Where do tent thieves come from?

[sifi]

What f**king charity shop was this anyhow Josie's Cat? Just so that I know to go in there?

[cincoveces05]

But I bet you end up saying "I wish I'd never gone into that charity shop", no?

[crimsonking]

I don't know what country or ethnicity the pieces of shit were from, that ruined our festival, but it doesn't matter. We will forever remember Glastonbury as perhaps the worst, most traumatic experiences of our lives, and that is how our family & friends back home will now think of it.

Michael Eavis probably doesn't care, as he got our money already, but we intend to let him know about our experience.

Perhaps we did not really fit in, so our absence in the future won't be a big deal, but Glastonbury festival will be a place we will Never return to, and will only bear deep scars when we think about it.

We plan to stay in the states from now on for festivals, which is quite a shame, as we're huge music fans and festival lovers, and we would rather be saying good things about Glastonbury, but that obviously will never happen now.

[Josie's Cat]

What f**king charity shop was this anyhow Josie's Cat? Just so that I know to go in there?

[sifi]

There's a difference between saying 'I wish i'd never gone into that charity shop' and saying 'Everyone in that Charity Shop is a scumbag, everyone who's ever shopped in that charity shop is a scumbag, the police trying to help me are scumbags, the people who shop in that charity shop have all conspired against me and are scumbags and everyone from the country in which that charity shop stands is a scumbag'

One is perfectly reasonable, one is being a drama queen.

[robith]

To the previous two posters, and anyone else who feels the need to call us names, and say we were even partly to blame.....GO f**k YOURSELVES.

You have no idea the Hell we went through, and how most of the so-called Glastonbury staff made us constantly feel as if we were on our own.

My fiance keeps telling me that there are plenty of nice, caring people in the world, and in the UK in particular. It's folks like you that continue to remind me that all the nice people, don't make up for those who could care less, and truly believe we're "drama queens."

I'm sorry our boring drama queen routine is bothering some of you folk. We saw a quote from Mr. Eavis that said he wants to ensure that everyone attending Glastonbury feel completely safe, and has a good time. Perhaps you should consider that, before complaining about my posting on what I guess is YOUR private message board. So sorry to ruin your day.

To recap....we arrive by coach, whereupon our sleeping bags are stolen before we even leave the shuttle. The first night, our tent is entered, bags gone through WHILE WE SLEPT INSIDE, considerable sum of money, passport, drivers license, credit cards, atm cards, rail pass, all stolen.

Finally, to top it all off, one of our bags was stolen off the train while we returned to London. It contained several pairs of shoes, toiletries, books, and some other items. Thankfully nothing that's irreplaceable.

Our Glastonbury experience was SHIT. And if it bothers you to hear me complain and say that, then too f**king bad! I guess the live and learn moment comes in knowing that you have people in the UK, who are low life scum, like many of the dirty, filthy Americans I'm used to back home.

[cdm22]

To recap....we arrive by coach, whereupon our sleeping bags are stolen before we even leave the shuttle. The first night, our tent is entered, bags gone through WHILE WE SLEPT INSIDE, considerable sum of money, passport, drivers license, credit cards, atm cards, rail pass, all stolen.

Finally, to top it all off, one of our bags was stolen off the train while we returned to London.

[cincoveces05]

If I thought I was stuck ten thousand miles away from home, and had a three week holiday flushed down the can, my immediate reactions might not be entirely rational - would yours?

Edited July 1, 2011 by cincoveces05

[sifi]

Oh, I hadn't realised SoCal had come back for round two, so to speak.

In which case - further evidence of the pussification of America. I'm surprised that a lawyer hasn't been put on the case yet, and someone isn't trying to extradite Michael Eavis etc.

[LusciousLucy]

SoCal, we do all feel your anger and hate over this very unfortunate set of experiences and many do sympathise with what has happened BUT it would be very much appreciated if you would apologise for pointing the accusing finger at your fellow camp mates. That was a very very underhand and low thing to do and despite the obvious need to react to what happened to you there was absolutely NO CALL for you to do that at us and whilst we all accept you are very very hurt by what happened, there are now a lot more people hurt by your unfounded accusations. Had the camp been made aware of the situation (which we were not) everyone would have bent over backwards to help, I hope you are aware of this.

The case has been laid before you by many and you can choose to listen to all the comments but hopefully ignore most of the ignorant silly ones directed at you. It is not fair in any way for you have been landed with such awful experiences and whilst you will now remain in the US and tell every person you ever meet from now on not to go and camp in the most beautiful field and festival on the planet, take for one second to think and remember that hundreds of thousands of people have come before you over the past 41 years and 95%+ of those have never been affected by crime and even those who have, would not even think to badmouth it and probably still return to the fest.

