Whats the situation with people who pillage?

[Mr Ploppy]

The one problem I have at Glasto is on the Monday when I go around the site for one last time whilst waiting for the car parks to empty a bit.

There are alot of people going through tents (etc) looking for stuff.

That is fine for obvious abandoned gear, but I have caught people ready to go into our tents once or twice when returning from the loo or a walk.

Whats the score with all this? I know it sounds OTT but a simply sign up on the front of the tent to say 'OCCUPIED - LEAVE ALONE PLEASE' is the only thing I can think of to stop unwanted attention to tents and stuff in the tents which we have not abandoned and intend to pack up later.

What do you reckon?

MrPloppy

[r0cky]

This always scares me on the Monday morning. I would say, don't leave anything unattended.

I was lucky in 2005 and 2007 (was sleeping in someone else's tent Monday morning), didn't get back to mine until much later - fortunately all my stuff was still there. But last year, I was in Dragon, and saw loads of tatters stripping everything clean; didn't dare risk a trip to the toilet!

[mouth]

pack up or leave someone there just to be safe, i've been woken up by them before, very odd conversation, especially as i was wearing ear plugs

[The Dawg]

Absolutely no excuse for rifling through peoples tents. Positively rude, methinks.

[Laura_Babs]

I have never had that problem as we have always gone in quite a big group so there is basically always someone at the tent on Monday morning.

I reckon a sign would do the trick. I mean there isn't really an excuse if there is a sign up and so I would think the vast majority would leave well alone, otherwise they are just theifs and likely to steal the rest of the time too!

I would give it a go.

[scaryclaireyfairy]

i 'rescued' a tent in 07, but it was a neighbour's and i knew they'd gone home about 4 hours before. i'd not dream of touching someone's stuff they still wanted. it's horrible.

[Laura_Babs]

i 'rescued' a tent in 07, but it was a neighbour's and i knew they'd gone home about 4 hours before. i'd not dream of touching someone's stuff they still wanted. it's horrible.

[Homer]

If anyone's spotted my mrs I haven't seen her since 2005. I think she may have sunk!

[sueg]

If anyone's spotted my mrs I haven't seen her since 2005. I think she may have sunk!

[Mr Ploppy]

Gotta say folks, I do think this is a very important topic and am surprised that nearly 500 people have read it so far and only a handful have replied.

I know there is no 'solution' to the people that 'womble' but its the number 1 thing at Glasto that concerns me and it does affect everyone on site.

Yeah there are the absolute a-holes that slash tents etc - and that is extremely bad.

But the pilage people (and no, not the group with the cowboy and biker) who go through belongings on the Monday morning may well be left alone as someone witnessing them does not actually know if the tent is being used or has been left. It sorta gives them free reign you see.

Anyway, thats my thoughts on it, hopefully some tips would be handy to minimize peoples losses when they go for a Monday toilet trip and return to find somebody else packing their tent away.

[flibbitybob]

I would say that the vast majority of pillagers really don't see it as doing anything wrong, so for them, a sign would work, they would never take anything if they thought people were planning to come back for it. It seems some like people who wouldn't dream of stealing anything during the actual weekend just see stuff left after early monday morning as fair game...

I suppose what would work is getting to know your neighbours and then you can tell them when you're actually leaving, and they'd know whether people should be, but apart from that, I don't know really what could be done other than just staying with your stuff

[Mr Ploppy]

I would say that the vast majority of pillagers really don't see it as doing anything wrong, so for them, a sign would work, they would never take anything if they thought people were planning to come back for it. It seems some like people who wouldn't dream of stealing anything during the actual weekend just see stuff left after early monday morning as fair game...

I suppose what would work is getting to know your neighbours and then you can tell them when you're actually leaving, and they'd know whether people should be, but apart from that, I don't know really what could be done other than just staying with your stuff

[freehugs!]

i have no real experience of this. but id say your chances are better having your tent zipped up.

putting my mind into pillage mode id only investigate open tents, closed ones would strike me as still in use ( not that i am a pilliger, just a guess ).

community spirit, getting to know your neighbours and maybe asking them to keep an eye out if they are about might help as well, maybe telling them what time you plan to leave.

