Saving a Spot in GA Line?

[dizzyd5]

I'm sure that this has been discussed before but unfortunately since I'm not a premium member I can't use the search feature so I apologize in advance for the repeat question:

I'm going to the Toronto show on the 14th but unfortunately it seems that my fiancee is not going to be able to get off work until closer to 4. If I go early in the morning and stay all day in line will she be able to join me in the Fan Club pre-sale line or will people who waited all day give her a hard time?

I know that last time in Toronto people were cutting into line ahead of us but I was wondering how it worked on Leg #1..

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

people who waited all day will giver her a hard time... and they should.

i know you're not trying to be a dick, but some people have been planing this for months, scheduled a day off from work months in advance so that they could get their at the ass crack of dawn in order to try to get a good spot... so while it's not your fiance's fault that she can't get off work, it's still a bit of a slap in the face to those who've waited outside all day long if she just comes right in and jumps in front of them.

GA line cutters suck.

 

[Bono's Tart]

people who waited all day will giver her a hard time... and they should.

i know you're not trying to be a dick, but some people have been planing this for months, scheduled a day off from work months in advance so that they could get their at the ass crack of dawn in order to try to get a good spot... so while it's not your fiance's fault that she can't get off work, it's still a bit of a slap in the face to those who've waited outside all day long if she just comes right in and jumps in front of them.

GA line cutters suck.

What an arrogant attitude!!!

Why is 1 person going to make any difference???????????
Its not like its going to stop anyone getting into the ellipse!!
Over here in the Uk it wasnt an issue at any of the queues we were in as the person involved told everyone nearby.

Good job you didnt go to Madrid you would have had a heart attack!!!

I bet you are one of these line "organisers" arent you??? self appointed number givers!!

Mate save her a place if they dont line it then tough!!!!!!!

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

What an arrogant attitude!!!

Why is 1 person going to make any difference???????????
Its not like its going to stop anyone getting into the ellipse!!
Over here in the Uk it wasnt an issue at any of the queues we were in as the person involved told everyone nearby.

Good job you didnt go to Madrid you would have had a heart attack!!!

I bet you are one of these line "organisers" arent you??? self appointed number givers!!

Mate save her a place if they dont line it then tough!!!!!!!

Okay, here's the differnce btwn the European shows and the US shows.

Line lottery.

And for the record, I don't recall anyone complaining about the numbering system.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

What an arrogant attitude!!!

Why is 1 person going to make any difference???????????
Its not like its going to stop anyone getting into the ellipse!!
Over here in the Uk it wasnt an issue at any of the queues we were in as the person involved told everyone nearby.

Good job you didnt go to Madrid you would have had a heart attack!!!

I bet you are one of these line "organisers" arent you??? self appointed number givers!!

Mate save her a place if they dont line it then tough!!!!!!!

like i said... i don't mean to be a dick, but i think the line is there for a purpose.

what's one person you say? ok fine... one person lets one person cut... then someone else... then someone else... when there's a few hundred people waiting in the line, if every other person "saves" a spot, then what in the hell is the point of having a line in the first place? just make it a mad rush... worked out swell for the who.

if it's an arrogant of me to believe that a line should be just that, then so be it... i'm an arrogant prick then. but in the sense of fairness, rather than being ok with one person allowing someone to cut, i would just rather see no one cut.

but again, i'm an arrogant dick, so what do i know.

and no... i didn't organize any of the lines. but i applaud those who did.

and one more thing... the north american leg is in arenas, eurpoe was in stadiums... a few hundred people doesn't make much of a difference in location when you're on the floor of a stadium... it makes a HUGE difference if you're on the floor of an arena.

and oh yea... have a nice day

 

[ruffian]

i think it does make a difference...as headache said, people have taken the day off work deciding they aren't going to get paid or they are going to take a sick day/vacation day. having one person in front of you might not make a difference for getting in the ellipse but there are only about 100 spots on the rail, so i think it can definitely make a difference...especially if that becomes the norm and lots of people want just one friend to be able to get in line ahead of people who've been camping out.

a friend of mine at a show last spring got my name on the GA list (the informal list that fans keep) before my flight landed, and even though only four people were in the line at that point i felt really guilty.

 

[dsmith2904]

I think anywhere there's a long line, people will save spaces for their friends, that's just a fact of life. If you were chosen to go into the bomb shelter, you get to take someone with you so no worries about not being able to stand with your fiancee.

