Ticketmaster = Teh Evil

It's not like this tidbit is breaking news, but Ticketmaster is a grand example of the evils of monopoly power in any industry. I was browsing about for DC United tickets, and I discovered that you have to buy them through this criminal outfit (unless of course you can still buy them at the stadium in person), and it's true that pretty much any ticket you want to buy online for a major sporting event or concert goes through the abyss of shit known as Ticketmaster.

I remember the heady days when banks were trying out their new found power to charge you to take out your own money from ATMs, when fees were something like $1. Sounds quaint, right? At least the little competition that remains in the banking industry keeps those institutions from charging five or ten bucks a pop. With Ticketmaster, with no discernible competition or regulation in sight, you will find yourself being levied a "convenience charge" that would make a loanshark blush with shame.

For instance, I looked at the cheap seats for DC United. The published price is $18. Sure you're in the corner so pretty much you have a great view of the ass of the player taking the corner kick, but little else. Ticket-Disaster tacks a $4.65 charge on that ticket. Without getting too technical, that's roughly a 25% surcharge for the ticket. In what way is that convenient?

If you're an oldster as I am you remember Pearl Jam's ill-fated attempt to thwart the ticketbroker monopoly, and you'd be hard pressed to argue that their quixotic attempt didn't contribute to their descent from one of the more powerful bands of the 1990's to has-beens.

"I fought the law, and the law won."

FU, ticketmaster, FU.