FAN IN A RUSH TO SUE
Well, here’s a wacky story we couldn’t have made up.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Christopher Langone, a 42 year-old self-proclaimed “lifelong fan of Rush,” flew from Upstate New York to Chicago last week to see the band play an outdoor venue — only to find the show postponed due to rain. And since the ticket said “Rain or Shine,” Langone is claiming that the cancellation is a breach of contract, and has now filed a class-action lawsuit against Rush, suing them for the cost of his concert ticket, flight, and hotel. Langone admits that suing his favorite band “feels a little strange,” but since he can’t come back to Chicago for the still-to-be-announced make-up show, he thinks Rush should pick up his tab. (Like a gentlemen, he’s not trying to get the band to pay for the beers he bought for himself and buddies while they were pre-gaming.)
So, uh, what do we make of this story? Chris Harris at Gun Shy Assassin, where I first read about this incident, calls Langone a “schmuck” and posits that he was taking a risk by flying somewhere for a show, and that’s his own problem. And, generally, I’m inclined to agree; if the show had been cancelled because Geddy Lee was ill or something, Langone wouldn’t even have a theoretical case, because nowhere on the ticket does it say “Sick or Healthy.” And while I understand Langone’s point that it’s kind of bullshit-y that the band gets to determine whether or not to make people stand in the rain while they play, I also think that life is just kinda bullshit-y sometimes. Suck it up, man.
But whether you think Langone is right or not, I don’t think he has any case, and the suit will be thrown out of court in no time flat. Why? ‘Cause here’s the fine print on the back of your ticket:
“If the event is cancelled or rescheduled, no refund required if you’re given the right, within 12 months of date of event, to attend a rescheduled performance of same event, or to exchange ticket for a ticket, comparable to price and location, to similar event as designated by management, except as provided by law.”
Now that shit sounds like a binding contract.
-AR
