Current Account of Corporate Terrorism

Yesterday I was at Universal Studios in Orlando. While I was there, just outside the park entrance, I sold a pair of comp passes to a couple from NJ. The selling price was obviously below the gate price. Immediately upon the couple entering the park, a young, muscular black man came rushing up to me, shoved a badge in my face and identified himself as "Universal Security". He blocked my exit and then forced me to enter the park. Once in the park, I was surrounded by at least two other security agents and then the black agent demanded that I give him MY MONEY that I had received for the tickets. With little choice, I gave him the money. Then he and another man "escorted" me to a stark small room where I was told to empty my pockets on the table and sit down. The first thing I asked when I walked into the room is "Am I under arrest"? The answer was an emphatic "NO". This is important because at that point I had no legal rights! I was being confined and held captive by intimidation. The only things the agents were interested in on the table were MY MONEY and my Universal Power Pass.

Then the other agent shoved a piece of paper in front of me and told me to fill it out. He then reiterated the intimidating threat that "If you cooperate with us, we will let you go." Sort of sounds like kidnappers doesn't it? Anyway that implied threat was repeated at least a half a dozen times while I was there. I filled out the sheet; name, address, and physical description. I refused to give them my social security number or driver's license number. They did nothing about that. And they never asked me where my car keys were since I truly did forget to put them on the table. Which to me, said everything was a threat to get me to give them information.

They asked me for a photo ID which I did not have on me, but I pointed out that my
Power Pass had my name on it. They then said that I would have to wait until they checked my information.

A few minutes later, the second man came back with a copy of the sheet I had filled out slid in front of me and said that I was trespassing and they were giving me a warning. Listed as the reason for trespassing was TICKET SCALPING, but I didn't notice this until one agent escorted out to the large entrance to the park and told me to leave. As the agent left, I started to read the "TRESPASS WARNING" I had been given. Two things struck me, first I couldn't read the scribled signature on the document and two, at no time did either agent identify themselves by name. They security agents had no visible name tags and the badge they briefly waved in front of me would have taken several minutes at close range to decipher any useful information. And of course, had I done that, I probably would not have been cooperating. Remember, I was a kidnap victim who only wanted to be released and now that I was free from the confinement, I started thinking about what had taken place.

Since the warning clearly stated that if I RETURNED ONTO SAID PROPERTY, I would be in violation of the trespass warning. Therefore, I decided I should get some information now, before I left. I had a greeter, summon the security agent. When he came out, he immediately started threatening me with arrest for trespassing and started escorting out of the area. He then started talking on a communication device loudly about getting a warrant. As we walked toward the parking lot, I asked him about the charge of "TICKET SCALPING", since 1) I was aware the at least some ticket scalping was legal in Florida and 2) I had sold the tickets below their value. He replied that the "face value" of the tickets I sold was zero (0) and therefore any price greater than $1.00 was scalping. He then reiterated the arrest threat like he knew I was getting into a grey area. I thought how convenient for Universal to define the face value that way. I knew the IRS doesn't consider those tickets to have a zero face value, but I didn't want to go any further until I was off the property.

As I was driving down I4, I called Universal and asked for security. I asked the unidentified security agent on the phone about ticket scalping. He then read me a couple of lines from a Florida statute he identified as #817.36. I asked him to repeat the statute number and wrote it down. He then said "we do this all the time"(threaten people selling tickets) as if in his mind, repeatedly doing something makes it legal. He then went on to say that they patrol "the whole I-92 corridor" which means they use the same tactics off of their property.

The legal points as I see it and hope to find out if attorney's see it the same way are as follows:
I haven't cheked Floridea law #817.36, but as it was read to me, it appears the amusement parks got themselves exempted from the law which allows scalping in Florida. I stll need to check that point. If that is true, then Universal's whole basis for intimidating ticket sellers is based on "FACE VALUE". Now when I get the tickets, I have to sign a release form which states that the distributing company considers them to have a significant face value and the IRS demands that you report the cash face value of the tickets as INCOME and that the IRS considers the "FACE VALUE" to be the Universal gate price at the time of receiving the tickets. Obviously there are at least two different definitions of "FACE VALUE". Perhaps even more interesting is that when Universal uses the ticket giveaways for promotion, they get significant monetary breaks in advertising costs. If the tickets didn't have any cash face value, Universal would have to promote the parks at FULL ADVERTISING COSTS. From my connections to people in the broadcasting business, significant value is given to the tickets. The courts should decide what the face value really is and not let Universal define face value one way one time and another was another time.

More importantly, if the courts ruled that the tickets do have a face value, that would mean that Universal's Security would be legally guilty of "strong-armed robbery" and potentially kidnapping. There actions were very much like a mugging and I know because three men lead by a large black man tried to mug me on the streets of Orlando on night. But the actual mugging was less intimidating because 1) I could fight back, which I did and 2) I felt that eventually someone would come by and help me in some form. In fact, that is exactly what happened. And interestingly, the only thing the non-Universal employed muggers said was: "We want your MONEY". In relating the two mugging incidences, the Universal "mugging" was much more threatening and intimidating.

This is the same Universal that about in 2001, sold me and others a "2 year/2park" pass and then took all documents which stated it was a "2 yr" pass. After one year had expired, they economy was down(remember 9/11?), and the "2 yr" pass was suddenly no good and Universal denied ever having such a promotion. May as well screw your customers for a few bucks.

Unfortunately, Universal knows that most people selling tickets don't have the resource to pursue legal action against them. Since they "do this all the time", there should be ground for a good class action lawsuit. But remember, corporations screw people and break laws all the time because they know that the american injustice system protects them, the wealthy and powerful. Thank someone for the internet, it is the last bastion of freedom in America.

I published this because it fits in with the overall theme of this blog. That is, government and corporations run over people in the name of money and in most cases they keep it hidden from the general public. The current economic and financial crises has placed these heinous actions in front of the public. And a lot of people are pissed at the american corporate/government(ie. fascist) system.

PS - I am banned for life from Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, City Walk, Parking structures, Resort Hotels, Wet 'n Wild and all of "Universal Orlando" whatever that is. Maybe they think they own Orlando?