How closely do they check student IDs?
I am going to the game this weekend and currently don't have tickets and am thinking that I'll end up scalping student tickets. I have a student ID (thanks to some forward thinking, I got a new M-Card before graduating in 2005) that doesn't expire until 2010. Do they still just glance at them when you hand them your ticket or are they somehow scanning the M-card to ensure that you are actually a current student?
October 20th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^
They don't scan them or anything, I have used M-cards of the opposite sex before with no problem. Your chances improve closer to game time when all they are trying to do is herd people through the gates.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:07 PM ^
when i was a freshman, my non-M-student friend (chubby white dude) used my roommate's M-card (tall skinny black guy) to get a meal at markley. the scanner chick looked at the M-card, looked at my boy's face, and he says, "i got a haircut since then." she let him in. then we had sloppy joes.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:52 PM ^
Those sloppy joes were awesome.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:38 PM ^
Personally, I preferred sloppy jane from the third floor.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:20 PM ^
EXTRA SLOPPY!!
October 20th, 2009 at 9:38 PM ^
But Chicken Broccoli Bake owns those weak sloppy joes.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^
They basically just look at it to make sure you're either a boy or a girl. They don't scan it.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:52 PM ^
Yes, but do they look at the M-Card, as well?
October 20th, 2009 at 1:43 PM ^
They don't scan it, and they barely look at it. If it's yellowish and has a picture on it, you're going to get in. I have a selection of non-Michigan friends that have photoshopped a picture of themselves into a MCard scan and gotten in, using names such as "Mercedes Wafflemunch McTyrannosaur". If you have an ACTUAL MCard, you're good to go.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:55 PM ^
So THAT'S who stole my wallet.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:51 PM ^
used to be to go at gametime and find the line with the 80 year old guy taking tickets. They never even ask for a card.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^
just so I can hear the guy say
"it's an older code, sir, but it checks out. I was about to clear them."
October 20th, 2009 at 2:18 PM ^
Be sure to keep your distance, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance.
I'd recommend dressing casually.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:22 PM ^
I saw the smiley, and I thought I was at RCMB for a second...that was scary
October 20th, 2009 at 5:07 PM ^
If that doesn't work, you can always try holding up someones current card and say
"These aren't the cards you're looking for."
October 20th, 2009 at 10:17 PM ^
how sad is it that 90% of us know exactly what he is talking about
October 20th, 2009 at 1:58 PM ^
On WTKA they said that 1 person this weekend got in trouble for using someone else's student ID. I will let you deduce from that.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:23 PM ^
I'm guessing they decided to make an example of someone to try and scare others... besides, if ONE person got in trouble out of how many people actually do this sort of thing, from a statistical standpoint that bodes very well for those trying to pull it off.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:31 PM ^
That was my point.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:06 PM ^
Most of the people checking tickets could care less, they just want to make sure you have a ticket and some sort of plastic M card looking ID. Heck, some don't even ask for the ID.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:22 PM ^
As long as you pass the ocular pat down
October 20th, 2009 at 2:55 PM ^
One time I had a student ticket but no ID so I serenaded the ticket woman with "Runaway Train" and she evetually let me in.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:30 PM ^
Are you saying that they do an ocular assessment of the situation, garner that the ticket holder is not a security risk, and clear said ticket holder for passage?
October 20th, 2009 at 3:12 PM ^
Freshman year, for a couple games I was successful in throwing my Mcard through/over the fence to my non-Michigan friends with student tickets. We got cocky one day, let our guard down, and the result was a disaster.
Cops got involved, I lost my Mcard, my friend got ticketed and we ended up having to scalp general admission tickets after we got kicked out. Thank God it was the Western game and we spent about $10 total for two tickets that I am pretty sure were fake (this was before the scanner era).
October 20th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^
I knew a guy who borrowed a girl's student ID and the gatekeeper looked at the ID, looked up at the guy, looked back at the ID, and eventually said "you really should try harder next time. Enjoy the game," and let him in.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:43 PM ^
When we were undergrads and my wife forgot her ID, she got in by wrapping a yellow piece of paper over an old high school ID. They truly don't care at all.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:49 PM ^
I pretty much do this every game, I have a lot of non-student friends. Just hold out ur ID and ticket on top of each other in 2 different hands. When the ticket-taker grabs the ticket just hold ur ID behind you and let ur friend grab it. So you don't even need another Mcard.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
I've heard this strategy before but never seen it completed in real life. People always say "just pass it behind you, I've done it a million times" but when it comes to the big moment people either panic or fail miserably and disaster ensues.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:32 PM ^
I can truthfully say that I have done it and have never failed or panicked. I have gotten nervous but that is it.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:34 PM ^
I have seen it tried before and 90% of the time is epic fail. Those lines move so quick you have to have some nasty slight-of-hand and ice water in your veins to pull it off.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:48 PM ^
I always just get in with my ID and then toss it back across the gate to my friend waiting on the other side. Works every time.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:51 PM ^
Borrowed a friends ID for my 12 year old brother this weekend hehe. No problems at all.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:03 PM ^
They take the picture for your first military ID right after they shave your hair off, so practically every one of the same sex/race looks the same. So when you get to A-school, there is tons of "borrowing" someone's ID who isn't planning on going out. Most people don't check anything than the date of birth on a military ID. It was awesome.
Sorry this is not M football related.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:13 PM ^
I believe the rule is you have to have a student ID with your student ticket. Only the tickets are scanned. I'm not sure where it is written that you have to have *your* MCard, although I'm sure that is the intent.
To answer the original question, not very closely. But they're not overly concerned if one kid lets another kid use his ticket or MCard. I think they are more worried about people bringing in banned items, etc. I think the ticket scanning thing was an attempt to stop ticket counterfeiting.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:18 PM ^
... who is an UG elsewhere, tried to get in with her friend's m-card. only trouble was her friend was already inside, so they passed the m-card through the fence. with a cop looking right at them.
blerg.
so as soon as my daughter got in, the cop challenged them and ejected my daughter.
(she immediately purchased a non-student ticket for twenty bucks and went right back in. happy ending!)
October 20th, 2009 at 8:29 PM ^
Those validation prices are thievery.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:40 PM ^
My freshman year, I claimed I "lost" my MCard and paid $20 for a new one. Since then I have had two MCards, and have probably saved $300-400 off the prices of ticket validations. I have used my spare card for my brother (some facial resemblance) my girlfriend (lol - no facial resemblance. she doesnt look masculine) and a number of other friends as well. Best investment I have ever made.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:42 PM ^
For a couple weekends, I have had multiple friends come up for games. I made a photocopy of one of my MCards and taped it to the back of a credit card. I have gotten this to work with 100% success as well.