Knobs

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

5 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

My confirmation bias indeed probably goes the other way. It's an interesting question though and as I say, you can start to draw some broad conclusions from the statistics.

Point being they're not allowed at the festival, if they were, security wouldn't be taking them off people. I've no problem with people partaking at all, but always figured if you get busted then fair's fair.

You do know that swathes of  'Security' take drugs off punters so that they can go on and sell drugs to punters? You do know that if you want a guaranteed in without having a ticket then 'Security' will get you in?

Do you seriously think that people should be nailed to the cross if they have an empty grinder or Rizla papers?

[DeanoL]

21 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

You do know that swathes of  'Security' take drugs off punters so that they can go on and sell drugs to punters? You do know that if you want a guaranteed in without having a ticket then 'Security' will get you in?

Do you seriously think that people should be nailed to the cross if they have an empty grinder or Rizla papers?

I dunno man, you tell me where I said any of that?

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

2 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

I dunno man, you tell me where I said any of that?

No, tell me where I said that you said that? Given that I didn't your response seems odd - to put it politely.

[DeanoL]

2 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

No, tell me where I said that you said that? Given that I didn't your response seems odd - to put it politely.

"Do you seriously think X?" generally implies that you believe the person's position to be X. Otherwise you'd just ask "Do you think X?"

And yeah, some security are bad, just like some punters are bad. But it's not helpful to conflate those committing crimes (dealing drugs taken from punters) with those just doing the job the festival has asked them to.

The festival is quite upfront about it: “You may be searched at the entrance. Any items which the organisers consider may be used in an illegal or offensive manner will be confiscated. Persons suspected of carrying out illegal and / or offensive activities onsite may be searched... People do get busted every year, and the Festival can have offenders thrown off the site, and refused re-admission.” - http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/advice/drugs/

The security guy that searched that guy was doing his job. That's not security being over-zealous, that's them doing the job the festival asked them to. Should they have taken the tobacco? No.

Not saying security are perfect, and yeah there are certainly some things they need pulling up on. And if a security guard searches you because he thinks you have drugs, and you don't have drugs, then maybe you'd be right to come on here and complain about it. But I don't see it as some infringement on your rights if you're searched on suspicion of holding drugs, and are then found to be holding drugs, and get them taken off you. That's not a zealous security guard, that's someone doing their job successfully.

There's a difference between security guards breaking the law (remember their number and report them to the festival) and security guards doing something you don't like (in which case complain to the festival that you should be allowed drugs and maybe they'll change the policy).

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

The security are as corrupt as a tin pot government. I was offered, but refused, drugs off 'security' knowing full well (because they told me) that they'd confiscated the drugs from punters on the way in. On top of that you can pay them to get in. They are just corrupt and not altruistic at all. Just doing their job my arse.

[DeanoL]

18 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

The security are as corrupt as a tin pot government. I was offered, but refused, drugs off 'security' knowing full well (because they told me) that they'd confiscated the drugs from punters on the way in. On top of that you can pay them to get in. They are just corrupt and not altruistic at all. Just doing their job my arse.

Right. And as a festival attendee you are a litterer who drops cans on the floor and left your tent behind because you don't care for the environment. You must be because I saw punters do it.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

4 hours ago, DeanoL said:

Right. And as a festival attendee you are a litterer who drops cans on the floor and left your tent behind because you don't care for the environment. You must be because I saw punters do it.

Apologies DeanoL - I was pissed last night and feeling bolshy. In the clear light of day I confess that my argument is pretty incoherent / lame.

[Charm]

11 hours ago, DeanoL said:

Had the grinder been used? I'd assumed it did, and it had weed remnants on it. You wouldn't take it through customs...

Leaving the tipi field is hardly customs though is it, I don't think security even have the power to stop and search, the reason they are doing this is simply to steal and sell on. 
Charm x

[DeanoL]

4 minutes ago, Charm said:

Leaving the tipi field is hardly customs though is it, I don't think security even have the power to stop and search, the reason they are doing this is simply to steal and sell on. 
Charm x

It isn't customs but there will be set rules and procedures around how security are meant to deal with stuff like this at any event. Which is probably along the lines of "confiscate drugs and anything contaminated with drugs".

Stop and search: the thing I linked a few posts up says expressly that they do have that power and will.

That's what I was getting at - there's a Glastonbury in people's heads where drugs are allowed and security are told to turn a blind eye, and the only ones that don't are corrupt and taking the drugs for themselves.

But that's not actually the case. The website says as much. It'd be nice if that was the Glastonbury we had but it isn't. And pretending it is then getting annoyed when it doesn't live up to that isn't helpful.

Is there a problem with some security people? Definitely, although it's far better now than it was 7-8 years ago (I remember the threads about Stewart Security back then...). But the problem is security confiscating drugs and not checking them in and handing them over to the police. It's not security confiscating drugs in the first place - that's the festival's decision, and security staff doing their job.

[Quark]

4 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Apologies DeanoL - I was pissed last night and feeling bolshy. In the clear light of day I confess that my argument is pretty incoherent / lame.

That apology is both commendable and amusing Yog.  Fair play!

@DeanoL as we're disagreeing about something on t'internet I believe this is the point where I compare you to Hitler, call you a rude name and offer to meet up at next year's Glastonbury in an ill-considered show of faceless bravado. That's how it works, right?

Edited July 13, 2016 by Quark

[DeanoL]

4 hours ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Apologies DeanoL - I was pissed last night and feeling bolshy. In the clear light of day I confess that my argument is pretty incoherent / lame.

