New security measures in place

[eFestivals]

13 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

The drug searching was far more intense

it very definitely wasn't at Gate C on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

[frostypaw]

2 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

it very definitely wasn't at Gate C on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

That's fine, I'm telling you what the security I talked to were told to do, not relating individual experiences. The plural of anecdote is not data etc

If anything the fact that your individual experiences ended up like that only reinforce the silliness of what they tried to do.

[Dave_c]

I just got a pat down and asked if I had any sharps or glass. Sounds like the searches were random as I walked past a camp in pennard hill and the guy was using a saw to cut up wood for a campfire. A fucking saw!! And someone got a bottle of deodorant confiscated!

Saw one bloke on Saturday at other stage getting patted down and bag searched by 2 policemen.

[DeanoL]

1 hour ago, frostypaw said:

The drug searching was far more intense.

More intense than when? Last year? There have always been intense drug searches, I don't believe the level of searching was any more intense (short of strip-searching it couldn't have been) - they might have been doing more of those searches but we've seen no actual evidence for that.

Quote

 

Say typically it would have been 20 out of a 100 get a rough check over for drugs/glass etc and there'd only be a few security at the gates. Now having more security but only checking 10 people ultra thoroughly for drugs then letting in the next 90 with zero check whatsoever is not a win compared to checking 50 out of that hundred for weapons/explosives.

 

Those 10 out of 100 have always been thoroughly checked for drugs though. There were more people getting pat-downs this year for sure, but there have always been full checks. If you've avoided them up to now that's just luck.

1 hour ago, frostypaw said:

That's fine, I'm telling you what the security I talked to were told to do,

Had they been told to be more intense than last year? Or they'd just been told to check for drugs? Like they are every year?

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Arrived Wednesday lunchtime and came in and out of gate C every day with an relatively large day bag. In and out of the gate straightaway and not one search the whole time l. The only difference I noticed seemed to be more thorough checks of the ticket each day.

[jonodillieono]

3 hours ago, Simo71 said:

Was this about 11am on Thursday morning? Fairly sure I saw this and mentioned how over the top it was at the time.

 

As a separate incident I saw a lad getting escorted out by two security guards, when he bolted and sprinted off from them, there was a small cheer from the crowd as security realised they couldn't catch him, made me laugh.

Yeah that was them, just so confusing where the idea that they have counterfeit money comes from

[40 Days]

Arrived on the Wednesday. No bag searches, no pat downs, no questions - no sign of security on entry. Could have had anything on us. Can't say we gave a shite at the time but in hindsight, concerning given recent terror attacks here and in Europe.

[frostypaw]

13 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Had they been told to be more intense than last year? Or they'd just been told to check for drugs? Like they are every year?

Yes - they had been told to be much more intense than ever before. That is what I've specifically been saying since the start of this thread of conversation - that their instructions had changed, and not to check more for threats but to vastly increase the number of invasive drug searches.

As I said I had security staff who've been to the festival many times doing exactly that job telling me they thought it was bonkers and were refusing to take part and do it. From all the colloquial evidence after it seems most of them said screw it too.

[Penrhos]

Security from glamping must have been lax - bumped into some chair w*nkers at rag & bone man who had a cool box full of prosecco & beer bottles.

Didn't seem to bother the guy with a rucksack of NOS bottles in lovebullets who had an orange EPO wristband on either.

Plenty of folk around with no wristbands at all.

Might be worth submitting a FOI request into Avon & Somerset police and Glastonbury festival to obtain search statistics only costs a few quid and they have to provide an answer.

[DeanoL]

14 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

Yes - they had been told to be much more intense than ever before. That is what I've specifically been saying since the start of this thread of conversation - that their instructions had changed, and not to check more for threats but to vastly increase the number of invasive drug searches.

Sorry but that sounds like nonsense - at least somewhere along the line. These are professional security staff who will have a different gig every other week. I don't believe for a second that their instruction was "Remember the job you had 52 weeks ago? Make it more intense than that." Equally there's a search team that have always done the drug searches. Their job is to do the drug searches. They spend their entire shift doing the drug searches. They can't "do more of them" as they take as long as they take. It just sounds like that guy usually does general searches and pat-downs and had been put on drugs duty.

[pie_and_a_pint]

19 minutes ago, Penrhos said:

Security from glamping must have been lax - bumped into some chair w*nkers at rag & bone man who had a cool box full of prosecco & beer bottles.

Didn't seem to bother the guy with a rucksack of NOS bottles in lovebullets who had an orange EPO wristband on either.

