Held up without a gun

Not only are fans of Bruce Springsteen, The Boss himself and several public officials angry over Monday’s ticket snafu — whether accidental or purposeful — but so are the state’s major newspapers.

The Record and The Asbury Park Press both call for an investigation into Monday’s mess, and with good reason. Anyone who has ever tried to get a Springsteen ticket in the New Jersey area (which, for our purposes, includes New York City and Philadelphia) knows that it is a difficult task, that his shows sell out quickly — usually within 15 or so minutes even when he has multiple dates scheduled at the largest venues.

But the speed with which Ticketmaster redirected potential ticket buyers to their own resale subsidiary raises questions about the ticket firm’s motivations, regardless of the firm’s apology.

I think this lyric from the B-side to “Hungry Heart” says it all:

“Now it’s a sin and it oughta be a crime
You know it happens buddy all the time
Try to make a living, try to have a little fun
Held up without a gun, held up without a gun”

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet