Concert attendees at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta were left stranded when their cars were unexpectedly booted after attending a Chris Fleming comedy show. The incident occurred despite using Ticketmaster’s prepaid parking service.
Key Takeaways
- Dozens of concertgoers had their vehicles immobilized by Empire Parking Services (EPS) in late August after attending a Chris Fleming comedy show at the Buckhead Theatre.
- Ticketmaster’s prepaid parking service failed to transmit payment information correctly, leading EPS to boot cars despite valid receipts.
- An Atlanta police officer helped remove all boots without charge and refunded attendees through Ticketmaster.
Chris Fleming’s set included jokes about car booting, which ironically mirrored the real-life predicament faced by his audience. Attendees were stranded for approximately 90 minutes before EPS acknowledged their mistake but couldn’t fix it immediately due to a communication breakdown between LAZ Parking and Ticketmaster.
The incident highlights issues with third-party parking services like LAZ Parking, whose failure to relay payment information led to the inconvenience of concertgoers. Mark Mobley, one affected attendee, received his refund from Ticketmaster but questioned whether EPS might repeat such actions in future events.
While this event appears isolated, it raises concerns about reliability and customer service standards among parking providers at venues across the country. The comedy show’s timing—2:30 p.m.—and the venue’s proximity to a closed IHOP lot on Peachtree Road further complicated matters for attendees trying to leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Chris Fleming know about this before his show?
No, the comedian’s jokes were not related to any prior knowledge of an incident at Buckhead Theatre. The timing was purely coincidental.
How common are incidents like these during concerts and events?
Inconvenient parking issues aren’t uncommon but booting cars due to payment processing errors is rare, especially when attendees have prepaid through official channels like Ticketmaster.
This unfortunate event serves as a reminder for venues and third-party service providers to improve communication processes. It also underscores the importance of clear procedures in place for such incidents to avoid similar disruptions at future events.
