Professional Line Sitters at Hair

"William Conklin is a professional line-sitter. If that’s your business, New York City is a good place to do it. With so many people, you get long lines. With so many impatient people, you get a market."

"For $150, Mr. Conklin’s ad on Craig’s List promises, he will deliver two tickets at about 1:30 p.m. on the day of the show (the first 650 or so people in line outside the theater get up to two tickets each at 1 p.m.) Some days, Mr. Conklin gets so many requests that he has to turn people away, even though he subcontracts to other line-sitters. “The weekends are insane,” he said."




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I'd rather pay 150 than to sit in the park all day.

Wouldn't it make more sense to just make a donation to the theater, that way you know it is going to something more worthy, than giving $150 to a complete stranger?

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Eh, if they're sitting in the park for a living, they probably need the money, too.

Eh, as an economist, I can't complain. If you value not waiting on line for tickets for more than what someone else is willing to do it for, then you both profit from paying him to do it for you.

Not in the spirit of the promotion, yes, but more economically efficient.

Updated On: 8/22/08 at 03:29 PM

I've been told (and saw it first hand) that a lot of the line sitters you'll find on Craigs' List will hire a number of homeless to stand in line so that he gets the multiple tickets he needs.

I'd be curious how much of the 150 bucks the actual "sitter" receives.

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