Shoppers who are tired of waiting in long lines to enter the Berkeley Bowl now have another option. The iGiveUp app allows real-time auctions for places in line. Competition for top positions is getting fierce, with bids for the front position coming in close to $100 on mid-morning, mid-week, ordinarily a less busy time at the Bowl. Some bidders sweeten their offers with intangibles, such as pledged contributions to local, organic non-profits.
A surge pricing model kicks in during rainstorms, extreme heat, and on weekends. The developer of iGiveUp is Hon E. Badger. “Waiting on line is a huge time sink so I figured it was time to monetize the experience. Also I love watching Berkeleyans embrace capitalism and their privilege with reckless abandon. There’s not a lot of compassion on display.”
The market for spots at the market is beginning to see another twist. Teams of market traders are “slow banning” the line. These opportunists deploy agents who enter the store and remain for hours. This artificially constrains the pace of the line, driving up the auction prices for better positions. Other teams are ratcheting up the pressure by engaging terrible accordion players and hawkers of time shares along the line in order to incentivize people to buy their way out.
Asked why not just use Instacart, residents on line were indignant. “I’m not going to support a big tech company,” insisted one. “Also I need to fondle the fruit before I buy it. Now excuse me because I need to increase my bid so I can get over to the anti-5G rally. I need more tin foil for my hat.”