Some Blog Site

Leno’s free tickets are going for $800 on eBay.

Some people are either lamenting that this person is selling them, and other some other people are ridiculing him – various forms of protest against his actions.

“These tickets were free,” they say, “and were meant for laid-off or unemployed people.  How dare this guy get these tickets, taking these spots away from some honest guy, and sell them!”

The assumption underlying those sentiments is that this seller is some employed person who is living comfortably, has connections to get the tickets, and just wants a quick profit so he can buy himself a second iPod or something.

But let’s allow some benefit of the doubt for this guy.  What if he is laid-off, and he is asking for $800 for these tickets so that he can make his mortgage payment this month?  What if the $800 goes to keep his car from being repossessed and to put food on the table for his kids to eat?

Wasn’t Leno’s purpose to help the needy and discouraged in Detroit?  What better way to help the needy than by letting them possibly profit from it?  Of course, I have no idea if the seller fits that description of needy.

On the other hand, you had to know that some people would take advantage of the free tickets.  Leno’s show did not put any restrictions on who could ask for or get tickets, so they should not be surprised that someone played the system.  If they didn’t want that to happen, they could have put safeguards or restrictions in place so that only those who demonstrated need got tickets, or the tickets were keyed to the person who got them, or etc.

Leno doesn’t lose anything by letting this guy sell the tickets, and the guy is better off too.  The only people who lose are those that would have otherwise gotten the tickets free, but it’s impossible to know who that would have been.  Plus they lost out on seeing a comedy show.  It’s not like they would be hurting without the show and saved with the show.  Sure, a comedy show can help your spirits temporarily, but you need deeper roots than that.  On the other hand, $800 can go a long way.