Barhoppers get wait times with LineScout

Waiting in long lines can be an irritating, time-consuming thing to do when bar-hopping. LineScout.net is looking to change that.

According to the company’s Web site, LineScout is a text message-based service for bar patrons to identify the potential line length at eight East Lansing bars.

The service operates 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and is relatively easy to use.

A bar patron looking for line information sends a text message to the number 41411 with the message “LineScout.” Approximately 30 seconds later, the user will receive a text listing the names of eight bars and the number of people in each line.

The going rate for each text message is determined by the user’s wireless plan.

Since the initial launch on March 17, 2009, the Web site claims LineScout has received 3,000-plus requests from 600 individuals.

Medical technology junior Melissa David said her roommates are avid users of the service.

“We live five blocks from Rick’s and we can get there pretty quick and know if there is a line or not,” David said.

David, who also works at Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., said although she doesn’t use LineScout, she has seen customers make use of the service.

“I’ve seen cards (for LineScout) all over and people pick them up,” she said. “They seem to dig it.”

While employees from area bars such as The Riviera Cafe Restaurant and Lounge, 231 M.A.C. Ave., P.T. O’Malley’s, 210 Abbot Road, and Rick’s American Café, 224 Abbot Road, indicated they had heard of the service, none of them participated in its use.

MSU psychology and anthropology senior and Woody’s Oasis Bar & Grill, 211 E. Grand River Ave., employee Ben Brown said he hasn’t seen many reasons to use LineScout.

“I’ve been here about a year and we’ve had lines probably about three nights,” Brown said. “I could see us using it to check up on a bar crawl or as reference for customers, potentially.”

Finance senior John Grobbel said LineScout wasn’t always accurate.

“All I know is that people were coming up to our line and saying they had texted LineScout and it was off by 10 or 15 minutes,” Grobbel said. Grobbel works at The Landshark, 101 E. Grand River Ave. “They missed the break … and could have gotten here on time without having to wait in line, but LineScout kind of screwed them over.”

Former LineScout promoter and Lansing Community College student Carlie Robertson explained the potential delay as a result of information updates.

“It’s all through computers like (kgb.com),” Robertson said. “But people update it every 10 minutes.”