麻豆传媒映画

With the 10^th anniversary of 麻豆传媒映画hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics upon us, we are looking back at some of the stories that were making the news in the Courier during those 17 days in February.

This story was originally published Feb. 19, 2010

Your 铿乺st name, sir? 鈥淒anny.鈥� Surname? 鈥淛ust Danny from London is 铿乶e.鈥�

In Danny from London鈥檚 world, the less forthcoming, the better. Danny 鈥� the 50-something guy in the aviator shades 鈥� is a ticket scalper. On Tuesday, he was working the crowd outside the 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery on Robson Street.

Although a city vending bylaw says Danny must have a permit to sell tickets, it didn鈥檛 bother him or the dozen scalpers on the street. With a 铿乻tful of Olympic tickets in his hand, and an 鈥渋ce hockey Canada v USA wanted鈥� sign hanging from his neck, Danny was having a tough go. He blamed the sluggish sales on the hefty face value prices set by the 麻豆传媒映画Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games.

The face value of the Canadian men鈥檚 hockey tickets in his hand were $140 each. He was trying to hawk them for $350 each, with four hours remaining before the game against Norway.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e not cheap tickets here,鈥� he said, noting the $900 price tag for a ticket to the opening ceremony. 鈥淚n Beijing [at the summer Olympics], the tickets were selling for nothing. Organizers looked at their local people and they saw they haven鈥檛 got that sort of money and so they set the prices accordingly.鈥�

Danny said he gets his tickets by buying and trading with fellow scalpers. Many of the scalpers outside the art gallery Tuesday were from his native England. When asked whether buyers can trust the tickets they buy are legitimate, Danny said he is not in business to take advantage of sports fans.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 the point? I haven鈥檛 come from the other side of the world to rip people off. If I鈥檝e got two tickets for a game, there鈥檚 no way I鈥檝e got a printing press around the corner. I sell proper tickets so people can get a lot of pleasure to see what they want to see. That鈥檚 why I do it.鈥�

Across the street, scalper Steve from Florida he also declined to give his surname 鈥� agreed with Danny that tickets were overpriced. But Steve, who was less forthcoming than Danny, said he planned to stay for the duration of the Games.

鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 going so well, I wouldn鈥檛 be here 鈥� I would have left a long time ago,鈥� said Steve, before continuing down the street.

The presence of foreign scalpers in the city isn鈥檛 good news for VANOC, which has its own regulated ticket re-selling site. VANOC is in contact with the city鈥檚 permits and licences department, which is working with the 麻豆传媒映画Police Department to crack down on scalpers.

Will Johnston, the city鈥檚 director of licences and inspections, said bylaw of铿乧ers and police have issued 鈥渟ome鈥� bylaw tickets. Vending without a licence on the street comes with a $250 铿乶e.

To get a licence, the scalpers would need approval from VANOC, which they haven鈥檛 received, Johnston said.

鈥淚t is an issue for the city but also remember there鈥檚 a variety of issues that we鈥檙e looking for compliance on in the Games,鈥� said Johnston, referring to illegal signs, street performers and graf铿乼i.

Hockey fans hunting for scalper鈥檚 tickets to the gold medal 铿乶al of men鈥檚 hockey should be willing to pay good money.

鈥淩ight now, I suppose two thousand, maybe two thousand-and-a half,鈥� said Danny, who has yet to 铿乶d some. 鈥淏ut if Canada gets knocked out before then, which I can鈥檛 see happening, the price will go down.鈥�

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