The Kunstareal is the museum district of München.
I started my day at the Alte Pinakothek.
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I then attempted to go to the Neue Pinakothek. I got a ticket, put my tote bag that I had packed my lunch in (and enjoyed eating picnic style outside of the Alte Pinakothek) in a locker, and kept my purse with me, etc. - exactly the same thing that I had done at the Alte Pinakothek. However the docent wouldn't let me into the gallery. The only explaination I got from her was her point to my purse and "too big." She didn't care about what was or wasn't in my purse, just that it was too big.
I then went and explained to the gentleman behind the front desk whom I had purchased my ticket from that I was not comfortable leaving my purse with my wallet, passport, asthma inhaler, etc. in a locker. He assured me that the lockers were very secure but that he could offer me a gift shop bag - that was bigger than my purse! - to put the items I was concerned about it. He also explained to me that all of the museums in the Kunstareal had the same rule and that I was able to walk around the Alte Pinakothek with my purse was a lapse in regulation enforcment on the part of their docents, not a lack of the regulation.
Mavbe I should have gotten over it. Maybe I was being an inconsiderate American. Maybe I should just have a smaller purse (I just tend to carry a larger one when traveling). At that point I was frustrated because I felt that they were getting hung up on the wrong thing. So I asked for refund - which they did give to me - and moved on to the Pinakothek der Moderne where I had no bag issues.
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