My story dealing with several horrible entitled “railbirds” in GA at Wrigley 2

DirtyFrankAndBeans

First I wanna start by saying this was my 20-21st show with 6-7 GA shows so I’m no novice with the rail situation and what it takes to get on it.  I’ve never been fortunate enough to camp out with my kids and whatnot makes it hard but we’ve gotten there at 7am several times and been 3 rows back and been totally cool with never ever getting a rail chance.  This show we decided to wait until 2pm to line up for the simple reason of what happened,  we all know what happens when any lighting is close the evacuate the field and a clusterfuck ensues like I watched from seats in the first rainout show.  We were 6-7 rows back center stage before the evacuation so I gave up good seats too wasn’t like I showed up at 730 before it started but anyways...  I knew by watching the last clusterfuck that the people who got pushed into the grandstands had no shot at getting a good spot so hung out by the beer stand until they made us move and funneled everyone towards those tunnels where the lines stopped and suddenly we were 1-2 people from the end of line and we realized holy shit we’ve got a rail shot here so yes I’m going to take that if it’s given to me on a platter so on it went!  My wife and I ran (with everyone else who wasn’t on the rail before standing by me) and we made it YES!!!  Then out of know where this woman comes up phyically pushing me pack and spreads both her arms out as far she can saving spots for 2 more people who showed up 30 seconds later which seemed like an hour and then pushed us back and out again just being totally disrespectful and rude my wife was like wtf!  So I’m hot but then the dudes she was with were cool and they said they had been on rail to begin with they had this spot before they cleared.  So being the bigger person I backed off and said cool then if u were here and made it back (mostly) I’m cool and I APOLIGIZED and said let’s have a good show...  3 minutes later GA getting filled up I feel this person pushing on me again!!!  This time from the back into the rail!  It’s another woman claiming I’m now in her spot!!!  She had pissed off the whole crowd to get to this point and then she wouldn’t get off me to point my wife had ask her wtf she was doing and I finally said fuck this stupid shit and gave this woman my 2nd row spot so I could stand with my wife for fucksake.  Then this woman gets into with the other woman standing next to her to the point we’re security was called halfway thru show and they were taking shit to each other all night!  Then this happened can’t make this up I had the red shirt on with the picture of the spin magazine cover with eddies mouth tapped up stones side.  another fucking person arrives claiming I’m in his 3rd row spot with his 6’5” son!  This time I’d had enough and so had my cool neighbor buddy we start having words with this D Bag hes basically standing on top of me at this point and he’s running his mouth about how we weren’t here before and la la la and we said we’re don’t moving so there he stood!!!  The whole first set he’s failing back into me and holding his arm up for obsurd amounts of time trying to block my view just total fucking asshat!!!  Ruined the first set completely.  Then the encore break comes and he’s all trying to pull his son in front of us again to the point I thought I was gonna have to smack this dude then he finally says we’ll do you wanna trade me then and I can stand by my son!  (Which by the way what kind of example this dude sets is unreal) but I said yes of course I’ll trade you and then my wife and I actually got to enjoy the second half of the show!!   But where do we draw the lines on stuff like this?  Anyone who was at the first show knew there was slim to none chance to get back where u we’re just the way the cards fell!   Let’s be real here I’m betting 60-70% of people on the rails every night have been there before!  And if the First Lady I encountered had been there before it’s pisses me off more she acted like that.  I totally realize they wasted all day maybe the day before also to get there but they had to know the risk of evacuation with it happening before!!   I’d love some feedback on this issue if I’m in the wrong for even trying to get the rail should I have just sat back and waited for GA to fill up until I got my 6th row seats back?   Thanks all except the lady’s who bumped me back and the D-bag in red shirt with glasses and a 6’5” 16 year old son whom he’s a horrible role model too!!    

