I broke into Glasto....

[Messy]

eFestivals does have a point though.

I bet the majority that're trying to get in without a ticket are people who didn't buy one at all. Even if it's not, it's still a slap in the face to the people who did.

[dakyras]

the tickets are definitely NOT scanned.

I was also asked to remove my sunnies so they could check my face against the print on the ticket.

[eFestivals]

The onus would be with GFL to prove otherwise.

no. The onus is on the person to have a ticket as the T&Cs say.

As for expense, I'm admittedly no computer expert but how much are laptops these days? How hard would it be to store ticket details on them? Ultimately it depends on whether the festival really wants to stop touts and illegal entry and how much they are using sound bites to publicise the festival. Before anyone starts talking about hold ups at the gate it would be easy for a festival with Glastos considerable experience to quickly redirect these poor souls/numpties to officials with the wherewithal to deal with them. Shit, I'm pretty sure most of us on here would happily walk a few extra miles and wait a few extra hours if we found ourselves in Doomz shoes.

it's not just "a laptop" - the laptops part (tho hundreds of them - one for each gate staff) is the easy part.

Any laptop is only any good at Glasto with it's multiple entry points if connected to a central system which is recording who is entering - otherwise people could enter via different gates using the same ticket, and no one would know about it.

If you'd see the MASSIVE queues at Solfest last year, you wouldn't be saying that the delays would be negligable.

[arteet]

3. Make tickets have a better ID than picture (e.g. fingerprint or something of that nature) - would never work, too many problems

[eFestivals]

I get the distinct impression that you have taken this stance to give an alternative view of this debate and stir it up a bit (as everyone replying thus far has been sympathetic to his cause).

I know your views do occasionly have a degree of sarcasm which is interpreted as being harsh or rude but on this occasion it does seem a little OTT. I can't imagine if this had happened to you that you would be posting on this forum saying you deserved everything you got beacuse you were stupid enough or unlucky enough to misplace your ticket. Quite the opposite in fact!!

To the OP - good on you for getting in. There are obvious flaws on this subject that needs to be addressed.

Oh FFS.

I can take responsibility for myself thanks.

(I'm tempted to point out that the younger generations don't get personal responsibility, but I'd just get called an old git for pointing out that they don't get it, at least, they get it less than older generations ).

I'm putting forwards the view that I know for certain the festival has to take in order for there to be a festival. Because I want there to be a festival I agree with the view they take.

If I found myself in the same situation I'd probably try all the same things that the OP did. But what I wouldn't do is say that the festival should change things because of my own error.

[Artie Fufkin]

the right of entry is represented by the ticket. No ticket; no entry.

Yes, it REALLY IS that simple.

[grandadcollective]

As I've said earlier a holding pen/s would be simple to implement. Genuine cases could be quickly dealt with and jokers ejected (a small police presence with the threat of arrest and prosecution for fraud is only slightly less draconian than the ring of steel) One or two area and a hand full of standalone laptops. Either that or they have faith in their own 'anti-tout' measures.

[halvin]

I think people thinking their tickets were being scanned were confusing bar code scanning with the IR boxes to check ticket authenticity on the pedestrian gates.

[Bluearsedfly]

As you can probably tell, this thread is getting right on my goat.

Genuinley interested to know what efestivals would have done in this scenario;

Stopped off for a comfort break at a nearby boozer on way to fest. Dropped wallet on way out and got to the gate without ticket. Would you ;

A) Oh well, the T&C's say no ticket no entry, I am a bellend, have a good time chaps, I'm off.

Argue the toss with the nearest ticketmaster rep/ security supervisor till you were blue in the face?

C) Phone a friend. ( Gain entry, someone picks up your ticket, phones ticketless mate who chances his arm and gains entry hence flounting the risk of increasing the capacity and risking the license for next year at risk?

All well and good playing devils advocate, but if the shoe was on the other foot..........

Edited July 9, 2009 by Bluearsedfly

[Doomz]

How about retina scans

Seriously though, the problem is clearly not the purchase of the ticket but the not knowing whether it has been sold on. The only way I can think of to control that is scanning all the tickets or using a system like airlines do. If that can't / won't happen then the current system is surely the best option. It is unfortunate that people lose their tickets but without the control it wouldnt exactly be difficult to share a ticket with a mate.

[eFestivals]

So what was the point of sticking photos on the tickets again? Your argument only stands up if you admit they aren't checking people's photos properly, in which case the system IS flawed and DOES need changing.

the photos are on the tickets as an anti-touting measure, not as an "I've lost my ticket" measure.

As I said, the system works. However, all systems fail eventually due to human error - there's no avoiding that human error, and Glasto are well aware of that. It's as backup against that human error which requires each person to have their ticket. Glasto can only take responsibility for the human errors of their staff, which they do do with the system they operate. It is not their place to take responsibility for the human errors of the rest of the world's population.

If they changed it so that they allowed the likes of you in without a ticket, then that would be a weaker system. Due to the problems pre-2002 with huge numbers of the unticketed gaining entry they cannot risk operating a weaker system than what they have.

[cejx]

Oh FFS.

I can take responsibility for myself thanks.