Plenty of folk around with no wristbands at all.

Might be worth submitting a FOI request into Avon & Somerset police and Glastonbury festival to obtain search statistics only costs a few quid and they have to provide an answer.

We found a LOT less glass on our litterpick this time around - I think I only found two glass beer bottles the whole weekend. Didn't seem to have made a massive difference to NOS, though - the Beat Hotel was still covered with them although as it was dry they were easier to pick up.

[frostypaw]

2 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Sorry but that sounds like nonsense - at least somewhere along the line. These are professional security staff who will have a different gig every other week. I don't believe for a second that their instruction was "Remember the job you had 52 weeks ago? Make it more intense than that." Equally there's a search team that have always done the drug searches. Their job is to do the drug searches. They spend their entire shift doing the drug searches. They can't "do more of them" as they take as long as they take. It just sounds like that guy usually does general searches and pat-downs and had been put on drugs duty.

No of course that wasn't the exact instruction that's a really silly thing to say - if you're going to say something stupid then it's going to sound stupid. You're joking even posting this right?

Someone who's used to doing searches may well notice when they're asked to do something more extreme than they usually do. This was the normal gate security not the specific drug team, I have no idea where you even got the impression it was them I was talking about, I've never made any suggestion so.

Why are you so very keen to just scream rubbish at this.....?

[DeanoL]

2 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

No of course that wasn't the exact instruction that's a really silly thing to say - if you're going to say something stupid then it's going to sound stupid. You're joking even posting this right?

Someone who's used to doing searches may well notice when they're asked to do something more extreme than they usually do. This was the normal gate security not the specific drug team, I have no idea where you even got the impression it was them I was talking about, I've never made any suggestion so.

Why are you so very keen to just scream rubbish at this.....?

So they weren't told to do more than last year then?

I'm not trying to scream rubbish, just you're presenting nonsense and rubbishing everyone elses suggestions that drug searches were similar to last year. Which they would have to be as it's part of the license. Is that, on the whole, more intense than what security normally do? Probably, yes. Glastonbury is a unique beast, there's no further searches once you're in the gates, so the gate searches are going to be a bit more thorough. I'd imagine to those who haven't worked it before it could have seemed a bit odd.

There's no evidence that the amount of intensive drugs searching went up and nothing you've actually posted, now we've dug a big deeper, actually supports that.

[frostypaw]

11 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

So they weren't told to do more than last year then?

*sigh*

NO. I HAVE SPECIFICALLY BEEN SAYING OTHERWISE FOR SOME TIME NOW ffs

What's confusing about that for you?

Let me try this again:

Security staff who have done this and many other festivals for many years were asked to do much more invasive and extensive searches than they'd been asked to do ever before - they were talking to me about it because they'd refused as they thought it was excessive.

Now think this through - if they refused to do it would that mean people's experience was mostly as normal or different? Yes! It would mean it was mostly as normal. So your "evidence" only backs up exactly what I said - that they said screw this and carried on as normal.

You've not dug any deeper, you've just been patting yourself on the back like a madman.

ps. seriously where the fuck do you keep getting this "i suppose if they were new to festivals/glasto" thing from, I've very specifically said otherwise every single time. it's mental mate, just mental

Edited June 27, 2017 by frostypaw

[AmyShambles]

Arrived by coach at about 14:15 Wednesday. Bit of scaremongering going on during the journey, talk of 2 hours queues for coach entry and big searches.

10 minute queue, steward at the gate asked if I had any glass as I walked in. Piece of piss.

 

[DeanoL]

6 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

*sigh*

NO. I HAVE SPECIFICALLY BEEN SAYING OTHERWISE FOR SOME TIME NOW ffs

What's confusing about that for you?

Let me try this again:

Security staff who have done this and many other festivals for many years were asked to do much more invasive and extensive searches than they'd been asked to do ever before - they were talking to me about it because they'd refused as they thought it was excessive.

Now think this through - if they refused to do it would that mean people's experience was mostly as normal or different? Yes! It would mean it was mostly as normal. So your "evidence" only backs up exactly what I said - that they said screw this and carried on as normal.

You've not dug any deeper, you've just been patting yourself on the back like a madman.

ps. seriously where the fuck do you keep getting this "i suppose if they were new to festivals/glasto" thing from, I've very specifically said otherwise every single time. it's mental mate, just mental

So now you're saying the searches weren't actually more intense than normal? Because security refused to do them? Which is in direct contradiction to what you said before when you said:

Quote

 

The drug searching was far more intense, 

 

And in fact we both agree it was basically all done "as normal" and there wasn't a problem? So why the huge rant?