You have hopefully read every comment laid before you and hopefully now have some sort of better idea of how it is regardless of the shite sent in your direction.

People from across the planet will carry on attending the festival, those affected by crime - nearly every single one of them will try and return again in the future. Had this happened to you in London before you even reached the festival, would your attitude still be the same to the fest in particular?

Eavis DOES try and make the festival as safe as he can but HE is not in control of the 175,000 people who have paid to attend and certainly not in control of the theiving scum that probably didnt pay for a ticket and have easy pickings when there is a city under canvas at their fingertips and unwitting festival goers who dont do enough to keep themselves safe. The security and safety options are there for people to use should they choose to use them.

If in the future you DO have friends that want to go and say they still do despite what happened to you, let THEM choose for THEMSELVES if they want to attend. What happened to you personally was just that, a personal and very nasty experience.

My mate gave up on his trip of a lifetime 3 weeks ago in Thailand after first being scammed for hundreds of pounds for a tiny scratch on a moped by a hire company, his phone stolen from his pocket on an organised bus and then finally, wallet stolen from his LOCKED bedroom as he slept and lies aplenty told to him by the hotel staff. He came 7 months earlier than planned (he lasted a month!) but accepts he went to a corrupt country where he was an easy target. He wont be spouting hatred like you are about similar experiences though and you visited the UK.

Sleep well at night back home, I hope life stays safe for you from now on and you dont have any more awful experiences like this again. But please, if you can, apologise to your campmates, who you never even really met anyway and then went ahead and accused us of stealing from you.

Thank you.

[LittlemissC]

To the previous two posters, and anyone else who feels the need to call us names, and say we were even partly to blame.....GO f**k YOURSELVES.

You have no idea the Hell we went through, and how most of the so-called Glastonbury staff made us constantly feel as if we were on our own.

My fiance keeps telling me that there are plenty of nice, caring people in the world, and in the UK in particular. It's folks like you that continue to remind me that all the nice people, don't make up for those who could care less, and truly believe we're "drama queens."

I'm sorry our boring drama queen routine is bothering some of you folk. We saw a quote from Mr. Eavis that said he wants to ensure that everyone attending Glastonbury feel completely safe, and has a good time. Perhaps you should consider that, before complaining about my posting on what I guess is YOUR private message board. So sorry to ruin your day.

To recap....we arrive by coach, whereupon our sleeping bags are stolen before we even leave the shuttle. The first night, our tent is entered, bags gone through WHILE WE SLEPT INSIDE, considerable sum of money, passport, drivers license, credit cards, atm cards, rail pass, all stolen.

Finally, to top it all off, one of our bags was stolen off the train while we returned to London. It contained several pairs of shoes, toiletries, books, and some other items. Thankfully nothing that's irreplaceable.

Our Glastonbury experience was SHIT. And if it bothers you to hear me complain and say that, then too f**king bad! I guess the live and learn moment comes in knowing that you have people in the UK, who are low life scum, like many of the dirty, filthy Americans I'm used to back home.

Edited July 1, 2011 by LittlemissC

[sifi]

Three separate incidents with the same victims?

Got to be an inside-job. They've mugged themselves for the insurance money, innit.

[sifi]

That's like saying women who dress in a certain way 'deserve' to be raped

[stuie]

We plan to stay in the states from now on for festivals

Edited July 1, 2011 by stu_kent

[jimmyk83]

I said you were playing the victim as you constantly are. You fail to respond to the fact that I was robbed also, while sleeping in my tent as a female on my own. I did use the lock-ups but still suffered a significant robbery and a massive invasion of privacy while sleeping alone.

Many many others also had the same unfortunate experience and some worse than you, but you deliver this as though you were the only victim of crime.

As I said to you before, I was also at CT and found everyone to be of massive support, and as Lucy says, you owe as ALL an apology for your accusations. I do not blame you for your experiences and did not say that, but your posts are a tad repetitious and self absorbed.

Edit for typo.

[ukslim]

so no fault for the people who do the thieving..??

that's like saying women who dress in a certain way 'deserve' to be raped

[geebus]

For the OP - you seem to have been particularly unlucky.

I wonder if you looked like a particulary good target due to your clothes, attitudes, etc.

Despite the fact I often take similar amounts of cash in to the festival and this year not only was carrying, but left at my tent a bag of camera stuff easily worth over £2k rrp, I didn't have any problems.

However, were people to look at me, they wouldn't think that of me I suspect - cameras were in a fairly innocous looking camera, bag. I was wearing ripped jeans and certainly didn't have anything (as far as I'm aware) expensive-fashionable on. I made a point of well hiding my camera stuff when I did leave it in the text (under some charcoal and other used BBQ stuff.) I made sure I had some health paranoia when I did have stuff with (helps that I don't look like a 'push over' either.)

