Burning Man Ticket Rant -- 4/18/2019

As you read this newsletter, I am currently making my way back from an adventurous hike through the Grand Canyon – I’m tackling it both ways. The trail spans a daunting 48 miles, with an elevation gain of 11,000 feet. I’m taking a leisurely approach, spreading it out over three days. Next week, I’ll share more about my experience.

You might remember that the newsletter from last week coincided with the general ticket sales for Burning Man . I had to prepare the newsletter beforehand, but I promised to update you on how my ticket purchase went. Unfortunately, the outcome was dismal. I was part of a group of 13 trying to secure tickets, and none of us were successful. I can accept fair losses, but this situation was far from that. Here are my main complaints:

1. Everyone in my group was fixated on the same "spinning arrow\" screen for more than three hours. I believe the ticket sale finished within minutes, yet tens of thousands, myself included, remained oblivious and waited patiently on this screen for hours.
2. One member of our group managed to get past the spinning arrow and made it halfway through the ticket purchase process, but was met with a blank screen after clicking a button, preventing him from finalizing his transaction despite his best efforts.
3. It seems that many of those who secured tickets did so through unfair means. Perhaps 'unfair' is too harsh, but they clearly disregarded the rules, particularly the one against refreshing the page, and somehow jumped to the front of the line. I’ve heard various tactics were employed, like disabling ad blockers, clearing cookies, refreshing the page, and who knows what else. Previous sales faced similar technical difficulties and deceitful practices, suggesting they likely had tricks up their sleeves. On the flip side, if I were aware of those tactics, I might consider it "advantage play.\"

Check out this forum dedicated to the ticket-purchasing experience where frustrated individuals like me share their stories alongside some winners who gloat about how they manipulated the system: OFFICIAL THREAD FOR 2019 TICKET SUCCESS/FAILURES

In the rare chance that anyone from the Burning Man organizers happens to see this, I have two straightforward recommendations:

1. Terminate the contract with the vendor responsible for this chaotic ticketing process.
2. Implement a straightforward lottery system that gives everyone an equal opportunity.

Written by: Michael Shackleford