Staff / CATS / Security

[darth haggis]

Evening all!

Having just returned from my last shift as a CAT at Reading, I just wanted to ask what you guys though of the CATS/security teams in general?

Being on the inside, chatting to security and listening to the radios, you really get an idea of the immense scale of the operation in progress to keep yall safe, and particularly the amount of crap that the security take on a minute by minute basis.

But yeah, just want your thoughts and experiences in general - Oh, and I was working in yellow camp on Friday night shift, Saturday afternoon/evening and Monday.

Cool

[Skynny]

I was so, so very impressed with the guys on the barriers this year, the occasional superstar jumping up and down when cypress hill came on made it look like they were actually pleased to be there.

CAT's seemed brilliant too, although when we were trying to make my unconcious friend dance like a puppet they shot us a few funny looks... They seemed to have everything under control, apart from I noticed a distinct increase on heavier drugs usage. I know you guys don't really have any response or ways to combat that actively, more just an observation from my point of view.

(Leeds btw)

Good Job!

[brettredmayne]

CAT at Leeds were very on the ball, really helpful and it was the best ive seen the campsite on Sunday

[The Mean Bean]

A few of the security guys were being nobheads in the campsite but not really much trouble. Only problem with the CATS was that when the ones that were fit birds walked past we had no success in getting them to sit and have a drink with us, they were all up for it last year, broken Britain. Maybe they were too effective, I do like a good fire on the Sunday, boring this year.

[weirdfish]

All the staff I met seemed fine, they were just checking stuff wasn't being totally f**ked up rather than being super strict. Some of them seemed pretty lazy but I'm cool with that, much better to have that than the c**ts who just try and start fights with the campers. I was in green and there was little to no trouble on the Sunday night too, which was great. I actually slept decently.

[darth haggis]

Cheers for responses - as far as I learnt, there are a couple of differnt firms that provide the security for the campsites. The ones i spent most time with were really nice guys - harsh in some cases, but fair in all cases. I guess they need to set examples of people who are dicking around, to send out the message that they do mean business. But it is only for the honest festival goer's safety & well-being, and in the incidents that i witnessed and overheard, i can only say that they couldn't have been dealt with in a better way.

And i'm glad to hear the CATS getting praise, cheers guys

[shoptildrop]

Security were a bit heavy handed in one incident I saw which was at main stage just before Pulp at the back where someone had made a fire (abid out of a chair mind) security come over debate whether to put it out but end up rubbing their hands to keep warm and joke about.... ok then this guy leans over and puts a cup on the fire and one security bloke just pounces on him and throws him out then the other puts the fire out w/out any regards for people around as we all got blasted by the fire extingusher on one side (as I got stuff all in my eyes which wasn't so good)

Now ok if fire was an issue sure put it out but throwing a guy out for putting a cup on it when it was a bloody chair on fire so not right, I mean maybe he put something else on but I was right next to him and I only saw a cup so do think that was a bit much tbh

otherwise all ok

[sjp_121]

CATS were great at Leeds, had nice little chats with loads of them.

Security was okay apart from when I entered they didnt search any one apart from me and my massive rucksack, and proper searched it, then didnt help in anyway to put the stuff back in and were getting more pissed when I was blocking up space because I had to spend time getting the stuff back in.

And on sunday the guard into the arena wasnt searching anyone, till me and my friend, he stopped us, searched us, felt my bottle of water I had, I started to say "Just a bottle of water" and he just went "Don't care"... and I just thought, why properly search us even if you do find something and you don't give two f**ks what it is.

[pablopablo]

Thought the security at the stages seemed very good and up for a laugh, can't remember which band it was but people were throwing cups of water at this security guard so he got some and threw it over them, not in any way angry just laughing and stuff, they also did a good job getting people out around me during muse who were pretty distressed.

On the other hand some of the campsite security just seemed like hired thugs, heavy handed and violent. I heard one of them saying he had an aim to throw out 20 people and was therefor pretty much looking for trouble, also my mates tent blew down and they said if we didnt have it up in 5 mins they were taking it which seemed a bit unnecessary .

