Almost Winning a New Car
I almost won a car from a contest recently. Almost.
This story begins back on 29 June. It had been 8 weeks since I last donated blood, and I was once again eligible to donate. Because the donation centers are more spacious and typically less crowded than the mobile drives, I usually just go to the center on the day that I become eligible. Sure, I miss out on promotions, but I still get points and the occasional t-shirt. Besides, it’s not about getting rewarded; it’s about saving lives </sarcasm>.
I pull up at the donation center and see a Hot 98.1 van and tent set up in the parking lot. Huh, what do we have here? Curiosity got the better of me, and I step up to the table under the tent and inquire about what’s going on. It turns out they’re entering people to win a brand new 2018 Honda Civic. That’s neat, but I’d never win it. They were also giving out free swag to anyone who entered, so I figured it was an easy way to get a free coffee mug.
Per the details of the contest, 198 people would be selected out of all entrants to receive a key during the event finale. One of these keys would win the vehicle. To me, it sounded like a mean way to give false hope to about 200 people, but I suppose it made sense from the perspective of the radio station. It allowed them to build up a lot of people for a single event, and get attention and advertising to bring in new listeners. It would be my luck, I figured, that I would probably win a key and waste my time driving out to the event, but not win the car. Alas, I took my coffee mug and went on with my blood donation.
After entering the contest, I basically forgot about it. I knew I wouldn’t win a car. I didn’t think I would even get a key. That is, until I got a call from a representative at the Hot 98.1 studio. The nice lady informed me that I was one of the 198 people to win a key, and that I was invited to the event at which the car would be given away. Of course I was. Because it only made sense that I would have to waste my time and fuel on a Saturday to drive out to Haywood Mall and participate in an event with a bunch of people, for something that I wasn’t going to win anyway.
I had to go. If I didn’t, there was obviously zero chance that I would win. If I went, I at least had a roughly 1 in 200 chance to get the car. And admittedly, we could really, really use a new vehicle. We have two vehicles, both 2007 models, and both with a slew of problems. If I did, by some miracle, manage to win the car… We wouldn’t keep it. No, instead, we would trade it in, along with both of our current vehicles, and get two newer vehicles that would last us a good while. One van, one sedan, that didn’t have all the problems that our Dodge Caravan and Chevy Cobalt have.
So we went. On a Saturday that I could have otherwise spent in the comfort of my home, avoiding people, we went to a busy mall. We arrived just in time to check in, before being informed that we would have to wait another hour before the drawing began. Whatever, we were already there, may as well let the kids play around for a little while. As the start time of noon approached, we returned to the area where the drawing would be held.
The host announced that they would call out names at random for people to come up and draw their key for a chance to win the car. They drew in groups of 5 at a time. The next person would draw a key with a number on it out of a bag. They would then take this key to the DJ, who would enter the number into the sound system. After entering the number, the sound system would produce an audio clip that would indicate whether or not they won the car. If they didn’t win the car, the contestant could spin the prize wheel for a participation prize.
If this process sounds quick and streamlined, it was not. For each contestant, the hosts would offer quite a bit of dialog about where they were from or what their profession was. And it felt like each round took an eternity. I knew I wouldn’t win, so I mostly just wanted them to call my name so that I could take my participation prize and leave. Each round in which my name wasn’t called and nobody won the car, my chances to win improved, but I simultaneously lost a few more minutes of my life around a crowd of people in which I didn’t want to be. Have I mentioned before that I hate people?
As more and more names were called, the crowd thinned to fewer and fewer people. Eventually, it decreased to perhaps 50 or fewer people. It was odd to see myself included in such a small group, one of which would certainly win the car. I was slightly excited, slightly nervous, and slightly doubtful. Again, I never expected that I would win the car, but what if?
Finally, the announcer called my name, roughly an hour after the event began. This was it. I would finally have my chance to win the car… or not. I stepped up to the stage, in line with the other 4 contestants. There were 2 ladies in front of me, and 2 more people behind me. The first lady stepped up onto the stage and approached the host. I didn’t want to look like an idiot, win or lose, so I tried to compose myself.
As the DJ entered the lady’s number, the sound that played was oddly unfamiliar. A series of air horn noises, followed by some phrase. “You’ve just won a new car” or something of the like. Oh, wait.
And like that, I was 2 people behind the person who won the car. I was in line, just feet away from the host. We discussed later whether or not the numbers entered even mattered. Or if the winner was determined by the order in which the numbers were entered. It made more sense, to make for a better event. How would it look if the very first contestant got lucky and won the car? Similarly, it would seem far too suspicious if every single number was called until the very last contestant won. However, if the majority of people come through, and take up more time and give more advertising to the station… well, that’s a win scenario for everyone.
I think it was more insulting to me that I was one of the group in which the winner was called. They couldn’t have called my name at the beginning to let me take my consolation prize and leave. Similarly, it couldn’t be that someone won the vehicle and I just went up afterwards to grab a shirt or something. No, I had to be right there, with her jumping for joy, while I just stand around like an idiot.
As the cameras rolled and the hosts congratulated her, the lady between the winner and I turned to me and asked, “do we still get our prizes?” Admittedly, I wondered the same thing. She asked the lady with the bag of keys, who informed us that we did indeed still get a prize. At least there was that. I wouldn’t leave the event empty handed.
I still maintain that I would rather have received a “yes, you won” or “no such luck” without the hullabaloo of a big event. By promising me a 1 in 198 shot, I’m obligated to go. And sure, I understand that it gives advertising to the radio station, but come on. I don’t even listen to the station. I signed up because I got a free coffee mug. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t win, and sure enough, I didn’t.
So take it from me. Next time there’s a contest to win something, don’t bother. Ok, sign up, but never get the false hope that you’ll win. Somebody will definitely win, but odds are, it won’t be you.
