Radio Contest Ramblings

So, all this week I tried and tried to win a radio call-in contest on the local classic rock station (remind me another time to write about how we as a society need to get together and define the word "classic") by being the 25th caller. It was an exercise in extreme frustration. This was not the first time I tried to win tickets to this event. Two months ago I was part of a contest on Twitter in which 3 of the 11 people who entered won tickets (roughly 27%, which should be great odds). I was not one of the three. Later, I signed up for a Facebook account specifically to win tickets to this same event and I was one of only 12 people who got all the questions right. I still didn't win. Why I thought I would have a better chance in an open contest against hundreds of thousands of listeners is beyond my comprehension. [Editor's Note: It should be pointed out that the event I was attempting to win tickets for was not sold out. In fact, it still isn't. I could have, at any time in this little experiment, gone online, bought tickets and put myself out of my misery. But, it was the principle behind the whole thing.] Anyway, here are some thoughts I collected along the way:

-The very first time I tried to win the tickets I not only got through, but I was caller number 8. I feel like I got through too easily and this gave me a sense of false confidence. Since the last two times I tried to win I was against a low number of people, I assumed these tickets were not a high-demand item. I forgot a key thing I had learned when I worked in radio: people want anything that is free, they don't care what it is.

-The person who designed the phone system where it rings once or twice before changing to a busy signal needs to be kicked in the face. Same goes for whoever thought it would be a good idea to have a three second silent pause before the busy signal kicks in. Like I need to be teased like that.

-Still, the "rings, then goes to busy signal" is an upgrade to the phone call where it just rings and rings and rings and no one ever picks up, which happened to me three times. I can only assume when this happens it is because the DJ is busy collecting the winner's contact information and I'm caller number 26, but still, let me know for sure. To allow me to hang like that is just cruel.

-I had a shockingly low success rate for even getting through to the station. I tried calling 31 times and only got through on four attempts. Those four times I was caller number 8, 4, 14 and, worst of all, 24. Frankly, I think I would rather never get through than be that close and not win.

-You wouldn't believe how mad you get when you hear the DJ talk to the person who did win, because they never sound excited enough for your tastes. You just find yourself talking to the radio, "You don't deserve to win, Michael from Sudbury!"

-Still, at least Mike from Sudbury was kind of excited. One time the guy who called in had no idea what he won, where he was going or when the tickets were for. Apparently he just called for the hell of it and wound up winning. I officially hate that guy.

Now, I wish I could wrap this up with the fairytale ending that I won tickets on the final chance, but I didn't. I never even got through on the last day. This is why I don't buy scratch tickets.