 

[Bono's Tart]

like i said... i don't mean to be a dick, but i think the line is there for a purpose.

what's one person you say? ok fine... one person lets one person cut... then someone else... then someone else... when there's a few hundred people waiting in the line, if every other person "saves" a spot, then what in the hell is the point of having a line in the first place? just make it a mad rush... worked out swell for the who.

if it's an arrogant of me to believe that a line should be just that, then so be it... i'm an arrogant prick then. but in the sense of fairness, rather than being ok with one person allowing someone to cut, i would just rather see no one cut.

but again, i'm an arrogant dick, so what do i know.

and no... i didn't organize any of the lines. but i applaud those who did.

and one more thing... the north american leg is in arenas, eurpoe was in stadiums... a few hundred people doesn't make much of a difference in location when you're on the floor of a stadium... it makes a HUGE difference if you're on the floor of an arena.

and oh yea... have a nice day

Wrong again!!
In Europe it does make a difference as its first ones in get into the ellipse NOT a lottery system so that point is null and void.

Well I dont applaud the self appointed line/number givers, who gave them the right to tell people what to do? If fans cant be civil about queing then whats the point?. The first time I have ever been given a number was on the Elevation Tour and no it didnt work.

Who said anything about a few hundred fans?????????
A handful makes no difference to anyone.

Apart from you possibly!!!

 

[Bono's Tart]

i think it does make a difference...as headache said, people have taken the day off work deciding they aren't going to get paid or they are going to take a sick day/vacation day. having one person in front of you might not make a difference for getting in the ellipse but there are only about 100 spots on the rail, so i think it can definitely make a difference...especially if that becomes the norm and lots of people want just one friend to be able to get in line ahead of people who've been camping out.

a friend of mine at a show last spring got my name on the GA list (the informal list that fans keep) before my flight landed, and even though only four people were in the line at that point i felt really guilty.

I took 3 weeks holiday for the UK/ Euro tour and will be taking time off for Boston in Dec so I am one of the more organised people (not much mind!!).
But as for 100 spots on the rail why should the same fans get those spots all the time its your choice to queue from the crack of dawn or overnight.

So you're a queue jumper as well then ,watch it if Headaches around!!

I think you were about 5 people along from me at Glasgow at the B stage, I wasnt sure though so I didnt say Hi!

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

I believe you will have to watch out for more than just Headache if you cut in line.....

People will be upset if someone shows up at 4-5 pm looking to get in the front of the line.

 

[Bono's Tart]

Okay, here's the differnce btwn the European shows and the US shows.

Line lottery.

And for the record, I don't recall anyone complaining about the numbering system.

I'm well aware of that thanks.

We didnt have a numbering system over here we didnt need one!

But we had fans ordering others about on the Elevation Tour, theres no point to them security dont recognise them anyway, or very very few.

 

[Chizip]

in Europe a few thousand people are allowed into front ellipse type area, so it doesnt matter nearly as much if a few people hold spots for their friends. In North America nobody is guaranteed a spot inside the ellipse, the only guarantee to get a great spot is if you lineup early enough to assure yourself a spot along the outside rail. Ruffian says around 100 people can fit along the rail, I think it's more like 75. So every extra person that gets in in front of you is a big deal. And if you allow one person to do it, then you have to allow everybody to do it, and then it would just be chaos.

the number system is there to help the people, not hurt them. sometimes i think people dont realize that.

 

[Bono's Tart]

I believe you will have to watch out for more than just Headache if you cut in line.....

People will be upset if someone shows up at 4-5 pm looking to get in the front of the line.

Thats a different issue to one person saving one place and I bet it doesnt happen that often anyway.

I personally saw it at 4 out of 9 shows and only once was it an issue as the girls that tried to push in werent meeting anyone that was already there.

But in any case what are you going to do to the people that do it?
Beat them up???

 

[Lancemc]

I would say no. If she can't get there until 4, and you want to stand with her, you should get there at 4 as well and meet her in the back of the line.

 

[Liesje]

No cutting, people will get pissed. One person is not a big deal, of course, but if one person is allowed, then why wouldn't every person in line be allowed to let someone else cut? Then it becomes a big deal. Besides, it's just not fair. I also have to work on those days, but I'm losing a days wages each time b/c I chose U2. I know not everyone can or wants to do the same, but then they're place in line is where they're at when they arrive.

