Getting Over On Ski Areas

[snoseek]

Dude you need to move back east. You just lost all the respect I had for you.

I'll drink pretty much any beer. If I only had 12 dollars to spend I would choose 30 stones over 12 micros anyday. Money in my wallet=good beer. Shipyard export was my soul-mate beer

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Theft of services is one thing, like poaching rides on the lift with no ticket. Bringing you're own food and bevvys is a rejection of services, not theft. Take Jhole, for example, you can go drop money at the Mangy Moose or you can go downstairs to the general store, buy PBR pounders cheap, and drink outside. I liken it to ridiculous prices for a candy bar at the movie theatres. My wife and I always hit the dollar store for some candy and bring it in. We even bring our own microwaved popcorn occasionally. As long as folks keep taking it in the azz, they'll keep charging insane prices. Demand destruction works.

 

[Geoff]

When I took a ski area management class in college, one of the classes had an industry forum with several mountain managers / marketers from VT ski areas. They estimated that somewhere between 5-10% of their customers were using the facilities without paying, whether it be fake passes or just trying to hop on lifts in hopes of not being caught. It's no wonder the investment has been made into scanning technology.

I wonder what the black market is like for fake passes these days. When I was at UVM, every year someone seemed to get busted making them. I imagine it's near impossible now with the scanning technology.

Actually, it's really easy to clone a season pass. The ones that scan with a bar code are trivial. You scan an existing season pass and photshop in a new picture. The embedded RFID passes require more equipment since you have to reprogram the transponder embedded in the fake pass to clone the original pass. That will defeat a college dorm room hacker but won't stop somebody who has access to all the RFID chip development gear.

Basically, anything can be hacked. Some things are far more difficult than others.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I think I missed these threads. Can you point me to one?

There have been plenty of posts on people getting on lifts without buying a ticket. So know I have to spend time looking them up so I don't look like a liar?:roll:

I don't know. I think people who think it's OK to cheat ski areas probably also cheat other businesses...Don't see why you think it's limited to skiing.

I don't, but follow my line of thinking-

I have heard people say they've snuck on lifts. However, if I asked them to come with me to the ski shop and we'd steal some $70 goggles or go out to dinner and we'd skip out on the check they'd look at me like I was a low life.

They think of themselves as honest people, they just don't equate stealing services from a ski area with stealing things. It's a mind set.

BTW-it's not alot of people, and it's not like they do it all the time, I'm just saying when done it's stealing and the people who do it often don't see themselves as thiefs.

 

[BeanoNYC]

And what some (like Andy) might complain about as invasion of privacy, loss of rights, etc. has become necessary to keep costs down for the rest of us who do pay to use the services provided by the ski areas (as well as keep their costs down). Running lifts, maintaining trails, making snow - all of it costs money. And every time someone uses those trails without paying, the bottom line increases for all of us. Not fair. They can scan my ticket all day, every day if it will keep costs down.

:flame:

Apples and Oranges. When I buy a ski ticket, I am agreeing as a condition to use the mountain to being scanned at the lift. With the exception of BJ's or Costco, I am not agreeing to show my receipt to a security guard upon leaving. There is no law that implies that I have to, therefore I don't.

Back on topic: I never snuck onto a lift and don't intend on doing so.

 

[Eski]

... When it costs 6 dollars for a 16once draft of coors light i feel the hill is stealing from me. I agree they need to make money, in my case over here the problem could be solved if they dropped the price a few bucks and put a few more or at least quicker bar tenders on the line. I have left many times because I can not get a beer. I am known to down 6 beers in an hour after skiing. Thats 36 bucks before tip. That is not my idea of a fair deal.

the price of brew in a lodge sours the pleasure in my cup ... was happy to enjoy a few bottles off-mountain last night for 3 bucks a pop
may I suggest a Frequent Drinkers Discount Card for a better lodge experience :flag:

 

[BeanoNYC]

the price of brew in a lodge sours the pleasure in my cup ... was happy to enjoy a few bottles off-mountain last night for 3 bucks a pop
may I suggest a Frequent Drinkers Discount Card for a better lodge experience :flag:

Those jerks never buy back at the lodge.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The bringing beer into the lodge thread got me thinking. It strikes me that some people feel it’s ok to do unethical things to ski areas that they would never consider doing to other businesses.

