Getting in without a ticket

[ltfckimbo]

Bloke I spoke to in Dragon's at one point who came up to me for a light had no wristband. Said he'd basically blagged it in with other performers - many of whom still get in this way apparently.

I've been arguing on the Oxfam Stewards forum that the ticket system in over complex and failing to achieve its basic security aims. I'll post here if anything comes out of it.

[Pinhead]

I'm curious as to what they are..doesn't matter to me, I'll always buy a ticket..too far for me to travel to risk being told no lol

well yea just seems thaty if you can just say oh i lost my pass out and be allowed in..surely pass out is a waste of time?

BUT on the other hand, if you couldn't get in if you lost your passout it'd suck ..as im sure there are genuine cases where people lose the pass out

[Roger Explosion]

My friend got in legitimately without a ticket as it was thrown away by her flatmate accidently.

She went to the ticketing booth who refused to reissue a new one even though she had a booking reference and passport. She then called us (inside) and my mate told her to talk to the cops as they cant just leave someone who has paid stranded outside until monday. As she was talking (and tearing up) next to a copper, some sort of festival organiser helped her out and took her through without a wristband. Sorted.

She was very careful of flashing her wrists about all weekend.

Those ticketing booths are bullshit. They should have laptops with all database photos on there and if someone provides their passport etc there should be no reason not to reissue a ticket.

An ex of mine used to work there and said they could reissue tickets, but they pretty much are told to be arseholes about it. Basically til someone starts crying.

170,000 people. Of course some tickets are going to go missing through no fault of the owner.

[ukslim]

Exactly. I have argued with Oxfam now that the pass out is largely useless. Its 'security by obscurity' or over complexity, which often just leads to it becoming easier for people to work out routes of exploit.

[bagpuss]

finger print

[Jack Nottm]

The gates were never busy on the way out so......

A simple option would be to have single use pass outs (not paper friendly i know) which have a spot for the ticket reference number, which can be written on then cross referenced on the way back in.

[pvsmark]

People I know just pay the local farmer £100. I did report it to Glastonbury office before the fest had started but had no response. I guess they really dont care about how many can get in which is a shame.

[Pev999]

Due to not getting a ticket in October I was a gate steward for the first time this year. First of all, Oxfam don't make up the rules and we would much rather have a simpler system. On one shift we were told "mystery shoppers" were being sent in by the Council to check licence compliance so we were told to be dead strict but on other shifts we used our common sense - without being a soft touch or bribeable.

It's like any system, there are trade offs - make it strict and catch all the guilty but punish some of the innocent or make it slacker and let some of the guilty get away with it. Think of the way the benefit and criminal justice systems work.

FWIW I think they got the balance about right.

[gravejr]

A few of my neighbours friends got in with a security wristband pass out. £70 each for 4 of them. £280 for one "corrupt" security guard. Have to say I don't see that much of a problem as they were in to have a good time and enjoy themselves rather than f**k it up for anyone (actually partied pretty hard with them on Sunday). Just hope the guard gave at least half to the charity of his choice.

Previous year I believe a few got smuggled in in the back of a trade van.

[Pinhead]

It's not "security by obscurity" -- that would be a scheme were anyone who knows "the secret" can get in. Like hiding your front door key under a stone in the front garden.

It could be security by over-complexity -- but it's really not at all complicated. The ticket proves you have a ticket. The wristband proves you've been admitted once. The passout proves that you (or someone) left via a legitimate route.

The problem - as with many security schemes - is how to handle idiots who lose their ticket or passout. Or in other schemes, forget their password, PIN, or lose their keys.

The other problem is buggy parts of the system -- most likely, staff who are willing to improvise rather than follow processes, or staff who have misunderstood what they're supposed to do.

Disclaimer: I have at one point been a computer security professional. There are parallels.

[Pinhead]

A few of my neighbours friends got in with a security wristband pass out. £70 each for 4 of them. £280 for one "corrupt" security guard. Have to say I don't see that much of a problem as they were in to have a good time and enjoy themselves rather than f**k it up for anyone (actually partied pretty hard with them on Sunday). Just hope the guard gave at least half to the charity of his choice.

Previous year I believe a few got smuggled in in the back of a trade van.

[whatmidlifecrisis?]

Friends of ours came on official coach.

When they were given their tickets both tickets were for the woman, her photo, name and address. As they were already on their way there was very little they could do until getting to Glastonbury.

They were refused entry at the gate and sent to a booth. After a consdirable amount of time and point blank refusal of entry the ticketless man (who remained very calm throughout) managed to get a supervisor involved and thankfully they were escorted through, given wristbands etc but told that he should not chance leaving the site as for obvious reasons he would be unlikely to get back in (which was no loss of course).