This story begins back on 29 June. It had been 8 weeks since I last donated blood, and I was once again eligible to donate. Because the donation centers are more spacious and typically less crowded than the mobile drives, I usually just go to the center on the day that I become eligible. Sure, I miss out on promotions, but I still get points and the occasional t-shirt. Besides, it’s not about getting rewarded; it’s about saving lives </sarcasm>.
I pull up at the donation center and see a Hot 98.1 van and tent set up in the parking lot. Huh, what do we have here? Curiosity got the better of me, and I step up to the table under the tent and inquire about what’s going on. It turns out they’re entering people to win a brand new 2018 Honda Civic. That’s neat, but I’d never win it. They were also giving out free swag to anyone who entered, so I figured it was an easy way to get a free coffee mug.
Per the details of the contest, 198 people would be selected out of all entrants to receive a key during the event finale. One of these keys would win the vehicle. To me, it sounded like a mean way to give false hope to about 200 people, but I suppose it made sense from the perspective of the radio station. It allowed them to build up a lot of people for a single event, and get attention and advertising to bring in new listeners. It would be my luck, I figured, that I would probably win a key and waste my time driving out to the event, but not win the car. Alas, I took my coffee mug and went on with my blood donation.
After entering the contest, I basically forgot about it. I knew I wouldn’t win a car. I didn’t think I would even get a key. That is, until I got a call from a representative at the Hot 98.1 studio. The nice lady informed me that I was one of the 198 people to win a key, and that I was invited to the event at which the car would be given away. Of course I was. Because it only made sense that I would have to waste my time and fuel on a Saturday to drive out to Haywood Mall and participate in an event with a bunch of people, for something that I wasn’t going to win anyway.
I had to go. If I didn’t, there was obviously zero chance that I would win. If I went, I at least had a roughly 1 in 200 chance to get the car. And admittedly, we could really, really use a new vehicle. We have two vehicles, both 2007 models, and both with a slew of problems. If I did, by some miracle, manage to win the car… We wouldn’t keep it. No, instead, we would trade it in, along with both of our current vehicles, and get two newer vehicles that would last us a good while. One van, one sedan, that didn’t have all the problems that our Dodge Caravan and Chevy Cobalt have.
So we went. On a Saturday that I could have otherwise spent in the comfort of my home, avoiding people, we went to a busy mall. We arrived just in time to check in, before being informed that we would have to wait another hour before the drawing began. Whatever, we were already there, may as well let the kids play around for a little while. As the start time of noon approached, we returned to the area where the drawing would be held.
The host announced that they would call out names at random for people to come up and draw their key for a chance to win the car. They drew in groups of 5 at a time. The next person would draw a key with a number on it out of a bag. They would then take this key to the DJ, who would enter the number into the sound system. After entering the number, the sound system would produce an audio clip that would indicate whether or not they won the car. If they didn’t win the car, the contestant could spin the prize wheel for a participation prize.
If this process sounds quick and streamlined, it was not. For each contestant, the hosts would offer quite a bit of dialog about where they were from or what their profession was. And it felt like each round took an eternity. I knew I wouldn’t win, so I mostly just wanted them to call my name so that I could take my participation prize and leave. Each round in which my name wasn’t called and nobody won the car, my chances to win improved, but I simultaneously lost a few more minutes of my life around a crowd of people in which I didn’t want to be. Have I mentioned before that I hate people?
As more and more names were called, the crowd thinned to fewer and fewer people. Eventually, it decreased to perhaps 50 or fewer people. It was odd to see myself included in such a small group, one of which would certainly win the car. I was slightly excited, slightly nervous, and slightly doubtful. Again, I never expected that I would win the car, but what if?
Finally, the announcer called my name, roughly an hour after the event began. This was it. I would finally have my chance to win the car… or not. I stepped up to the stage, in line with the other 4 contestants. There were 2 ladies in front of me, and 2 more people behind me. The first lady stepped up onto the stage and approached the host. I didn’t want to look like an idiot, win or lose, so I tried to compose myself.
As the DJ entered the lady’s number, the sound that played was oddly unfamiliar. A series of air horn noises, followed by some phrase. “You’ve just won a new car” or something of the like. Oh, wait.
And like that, I was 2 people behind the person who won the car. I was in line, just feet away from the host. We discussed later whether or not the numbers entered even mattered. Or if the winner was determined by the order in which the numbers were entered. It made more sense, to make for a better event. How would it look if the very first contestant got lucky and won the car? Similarly, it would seem far too suspicious if every single number was called until the very last contestant won. However, if the majority of people come through, and take up more time and give more advertising to the station… well, that’s a win scenario for everyone.
I think it was more insulting to me that I was one of the group in which the winner was called. They couldn’t have called my name at the beginning to let me take my consolation prize and leave. Similarly, it couldn’t be that someone won the vehicle and I just went up afterwards to grab a shirt or something. No, I had to be right there, with her jumping for joy, while I just stand around like an idiot.
As the cameras rolled and the hosts congratulated her, the lady between the winner and I turned to me and asked, “do we still get our prizes?” Admittedly, I wondered the same thing. She asked the lady with the bag of keys, who informed us that we did indeed still get a prize. At least there was that. I wouldn’t leave the event empty handed.
I still maintain that I would rather have received a “yes, you won” or “no such luck” without the hullabaloo of a big event. By promising me a 1 in 198 shot, I’m obligated to go. And sure, I understand that it gives advertising to the radio station, but come on. I don’t even listen to the station. I signed up because I got a free coffee mug. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t win, and sure enough, I didn’t.
So take it from me. Next time there’s a contest to win something, don’t bother. Ok, sign up, but never get the false hope that you’ll win. Somebody will definitely win, but odds are, it won’t be you.
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