Sometimes, I just don’t know what gets inside of people’s heads. I see things that go on around me and just can’t help but saying, “What were they thinking?”

I have had a few instances of that lately. The first came when I went to see R.E.M. in concert. I’m not a huge collector of ticket stubs, but I do like to hang on to them so I can reminisce once in a while.

So after I got inside the venue, I started looking at my stub. A lot of times, the back gets you a chance to get something free or discounted, and I wanted to see what I could get for free this time. The result shocked me.

My ticket stub gave me the opportunity to get $200 on a new Volvo. Wow, just what I needed.

I had never seen anything like that in my life. Usually, you could get a free hamburger or a slice of pizza. I had never seen a car discount on a ticket stub.

Who looks at the back of a ticket stub and says, “Wow, $200 off? Now I can definitely afford that luxury vehicle!” I checked on Volvo’s web site, and their cheapest car is 23 grand, which is a lot less than I thought it might be.

The big bargain might not make the car itself affordable, but you can really get a deal on some extras. With $200, you can cover the cost of a rooftop bicycle holder ($113) and a mat for your trunk that keeps luggage from sliding around ($75).

If that doesn’t turn your head, you can get sport pedals ($75), front and rear mudflaps ($57), and a sunglass holder ($28). Or you can blow it all in one fell swoop and decorate the inside with sports textile maps, which run $156.

Of course, those prices don’t cover installation so you might need to dig into your own pocket to have some of those “free” items added to your new car.

These things only apply to a lower-priced model. If the $200 makes their $40,000 convertible fit into your price range better, you won’t have as many accessories choices for your discount. But you can get that ski bag you always wanted for $166 so you can pack up to two pairs of skis or two snowboards. That’s what concert ticket discounts should be for – making your ski trip more comfortable.

The irony in all of this is that this “big discount” offer came on the back of a ticket purchased through Ticketmaster. You think they would give you $200 off their infamous fees which give you sticker shock Volvo would envy when you just want to go see a concert.

Maybe I should be flattered, though. Maybe the Volvo discount means that R.E.M., Merriweather Post Pavilion and Ticketmaster think I have a lot more class (and money) than I do. Maybe they think I belong in a Volvo.

If that’s the case, they are going to have to do better. Or I need to contact everyone at the concert, collect their $200 off stub and try to use them all to pay for the car.