When ‘Fake It Til You Make It’ Is Very Bad Advice
I work at the box office at a large concert venue. A guy comes up with some obviously fake tickets.
Me: “I’m sorry, sir, I can’t accept these tickets.”
Customer: “What are you talking about?! These are tickets for tonight’s show!”
Me: “Sir, these have been printed out on a home printer. These are not genuine paper tickets. Did you book online? If so, I can check—”
Customer: “—I bought them from some guy in the parking lot. He assured me they were real.”
Me: “I’m really sorry, sir, but you’ve paid for fake tickets. There’s nothing we can do.”
Customer: “There is something you can do! You can let me the f*** in!”
Me: “I’m afraid I can’t let you in with that ticket.”
Customer: “This is bull-s***! I paid for my ticket! I deserve to see the show!”
Me: “Sir, unless you buy an official ticket from us or a recognized vendor, there’s nothing we can do. I’m really sorry, but the guy who sold you that ticket has scammed you.”
The guy hangs around the box office for almost half an hour as other concert attendees walk up to either pick up their reserved tickets or buy new ones (we still had some for sale!), trying to pick a fight with us or argue some new reason why he should be let in. Eventually, Security moved him along, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
That is, until he comes back fifteen minutes later with ANOTHER FAKE TICKETS!
Me: “Sir, these are still fake tickets.”
Customer: “The f*** they aren’t! The guy made a mistake before, but he sold me this VIP ticket for a hundred to make up for it.”
Me: “Sir, you went back to a known scammer, who had already sold you one fake tonight, and you spent a hundred on another ticket from the same guy?”
Customer: “Yeah, he said sorry for the first one and assured me this was a real one.”
Me: “Sir, I’m afraid he scammed you… again.”
Customer: “Just f****** let me in!”
Me: “I can’t, sir.”
Security moved him along again.
Coworker: “How do people that stupid have that much money to lose?”
Me: “That’s not even the most stupid thing he did tonight.”
Coworker: “What else did he do?”
Me: “He spent a hundred on a fake VIP ticket when we’re still selling the real ones here for seventy-five…”