We have had a number of threads where people state that they sneak on to lifts without paying. They even have described the best way to do it at different ski areas. They have also fervently defined the practice and see nothing wrong with it. I don’t think these same people would shop lift or walk out of a restaurant without paying.

Theft of services is stealing, those that do it can sugarcoat it anyway they want, but it’s stealing.

BTW-I’m not equating sneaking a beer into a lodge/bar with getting on a lift without paying. So if you want to try and beat me down for what I wrote do it for stealing lift services.

I agree..most skiers/riders seem to be at least middle class..if not more affluent but they can be hella cheap. As for theft of services..I've never snuck onto a lift with no ticket but I've skied on a morning ticket an extra hour or two...and sold my ticket to someone in the parking lot when I've bailed out at Noon. It's funny though..people sneak food into the movies..people sneak food into amusement parks..people sneak food onto planes...but with some sports like Golf..nobody brown bags it in the clubhouse after the round.

The amount of skis and poles that get stolen is insane as well..I wish more ski areas had complimentary ski checks..since even a cable lock can be cut in a matter of seconds..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Those jerks never buy back at the lodge.

You can't expect bartenders to buy you a round unless you're a regularly at some neighborhood bar..to some bar owners..it's considered stealing. Just be happy you can get a seat at the bar and get served within a few minutes..Ski hill bars always seem to be understaffed..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

When it costs 6 dollars for a 16once draft of coors light i feel the hill is stealing from me. .

Where is it 6 bucks for a Coors light draft? I equate food and drink at ski areas the same way as at a sporting event or amusement park. The resorts have a captive audience and only operate a small percentage of the year so they can charge what they want. I would rather drink a 6 dollar beer at the ski area than a 3 dollar beer at the neighborhood bar anyday..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The biggest problem with all this is that you're drinking Coors Light.

times 2...

 

[Greg]

There have been plenty of posts on people getting on lifts without buying a ticket. So know I have to spend time looking them up so I don't look like a liar?:roll:

Easy there gramps. We don't want you to throw out a hip or anything. I just didn't think that this came up all that much aside from that thread 2knees linked to. Nobody's calling you a liar. :???:

 

[ALLSKIING]

The biggest problem with all this is that you're drinking Coors Light.

Hey, I like coors light. I know some say it tastes like water but for some reason, I like it.:-?

 

[BeanoNYC]

Hey, I like coors light. I know some say it tastes like water but for some reason, I like it.:-?

Probably because you like water with a hint of piss.

 

[Greg]

Hey, I like coors light. I know some say it tastes like water but for some reason, I like it.:-?

I think Miller Lite out of the top three shwag light beers is the one with the least taste. Easy to pound those. Bud Light is fine, but Coors Light has a weird nutty flavor to me that I honestly don't like. But let's be honest, they all sorta suck. :lol:

 

[ALLSKIING]

Probably because you like water with a hint of piss.

What did you do that I don't know about?:-o

 

[snoseek]

coors light, keystone light (i suspect most of them)=4.2%

regular beer=5%

I'm not too crazy about downing weak beer-seems like a waste.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Hey, I like coors light. I know some say it tastes like water but for some reason, I like it.:-?

light beers are like sex in a canoe...fking close to water

 

[snoseek]

What about all that great local Vermont beer at your home ski area? Nothing like a icy cold Long Trail and some free wings at Casey's or The Lookout.

Yeah, long trail makes a damn fine beer. I wish more micros were put in cans for easy transport. I just picked up a twelve pack of fat tire in 12 oz cans.

 

[Vortex]

I pay for my ticket and I buy a beer at the bar. I will have a lift larger or one in the lot if that is what is going on. I don't bring a beer into a lodge or do things along that line. I feel like I'm short changing myself. Resorts need to make money so I can play, If I don't have money sit at the bar I don't go. If I can't buy a ticket I don't go. More than a couple of times last year others wanted to venture to other mountains. I said no just can't spend the money.