There’s an old journalism joke that “news is what
happens to editors.” The idea is that small stories happen so
frequently that the ones that end up on the pages of a newspaper
are only there because they happened in the presence of someone
with some control over the content of those news pages.
You’re right. It’s not that funny. But I’m a
journalist, not Jerry Seinfeld. I mean, come on.
Actually, the reference to Seinfeld serves two purposes. When
discussing humor and everyday experience, it’s appropriate to
allude to the king of those two worlds. But it also allows me to
relate the following story:
A few weeks ago I found out at about 6 p.m. that Seinfeld was
doing a stand-up show at a large local venue that night at 9:30.
After racing to the theater only to find out that the performance
was completely sold out, I decided to try and scalp my way in. A
single man, probably in his mid-40s, with a mustache came up to
me.
“Looking for an extra ticket?”
“Yeah, do you have one?”
“Sure. Right here.”
He then pulled out his wallet and opened it, revealing a police
badge. I guess the mustache should have given him away.
He didn’t arrest me, but I did receive a stern lecture
about the importance of California Penal Code Section 346, which
states that “any person who “¦ sells a ticket of
admission to (an) entertainment event “¦ at any price which is
in excess of the price that is printed or endorsed upon the ticket,
while on the grounds of or in the stadium, arena, theater or other
place where an event for which admission tickets are sold, is to be
held, or is being held, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
So I can sell a ticket for face value on the grounds of the
venue, or I can sell it at any price on the sidewalk next to the
venue?
Is it just me, or does this not make any sense? I know that
taking a stance against scalping laws in a college newspaper is a
little bit like taking a pro-war stance at the Republican National
Convention, but what I’m really questioning is why it’s
fine to scalp tickets in one place but not another.
If a push were made to make all scalping illegal, prohibiting
people from profiting off a theater’s work, I would
understand the decision. Likewise, if a push were made to legalize
all scalping, honoring capitalism, I would understand the
decision.
But who benefits from simply moving scalpers to the sidewalk or
around the corner? The last time I checked, the important part was
that you had a ticket, not where you got it or how much you paid
for it.
I’m sure Seinfeld understands what I’m talking
about.
If you can explain Section 346 of the California Penal Code
to Tracer, e-mail him at jtracer@media.ucla.edu.