[frostypaw]

1 minute ago, DeanoL said:

So now you're saying the searches weren't actually more intense than normal? Because security refused to do them? Which is in direct contradiction to what you said before when you said:

And in fact we both agree it was basically all done "as normal" and there wasn't a problem? So why the huge rant?

*sigh* oh god. Why is this so hard?

I'm saying they were asked to much more intense drug searching rather than before, which they did for a bit then stopped because it was ridiculous and even they thought so.

My problem was that we were told there would be extra searches because of the terrorist threat, instead they tried to use that as an excuse for much more invasive searching for everyone - which is deceptive and in poor taste using that tragedy to achieve other goals.

Still confused? I'm happy to explain it again if you need me to.

[Aragorn]

Do people really get searched on the way out? Why would that happen?

[Bernie Kosar]

Was anyone up stone circle on Sunday morning about 7/7:30?

place was swarming with security hanging around at the bottom, we got the fear and left but as we left 5 or 6 big beefy security men went charging up the hill whilst taking off badges and jackets on the way. I imagine to tax drugs but didn't stick around to find out haha

[D-Low]

Same for me as most here. Arrived just befpre 5am Wednesday Gate A. Was inside by 7.30am. Queue kept moving continuously, especially by the time we got in the same field as the zig zags. Just a pat down lightly on outside of bag. Feel as though anyone could have smuggled anything they wanted inside. Was very lax which in recent events doesn't really fill me with confidence. Although it was nice to not have to queue too long in the baking sun once it came out.

Didn't see much security for most of the weekend aside from the odd policeman/woman wandering the site.

[richroet]

Entered the site Wednesday at about 12.30pm with no problem didn't see many bag searches either.

Had a second trip about 7.30pm, too hot before that, and again no searches. 

Then did mini runs early Thursday, Friday and Saturday and was bag searched every time although was very quiet each time. Had a disposable bbq confiscated on the Saturday due to the risk of fire due to dry ground.

Packed up Sunday morning and took kit back to car. Came back with no bags at all and were all searched. It looks like everyone on Sunday were getting searched.

All of this was at gate D btw.

Despite the fact it looked like everyone was searched that we saw on Sunday that was the only day we saw any glass bottles, mostly small wine bottles 

[leggyemulous]

5 hours ago, naughtygeorgie said:

Coming in from CV West daily was mainly ok... weds every bag/ bumbag was searched, it then dropped off a bit to occasional searches

Saturday night an utter dick was "in charge" or so he said.. searched every pocket in OH bag and patted him down ( luckily he didn't see the shit OH accidentally dropped on the search table with his ticket!) Then he went through every pocket of my bumbag, opening cigarette packets, portable ashtray etc kept asking me what drugs I'd got and if j handed them over it would all be ok etc etc then he said "I'm not allowed to touch you" yeah mate I'm fully aware of my rights!  

Obviously he didn't find anything, felt like telling him it wasn't amarture hour

Short haired bloke with a beard right? There was quite a pleasant gingery fella with dreads and a beard who stopped me to search my bag on Saturday. This this other fella came muscling in demanding to know what I had on me that I shouldn't have, getting me to empty my pockets etc. "if you've got something, I WILL find it..." blah, blah. Then noticing I'd left my wallet in my back pocket and being an absolute penis about going through every centimetre of it. Obviously, nothing found, but it wasn't for the want of trying. Asked him if intended to pat me down. When he didn't answer, I grabbed my stuff, gave him a wink and wondered off into the festival. 

[whisty]

2 hours ago, Aragorn said:

Do people really get searched on the way out? Why would that happen?

Best guess is it's to discourage thieves or maybe wristband swappers. can't think of any other reason.

[DeadAmos]

Anyone know why the site went into semi lock down early Sunday morning , was the only time I was searched entering via Gate D at 04:30 , 1 small judas gate was the only thing open at the time and was told by security all gates were the same

 

[Upside down frowner]

10 minutes ago, whisty said:

Best guess is it's to discourage thieves or maybe wristband swappers. can't think of any other reason.

That would make sense, at some big clubs such as Fabric/whp you can be searched in the way out because of the phone thieves- my wife was asked at Fabric to enter her pin to prove it was her phone once, which I can accept because we all hate pick pockets. However my search on the Sat night exit was definitely for drugs and thorough.

They were still doing it at gate C on Sunday and Monday early morning!