(I'm tempted to point out that the younger generations don't get personal responsibility, but I'd just get called an old git for pointing out that they don't get it, at least, they get it less than older generations ).

I'm putting forwards the view that I know for certain the festival has to take in order for there to be a festival. Because I want there to be a festival I agree with the view they take.

If I found myself in the same situation I'd probably try all the same things that the OP did. But what I wouldn't do is say that the festival should change things because of my own error.

[sifi]

As you can probably tell, this thread is getting right on my goat.

Genuinley interested to know what efestivals would have done in this scenario;

Stopped off for a comfort break at a nearby boozer on way to fest. Dropped wallet on way out and got to the gate without ticket. Would you ;

A) Oh well, the T&C's say no ticket no entry, I am a bellend, have a good time chaps, I'm off.

Argue the toss with the nearest ticketmaster rep/ security supervisor till you were blue in the face?

C) Phone a friend. ( Gain entry, someone picks up your ticket, phones ticketless mate who chances his arm and gains entry hence flounting the risk of increasing the capacity and risking the license for next year at risk?

All well and good playing devils advocate, but if the shoe was on the other foot..........

[kaanypooch]

No, you've missed the point.

the system is NOT flawed. The system works PERFECTLY.

[Bluearsedfly]

of (d) Not be so stupid as to lose his wallet in the pub?

What is it with people? I've been gig going for twenty odd years and I've never lost a ticket. It's not that difficult, surely?

[Innana]

agree completely... but there are some... well one person on this thread that feel computers on the gates would be affected by adverse weather... when a whole festival can be run without the weather adversely affecting it... almost!!!

[hombrederayo]

lost your ticket before you arrive onsite...tough shit, no entry.

moral of the story, dont lose your ticket!!!

[eFestivals]

Firstly:

Nobody should be able to get in with somebody else's ticket. If you lose your ticket but can prove beyond reasonable doubt (as the OP did) that you purchased a ticket, you should be allowed on site. To disallow access is to admit that putting photos on your ticket doesn't work. In which case, why bother?

surely you're not so daft as to think that no two people can't look similar in a smallish photo?

The photos are good enough to stop any ticket being sold to any buyer - this is good enough to just about kill off the touting of tickets, which is what they were designed to do. They are not good enough to prove beyond all doubt that the ticket holder is the named person.

Therefore:

Making an exception for a tiny number of people who have forgotten tickets on the way (or just before) the festival is a reasonable expectation.

it's only reasonable if the festival is able to know for certain that only the named person is using their own ticket. The festival is not able to know this.

And so, it's only reasonable if there's a guarantee that no one will try scamming that system, by selling their ticket and claiming tyo have lost it. Perhaps you'd be prepared to give Glasto those guarantees - with the finance to back it up? No? Then they're no less reasonable than you are yourself.

Also:

There was a group of around ten people camped near me who had not paid to be at Glastonbury this year. They'd all been smuggled in by staff from The Park (i'm not saying where as i don't wanna incriminate anyone). I'd much rather see the genuine people who've made an honest mistake be given the opportunity to prove that mistake rather than see a whole group of imposters on site who clearly planned their access like a military operation (as well as taking advantage of their position).

I'm sure we'd all agree with what you say. But the fact they were there shows what the results would be from weakening the system by formally allowing people in without tickets.

[Bluearsedfly]

of (d) Not be so stupid as to lose his wallet in the pub?

What is it with people? I've been gig going for twenty odd years and I've never lost a ticket. It's not that difficult, surely?

Edited July 9, 2009 by Bluearsedfly

[eFestivals]

I've not read the thread, but I'd imagine that all ticket holders are on some sort of a database, with the picture they used to register included. Would it not be feasible to have this database accessible to the people at the gates? If people that'd lost tickets turned up with just proof of residence/ID, then it'd be enough to verify that they're valid ticketholders who had not sold their ticket.

the database would have to be able to be accessed from all gates for every second of every day, guaranteed.

No one is able to provide such a system, which is why they don't have such a system.

[sifi]

Well aren't you a f**kin hero!?

Edited July 9, 2009 by sifimaster

[Bluearsedfly]

lost your ticket before you arrive onsite...tough shit, no entry.

moral of the story, dont lose your ticket!!!

[markeee]

well the one problem is, as stated prior times..how do security/gfl know the ticket hasn't been sold/given to someone else? and the original owner is now trying his luck claiming he lost it etc

i sympathise with anyone who loses their ticket, but it's a tough one, perhaps they should implement some kind of method whereby tickets are scanned, so they know someone has used the ticket

[serginhowardinho]

You've given me an idea. Rather than have the photos the size of a postage stamp printed using a squishy colour pallete, how about making it take up half the ticket, and actually be printed half decently? Eliminates the "selling on to people who look like you issue". Ask for people to bring a backup form of ID just in case they aren't recognised from it. Go mental on the photo approval is what I'm basically saying.

-D

[Langdale Wolf]

of (d) Not be so stupid as to lose his wallet in the pub?

What is it with people? I've been gig going for twenty odd years and I've never lost a ticket. It's not that difficult, surely?