Conduct of security

[Joshuwarr]

I know these things tend to be based on personal experience but did anyone find the security a bit aggressive at times? On the Wednesday night I was walking along the track coming back from Block 9. I was smoking a cigarette which I dropped out of drunken clumsiness. I had a little scavenge and tried to find it but gave up after a few seconds. Nothing suspect, but out of nowhere a group of the site security came up to me with one shouting "why did you throw that spliff?!" and then proceeding to get a torch out and searching the ground and bushes around me. I very calmly explained that it was a roll up with black papers so he may have just been confused but this was met with other security getting in my face asking why I was lying. I was pretty taken aback and intimidated as I'd clearly done nothing wrong. I even said they could check my bags if they wanted to prove I had no substances on me but this was just met with more shouting and aggression. One even said if they caught me again they'd throw me out (as if they'd remember me among the thousands of faces they see...). In the end I just paced off and slipped back into the crowd of people.

All in all I had a great festival but it's just a shame that little incidents like that can ruin it a bit

[Charm]

What idiots, it's really sad to hear stories like this, wonder if they try that crap on young people and men more as I've never had any issues with security, I'm sure they aren't allowed to harass us in that way either. 
Charm x

[mike86]

I did actually see quite a few people being randomly searched this year. Usually on walkways so its not like they were walking around a crowd dealing. Security must've just thought they looked dodgy and decided to search them. A bit odd considering the amount of mashed people walking about. 

 

Maybe the police asked them to step it up a bit.  

Edited July 7, 2016 by MikeJ86

[stuartbert two hats]

Just for balance, I wasn't approached in any way by security for the duration of the festival.

[Joshuwarr]

I should add, that the majority of security were really lovely and helpful - I can imagine it's a stressful job at times! I just think that there are standards of acceptable conduct that should be expected. If they had actually seen me openly smoking something illegal then fair, but they made a judgement/assumption that was entirely unfounded which just seems...wrong.

[DeanoL]

It's also a job for them and they get paid the same if it's wonderful and sunny or a mud bath. So they probably weren't exactly having the most pleasant working conditions they may have hoped for.

[cazzatron]

Boyfriend was searched on entry (must look dodgy) but they were very nice, but otherwise - had no contact with security all weekend!

[lacney]

You always encounter the odd idiot like that. A couple of years ago, one invited himself into my tent at 5am when I was sleeping, woke me up to tell me it smelt of weed around the campsite and he knew it was me (which it wasn't, I was asleep) and then shouted aggressively at me for 10 minutes saying he would get the security to take down my tent and throw me off site. Was only solved when I told him I was going to get the police over and he soon disappeared. Made sure I kept an eye on him for the rest of the weekend like! Never had any other problems like that over the years though. For every idiot, there's 100's of well mannered and helpful security though! 

[Funkyfairy!]

Found them to be fine apart from an over zealous (v funny) security guard at the top of the hill of doom on Tuesday evening

We all know its a great gathering point, this year it was pretty empty due to the traffic issues.  Ususally they let people sit at the top of the hill, this year we all had to sit behind barriers and weren;t allowed to move forward at all, not even an inch infront of the barrier (there was about 50 people up there lol) - a whole load of us did take to moving the barriers a foot or two and then ourselves to see if they would notice (I know childish), and the sec guys were getting themselves into a tizz with so few of us all there,,,,, goodness knows what they would have done if there had been hundreds of folk like there normally is

Also unless you were a worker you couldn;t walk down the hill, but if you were queuing had to walk around and form a queue at the bottom- all understandable. there were no real signs to say that so a few people with trolleys randomly walked straight down the hill only to be chased, physically runnining by a shouting security guard. If they then tried to veer off around the field to get to the right point they were escorted back to the top to start again.

At various points one young lady ran down the hill to escort someone back up, if she chatted for a few minutes the supervisor would shout ;back up needed; and all the other security guards would run down to 'help'. It was hysterical.