At best, she can come with you in the morning and sign in, leave, and come back at 4, if that's OK with the people around you.

 

[ruffian]

I took 3 weeks holiday for the UK/ Euro tour and will be taking time off for Boston in Dec so I am one of the more organised people (not much mind!!).
But as for 100 spots on the rail why should the same fans get those spots all the time its your choice to queue from the crack of dawn or overnight.

So you're a queue jumper as well then ,watch it if Headaches around!!

I think you were about 5 people along from me at Glasgow at the B stage, I wasnt sure though so I didnt say Hi!

why should the same fans get the spots on the rail at every show? because they queue up early! it's totally fair...and people who don't queue up early don't deserve to be in the front--let them take their chances with getting into the ellipse. that's just my thought. no, i'm not a line-jumper. my friend put me on a list when four people were in line and didn't make any difference, but i still regretted doing it.

and the issue isn't that one person won't make a difference--as others have said everyone would want to make the exception and it could make a HUGE difference. So either someone takes a day without pay, goes to a different concert that falls on a date when they have vacation, or they get in the back of the line if they come late. Maybe some people are cool with this, but if it happened in front of me I'd be angry and would say something about it...

Yeah, i was in Glasgow next to the B-stage on Adams side...

 

[dizzyd5]

Thanks for the responses so far.. curious to hear some other views. For the record she's barely 5 ft with heels so I don't think she will block anybody's view, but if we're not at or near the front, she'll have a hard time seeing anything! For Elevation we were in the first 20 people in line and at least 5-10 cut in front of us before the doors opened. We still had a great spot right in the front against the stage but I do see how people would get pissed when they waited all day and had somebody walk into line.

The other side of it is that she absolutely cannot get out of work that day (or on the Monday), and the pre-sale was only sold for Monday/Wednesday. If we had a choice, we would've taken the Saturday for GAs.

That said, we do have a pair of good 300s for the Saturday show so if anybody wants to trade 2 GAs on Wed and 2 300s for Saturday for 2 GAs on Saturday and 2 300s on Wednesday that would work well. Or as an alternate I guess I'd consider trading the GAs for very good 100s near the stage.

I'd love to hear more responses - I understand the hostility but personally I don't think it's the worst thing to have somebody wait all day to save a spot for their fiancee who is still coming about 5 hrs before they come on stage (not like she's showing up right before the doors open). It's not like we're scalping our $60 tickets for $250-300 like a lot of people are doing! I know that some people may think that the "real fans" are the ones who travel from all over or lineup overnight but there are other real fans who have been looking forward to this since Elevation in Hamilton but unfortunately not everything always falls into place the way you want it.

And I understand the "what if everybody brought in one person" argument, but how many people are willing to sit outside by themself for 8-12 hours to get a good place in line for them and their friend/fiancee/wife/husband/etc? I think most people would prefer to wait until the other person could make it, and then line up together.

I guess another alternative to hire a homeless person to wait with me..

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

But in any case what are you going to do to the people that do it?
Beat them up???

You don't have to be so antagonistic.

I believe there were venue policies in place that sent people to the end of the line if there was a dispute about line place.

Any other Chicago people remember something like this?

 

[jcarroll28]

people who waited all day will giver her a hard time... and they should.

i know you're not trying to be a dick, but some people have been planing this for months, scheduled a day off from work months in advance so that they could get their at the ass crack of dawn in order to try to get a good spot... so while it's not your fiance's fault that she can't get off work, it's still a bit of a slap in the face to those who've waited outside all day long if she just comes right in and jumps in front of them.

GA line cutters suck.

It wont make a difference. If you get selected, your companion will be allowed to enter the ellipse with you, no matter where she is in the line.

 

[jcarroll28]

Also, the idea that someone is going to self proclaim themselves as an organizer and have people "sign in" or take numbers is stupid. I went to the Dublin show, and people were walking around with numbers on their hand 2 days prior. I showed up at 9:30am, and was in the first few hundred, later, those people from 2 days prior try to come in and use their "number" to get in front. It doesnt work, security laughed at them. Same thing happened in Milwaukee, Elevation. Unless you're drawing a paycheck from U2, take your Sharpie and shove it. If the biggest worry of your life is that you are the 13th person in, and not the 53rd person in - well, you need to reevaluate your life...

 

[U2Girl1978]

For one of the Boston shows, I showed up really late but I sure as heck wasn't going to cut in front of anyone. That's plain rude. I ended up by the soundboard and it was still great!