[ukslim]

I made a point of well hiding my camera stuff when I did leave it in the tent (under some charcoal and other used BBQ stuff.)

[LusciousLucy]

DO remember here that SoCal and his lady were sleeping at the time the robbery occurred and hence were no way indistinguishable from any other person at the festival. (Clothing, accents, nationality etc)

It certainly sounds like the robbers we had in our area were fairly determined and had some major intentions and sadly did get away with an awful lot.

But it is all hindsight now and it is all in the past. Move on, deal with it accordingly, politely and sensibly (like LittleMissC has) and think about the consequences of the accusations and apologise. It is sadly a little too late for maybe the polite and sensible part but you, as a member of this forum which is no way private and you specifically made intentions to join and camp with the people from these boards, do perhaps start behaving nicely. Letting this simmer and carrying on unable to deal with it isnt going to do you any favours both personally or publicly.

There are people who genuinely are concerned and upset for you, pay it back a little.

Edited July 1, 2011 by LusciousLucy

[geebus]

ukslim: I did use the lockups (though unfortunately the one marked in Holts is no longer there, I found). I wanted to get just my camera+1 lens out of the bag on Sunday, I did but was asked to queue up again to get the bag back in and had to be at the Circus field for 3pm for 'Trapeze school'. So just took my whole bag with me. Too busy later so took the calculated risk of leaving it there (there was a little trepidation when returning to the tent and it was thing I checked .)

DO remember here that SoCal and his lady were sleeping at the time the robbery occurred and hence were no way indistinguishable from any other person at the festival. (Clothing, accents, nationality etc)

[plantpot]

I don't know what country or ethnicity the pieces of shit were from, that ruined our festival, but it doesn't matter. We will forever remember Glastonbury as perhaps the worst, most traumatic experiences of our lives, and that is how our family & friends back home will now think of it.

Michael Eavis probably doesn't care, as he got our money already, but we intend to let him know about our experience.

Perhaps we did not really fit in, so our absence in the future won't be a big deal, but Glastonbury festival will be a place we will Never return to, and will only bear deep scars when we think about it.

We plan to stay in the states from now on for festivals, which is quite a shame, as we're huge music fans and festival lovers, and we would rather be saying good things about Glastonbury, but that obviously will never happen now.

[Flange Basket]

I was held at knife point in San Francisco when I was 16. They took all my cash from me. So, using our American friends logic, I think we can now recipricate the International Relations love in by tarring all Americans as thieving tw*ts as well. He obviously ingested President Bush's manual on foreign policy and managed to translate it into a Festival unfriendly version.

For the record, I've returned to America since. Twice. Not to exact my revenge on an entire nation of criminals, as I could have judged them, nor to wander through the crime free utopia that is California. Nope, because its a nice place with generally nice people, but with some bad places and bad people who do bad things to nice people, sometimes in nice places. Hell, from personal experience, they'll even extort money from an innocent tourist. I shouldn't have wandered off the beaten track. I should have done my homework. You should too. I blame my own naivity (and I was just a kid), you should too (and you're presumably gown up, well in body at least)

I've now lost patience with this guy. What was initial sympathy is now leading me to think that what went on at Glastonbury couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I mean, if anyones going to get their stuff nicked, better a racist than anyone right?

Write to Eavis. I know for a fact that in the past he has stepped in and helped people who have difficult personal situations (deaths of family members preventing them getting to the festival by coach and therefore collecting their tickets, and Eavis, in person, called this person and offered them a VIP ticket to be collected any time if they could arrange alternative transport).

You judge too quick and too harshly buddy, and perhaps thats why the Glastonbury spirit failed to find you and help you through your way. If fighting losing arguments is your thing, please, continue to post, i will gladly continue to point out your failings. I'm sorry your family will have their views of this country tainted, I'd hate to think of them as the redneck, hick I now picture you as.

Off you pop, theres a banjo duel out there with your name on it.

By the way, anyone know of any American festivals with a zero crime level, please, feel free to prove me wrong.

Oh, and I still have sympathy for anyone else who was the victim of crime but doesn't decide to turn it into some racial rant.

Oh, and the thieves are all clearly from Liverpool or eton, someone said they were the only 2 accents they heard all week.

[plantpot]

Three separate incidents with the same victims?

Got to be an inside-job. They've mugged themselves for the insurance money, innit.

[formed a band]

Talk about dwelling on things, your life must be a misery.

By the way fence jumping ? I thought it was unjumpable?

[ukslim]

absolutely...

but I think it's rather hard on the victim, when on a train or bus or whatever, to point out to them that at least a couple of the thefts could have been avoided..

without keeping a constant eye on all your stuff for the whole journey, then it's not that easily avoidable