Getting Over On Ski Areas

[snoseek]

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I always make a point to buy a couple of beers at the bar early and late season to support the cause. I may even pick up some wax or something in the shop if they have a sale.

 

[bvibert]

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.

Yes, it's easy to duplicate a bar-code, but that doesn't mean it'll necessarily be useful. The systems that I know about won't accept the same bar code again within a certain amount of time (usually the average time it takes to get up the lift and come back down), so if you duplicate your buddies pass and you both try to ski at the same time then one of you won't be able to get up the lift (if the scanners are doing their job correctly). Is it fool proof, no, but it does make things that much harder for the thieves.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

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.

Bob always seems to be on the right side of every issue IMNHO. Just sayin.

 

[Greg]

Bob always seems to be on the right side of every issue IMNHO. Just sayin.

Bob's about as mellow as they come. Good guy and there are no surprises. I appreciate that.

 

[Vortex]

I pick my battles carefully. Free time should be fun. Nice words. Cool.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Bob's about as mellow as they come. Good guy and there are no surprises. I appreciate that.

Not too many people here that I would spend a weekend camping at a music festival with. It was good clean fun the whole time.

 

[campgottagopee]

I have been on lifts before and not paid but circumstances were diff than what HPD described. To sneak on lifts to ski/ride that mountains terrain, IMHO, isn't cool and I've never done that nor would I. Moons ago at Smuggs we'd catch a freebie ride to hit Hellsbrook and other ob stuff, but we all knew each other and rides were recipricated from both mnts.

 

[dmc]

Not too many people here that I would spend a weekend camping at a music festival with. It was good clean fun the whole time.

Yes - we made baskets and quilts...

 

[campgottagopee]

Yes - we made baskets and quilts...

hemp??

 

[deadheadskier]

Where is it 6 bucks for a Coors light draft? ..

It's $7.50 at Fenway Park

 

[BeanoNYC]

Yes - we made baskets and quilts...

Don't forget the needlepointing. Bob cooks a hell of a quiche too.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Bob cooks a hell of a quiche too.

real men aren't afraid to eat quiche.

 

[vcunning]

Don't forget the needlepointing. Bob cooks a hell of a quiche too.

Is this Bob?

 

[AdironRider]

I havent read this whole thread, but I think that people think its ok to steal from a ski area because the lifts are going to turn no matter what. The people making an argument that the ski area loses money everytime someone sneaks on the lift is flawed. All the costs of running a ski area are sunk costs, the ski area pays them regardless. Sneaking onto the lift does nothing to alter these costs. Ethically its not so sweet I guess, but to say that everyone sneaking on the lift is raising our lift ticket prices in a literal sense is wrong. Ski areas are always going to assume that people are stealing their goods no matter what and that assumption is built into the price we already pay for a lift ticket. This aspect will never change. Scanning tickets is just a cost/benefit type thing. "Oh we invest x dollars on these scanners, and save y dollars in prevented theft". Ill tell you what, they arent passing those savings onto the customer thats for sure.....

Unlike at a restaurant or at a store where if you were to steal, youd be directly hurting the bottom line by stealing an item or food....

 

[Philpug]

Interesting topic. This does transfer to almost every industry.

What about when a ski area charges full price and they have lifts and lodges closed?

 

[severine]

Theft is built into every business's budget - but that doesn't make it right.

And the lifts don't necessarily run anyway. Depending on skier volume, our local ski hill will shut down a lift or two if it isn't busy. It could be argued that skier volume is increased by those stealing services, and would have an immediate impact on expense versus being able to save money and shut down a lift if it's not "needed".

 

[severine]

Interesting topic. This does transfer to almost every industry.

What about when a ski area charges full price and they have lifts and lodges closed?

Buyer beware.

Skier should have checked the ski report before going?

 

[scootertig]

I havent read this whole thread, but I think that people think its ok to steal from a ski area because the lifts are going to turn no matter what. The people making an argument that the ski area loses money everytime someone sneaks on the lift is flawed. All the costs of running a ski area are sunk costs, the ski area pays them regardless. Sneaking onto the lift does nothing to alter these costs. Ethically its not so sweet I guess, but to say that everyone sneaking on the lift is raising our lift ticket prices in a literal sense is wrong.

This is where one of the closest comparisons would be the theft of cable service. It doesn't cost the cable company any more when another person splices into their network (until recently, there wasn't even a sure-fire way for them to tell). It's illegal because it has to be to protect the business interests of the service provider, even though it doesn't directly cost them anything. Of course, one everyone is "stealing" the service and nobody's paying for it, things break down pretty fast.

Is it technically illegal to ski down without a pass at most places? Or just to ride up?


aaron

 

[Philpug]

Buyer beware.

Skier should have checked the ski report before going?

I am not disagreeing with you, but what about when you make plans days a head of time?

Another reason I won't go back to Kton.

 

[Trekchick]

Interesting topic. This does transfer to almost every industry.

What about when a ski area charges full price and they have lifts and lodges closed?

The ski area that vg and I go to most has been developing in a huge way. Building condos and spas. They are closing two areas of the lodge that are typically used by customers like me, and her, so that we don't bother the House guests, since they've expanded.

WTF? First of all, we're not a rowdy crowd, and second, How is the occasional house guest more important than someone like me who skis there day after day, year after year?