Want to hear some outrageously funny humor, the stuff that people visiting Seattle flock to because they don't have it in their home town? Want to go to Seattle's famed Comedy Underground? If you can't take stairs, the answer would be (almost surely) NO.
I called once to ask if they had an accessible entrance, and they laughed me off. Of COURSE they aren't accessible, they're underground! Apparently living up to a cool-sounding name is sufficient reason to exclude disabled patrons. To rub salt in, the individual on the phone reminded me that because they are not federally funded, they don't HAVE to be accessible.
But out of the goodness of their hearts, if you should naively show up without having considered these matters, prepaid tickets in hand, they will, if you don't stop them--I swear to you--send a couple of large, clumsy men ambling up the stairs who, without asking about which parts of you are easily hurt or any special ways that you can be moved, will SWEEP you from your cane or chair and thump-thump-thump CARRY you down those stairs. Only those of us ready with arms outstretched in the universal stop-go-no-further position escape.
The truly desperate who are able, and who want in badly enough, can sit on the stairs and bump their way down on their butts. This at least instills some sense of shame and discomfort in SCU management, and that's something, anyway. I myself can't get down there that way either. My tickets last time had been purchased at an auction, and rather than ruin our group's good time, I struggled down the stairs. It was bad, and getting back out was worse. I would never do it again, and SCU should be prepared to offer refunds for tickets sold without a no-disabled-entry disclaimer.
Ultimately, the only thing that can redeem the SCU from this blog's Hall of Shame is a new venue, even if it ISN'T located clear down in the depths of hell, since installing an elevator (as was pointed out to me by one apologetic staffer) involves drilling through brick, and isn't really feasible. But since they seem to be very successful with their current strategy, i.e., catering exclusively to the able-bodied, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for change. Save your money for a place you can enter pain-free. Seattle is a big city. Have fun somewhere else. (Those who can recommend comedy clubs that are funny AND accessible, please enter a blurb in our Hall of Fame posting area).
Their website FAQ says that their current Seattle venue has an elevator, so the situation may have changed since the last time we went. Who knows? Maybe the extreme awkwardness of our insisting on using our tickets come hell of high water may have helped contribute to this development!
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