I felt quite sorry for them, one guy we talked to had 'got hs badges' and had done the job at gigs etc but this was his first glastonbury , I hope he got into the vibe later in the week.... we tried to assure him that everyone was having fun and nice and he needed to chill just a little

 

[Ed209]

I actually thought this year was the best security I'd seen in years. Hardly noticed them most of the time, which is the way it should be. A few years ago they were very intrusive and aggressive. Much much better this year. Always a few dickheads though

[big__phil]

Yeah no problems here, I guess they had their hands pretty full this year with crowd management and safety concerns with all the mud.

I do sometimes struggle with security taking their jobs a little too far, and thinking of themselves as coppers. There are plenty of policeman and women on site, and security should probably focus on keeping punters safe, rather than rampaging around trying to stop hippies smoking a bit of weed. Still, at Glastonbury they (and the police) seem to have the balance about (from my experiences anyway), which you can't always say about other festivals and big events.

[Nobody Interesting]

I had no problems at all with any security anywhere and even said thank you to the ones at the gate for doing a good job.

I said to one she looked a bit glum and was she ok - she was so we had a free hug.

[M_Il]

I got searched on my way out of the festival on the Sunday which was a new one on me. But they were polite and professional enough

[Mezhyp1]

One of my mates got searched going in as he had two full sized packing rucksacks as one of our lot was going to be late arriving and coming via Bristol airport, so wasn't practical to carry. They had a very brief look through one of the bags, saw the amount of gear he had and let him on his way, he seemed extremely happy 

[shuttlep]

got searched on the way in , that was a first for me 

 

they were really nice

 

no bother apart from that, I wonder sometimes if dodgy security challenge people on their own or young looking to get their stash

 

met a bloke in arcadia last year who was selling certain items (ahem)

 

he said he was doing his bit for the environment as they were recycled, when asked what he meant he said he was security and took them off some one the other day and was now selling them on 

[Spindles]

1 hour ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Just for balance, I wasn't approached in any way by security for the duration of the festival.

Security came wandering round Darble one morning, friendly pair with bin bags and recycling bags, which we availed them of.  

 

1 minute ago, shuttlep said:

got searched on the way in , that was a first for me 

Same.  We got to the queue for gate A just after midnight Tuesday night, they were searching every single person before letting them through to the zigzag (this went on for quite a chunk of the night, not sure what time they stopped and just let people join, but they were still searching when we nipped to the toilets a couple of times through the night).  Similarly Saturday morning they were searching everyone at a point I nipped out to use the car park loos rather than queue for the composters, not having thought about that I had all my weed on me and it was only luck that someone was kicking off about being searched that allowed me to sneak through in the commotion without being noticed.

[pie_and_a_pint]

43 minutes ago, M_Il said:

I got searched on my way out of the festival on the Sunday which was a new one on me. But they were polite and professional enough

On the basis that if you refuse to be searched on the way in you might not be allowed into the Festival, I'd have refused to be searched on the way out...

[Andy0808 v5]

Only interaction I had with security was my own fault, about 3am in the Unfairground I fell into a fence and split one of the cans in my bag.. I then stupidly started proclaiming I'd been stabbed. Around four security came over, patted me down looking for blood and when they realised I was just an idiot left me to my own devices. 

 

I can imagine if there's a Glasto security forum, there's a thread entitled 'Conduct of punters' and i'm being slagged off in it. 

[ivan]

I have been going to festivals for over 30 years and age has a lot to do with it.

Groups of young lads around us have been given rough treatment in the past but have left us 20 years old alone.

We watched from our tent one year at Glasto as security was coming up Big Ground picking on kids  , but when they got near us they gave us a wide berth seeing our " don't even think about it " stares

Unfortunately a young kid threatened with eviction from Glastonbury and the Police being called may buckle , whereas hassling an older festival goer will just get a "F**K O**

Security know  they are easy targets with easy pickings   

 

 

Edited July 7, 2016 by ivan

[gerardfenton18]

2 hours ago, MikeJ86 said:

I did actually see quite a few people being randomly searched this year. Usually on walkways so its not like they were walking around a crowd dealing. Security must've just thought they looked dodgy and decided to search them. A bit odd considering the amount of mashed people walking about. 

