Google "craigslist half dome permits" (without the quotes). Plenty for sale $30-$50. Then read this post from Yosemitenewws.info.
Looks like some sharp hacker figured out how to get his computer to fill out the permit application forms and submit the requests automatically. A little programming could probably sew up half the permits in the first 30 seconds.
I'll repeat this: I think an on-line lottery is in order.
How does the system work. Are they selling permits or a "show to pickup" voucher. I would think it would be tough to show up and pickup that many permits in person.
Secondary: Have they implemented a program for the "no-shows" yet?
Still hoping to get a chance to go later this year.
Looks like some sharp hacker figured out how to get his computer to fill out the permit application forms and submit the requests automatically. A little programming could probably sew up half the permits in the first 30 seconds.
Either that or the tickets are counterfeited. A business partner recently bought some tickets for a concert event in So Cal. The tickets looked entirely legit to the naked eye--the right kind of card stock, the perforated stubs ready to be torn off at the door, crisp printing, but they were counterfeits. The person at the door who turned the tickets away said this is becoming a very frequent occurrence.
Google "craigslist half dome permits" (without the quotes). Plenty for sale $30-$50. Then read this post from Yosemitenewws.info.
Looks like some sharp hacker figured out how to get his computer to fill out the permit application forms and submit the requests automatically. A little programming could probably sew up half the permits in the first 30 seconds.
I'll repeat this: I think an on-line lottery is in order.
Yep, I called it first! It is all over the news now: First and foremost: our YosemiteNews.Info forum is playing Whack-a-mole on Craigslist, flagging posts on Craigslist advertising permits: Merced Sun-Star: Web forum users fighting Yosemite ticket scalping
What is so D@##G frustrating was to watch the Yosemite person practically saying, "Oh darn shucks, it's too bad", and the news reporters saying Yosemite officials are trying to figure out if they can go after the scalpers, since the permits are declared Not Transferable. Actually he says, "It's... it's infuriating" (this is the KFSN Fresno video. See the clip at 1:50)
...Ummmm.... what part of Not Transferable says they can resell the permits??? I heard it was a felony to steal from the federal government.
Have they implemented a program for the "no-shows" yet?
The only "program" they have is the ability for the purchaser to cancel their permits at the website. Other than that the system leads to massive numbers of unused permits and, of course, scalping.
What kind of vanilla site is this where we have to censor such terribly profane words such as "Dang?":)
That is really funny, because I thought almost the exact same thing, especially since some other members can testify to the fact that I used censorship on a word that ended with "k" over the exact same topic on another forum!
The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
Yosemite National Park has altered their permit system due to the number of no-shows. Since the counts of hikers climbing the cables is far below the 400 permits per day they make available, they now make 50 more available at 7 AM they day before the hike on their on-line web site.
And unlike those reservable several months in advance, the name on the permit CANNOT BE CHANGED. That is a concrete response to the hacker/scalper who scoops up loads of them and then tries to sell them on CraigsList.
Updated July 26, 2011 Initial hiker counts for this season indicate that there are numerous no shows among Half Dome permit holders. In an effort to make up for these no shows, the National Park Service (NPS) will manually release additional Half Dome permits each day, at 7 am PDT on the day before the permit date. For instance, at 7 am on Friday, additional permits will become available online (recommended) and through the call center at Recreation.gov for use on Saturday. This will continue throughout the summer until further notice. These permits are taken in a matter of seconds, but it's worth continuing to check because some transactions are not completed, resulting in a few permits becoming available as late as 7:30. Additionally, some permits are canceled every day (and can be canceled and re-reserved until midnight the day before the hiking date).
NPS will initially release an additional 50 Half Dome permits each day and then adjust these numbers, either up or down, throughout the season based upon ongoing hiker counts.These additional permits will have $1.50 processing fee and be limited to purchases of four at a time. Unlike the earlier Half Dome permits, these are non transferable. To counter the illegal resale of Half Dome permits, the group leader, whose name is recorded at the time of transaction, must accompany his or her group on their Half Dome hike. Once the permit transaction is completed, the group leader's name cannot be changed.
The day-before-release method was chosen to counter both illegal resale of permits and speculative buying by the general public. While purchasing a permit the day before does not allow as much advance notice as many people may wish, it should put permits in the hands of hikers who will use them.
And by the way, the Yosemite News and Discussion forum is doing a good job of keeping the Craigslist scalper ads in check.
If you would like to help, click on this link Scalper & buyer ads to flag, scroll to the bottom, and click on the links provided to the Craigslist ads. Open the ad, and click the "prohibited" link in the upper right corner of the page.