CAT's were helpful and all rather fit aswell

[darth haggis]

CAT's were helpful and all rather fit aswell

[Welshyyy]

I have to say they was pretty good, we saw a tent go up in flames, and no longer than about 3 seconds it was out, and on the sunday, they had a shit load walking around, especially Purple at Leeds, even gave a few cans to some, they seemed to be pretty sound, and helpful whenever they could, might even apply for it next year myself.

[Vacant0]

Only went on the Saturday.

Security at the site entrance decided to search me for no particular reason as I was leaving the festival on the Saturday night and then threatened me when I tried to tell them that I needed to catch my train and didn't want them wasting my time.

In hindsight, I'm pretty sure that they don't actually have any legal right to go through my wallet, nor do are they allowed to search me without cause if I'm leaving the site and not planning to come back in. Can anybody clarify?

So all in all, my view on security this year isn't positive...

[Mariner]

Some were professional, some weren't.

Guys manning the white pedestrian entrance/exits were okay. Some of the ones going around the camp site were talking shit over the radios and basically acting like normal punters but with uniforms on.

[Joshuwarr]

None of the DC staff getting praise! You might think the CATs were good (which they were!) but we had to stand up the fire towers all day and night..not fun Had some good laughs in white campsite and enjoyed the radio "banter" on the last night. I always found childish amusement in meowing at the CATs. And yeah, some of the security are idiots! The stories I've heard are disgusting.

[Griptool]

None of the DC staff getting praise! You might think the CATs were good (which they were!) but we had to stand up the fire towers all day and night..not fun Had some good laughs in white campsite and enjoyed the radio "banter" on the last night. I always found childish amusement in meowing at the CATs. And yeah, some of the security are idiots! The stories I've heard are disgusting.

[gemstarrr]

i was a red camp CAT and loved it. sunday night/mon morn shift was so much better than last year so cheers guys for not being dickheads! (most of you anyway!)

we don't enjoy putting your fires out, but when you're sticking chairs and tents on fire it's our job to keep everyone safe by putting it out before it gets out of hand.

sorry to everyone i said i'd go back for a drink with later on, never made it back to red off shift!

[bennyk]

Thought Security/CATS at Leeds this year were spot on in comparison with previous years. We were camped next the Red Campsite B sign and every day we would get a friendly 'hello, hows your festival' etc from the security/CAT team who were passing through. We even ended up having a great little chat with them as he was calling us pussy's for complaining about the mud, which was a great laugh.

Throughout the festival if I had any questions I wanted to ask they were always very helpful, much more than previous years..

Cheers guys

[Super-Girl]

I was working for Oxfam (orange tabards) on White Gate scanning tickets on Thursday morning and Ladies toilets near the Main Stage Friday night and Saturday morning, enjoyed all the 'Oxfam being sent into Reading toilets because its a natural disaster' jokes. Sorry to all the men desperate for a wee who I couldn't let into the women's toilets, glad only a very small minority tried to have an argument over the fact I was just doing my job.

[ar1]

Had good experiences will all of the staff that I came into contact with and didn't see any heavy handed security.

Special thanks for me goes to everyone in the medical tent who stiched my cut hand due to the mud pit during The Offspring. The nurse who saw me said he wasn't sure whether to plant me or treat but they got me sorted in time for MCR and cleaned me up when it went manky on the Sunday.

Cheers to them all, I could of spent the whole bloddy evening at casualty which would of been crap!

[John92]

I thought security in general was quite good, apart from on one occasion...

During Madness there were three men behind us, completely drunk and acting like tossers. They were that bad that there was a circle, like a mosh pit, around them coz people wanted to stay away from them. During one of the songs, they pulled there pants down and just started jumping around. Then one absolute dick decided it would be fun to piss in his hands and chuck all over the people in front of them (me included).. The security came over and made them go away, but they should have been kicked out.