Cost a lot to be cultured? Read the Fine Print!

Maybe I'm just getting senile, but I have memories of free admission to the Metropolitan Museum of Art . I used to work nearby, about 40 years ago, and would pop in during my lunch break. Or am I wrong?

Now admission is $15- A bit high for a short visit. But an intrepid reporter from The New York Times decided to check if suggested admission price was real or just words. RANDY KENNEDY tried offering just two quarters. To make it short--there were mixed reactions from the clerks collecting money.

If I remember correctly, last summer my sister, her two kids and I paid what we thought was a fair price to cover our admission, since the "recommended" was well over our budgets.

And if the reporter gets tired of carrying around those quarters, just stand around the public phones. You need a minimum of two for most calls, and there are always people willing to pay almost anything for a couple of quarters.