100 Pacer

You gotta scheme if you want an Ed tambourine. 

pjl44

Team All Reserved Seating 2019

DirtyFrankAndBeans

pjl44 said:

Team All Reserved Seating 2019

I’m with you!!  If I do ever go GA again we’re going to get there hour early and not mess with the madness!  The people were a lot cooler at our first spots too.  Although there were a few cool dudes scattered and D-bags son was actually cool somehow too (sorry bout ur pops man) shout out to them!  Plus the second lady that took my spot turned out to be cool too just not with her female neighbor

MayDay10

I see the same (several) people on rail at most/every show.  Its a sickness

PJ_Soul

OP, I think I've met those women, lol. I have totally seen this exact kind of behaviour even when there wasn't an evacuation situation to contend with. You call them railbirds, which I like, but I feel like rail rats would be a better term. They are just awful human beings. Chances are good these folks are also line listers, lol.

blackhawks

This rail sickness occurs with every band.  And one reason why reserved is the way I go now.  Not worth the trouble.

mikeliska

Rail people are the worst.  I love me some GA but prefer to stand around in the back where there's plenty of room.

PJ_Soul

Not quite sure why rail or reserved are being spoken of as though those are the only two options. 6 deep in GA is the sweet spot, and you can avoid these rail rats there.

DoDaFoo

People really don't understand what General Admission means. When it cleared? You lost your "spot".

HesCalledDyer

DoDaFoo said:

People really don't understand what General Admission means. When it cleared? You lost your "spot".

Yep.

PJ_Soul

I especially love the ones who actually think they also have a right to their own personal space in GA, lol, like if anyone even touches them from any direction, their GA space is violated. I've seen them spread their legs and put out their elbows just to maintain a safe space in the pit.
Maybe they need one of these. How do you all think this would go over in the pit?

JA288844

mikeliska said:

Rail people are the worst.  I love me some GA but prefer to stand around in the back where there's plenty of room.

I agree 100% but that doesn't exist at these stadium shows. Any sniff of room would be so off to the side you couldn't see a thing. I loved GA at the 2016 arena shows where you could chill in the back

tschav

Totally get the frustration. Was in line early for both days - about 30hrs in total between the two shows. Between the GA missteps by security on Saturday and the stampede after the storm on Monday, I ended up 20ft away or more from my ticket buddy both times (and in worse spots than my place in line probably would've gotten me).

It was frustrating for a lot of us in GA in one way or another - people being physical, verbally abusive, drunk, or seeing people closer that waited for much less time. Some of those issues aren't GA related, some are. That's the challenge/luck of the draw in GA. 

camsjam

PJ_Soul said:

Not quite sure why rail or reserved are being spoken of as though those are the only two options. 6 deep in GA is the sweet spot, and you can avoid these rail rats there.

My pick too! You can see the whole stage easily, you're still really close and people are usually less pushy. 

cp3iverson

Pretty ridiculous.  By reading your paragraph im not sure who would want to be near those beasts anyway.  Let them get close so those sickos can shout their Cubs references and other knowledgable references to their god all night. Let the entitled crazies have eachother.  

  I personally wouldnt have moved off the rail but i get that you were trying to be nice. 

hrd2imgn

pjl44 said:

Team All Reserved Seating 2019

wasn't any better, I was an aisle seat and all nigh long a parade of people coming and standing right in front of me with no regard since it was the aisle.

PJ_Soul

pjl44 said:

Team All Reserved Seating 2019

Green Disease Redux

Bring on the Springsteen lottery ga and end this insanity of people camping all day in beautiful cities like chicago

F Me In The Brain

You should be able to stay where you are.

Anyone who tries to tell you differently is being a cockhead.

That being stated...I would likely have moved back as well.  As much as I would hate it, enjoying the show is the most important thing.If some bag of entitled shit is going to do everything they can to fuck with you, it is not worth it.

I am on Team All Reserved Seating as well -- and not because I would not like GA, it is more to give the bird to people like the ones you describe. 

You cannot just take anything you want and then clap when Pearl Jam speaks about the causes that they speak about. 

BF89905

DoDaFoo said:

People really don't understand what General Admission means. When it cleared? You lost your "spot".

exactly