on such an amazing retrospective of her music in this form, but she has.
This tour would be sold out everywhere in America, but her chronic lateness has destroyed that chance except in spots like NYC. Many people aren’t going to put up with it for many reasons, and I don’t blame them. Because of that, on the day before or day of you can get very reasonably priced tickets. So I will be going to a second concert also to see it from two different vantage points. That stage and what is going on is so amazing that you miss things in just one show. It allows me to remember the Madonna I was a fan of. I’m sure after this is over she will go back to her cringy social media antics and desperation, and I will tune her out. But this tour is a very sentimental journey for me. Nothing Really Matters, the brilliant Holiday that bleakly morphs into a touch of In This Life to a Live to Tell nod to all that died in the AIDs epidemic is done with such artistry. Tears were had by all. Bad Girl with her daughter Mercy James accompanying her on piano. Rain. Stuart Price’s brilliant remix of Justify My Love with amazing choreography. Erotica with touches of Thrill Me and the Beast Within. Hung Up. A lot of her ’80s songs. Ray of Light. On and on.
What a beautifully written, thoughtful and informative comment. Thank you @Jayna!
Also, as a reminder Madonna would charge her dancers $100 a minute if they were late to rehearsal. Pot does not meet kettle at all.
Typical narcissistic behavior. She can be 2 hours late all she wants and how dare you complain about it, but she’ll take money from people she’s likely paying poorly for wasting a literal minute of her time
Does this mean I can sue movie theaters for falsely advertising their movie start times? It used to be movies had 15 mins. of previews before the actual movie started, now the actual start time is 45 – 60 mins. later. Regarding Madonna’s tardiness, I agree with Alex Petridis: ‘Want to Sue Madonna for Being Late on Stage? She’s an Artist, not a Service Industry Worker” (The Guardian, 01/19/24). Her fans and anyone hearing about her concerts would know she starts later; casual viewers may not know this — or may know and go anyway. I factor in the later start time whenever I go to her concerts because it gives me time to find my seats, schmooze with other fans, or go get my preferred beverage. I feel sorry, however, for those unknowing casual concertgoers who miss a train/bus or have a problem with babysitting. In general, tho, I just plan for a later start time. Her shows are well worth it. She set the template for the “Pop spectacle” with her landmark 1990 Blond Ambition Tour and has never looked back. Each show is better than the last.
This reminds me of two personal examples.
The husband was at a David Bowie concert back in the ‘70’s or ‘80’s and he came out over an hour late because he was watching a hockey game. They played a loop of heavy breathing over and over.
Also – the Montreal Olympic stadium concert riot in 1992. Metallica had previously played and Hetfield burned his hand on some pyrotechnics. After that, Guns & Roses then farted about and kept the crowd waiting for two hours and 45 minutes and Axl Rose had a tantrum when they finally came out. The crowd started screaming “f-ck you Axl Rose” and rioted to the point that police and tear gas were brought in. A cruiser was over turned outside the stadium. No one riots at sporting or musical events quite like Montrealers…
So these guys getting up late for work got off fairly easily by comparison… ha!
I don’t think I could have withstood the heavy breathing for over an hour. Yikes!
@beaniebean – yeah the husband said it was one of the most bizarre things he’d ever heard! The concert itself didn’t last very long and apparently the crowd started throwing chairs when Bowie left without an encore. Police on stage threw the chairs back into the audience. Husband booted it out of there at that point!
LOL! Great post!
@starwonderful – thanks! Fun to take a trip down memory lane to all the great (and not so great!) concerts…
In all my 71 years of concert-going I have never been to a concert where the main act was more than 15 minutes late. We’re talking Supertramp, The Band, Edgar & Johnny Winter, Peter Gabriel, Dire Straits, Al Stewart, Level 42, Yes, Bob Marley, Neil Young, Sting, Steely Dan, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Heart, I could go on and on. I also go to symphony orchestras concerts and with 40+ musicians playing very complex music, not once have I experienced even one minute of lateness. They all started spot on time. Madonna doesn’t get a cookie, and frankly I wouldn’t be caught dead at her concerts.
I’m so glad someone finally sued her. She’s an incredibly rude performer. I’ll never forget the last Madonna concert I attended. The night before Thanksgiving in Miami. This was her Alex R. phase. We paid a small fortune to attend. She didn’t come on stage until 11:00 pm. The sound was atrocious, her singing was marginal and we kept getting shots of Alex R. making eyes are her. My eighty something year old mother was staying with us. I regret losing an evening with my loved mother. Decided I would never give this nasty wench another penny. I haven’t.
Well, anyone who’s been to a concert or two knows that the show start time on the ticket isn’t necessarily the time the headliner takes the stage. If there are opening acts, the headliner isn’t going to be taking the stage until well past showtime. Does Madonna have openers on this tour? I think this is a silly lawsuit either way.
In rock, rap, r&b clubs the headliner generally doesn’t go on until midnight. This isn’t a club situation. It is totally ridiculous that a star who fines her dancers $100 a minute for being late would show up 2 hours late. Totally unprofessional and insulting to her audience.
Additionally many times it’s not safe to take subways after peak hours (7 – 8pm). I know this through experience. It is safer to take Lyft, Uber, etc. Peak hours where I currently live, RI can be $60 for a 2 mile ride.