how were security with your weed this year?

[niceandfriendly]

didn't attend this year (bought a ticket but had to let it go for resale as couldn't afford to get back home from asia) and wondering how were the security lot this year? especially with regards to smoking the green stuff. (and i mean the security, not the police who clearly don't mind it - as it should be)

me and my group all thought that the security guards were worse in 2011 in comparison to other years. saw way too many jobsworths who on a few occasions confiscated people's weed or worse. in 07, 08, 09 and 10 we didn't notice any hassle at all and i'm hoping that they haven't been instructed to clamp down on this victimless crime.

how was it this year for you?

[Harry3]

I didnt have a problem smoking fairly openly, even at the Gully (the open-air reggae stage), which a few people have mentioned security were really tight at.

[frostypaw]

Permanently subtle now so not sure my experience is the most valid but their attention seemed rightly elsewhere

I think they had enough to worry about with the ket collapses and legal highs! Ah progress

[eFestivals]

I didnt have a problem smoking fairly openly, even at the Gully (the open-air reggae stage), which a few people have mentioned security were really tight at.

yep, security there were hassling smokers, and trying to take their stash off them - claiming they had the right to search anyone and that anyone that refused to be searched would have their wristband cut off and be thrown out.

Telling them in no uncertain terms to fuck off and die seemed to do the trick for what I saw, but for anyone less sure of themselves I'd guess it was a ritght bummer.

That area was more Guatanemo Bay than Montego Bay ... after seeing those security hassling smokers who were causing no issues I didn't go back.

[Arriente]

The only place I noticed them being heavy handed about it was in Silver Hayes.

[Paul ™]

yep, security there were hassling smokers, and trying to take their stash off them - claiming they had the right to search anyone and that anyone that refused to be searched would have their wristband cut off and be thrown out.

[WooDan]

Security ( Gully) told me they would call the police and hand me over if I did not give them my weed, I said carry on and give them a shout. They soon fucked off then.

[Messy]

On Thursday night I was sitting in our campsite neighbours' garden at around 1am. We'd just shared a joint but there was no evidence we had anything on us. We were approached by a pair of security guards who announced to us that they were doing "checks", which consisted of seeing if we had any drugs on us. We were advised that we were best off handing anything we had on us to them, because police were going around with dogs and we would get kicked off site if they caught us instead. Obviously we didn't give them anything, but they searched someone's bag (surely they don't have the right to do this?), completely missed the stash box that was in it, and left us alone. Arseholes.

[eFestivals]

They should be reported, any idea what company that was Neil?

Nope. I regret not paying enough attention to that.

At the time I thought they were probably carrying out their security role properly (tho over-officiously), but in hindsight I felt they probably weren't.

It led me to make a few tweets, about how Silver Hayes was a place to be avoided because security would spoil your fun.

Security ( Gully) told me they would call the police and hand me over if I did not give them my weed, I said carry on and give them a shout. They soon fucked off then.

The guy I saw hassled said pretty much the same, but then had those security lay it on thick about how that would result in their wristband being cut off and being thrown off-site.

What was pretty weird was that about 30 minutes before I'd seen the same guy who got hassled skin up and smoke a spliff while stood right next to security on one of the truck flatbed 'balconies' - so it wasn't all of the security in that area that were acting against smokers.

I also heard more stories this year of people being hassled at their tents about drugs - and unlike previous years when i've heard of this, when it's mainly been youngsters they'd hassled (easy targets, I guess), the stories I heard implied that they'd target anyone this year. So either those rogue security are getting braver in their scams, or drug takers are becoming more fearful of being caught and those rogue security are playing on that.

[mungo57]

I work in Security, Security have no absolute powers of search unlike the Police who do, they can ASK to search you or your belongings and if you say no they can technically have you removed from site. They shouldn'tSEARCH bags though, good practise is to have the person whose property it is open it and empty it and show the security officer that it is empty and then the person who owns the items inside the bag should open anything asked of them by security and show them the co tents. Security SHOULD NOT TOUCH ANYTHING as this can lead to accusations of planting evidence etc.