Not at all mate, it's just a silly argument on the internet!

4 minutes ago, Quark said:

That apology is both commendable and amusing Yog.  Fair play!

@DeanoL as we're disagreeing about something on t'internet I believe this is the point where I compare you to Hitler, call you a rude name and offer to meet up at next year's Glastonbury in an ill-considered show of faceless bravado. That's how it works, right?

You could do that but then I'd have to accuse you of a logical fallacy without really knowing how it works then downvote out of spite!

[Quark]

1 hour ago, DeanoL said:

Not at all mate, it's just a silly argument on the internet!

You could do that but then I'd have to accuse you of a logical fallacy without really knowing how it works then downvote out of spite!

Splendid, we have a way forward. Ahem...

You'd probably have the POLICE on site searching EVERYONE all the time and asking to see their tickets every 5 minutes.  You know who else did that ?  HITLER and the NAZIS, who you're just like you BELLEND.  Next year, Williams Green tower on Thursday and I'll show you what NAZI BELLENDS get when they want to take away everyone's FREEDOM.

How was that?  Threw in some caps to really capture that vibe.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Quark

[stuartbert two hats]

10 minutes ago, Quark said:

Splendid, we have a way forward. Ahem...

You'd probably have the POLICE on site searching EVERYONE all the time and asking to see their tickets every 5 minutes.  You know who else did that ?  HITLER and the NAZIS, who you're just like you BELLEND.  Next year, Williams Green tower on Thursday and I'll show you what NAZI BELLENDS get when they want to take away everyone's FREEDOM.

How was that?  Threw in some caps to really capture that vibe.

Punctuation, grammar and spelling too good.  Not even a triple question mark in there.

[Quark]

11 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Punctuation, grammar and spelling too good.  Not even a triple question mark in there.

I know.  For some reason I had no problem with writing that drivel, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it in poor English.  Not sure what that says about me to be honest.

[Hugh Jass]

This is the most civil ending to an argument I've ever seen on the internet.

[CaledonianGonzo]

No it isn't.

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

Splendid, we have a way forward. Ahem...

You'd probably have the POLICE on site searching EVERYONE all the time and asking to see their tickets every 5 minutes.  You know who else did that ?  HITLER and the NAZIS, who you're just like you BELLEND.  Next year, Williams Green tower on Thursday and I'll show you what NAZI BELLENDS get when they want to take away everyone's FREEDOM.

How was that?  Threw in some caps to really capture that vibe.

Just a typical internet troll throwing about your ad-homs! POST REPORTED!

26 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

This is the most civil ending to an argument I've ever seen on the internet.

On the one hand it is, on the other hand I do still feel bad that it was that guy's first post and we've probably scared him off...

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

No it isn't.

Quiet you!

[TuesdayBlues]

Don't worry, I haven't been scared off, and thanks for all the responses.

To reiterate: my problem is not with either being searched or having something confiscated. I don't mind running the risk of the law. But the law has to be fair and applied proportionately. I also don't mind security people doing their jobs, if they're doing it properly and in an honest, non-corrupt way.

My problem is with, firstly, the indiscriminate way that searching is done by security, when somebody is not acting in any way suspiciously. Civil rights activists have spent decades fighting intrusive stop-and-search powers; in the US there has to be probable cause to search people. They shouldn't just be grabbing people at random and searching them when they're minding their own business having a dance. This is particularly so because, secondly, there is clearly no proper system in place for logging confiscated drugs. A good friend of mine owns a nightclub: every time something is confiscated, it is noted, locked away and audited by the police later. Glasto should do the same. If you have something confiscated, the security officer should be compelled to give you a card with his/her ID number on and a note of what was confiscated that you can then check against a central register. This would totally remove the incentive for security to abuse their power and shake people down for drugs that they either use or sell on, and it would mean that drug confiscation is done properly.

Incidentally, the estimates of drug use here are way off. I realise that there are some Indie kids who go, have a few beers at the Pyramid all day, and then head back to their tents at midnight. But I would suggest that drug use is pushing 50% (of adults) overall. Our entire campsite was (sadly) carpeted in laughing gas canisters every morning it seemed. And if you think that drug use is not tacitly approved at Glasto, you're bonkers. Shangri-La is, if nothing else, the apotheosis of drug-induced hallucinogenery.

[GoonerRob]

Few of my friends dropped half a pill each before Adele... I'm not sure you can ever really gauge how many people are off their tits at any one time. 

If you count weed as a drug then 30% isnt unrealistic. 

[djdavejohnson]

I'm inclined to go with Deano and Scruff's estimates here - 50% of punters puts those high at almost 70,000. 30% equates to over 40,000. Those figures do not even take into account the 50,000 odd staff/artists in attendance. No way it's anywhere near those levels.

[Leggins]

Would a poll on this site go anywhere near getting a rough idea of the % of people taking drugs at Glastonbury?

[The Dawg]

1 hour ago, GoonerRob said:

Few of my friends dropped half a pill each before Adele... 

Sweet Jesus!! times have changed.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I suspect they were far from the only ones...

[nikkic]

2 hours ago, GoonerRob said:

Few of my friends dropped half a pill each before Adele... I'm not sure you can ever really gauge how many people are off their tits at any one time. 

If you count weed as a drug then 30% isnt unrealistic. 

Imagine coming up to the euphoria of "Hello". Life changing.