Class Stratification on the Job

This may be hard for you to believe, but class stratification was the last thing on my mind as I made my way to work through the cross town crawl last night.

I was frankly just grateful to have made the 28 mile jaunt from Signal Hill to Hollywood in a little over an hour.

As I innocently made my way into the rehearsal hall, I absently noted the top-of-the-line music stands in the violin section:

I then glanced over at the not-so-fancy but fairly new stand next to me:

It was only then that I took in the sight before me.

This was all mine for the evening:

This beater of a stand was the only one like it in the room.

Were they trying to tell me something?

Of course, it could have been retaliation for the piccolo I was carrying...