Monday, July 10, 2023

This Particular Situation Should Be Answered In An Advice Column

OK, this kind of is an addendum on this blog post, but 1) that blog post really was about not going to see Fleet Foxes on the 4th of July and 2) I am going to take this situation a little farther afield, so I think this should stand on its own.

So yeah, I was kind of regretting committing to the Nickel Creek concert I had some buyer's remorse over, and I was hoping for a lifeline/miracle.  And yesterday/Sunday afternoon, I got one: He could not go because the childcare that night fell through.  He was going to sell the other ticket.

Yes, this was my chance to undo all I did -- get my money back, go to the United Match, all that.  But ... and I do mean this sincerely, there are a couple logical, non-nefarious thoughts that popped into my head that led me to ask this man to undo our arrangement.  First, I know it is quite difficult to sell single tickets, especially when compared to selling two.  I can see a couple wanting to see this concert because their Saturday night suddenly came free.  This guy wouldn't be able to do that if I still had this seat.

Second, and I hope this doesn't sound creepy: I had the expectation that I was going to see Nickel Creek with him.  I don't know the guy, and I'm not really into strangers, and I sure as hell am not looking at this like a date.  But we are in the same affinity group, so we have that to talk about as we're getting drinks or waiting for the main act during intermission.  I am definitely not looking forward to sitting next to some random person.  I know I need to reach out beyond my bubble of trust, socialize, and take a risk by talking to someone I don't know.  But I'm not into looking at the seat next to me thinking that he or she (probably he) thinks that our seats used to belong to someone and his spouse.  That's just too weird, man.  Maybe that shouldn't matter.  But considering the circumstances by which I became aware of this ticket, I think at least meeting up with the person selling it is not too much to ask.  And so if he can't go, I don't want to, either.  Does that make me an asshole?

Problem potentially is, I did not say that, or anything implying that, when I texted him that it might be best if I get my money back and he gets the ticket back because he can now attempt to sell a pair.  From his point of view, maybe my request to take this all back would come off as weird; why would I care if I don't know the person I sit next to when we're both just there for Nickel Creek?  He must think something else is going on ... like I was really looking forward to seeing the concert with him.  Oh God, he must think I'm a creep.  Not to mention that I am actually asking for money back.

Seeing as I want to un-fuck myself, and since he asked that I choose whether to keep or sell back the ticket by this/Monday afternoon, I just transferred the ticket back to him.  And I texted him (at 12:02 a.m. -- I have no boundaries) that I gave back the ticket to him, please give me back my money when he can.  I'll tell you that just before I bought the ticket from him, I suddenly had the idea that this guy could be catfishing me.  I've never seen him; he could be an elderly woman living in Alaska for all I know.  But he had enough of a Facebook trail that I believe he is who he says he is.  And assuming that we are upstanding members of this same social group, I will trust that in the morning, he will give back the money.

And yet I wonder if I'm being a dick for doing all this.  Maybe I should just go to the concert, just because I did all this and I have left a trail of destruction and, possibly, mistrust in order to un-do what I kind of think is a rash mistake.  On top of all that, I'm doing this so I can go watch Minnesota United, who I watched piss down their legs Saturday night to Austin, 4-1.  LAFC is in bad form right now, but they're in playoff position and the Loons are not.  Another ass-kicking could be in the cards, and I decided to put this poor dude through a bunch of crap so I could witness a bunch of crap?

This is like a Seinfeld episode from hell.  Miss Manners, what should I do?

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