Van Halen, Risk Management and Breaking the Law (Allegedly)

One of the freedoms we have is the freedom (ability) to knowingly bend or break a law.

While in New York this week, I discovered that Van Halen was playing Madison Square Garden Tuesday, November 13th! Back in the day when I used to play guitar, Eddie Van Halen was like a super hero to me. Unfortunately, the concert was sold out.

Sold out or not – I decided I was going, one way or another. After checking Craigslist without luck and checking with the hotel concierge who found a pair for $1400.00, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

9:02pm - Madison Square Gardens

I arrived at the curbside with a load of cash on hand looking for a scalper. The police were everywhere. I stumble immediately into an interesting character who claims to have one ticket. When I ask him how much, he says $350. I say "deal!" And with great disregard for scalper laws and the countless police all about, I pulled out my wad of $20 bills and counted them off … all in plain sight.

Allegedly, of course.

I inspect the ticket for signs of being a forgery and accept it. He pockets the cash, and then pulls out his wallet while saying "I have something else for you." I briefly wondered if I had lucked into an undercover policeman! Nope, handing me his card he says "Call me anytime you want a ticket here." Then he says, "Heck for the price you just paid, I'll walk you to the front door."

9:15pm – I'm in the concert!

Allegedly.

Comments

[Patrick Mueller]

I assume you didn't get a chance to check out any MicroTonal Madness? Allegedly.

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/10/18/onstage-tech-disasters-van-halen-goes-microtonal/

[Jim Harper]

I find this incoherent: "One of the freedoms we have is the freedom to knowingly bend or break a law."

Laws against scalping curtail your freedom, pure and simple. Scalping tickets anyway is an exercise of your natural right to buy and sell things you own, but it puts you at risk of fines or jail. You wouldn't say that paying fines or going to jail is a "freedom," would you? There is no "freedom to bend or break a law."

[Fred Salas]

I am going to their concert tomorrow night 11/20 in Los Angeles.

I enjoyed reading about your success in finding a ticket scalper and a ticket...until you said "Deal!"

Negotiating with a ticket scalper is a frequent occurence in the secondary ticket market and I have no doubt you could have picked up that ticket for considerably less.

By the way, anti-scalping laws were lifted in New York in May of this year, so your act of purchasing was perfectly legal.

Check out my book at www.thepoormansticket.com for countless ways to purchase tickets at hefty discounts.

Fred

[JTH]

Jeff
You might like this
http://www.thegrandeballroom.com/cream_audio.html

Found while exploring "previous life" links

Once upon a time, Detroit was a center for Rock

[William]

I once had a party of six but only four tickets for a Prom (BBC classical concert in London Englandland). So I asked one tout (UK Engl for scalper) how much to buy and another how much to sell. Fourfold difference :-)

[William]

Jeff - we're bleeding to death here! The UK tax authorities just lost 25m records (worth up to £1.5bn on the black market here, or umpteen gadzillion of the sadly deflated "dollars" US). And you're buying tickets to something called van Halen for those same measly $US which wont even get you into a tourist attraction in India! We've just had our ChoicePoint/TKMaxx moment. Tell us guru, what should we do?

[kpli]

Hi..just stopping by to say a Happy New Year...interesting post there, and i've bookmarked this blog too...keep up the good job ;)