The University that I worked for often held special events which included rock concerts. We had one big concert coming up, a Seattle grunge band that was very popular that I will call Gem Jelly. They were big enough at that time that they were going to fill our outdoor football stadium, which was a rare occurrence. And in a nod of thanks to the University, the promoter allowed the University box office to sell advance tickets to students, faculty, and staff for two days before the tickets were released to the general public. Anyone with a valid University ID could buy two tickets for $40 each, during those two days.
Early on the first day, the box office called the police department to report a couple who appeared to be scalping Gem Jelly tickets outside the box office. The dispatcher thought that this sounded weird as ticket scalping was a very specific crime (selling tickets on the venue property) and there didn’t seem to be a way for them to be scalping tickets that were just going on sale. So the dispatcher sent me. First, I phoned the box office and spoke to the manager who explained that there was a couple outside who were talking to and giving money to students outside the box office. The students would then buy tickets. The manager said, “I know that they aren’t actually scalping tickets, but…they’re doing something!”
Okay, they were doing something. I went out there and it didn’t take me any time at all to figure out who they were talking about. I saw a couple in their thirties, near the box office, who were interacting with students who would then buy tickets and bring the tickets back to the couple. Definitely something I could investigate. I approached them and explained that the box office had called and were concerned about their activity. They were only too happy to explain to me how their scheme worked. They were handing a $100 bill to a student who would go buy two tickets and bring the tickets back to the couple and the student would keep the $20 bill that they received in change. They already had 18 tickets and still had a stack of $100 bills. They were pretty certain that they had found a way to make more money.
I asked several more questions and they seemed to be avoiding anything about their job or kind of work they were engaged in. They said that they were not married to each other, they had different last names, but that they were friends and were just working together. And they were both wearing wedding rings.
I explained that it appeared to me that they might actually be employees of a ticket broker (they smiled but admitted nothing) and that they were involved in the commercial purchase of Gem Jelly tickets on campus as part of their business to obtain discounted tickets to the Gem Jelly concert prior to the opening of the general sale. Again, they smiled at me. “Nothing illegal about that,” the man said.
“Actually,” I told him. “You’re standing on University property, where the California Education Code and the California Administrative Code prohibit any commercial transactions without the express permission of the University. Do you have a University permit to engage in commercial transactions?”
Now, the smiles were gone. I issued them both citations for a misdemeanor violation of the Education Code and confiscated all their tickets and all their money as evidence of the crime. They asked when they would be able to get it all back. I told them after their court date, which was on their citation and was going to be about three weeks after the Gem Jelly concert.
The woman called every day asking if she could pick up the money and tickets and every day we told her that we couldn’t until either her case was adjudicated or the District Attorney’s office declined to file charges. I was told later that she called the District Attorney’s office every day, too.
About two weeks after the Gem Jelly concert had come and gone, I received a note from the assigned Deputy District Attorney saying that the case had been dismissed. There was also a personal note to me that said, “Justice served. I think you made your point.” Followed by a smiley face.