What's wrong with Glastonbury?

[Langdale Wolf]

I'm interested in why you don't think security could handle this?

[ivan]

I'm interested in why you don't think security could handle this?

[Buddhafish]

not sure about the rest, but they dont stop tent thieves

the coppers have never been a bother to me tho.

[paulo999]

I've got no problem with them either to be fair. It's only kids and idiots that generally get nicked for possession. I'd be a lot happier if they were keeping more of an eye on the occasional rogue security guard though. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

[brownnev]

. In fact, I think if the organisers said this years headliners are Bodger and Badger, Biggles Wartime Band and the Yeovil Town Band (acoustic set) I would still rather go to Glastonbury than any other festival

that quote alone tells what is wrong

[sifi]

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

[Langdale Wolf]

That's incredibly juvenile.

[PCP]

Roughly - 'who will watch those who watch?'

[sifi]

What does it mean?

[r0cky]

I'm just suggesting they are barely necessary at what is essentially the biggest peace festival in the world AND they should focus on 'keeping you safe' rather than busting people doing their own thing.

[pman]

The secrurity teams are a bit hit or miss, im sure there are many who do a good job & keep in the spirit of the festival. The problem is there are many who are meatheads that would be better suited or have just come straight off a door in a rough nightclub.

Most of our field were hounded out of our tents Monday morning @ 8am & told to leave. despite many peoples questioning why we had to they were just rude & didnt even consider that some might have just gone to bed or whatever their plans were.

There was also the thing last year when naked people were told to cover up as it was causing offence to others, i dont know the full story but if people are offended by a naked body then there is something the matter as we all have one.

Lots of miscellaneous stories about security confiscating illegals, yes they are illegal but as far as i am aware they have no right to confiscate & only the police can do this. Just preying on teenagers etc & consuming themselves or selling.

Never really heard much negative stuff regard the actual police. No I dont really want to have one around me if im spangled but that is only the fear factor & as far as i see as lon as you arent being a dick or shovelling coke up you near kids or whatever then they are v tolerant.

It is easy to confiscate drugs & stuff as they are usually easy to spot & getting tent theives are much harder as they usually dont look like anything other than normal punters.

I cant see with the fence & the ticketing procedures that there are really that many bad eggs around the place now.

If the stories regards some of the security are true then how are they allowed to work & why does the festival not do something about it?? Surely they can vet them or something.

I still believe that the mojority of the security can be done by oxfam & other similar volenteers.

TBH I would rather have more police.

[Kyelo]

In 20 years of attending I've never seen a copper in the act of catching a tent thief. I'm not saying they don't do it, but I've never seen it. They would much rather spend time confiscating weed off teenagers. It's safer and keeps their arrest targets up.

<ducks>

edit: spelling

[cejx]

The secrurity teams are a bit hit or miss, im sure there are many who do a good job & keep in the spirit of the festival. The problem is there are many who are meatheads that would be better suited or have just come straight off a door in a rough nightclub.

Most of our field were hounded out of our tents Monday morning @ 8am & told to leave. despite many peoples questioning why we had to they were just rude & didnt even consider that some might have just gone to bed or whatever their plans were.

There was also the thing last year when naked people were told to cover up as it was causing offence to others, i dont know the full story but if people are offended by a naked body then there is something the matter as we all have one.

Lots of miscellaneous stories about security confiscating illegals, yes they are illegal but as far as i am aware they have no right to confiscate & only the police can do this. Just preying on teenagers etc & consuming themselves or selling.

Never really heard much negative stuff regard the actual police. No I dont really want to have one around me if im spangled but that is only the fear factor & as far as i see as lon as you arent being a dick or shovelling coke up you near kids or whatever then they are v tolerant.

It is easy to confiscate drugs & stuff as they are usually easy to spot & getting tent theives are much harder as they usually dont look like anything other than normal punters.

I cant see with the fence & the ticketing procedures that there are really that many bad eggs around the place now.

If the stories regards some of the security are true then how are they allowed to work & why does the festival not do something about it?? Surely they can vet them or something.

I still believe that the mojority of the security can be done by oxfam & other similar volenteers.

TBH I would rather have more police.

[pman]

Playing devils advocado, it was the start of them kicking people off site - in line with the license. No one wants to go, but if we don't - f**ks up things for future years.

They do have the right - and if you don't hand it over, they have the right to kick you off site/turn you in to the rozzers.

The naked people thing is bloody ridiculous, but thats a result of the nannying over protecting society we live it. Quite frankly I couldn't care less, but in this current culture where every other person is perceived to be a sex maniac, for some reason nakedness is associated with sex - which it just ain't.

IO think a lot of the stories are just that - stories. MAny folk at G think they have free reign in for those lawless five days - an when realising they don't - and they still have to abide by rules, they get shirty - hence the wild tales! Not many seem to have had direct experience of shitty security, rather stories based on hearsay.

[ivan]

Yes they may well be stories that are exagerated, my point was the general attitude of a few of the security. The real police generally turn a blind eye in many cases I believe & are really only bothered about poeple being to open & dealing. If they relly wanted to they could enforce a site wide search on everybody. Would attending a music festival constitue just cause for suspicion of possetion of illegals?

