Jacob's Pillow for Dance - Such Troubles to Travel or Visit

     Lewis and I tried to plan a visit to Jacob's Pillow, the esteemed oasis for dance students and teachers.  Instituted in the 1940s, far removed from city dwelling oglers, it remains a bastion of camaraderie, networking, and grace.  Well-heeled students practice in reclaimed barns, alongside world-famous instructors.  Their archives of posters, costumes, footage, and music are legendary.  

     Apparently, though, it maintains a disdain for those requiring Public Transportation.  It makes no effort to ease the pain of such a traveller... which accounts for millions of potential visitors from New York City.
     According to their website, the Pillow is accessible by Metro-North railroad.  There are two branches to take.  The one in upstate New York deposits you an hour away from the campus.  It is the same drop-off point for the affordable Peter Pan bus route from Manhattan.  How do you continue to the campus?  One very expensive taxi company.  A bus representative gave a caveat: the bus departs irregularly, so visitors may be stranded overnight!  If you want to Uber, the cost is $87.00 for the hour-long one-way ride!
     The other railway branch leaves you in Waterbury, Connecticut.  Uber costs the same from that place!  

     Thankfully, two car rental agencies exist.  Enterprise will pick you up from the train station and bring you to your car.  But, there's a "catch".  Their office closes at the very early hour of 6pm... which is even before dinnertime.  Thus, you can drop off your key in a box outside their office, but there is nobody to give renters a ride back to the train station!  It's a 3-mile walk!  Calling Enterprise, they unapologetically restated their operating hours.  I asked what visitors did, who don't own a car, but want to buy dinner in Waterbury?  The agent didn't know.  Avis is much closer to the train station.  They also close at 6pm, but DO NOT have a key depository!  Their agent told me that renters must return cars the next day!  What ridiculousness!  
     Speaking with a Tour Planning representative at the Pillow wasn't helpful.  The elderly woman explained that they don't get many visitors "via public transportation".  "Most folks rent a house for the weekend or get a hotel room," she said blissfully.  I asked a reasonable question, "What about folks who only want a day-trip?"  Ponderous silence.
     Looking further at their website, I was shocked to see a huge full-time staff... for a such rustic campus.  Under the Director, there's a Deputy Director, three administrators, Human Resources Director, three archivists, housekeeping manager, facilities manager, groundskeeper, comptroller, Retail Coordinator, and a three-person team for Community Engagement.  Eight people work on the Marketing team!  Their Director of Philanthropic Engagement supervises a quintet, including a Gala/Events Manager.  They have a large focus on donations, advertising, and corporate partnerships.  20 people sit on their Board of Trustees.  They employ a Concierge for the Donors Circle!  
     For heaven's sake, if they can afford a concierge, perhaps they can afford a shuttle bus bringing visitors to/from the train station twice a day?!  It seems their endowment can provide that... if they wanted to.  After, all, they provide a shuttle bus to Pittsfield, MA.  Why not to the train station for urbanites?  Even though they're in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, they behave in typical Connecticut style: valet parking instead of any bus stops.  The team at Jacob's Pillow seem to think that people who use public transportation are poor/unworthy, so they allow it to be unbelievably hard for those people to have access to the campus.  That is shameful.