[mikeb]

Gotta say folks, I do think this is a very important topic and am surprised that nearly 500 people have read it so far and only a handful have replied.

Edited May 21, 2009 by mikeb

[Sushi]

I admit to being a womble last year.

I was a gloriously hot day and rather than sit in the car in a queue, my two kids and I (family camping) took our time and used the acres of space to pack at a leisurely pace. The kids went off and found lots of stuff that had been abandoned including -

A sack truck that needed a pin to hold the wheel on.

A broken brolley (whose spine I used to fashion said pin for trolley wheel = working sack truck).

A pink beach parasol to rest under.

Numerous folding chairs to rest on.

A huge box (30+) of kitkats.

A tin of vine leaves.

Boxes of kids drinks.

etc, etc......

my view is that as long as the tent is clearly abandoned, then this is a pure way of recycling.

I agree that the best way to stop anyone "recycling" is a sign to identify that the tent is still occupied.

Edited May 23, 2009 by Sushi

[se012g4947]

Lockups stay open until noon Monday

[jameshunt]

Ah, a thread about the Pillage People!

Whatever happened to them? They seem to have disappeared after YMCA.....

[staggerlee]

In Benicassim we stayed at the beach for the final night, when we came back to our tent everything had gone, clothes, passports, soundsystem, books, beers. It caused us a lot of trouble obviously so I would never leave my tent alone on the last day when people are rummaging.

[Laura_Babs]

In Benicassim we stayed at the beach for the final night, when we came back to our tent everything had gone, clothes, passports, soundsystem, books, beers. It caused us a lot of trouble obviously so I would never leave my tent alone on the last day when people are rummaging.

[staggerlee]

That sounds like pure thiefing though! They took your passports?! How awful Clearly you hadn't left if your passports were there. B******ds!

[chuckley]

its theft pure and simple.

u can tell when its an abandoned tent as ull only find the tent and rubbish inside. all the sleeping bag, e.t.c would be gone. taking stuff from tents whilst all the perosns stuff is in there is downright theft.

i wouldnt do it personally. its trampy.

[staggerlee]

its theft pure and simple.

u can tell when its an abandoned tent as ull only find the tent and rubbish inside. all the sleeping bag, e.t.c would be gone. taking stuff from tents whilst all the perosns stuff is in there is downright theft.

i wouldnt do it personally. its trampy.

[Chris12345]

Well, firstly, first rule of festivals... don't take anything you don't mind not coming home with (except for Passports and whatnot, but they should be lockered/carred)...

I think inside the tent would be fine... 99.9% of people scaving on Monday morning are genuinely just taking stuff they think has been abandoned... I scav all the time (as do my mates) and we wouldn't dream of touching a tent we knew someone hadn't left!

As for people thieving, not gonna stop them... but that goes on all weekend...

And besides, anything that gets left on site and doesn't get tatted goes straight into the compactor, so if someone somewhere has a use for it, why not take it?

Last year got a couple of crates of beer, lots of food, a few fags... sorted me for a good couple of days

Some guy I was with also got a really nice (like £200 nice) jacket!

[caramello]

Spent a coupla hours tatting last year and found loadsa beers etc and found a nice obviously abandoned crappy 2 man dome for my kids.....just packing it up when along comes stroppy bloke and girly giving me a hard time calling me a thief......but the tent was full of crap and surrounded by piles of ripped dirty sleeping bags and clothes, burnt plastic, minging junk food, etc....how did i know? Perhaps people should clear up their DISGUSTING mess and worry less about their shitty £19.99 Argos tent.....

[Josie's Cat]

There should be a system, whereby when your tent is abandoned, you stick a sticker on it or run up a flag or something - a signal that it's ok to scavenge it!

Some sort of secret festival code, a bit like the Navajo, letting fellow festie scavs know the score!