My Brother has done intelligence stuff and turned out for the solstice at Stone Henge.

The main concern is to keep the peace , keep the traffic moving etc and ensure that things run

smoothly. You are correct they are not bothered about people having a splff etc they have other

things to concern them.

He once told me that people do not help themselves tho.

A bloke in a car was asked to put his seatbelt on whilst sat in traffic on the main.road He replied with a torrent of abuse . when the copper went to have a word , he smelt alcohol , and it turned out

he was a banned driver and was over the limit

[cejx]

What love about festivlas like GF & beautiful Days is the freedom. Once you are in you are in, no arenas, no daily searches for food, beer etc so they can grab every last penny from your pockets once you are in. As far as I can see if you go & enjoy your self, maybe partake in something which is yes I know illegal(albeit outdated laws that create more problems than they prevent).

[pman]

He once told me that people do not help themselves tho.

A bloke in a car was asked to put his seatbelt on whilst sat in traffic on the main.road He replied with a torrent of abuse . when the copper went to have a word , he smelt alcohol , and it turned out

he was a banned driver and was over the limit

[pman]

But isn't that the misnomer? Whilst we are free from work and general shite hum drum of everyday life, the same laws - be them sane or ridiculous still apply. We aren't entering an anarchic utopia - rather a fenced off field in Somerset!

[ivan]

You are correct, the same laws do apply & yes they are ridiculous.

But it is a utopian world you enter when you walk through that fence in a field in somerset, there is surely nowhere else like that on the other side of the fence, it is pure hedonism/learning/ enjoyment/relaxation whatever is your thing.

Five days to forget the real world of 9-5 working & blow away the cobwebs in what ever fashion that may take you legal or not. As long as you dont prevent/spoil/interfere with anyone elses enjoyment I dont see there is a problem?

[Buddhafish]

That's incredibly juvenile.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Buddhafish

[Buddhafish]

I know I shouldn't bite, but care to enlighten me, oh wise one?

[LusciousLucy]

To the OP...

the issue with the drainage is more down to the Somerset geology my friend. If the underlying soil layers were sand or gravel then there wouldnt BE a problem with drainage but unfortunately Worthy Farm is sat on top of a rather large amount of clay that once waterlogged means the water has only one way to go and that is up, sideways and flowing everywhere and definitly not down. The drainage tunnels added post 05 have made a shit ton of difference to the site and anyone who happilly hacked 2007 and returned the following year and ever after knows...there is no such thing as bad weather at a festival but bad clothing and footwear!

Simples

My What's Wrong with Glasto gripes are the numbers these days...a lot of folk with the wrong approach, idea and understanding of what Glasto is about and come along cos it's THE place to be and the event to be seen at and wave a flag cos they'll get on tv. (Blame the BBC for this occurrence...see the Caitlin Moran Times article post 09 for full explanation...hits the nail on the head!) Oh and blame V for getting totally totally shit that people have finally realised which festy they should be attending instead! Its still a lovely place but the Noughties have created a monster which at times isnt such a fun place to be unlike the 90s festy...YES I am a Glasto snob and proud of it

And the soundsystems...or lack of. Much missed and makes for a very different evening experience these days. SL is fun but too much of a tourist trap.

Edited March 12, 2010 by LusciousLucy

[ivan]

To the OP...

the issue with the drainage is more down to the Somerset geology my friend. If the underlying soil layers were sand or gravel then there wouldnt BE a problem with drainage but unfortunately Worthy Farm is sat on top of a rather large amount of clay that once waterlogged means the water has only one way to go and that is up, sideways and flowing everywhere and definitly not down. The drainage tunnels added post 05 have made a shit ton of difference to the site and anyone who happilly hacked 2007 and returned the following year and ever after knows...there is no such thing as bad weather at a festival but bad clothing and footwear!

Simples

My What's Wrong with Glasto gripes are the numbers these days...a lot of folk with the wrong approach, idea and understanding of what Glasto is about and come along cos it's THE place to be and the event to be seen at and wave a flag cos they'll get on tv. (Blame the BBC for this occurrence...see the Caitlin Moran Times article post 09 for full explanation...hits the nail on the head!) Oh and blame V for getting totally totally shit that people have finally realised which festy they should be attending instead! Its still a lovely place but the Noughties have created a monster which at times isnt such a fun place to be unlike the 90s festy...YES I am a Glasto snob and proud of it

And the soundsystems...or lack of. Much missed and makes for a very different evening experience these days. SL is fun but too much of a tourist trap.

[timbrass]

Anyone can register though, with no check that person on the registration is you, so a tout could register in theory a number of times and then buy multiple tickets, if thats there living it won't take them that long surely?!

If you they had it so the registration checked you was who you said you was, then yeah it could potentially work like that.

[stuartbert two hats]

Not enough bins and not emptied enough. I disagree with the poster a few pages back who said that anyone too lazy to take a bin bag round with them is too lazy to put their rubbish in a bin. Certainly during the evening when I'm off to see the headliners, I am that person who is too lazy to take a bin bag around in the crowds, but will go out of my way to get the litter into the bin, but they are all too often overflowing

Especially the Jazzworld field needs more bins.