Museum scams/Don’t get caught touching the artwork!

My husband –whom I shall call Gavino- and I have visited the Met on two occasions since arriving in the City. During both trip we witnessed three reoccurring patterns.

1. Every time a patron touches a sculptor, no matter how far from the museum attendant watchful eye within a five seconds that culprit is reprimanded. I touched a Hindu sculpture, away from the policing eye and bam. “Don’t touch the artwork”. Busted. My favorite thing to do at museums unsuccessfully pulled off. In one of the great airy Greek/Roman sculpture rooms, a tight gal-without a blond strand of hair out of place – caresses the foot of a Goddess. Bam. The attendant who is chatting with a crony twenty feet away walks up to the culprit and gives her a swift warning.
2. Museum attendants don’t look happy about their jobs. I suspects it’s because they are standing eight hours a day while wearing bad shoes.
3. One elegant elder who likes to draw sculptures might be pulling off a great scam. Twice now, he’s seated in the same spot rendering a pencil sketch of a complex sculpture. Each time his drawing is in the same final stages and he’s is lightly touching up the same area. I cannot confirm if my two visits occurred during the same window of time. It’s possible. He’s a genius either way.