zero visibility :(

when you purchase a ticket to the top of the empire state building on a cloudy day: you get exclusive access to the observation deck. you also skip to the front of the [otherwise hours long] line without having to upgrade to express pass. but they don't tell you that. what they do tell you [multiple times and with stern caution] is that there is zero visibility at the top. when you proceed happily with your ticket to the final check point [the point of no return], they stamp that ticket with a frowny face as a final reminder that you have chosen to waste your sad faced ticket on a day with zero visibility. although they [sensibly] frown on this decision, it is not one that i regret. i thoroughly enjoyed the exclusive trip to the top and the wonderfully haunting atmosphere that greeted us there. hopefully cousin aaron, who was an exceptional host despite being a guest, will make it back to the city soon and on a day clear enough to warrant an official smile from the empire state.