 

Maybe the police asked them to step it up a bit.  

i doubt it was dodgy looks,just a few dodgy security i reckon. i never slept from tuesday until saturday morning and was regulary walking up to crowds of the security (and anyone really) and talking pure manure . looking back at the pics i definitely looked like id been to hell and back . 

They were nothing but pleasent and good craic in return

actually had a few randoms asking me if i knew a guy that knew a guy 

Edited July 7, 2016 by gerardfenton18

[Cornelius_Fudge]

Yeah that's really strange. I've been four years and openly smoked spliffs in front of security at the Pyramid stage and West Holts and no one has looked twice. Sometimes it's been so relaxed I've offered to pass it on, but they always just smiled and refused politely. 

Perhaps they were taking the stance that you were littering and then someone got the wrong idea about why you were stopped and started talking about drugs or whatever. 

I hope you don't encounter it again, especially in a festival like Glasto. 

Maybe bad weather, shit days work, maybe some guys had already been cocky to them... who knows. I think it'll be an isolated incident if you ever returned

[ivan]

Not all security are bad and I still like telling this tale when  queuing to get in a festival.

Years ago walking down the hill of death to get through the gate I noticed and heard a nice security guy having a discussion with a lady who had a large freezer box on the searching table.

The conversation finished like this after quite some time and the security guy was so patient. 

"But its only mayonnaise"

" I am sorry Madam but its glass and it cant come in "

"But its only mayonnaise"

 

At that point after a bit more searching the security guy pulled out the biggest bread knife ever and held it loft for 100;s of people to see

"MADAM"

I presume the lady got in with her baguettes but what she cut them with and used for condiment I have no idea

 

 

[Vacant0]

44 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

On the basis that if you refuse to be searched on the way in you might not be allowed into the Festival, I'd have refused to be searched on the way out...

But then its not necessarily up to you whether you get to refuse or not.

I had the same thing happen to me at Reading Festival a few years back when I went on a day ticket. Had nothing on me and didn't do anything at all other than walk past them to leave, so not really sure what compelled them to do it. I'm not even sure they're actually allowed to - but still, I tried to refuse, but there were eventually 5 of them around me and my mate, I'd have ended up getting battered by them if I'd ignored them.

Can't say I had or even saw anything untoward from any security this year at Glastonbury. Seemed alright really, and a few I spoke to were very friendly. Can't have been a particularly easy job in the mud this year.
 
Still, clearly there are always some dickheads, but I guess that's just because of the nature of the work. Its a power thing. Arseholes who like throwing their weight around are going to be attracted to the kind of job they believe gives them the authority to do that. Why learn how to reason with anyone, when you've usually always been able to get away with just threatening them?

[miniand]

1 hour ago, shuttlep said:

got searched on the way in , that was a first for me 

 

they were really nice

 

no bother apart from that, I wonder sometimes if dodgy security challenge people on their own or young looking to get their stash

 

met a bloke in arcadia last year who was selling certain items (ahem)

 

he said he was doing his bit for the environment as they were recycled, when asked what he meant he said he was security and took them off some one the other day and was now selling them on 

If anyone actually deserves to be grassed on it's the pieces of shit security who tax punters to sell on their drugs for profit, scum of the fucking earth... And I hate grasses... 

If security ever try taking my stuff I insist the police are called, I'd rather go to court than give those c**ts my drugs :-) 

[M_Il]

1 hour ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

On the basis that if you refuse to be searched on the way in you might not be allowed into the Festival, I'd have refused to be searched on the way out...

Tbh I was totally caught off guard by it lucky anything I wanted to hide was in my pockets anyway