In another instance in Chicago, there was this arsehole who stood by the fence stating that he wasn't going to move because he had every right to be there. Well sorry I don't think so. Not when a bunch of people camped out over night and had numbers. I don't think it's fair if people are camped out overnight and a bunch of jerks start cutting people. It ends up turning into chaos and lots of fights.

 

[jcarroll28]

Go ahead and fight then, if its worth it. Bottom line - it isnt worth it. And so for the rare instance where one person has been in line all day, and their fiancee wants to join them - let it go. Too many people want to police everything. Besides, even if she doesnt join him, he'll get in first, if he wins, she can join him in the Ellipse, if he doesnt, he'll go to the rail and once she gets in, she'll just weasle her way up to him inside the arena. Either way, she is going to see the concert with him, so you might as well be inclusive, supportive and civil.

Chaos and fights? Its a concert. Grow up.

 

[Chizip]

Unless you're drawing a paycheck from U2, take your Sharpie and shove it. If the biggest worry of your life is that you are the 13th person in, and not the 53rd person in - well, you need to reevaluate your life...

 

[Bono's Tart]

Go ahead and fight then, if its worth it. Bottom line - it isnt worth it. And so for the rare instance where one person has been in line all day, and their fiancee wants to join them - let it go. Too many people want to police everything. Besides, even if she doesnt join him, he'll get in first, if he wins, she can join him in the Ellipse, if he doesnt, he'll go to the rail and once she gets in, she'll just weasle her way up to him inside the arena. Either way, she is going to see the concert with him, so you might as well be inclusive, supportive and civil.

Chaos and fights? Its a concert. Grow up.

Well said!

No wonder the band felt the need to have this lottery system, maybe the venues should stop fans queung overnight at the venues and state a time of say 7.30/8am?

 

[artdirector]

If you tell the people in line that your significant other is coming later on, there usually is no problem. In fact, most U2 fans are pretty nice and don't mind. My brother and I met some cool cats in line on the first leg and we traded hours going in an out of line so we didn't have to be there all day. We also traded beers every hour but thats another story. I can see why people would get pissed but most people who are in line are those, like myself, who see more than one show. We should take a breather and relax a bit. I remember getting to GA in the back of the line and I happened to see Bono signing autgraphs which if I was in the front I would not have seen him. So being in the back has its perks. So just let the people know around you that your significant other is coming and they should be cool. If not, tell them to fuck off and let the security guy know your situation so the non U2 fans who gave you shit are made aware you mean business.

 

[artdirector]

by the way, props to the cats from new york who had a very nice big cooler full of Coors Lights while we waited for the second show in San Diego.

 

[Bono's Tart]

You don't have to be so antagonistic.

I believe there were venue policies in place that sent people to the end of the line if there was a dispute about line place.

Any other Chicago people remember something like this?

I wasnt be "so antagonsitic"
I am asking a question what will you do??

Tell security???

Its a concert thats supposed to be fun and entertaining and meeting new people not getting over excited about one person meeting up with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

Really looking forward to Boston now!! I hope they are a bit more relaxed than some of you over a queue!!!

 

[Bono's Tart]

If you tell the people in line that your significant other is coming later on, there usually is no problem. In fact, most U2 fans are pretty nice and don't mind. My brother and I met some cool cats in line on the first leg and we traded hours going in an out of line so we didn't have to be there all day. We also traded beers every hour but thats another story. I can see why people would get pissed but most people who are in line are those, like myself, who see more than one show. We should take a breather and relax a bit. I remember getting to GA in the back of the line and I happened to see Bono signing autgraphs which if I was in the front I would not have seen him. So being in the back has its perks. So just let the people know around you that your significant other is coming and they should be cool. If not, tell them to fuck off and let the security guy know your situation so the non U2 fans who gave you shit are made aware you mean business.

Yeahhh!!!!!!!!!!
Another sensible person!!!

Just hope you dont get in line with some of the more uptight fans!!

 

[artdirector]

there are usually a few and its a bit of a downer cuz you're there to have a good time but after a few cold ones, they usually disappear from my thoughts.

 

[U2Man]

Unless you're drawing a paycheck from U2, take your Sharpie and shove it. If the biggest worry of your life is that you are the 13th person in, and not the 53rd person in - well, you need to reevaluate your life...

Chaos and fights? Its a concert. Grow up.