Anyone Been Berated In Rush Ticket Line By Al Hirschfield Ticket Personnel? — Page 3

Matilda is still limiting people -- you can't win lotto more than once every 30 days. Or, rather, you can, but they check a list, and if you do win, you can't have them.

---

The Jersey Boys rush line assault story

Isn't it NICE of the management to officially tell the customers that they are wasting their time? I know I'd appreciate my time being returned to me. Why should they stay when they KNOW the tickets won't be forthcoming?

---

Note; Nyla hasn't returned to the thread, so either she realizes that her parents exaggerated, or she realizes that her fabrication of events got shot down thanks to our eyewitness.

---

People (albeit, scalpers) are getting there at 3:00 AM to see this show?! Oy.

Whatever the true story is, I do think there is something to be said for employees being aggressive and hostile without being provoked and creating a worse situation for everyone. I am sure this stems from a defensiveness created by hostile patrons in the past, but it only makes it worse to enter into a transaction with a patron assuming all patrons will behave like this. There is a way to be firm about rules without being rude. (Not saying this is what happened in this situation, but I have witnessed this one too many times.)

Also, I think the OP was mainly lamenting the behavior of the line monitor and less about the 15 minute rule.

And, not that this should allow anyone who doesn’t know the rules to get their way, but I don’t think this older couple should be getting criticized for not knowing them or thinking they could step away. To some, especially to us who attend the theatre a lot or know how in-demand tickets can be, this might be obvious, but it might not be to others. They may have heard that they needed to get there early, but not known much about rushing aside from that. This lack of knowledge doesn’t warrant them tickets, but I also don’t think it warrants them harsh criticism (a lack of knowledge along with assuming they have a right to these tickets no matter the rules is another story, though).

I think trading off is perfectly fine. Who cares what body is there as long as it is the same amount of tickets gone?

I wish theatre’s would put up a board listing the theatre’s rush line policy – seems like something easy enough to do that could help to deter many of these disputes. I am sure people would still claim “I didn’t see it!” but at least it would be a lot more accessible and something line monitors/box office attendants could physically refer to in disputes. Also, if there were actual written rules in front of them, patrons would more likely abide by them (hopefully). I feel like most of many of these issues stem from not knowing the rules or lines not having/specifying rules, etc.

I rushed today and the monitor was a very nice guy. He came by and clearly explained the rules. He also counted and told us how many tickets were available and told the people who wouldn't get tickets so they didn't waste their time waiting. I would much rather be told I wasn't getting in so I could go do something else rather than waste my time for nothing. Very glad they have the monitor and he kept people from cutting in line, and did so firmly but not rudely. Good job to him!

Don't some theatres put rules up, but not until the box office opens? (And by then, there could be a significant line.)

---

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure the reason they don't post rush policies at a theatre is because it could dissuade people from purchasing full price tickets that don't know about the rush otherwise.

This makes sense. I was wondering if it had to do with not wanting to advertise for cheaper tickets.

Millie, I am not disagreeing that the couple was in the wrong in this case (as far as we can tell from the witness). My comment about the fact that the OP was more concerned with the behavior of the line monitor as opposed to her parents not knowing the 15 rule was in regard to many responders who seemed to be defending the rule, saying the couple was in the wrong. I didn’t get the impression that the OP was trying to argue whether or not her mom could have stepped out for that long, but rather the fact that her parents were treated poorly by the line attendant (despite whether that may be true or not).

And, I agree that it is extremely generous that the theatre allows bathroom breaks. I just thought people were reacting a bit harshly to the fact that these people didn’t know the rules. And, while it does seem like common sense (you get out of line, you lose your place), I could easily see a couple of senior citizens thinking that as long as one of them was there and as long as she got back in time (and since she was there for most of the time) that nothing was wrong with that. Again, I don’t think this lack of knowledge should allow them to get tickets (rules are rules) nor do I think it is okay for them to act entitled to these tickets even after finding out about the rules, I just thought they shouldn’t be criticized so severely for initially thinking this was okay.

Gilmore: I think she was trying to do both...that darnnit, her mom was "only" gone for 1/2 hour (although other reports say otherwise) as well as put all the blame on the line monitor.

Regardless, her story has been uprooted as there seems to be NO truth to the part of a disrespectful line monitor. (Granted, we don't know if the parents or the poster is the one that embellished the story). Please remember the 3rd party that witnessed what happened has no stake in what happened so it is easier to believe his report.

---

We don't know what they did or didn't know. But if you weren't aware of protocol, wouldn't you ASK before you deviated from something? I'm pretty sure I would.

(And I'm just having a conversation, not criticizing you in any way.)

---

Are they senior citizens? I'm sure lots of posters here have parents that are not yet senior citizens. And even if they are, that certainly doesn't mean incapable of thought. My own parents (in their 70s) are certainly fully "with it" and not "old" or dottery in any way. While I can't imagine them doing a rush line for themselves, yet alone anyone else, I'm sure they'd "get" the requirements.

---

^Yeah, there's a reason some of the participants need cheap tickets...they have too much time on line so they can't get a job.

---

Regarding the original post, I would just note that this is all being relayed to us by someone who was not even there. It is essentially hearsay, something that is not even admissible in a courtroom. So there is probably a good deal of conjecture involved here, and who knows how it all actually went down.