Horrible pikey b@stards...

[MilkyJoe]

Evening all, hope everyone enjoyed their week. I am still buzzing and would have liked to make my first post back a happy one, reminiscing about the good times but this has really annoyed me and I feel I have to speak.

Now this is by far from being a xenophobic rant and I know that Glastonbury was more or less built on the back of the travelling community but what I saw on Monday morning/afternoon disgusted and appalled me and Mrs. Mj.

In festivals past, (not just Glasto but others too) there has always been the contingent that go through the leftovers looking for bits to take away and I have always looked at this from the angle that they are aiding the recycling process in their own way and it is less for the organisers to sort out and take to landfill but by half 10 on Monday morning the scavengers were already picking through the Pennards campsite and this was what we saw.

People going up to the piles of plastic bin liners, tearing them apart and tipping the contents out on to the ground to see what was inside. The stuff that people had already packed away in the bin liners was then just left as they went on to the next bag.

One woman we saw found a bucket that had been used as a bin throughout the weekend, (I know that it shouldn't have just been left but at least they had used it as a bin for their rubbish) she emptied the bucket out all over the ground because she wanted the bucket and then moved onto the next pile.

Now that is only two examples of what we saw as we were waiting for the traffic to die down on the monday but it is by no means a couple of isolated incidents. One thing we did notice is that all of the people that were doing this either didn't have wristbands or they had workers ones.

It is heartbreaking at any festival to see the mess left behind on what should be picturesque green fields and even more so at Glastonbury, but to see that people had actually taken the time to bag their rubbish up, only to watch as it was again thrown around the ground was doubly upsetting.

Any thoughts or am I just being melodramatic?

[DaveMac]

That is appalling news Milky Joe

I was up at at Pennards and a lot of us went to the effort of bagging up our rubbish into neat piles and keeping the area we had stayed in relatively clean. So disappointed such good efforts were negated by a few selfish people - a sign of the times I suppose !

[Clareno7]

Evening all, hope everyone enjoyed their week. I am still buzzing and would have liked to make my first post back a happy one, reminiscing about the good times but this has really annoyed me and I feel I have to speak.

Now this is by far from being a xenophobic rant and I know that Glastonbury was more or less built on the back of the travelling community but what I saw on Monday morning/afternoon disgusted and appalled me and Mrs. Mj.

In festivals past, (not just Glasto but others too) there has always been the contingent that go through the leftovers looking for bits to take away and I have always looked at this from the angle that they are aiding the recycling process in their own way and it is less for the organisers to sort out and take to landfill but by half 10 on Monday morning the scavengers were already picking through the Pennards campsite and this was what we saw.

People going up to the piles of plastic bin liners, tearing them apart and tipping the contents out on to the ground to see what was inside. The stuff that people had already packed away in the bin liners was then just left as they went on to the next bag.

One woman we saw found a bucket that had been used as a bin throughout the weekend, (I know that it shouldn't have just been left but at least they had used it as a bin for their rubbish) she emptied the bucket out all over the ground because she wanted the bucket and then moved onto the next pile.

Now that is only two examples of what we saw as we were waiting for the traffic to die down on the monday but it is by no means a couple of isolated incidents. One thing we did notice is that all of the people that were doing this either didn't have wristbands or they had workers ones.

It is heartbreaking at any festival to see the mess left behind on what should be picturesque green fields and even more so at Glastonbury, but to see that people had actually taken the time to bag their rubbish up, only to watch as it was again thrown around the ground was doubly upsetting.

Any thoughts or am I just being melodramatic?

[staggerlee]

Leave your f**king racism for your local rally please...

EDITED: Removed over harsh response

Edited June 29, 2010 by staggerlee

[Salt_On_Everything]

We bagged all our rubbish up, I really hope it didn't get emptied out after we left! But in this spirit, I've been a scavenger at Download in the past - have come home with booze and camping chairs for free! But only taking whats on view, I'd never dream of rummaging through bins for it!

[Kaybee]

While I wouldn't necessarily use the same language as Staggerlee, you appear to be ascribing behaviour to "pikeys" and "travellers" without giving any indication of knowing that the people you describe have any identifier to any group other than they "didn't have wristbands".

I don't condone the behaviour you describe. I do question your use of language.

[hedgepeg]

A positive side of that is I think they have to empty black bin bags anyway to separate the recycling stuff

[Mahdnyw]

--snip--

Any thoughts or am I just being melodramatic?

[Sarah-Lou]

I camped in family camping for the 1st time this year and it was the tidiest field I've ever seen at Glasto on a Monday morning!!

Nobody was abandoning stuff,all rubbish was bagged and left by the path and if people were donating stuff it was all in a tidy pile by the stewards...Fabulous!!

[MilkyJoe]

Okay on reflection, a poor choice of title, (I can't change it now) my post was in no means supposed to be either racist or derogatory to anybody and the term pikey by the way was used by me as a general term for the travelling community (sincere apologies to Stagerlee if I have offended) indeed I have also taken things from festivals myself and as I said people are cutting down the amount of stuff that has to be sorted.

I don't care where the people that were doing this were from, what my gripe was and is, is that people were going though the campsites and emptying rubbish bags all over the floor.

Once again sorry for any offence caused, I really didn't want it to be that way but I thought I should mention it.

Edited June 29, 2010 by MilkyJoe

[Mark E. Spliff]

quick edit: I too was seriously pissed off with what you wrote, but in view of what you've written above, I'll leave it there.