This is how I got away with having half an ounce of weed in me back in 2011, it was found by over zealous security who opened my backy tin (I shit myself as I told the GF to leave my stash in the car, NOT my bag and I was shocked to find it in my tin!) the officer that searched me went to get his supervisor after I had accused him of putting the stuff there and I promptly fucked off as soon as he turned his back stash and all!

As for the security at the gully, what pricks! I was having a doob there with a mate peacefully in between acts and not disturbing anyone, when 3 officers come up and start threatening us. After a few choice words about what jobs worth c u next Tuesdays they were they decided better left alone and fucked off.

Its things like this that make me despise the Silver Hayes section of Glasto.

Edited July 3, 2013 by mungo57

[Paul ™]

I work in Security, Security have no absolute powers of search unlike the Police who do, they can ASK to search you or your belongings and if you say no they can technically have you removed from site. They shouldn'tSEARCH bags though, good practise is to have the person whose property it is open it and empty it and show the security officer that it is empty and then the person who owns the items inside the bag should open anything asked of them by security and show them the co tents. Security SHOULD NOT TOUCH ANYTHING as this can lead to accusations of planting evidence etc.

[mungo57]

Pretty much this ^

[Arriente]

I had a smoke in the garden bit of Shangri-La Heaven and was clocked by security. They were really cool and just had the "it's Glastonbury" attitude. Had a lovely chat with them. They also had my friends wallet handed to them and went out of their way to find him. Massive thanks to them and the lady who handed it in to them.

Some people are decent, others aren't.

[5co77ie]

I've made a comment on this in my review - due online soon.

[Badlands]

Plus one for Silver Hayes being twats. My mate rolled one in the big tent while waiting for Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and as soon as he was done security were right over taking it off him. He'd handed the stash back over to my other pal before he rolled though and they were puzzled when they started searching him for the rest of his stuff.

[Arriente]

Plus one for Silver Hayes being twats. My mate rolled one in the big tent while waiting for Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and as soon as he was done security were right over taking it off him. He'd handed the stash back over to my other pal before he rolled though and they were puzzled when they started searching him for the rest of his stuff.

[Paul ™]

EXACTLY that mate. Source 3 years working Security 2 of those as a supervisor and having been on countless SIA courses

Edited July 3, 2013 by Paul ™

[The Nal]

I also heard more stories this year of people being hassled at their tents about drugs

[Erk]

A girl in our group had a security gaurd threaten to strip search her for rolling a joint. Luckily she can hold her own in most arguments and she refused until they let her go. She even asked them to get the police and they refused! She was let go eventually without any search but if that had been tried with a younger more gullible girl ...i hate to think..

[carrie2]

A girl in our group had a security gaurd threaten to strip search her for rolling a joint. Luckily she can hold her own in most arguments and she refused until they let her go. She even asked them to get the police and they refused! She was let go eventually without any search but if that had been tried with a younger more gullible girl ...i hate to think..

[windy_miller]

I personally had no problems, but I did see a group of about 5 security guys searching a tent at the top of Pennards Hill. I think it was on the Thursday or Friday evening.

[Phil-itfc]

I kept my drugs in the lock up and discretely took what I wanted for the day each time I went!

[iamstreety]

Had no problems skinning up and smoking around the site. Only problem we incurred was one of the guys went to meet friends in the campervan site and got searched on the way back in. Aparently everyone was being searched and when he noticed put the green in his socks

They confiscated the baccy, skins, a pipe and rolling machine. Nothing that we couldn't buy again on site though.

[eFestivals]

They confiscated the baccy, skins, a pipe and rolling machine. Nothing that we couldn't buy again on site though.

that's taking the piss - even the old bill when finding someone with weed will often give them back their grinders, pipes, and containers, which are all legal things to buy and have even if they've been used for drug taking.

[fatyeti24]

i passed through gate b on 6 occasions and wasn't stopped once. only one of our group of 4 was searched at all, just the one time. either i was lucky or i am beginning to look less dodgy these days.