Dear Urban Diplomat: Can I scalp my friend’s courtside Raptors tickets?

Dear Urban Diplomat,

A family friend has Raptors season’s tickets and gives me a pair of courtside seats every now and then. I’ve been out of work for a while and could really use some extra cash. How big of a faux pas would it be to scalp the tickets? If he ever found out, I could pretend I wasn’t able to go and gave the seats to some friends.

—Vince Barter, Bloordale

If you’re inventing alibis before even doing the deed, you probably already know your scheme is sketchy. You wouldn’t post an Airbnb ad if a friend lent you a cottage for a weekend (I hope), and you shouldn’t try to monetize this act of largesse. Not to mention the fact that scalping is illegal and could land you with a fine of up to $5,000. Besides, it sounds like you could use a night of courtside entertainment to distract you from your fiscal woes. Instead of selling the tickets, why not offer the second one to a pal in exchange for a steady flow of free beer and hot dogs?

Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com