It turned out that some how the woman had two reg numbers and when we got their tickets in the re-sale she had given me the wrong two numbers.

Until the suprvisor stepped in the solution offered was for the woman to come in and the man wait until Monday for her to use th coach back or find his own way home.

A happy ending but very traumatic (sorry that is rather dramatic) for all invloved. It appears that the more junior staff in the booths are instructed to be as difficult as possible unless it is an obviously lost ticket and only the supervisors can actually make a final decision. This would make sense as unless you are genuine (as in the case of our friends) you are unlikely to spend an hour or so arguing a fake case.

[markeee]

My friend got in legitimately without a ticket as it was thrown away by her flatmate accidently.

She went to the ticketing booth who refused to reissue a new one even though she had a booking reference and passport. She then called us (inside) and my mate told her to talk to the cops as they cant just leave someone who has paid stranded outside until monday. As she was talking (and tearing up) next to a copper, some sort of festival organiser helped her out and took her through without a wristband. Sorted.

She was very careful of flashing her wrists about all weekend.

Those ticketing booths are bullshit. They should have laptops with all database photos on there and if someone provides their passport etc there should be no reason not to reissue a ticket.

An ex of mine used to work there and said they could reissue tickets, but they pretty much are told to be arseholes about it. Basically til someone starts crying.

170,000 people. Of course some tickets are going to go missing through no fault of the owner.

[geebus]

I doubt the few that get in with someone else's ticket are a big issue.

Some of those that security get it maybe more so, knowing how a lot of 'security' work.

It wouldn't surprise me if dodgy people were getting in with general 'crew' stuff.

If that's the case, a computer system like the above would make sense if it could be applied to security too. Maybe an RFID in a wrist band if we're getting fancy - that's scanned and pops up on a screen for the gate people (what some gyms use I believe.)

You could get extra fancy and get it to take a picture each time the person enters/exits - which would make it even harder to pass yourself off as someone else.

[sisterofmercy]

I know a couple of people who got in in the back of a trader's van and got given trader's wristbands. They did do some work there in the end though to try and make up for it.

[morph100]

I met someone who used a child who was borderline 12/13 to help him get in...

[morph100]

I met someone who used a child who was borderline 12/13 to help him get in...

[nona]

Met three lovely young lads weds pm in our camper field who were going to try... have been wondering how they got on. Not well I imagine, but I did give them some haribo to fuel the attempt.

[Funkyfairy!]

Tesco Shepton mallet tuesday afternoon a car pulls up with a Glasto worker/trader in it and picks up two lads with rucksacks. One went in the front of the car, the other one in the boot covered with camping gear ...... wonder if he got in ?

[Bristol Boy]

Previous year I believe a few got smuggled in in the back of a trade van.

[paulo999]

Not as easy as it might seem.

There's a search system. Might not be applied to every vehicle. It's a bit like customs. We were searched for hidden people, then a system applied to show we had been searched and how many legit people had been found.

I reckon it will have caught a few.

[happinessisawarmgun]

I know someone who got in on the back of a van. Guy that had a food stall, he just paid him £100 and went in no problem. Initially I thought it was fool proof and win win, and an option I'd take myself if I couldn't get in. Though I guess if they are actually searching the vans there is a risk factor, and I wouldn't want to risk something with that much potential disappointment.

[KirstyJ]

We went out to the car on the wednesday soon after we got there and got changed out of soggy clothes at the car. then when we made the 45 minute journey back to the gate my friend realised he had left his pass out in his coat pocket in the car. the people on the gates were very very strict and the poor guy had to walk all the way back to the car, so im really not sure how people manage to get in without all the stuff

[ml1984]

i got in on a ticket i bought off someone else.....to be fair he did look uncannily like me, same shape face etc........hair was a bit darker,so i just sprayed some black hairspray on on the train down. got to the gates and could see which stewards were scrutinising and which queues were moving fast.so naturally hopped in the fast paced queue, had a laugh with the girl cheking the ticket and hey ho, the greatest weekend of my life commenced.

if your careful and prepared, then it is very doable.

know a girl who got in that looked nothing like the photo she'd bought off someone else.know at least 2 other lads who did successfully too with no qualms.

i think the amount doing it are a drop in the ocean compared to the full number of legimate ticket holders on site and none of us paid much more than face value for our tickets so the touts didnt profit either

[neilloggie]

The problem - as with many security schemes - is how to handle idiots who lose their ticket or passout. Or in other schemes, forget their password, PIN, or lose their keys.