Edited June 29, 2010 by Mark E. Spliff

[MilkyJoe]

Yep, to be honest I was half expecting that I was opening a can of worms here,

As I've said already, I was in no way trying to be offensive and I don't think it can be likened to the Daily Mail! I was trying to guage whether this was just a one off incident or whether all campsites were the same.

My original point, however poorly worded was supposed to be that the trash that people had already bagged up was being spread about the site once again making more work for the people that have to clean it all up...

[llcoolphil]

Evening all, hope everyone enjoyed their week. I am still buzzing and would have liked to make my first post back a happy one, reminiscing about the good times but this has really annoyed me and I feel I have to speak.

Now this is by far from being a xenophobic rant and I know that Glastonbury was more or less built on the back of the travelling community but what I saw on Monday morning/afternoon disgusted and appalled me and Mrs. Mj.

In festivals past, (not just Glasto but others too) there has always been the contingent that go through the leftovers looking for bits to take away and I have always looked at this from the angle that they are aiding the recycling process in their own way and it is less for the organisers to sort out and take to landfill but by half 10 on Monday morning the scavengers were already picking through the Pennards campsite and this was what we saw.

People going up to the piles of plastic bin liners, tearing them apart and tipping the contents out on to the ground to see what was inside. The stuff that people had already packed away in the bin liners was then just left as they went on to the next bag.

One woman we saw found a bucket that had been used as a bin throughout the weekend, (I know that it shouldn't have just been left but at least they had used it as a bin for their rubbish) she emptied the bucket out all over the ground because she wanted the bucket and then moved onto the next pile.

Now that is only two examples of what we saw as we were waiting for the traffic to die down on the monday but it is by no means a couple of isolated incidents. One thing we did notice is that all of the people that were doing this either didn't have wristbands or they had workers ones.

It is heartbreaking at any festival to see the mess left behind on what should be picturesque green fields and even more so at Glastonbury, but to see that people had actually taken the time to bag their rubbish up, only to watch as it was again thrown around the ground was doubly upsetting.

Any thoughts or am I just being melodramatic?

[MilkyJoe]

Sorry can you explain how you knew these people were travellers? Whilst not condoning this action, do you think this handful of people caused more rubbish to be strewn all over the sight than the tens of thousands who couldn't be arsed using a bin all weekend?

[eFestivals]

While what you saw wasn't good, why the need of ethnic slurs? :angry:

You have, I presume, no idea who the people you saw actually were. For all you know, they could live on your street and not in a caravan.

[LusciousLucy]

I couldn't quite figure out the rubbish collection style this year but I was certainly confused when I witnessed official staff ripping open bags at the PGD exit.

I am guessing it was actually more to do with wanting to get as much as possible recycled?

I left by 7am as usual again this year but I honestly thought how clean (as in neat rubbish piles) Park and Paines Ground were on exit.

I'd love to go tatting again but I would never rip bags open.

[Topless Skateboarding Nun]

I saw the beginings of the urchins rumaging through the left overs. Got to say, i did a fair bit myself as i always do...and i managed to leave with more than i brought! replenishing my broken camping gear or even salvaging to order is not unfamilier to me! cant say ive ever rummaged through a bin bag yet...though if i did i would be sure to tidy it up!

I dont think the OP meant anything racist...lets not get all uptight...those glasto blues getting a real grip eh?

On the subject of leaving with more than you came with....i picked up a few leftover cans "with the owners permissions".

just one or two

[MilkyJoe]

Dude, nice stash, are you sure that bottle in the centre contains Strongbow though...

Seriously, nothing racist or xenophobic was meant by me and I agree it was a very poor choice of words in the title. I was on a massive comedown and was just a bit pissed off by the end to my Glastonbury. As I have previously said I have absolutley nothing against taking stuff away, recycling is good, I left with 2 camping chairs that had been left (along with my two broken ones I'll hasten to add) and even donated some cans to one of the guys that was going round although as I sat down last night I wish I'd kept them...

[GingerRock]

On the subject of leaving with more than you came with....i picked up a few leftover cans "with the owners permissions".

just one or two

[Spindles]

Impressive haul.

I was camped in undleground, on mondays the people who are staying for paid work move in as spaces appear and you see all sorts there. Before we left we were drinking with travellers who were staying on and getting paid work for a few days/weeks discussing tatting and the aftermath they see every year, quality folk.

You DO however, get a nasty element among those who stay and tat/litterpick, last year there were some really scary folks who appeared in undleground monday morning and I'm glad I was off so early that year, listening to them talk it was clear they start their festival with thievery and end it with tatting/paid work, filling the period in the middle with as much coke/ket/whatever as they can lay their hands on and a few good, fun, fights. We don't all go there for the same thing, but some people just go there to be cnuts.

[Mahdnyw]

Excellent haul there Topless Skateboarding Nun and just goes to prove what I said to my friends over the weekend, people bring FAR too much alcohol to the festival these days. And as a result the dynamic & atmosphere of the festival has drastically changed over the years, for the worse I believe.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Mahdnyw

[-pogo-]

See I must admit I had a bad view of Gypsy's [is it correct to use the word gypsy?] until Download last year when one of the friendliest people I met all weekend was one.

We have a kind of gang where I'm from that do pretty bad stuff, and that then gives them a bad name, so I feel kinda bad using the word "hawker" after meeting friendly ones.

I don't know what I'm trying to say here, maybe that the word "pikey" in the title was used in ignorance, like I used to use the word "hawker"? Educate therefore, don't go on a rampage.