Security

[mattw]

Anyone have any issues with security this year?

I for the first time did and it really pissed me off, Friday am 0730hrs my wife woke up and was shuffling around in the tent when a voice said "come out of the tent" I was still asleep but was awoken by the wife! I told her to tell them to "foxtrot Oscar".

I then heard them shout out "come out of the tent now" at this point I said "no, now go away" it carried on back and forth when they announced who they were " it's security come out of the tent NOW or we're calling the police" I shouted out "call the police" I then heard them call over the radio "urgent back up required bottom of kidney mead illegal substances being used and persons in tent possibly becoming violent"

FFS talk about over exaggeration! I gave it 5 mins got dressed and crawled out of my tent when 3 security personnel were surrounding my tent and a further 3 coming towards the tent!!! I turned round and said to the security kid "what's the problem ?" he said "we heard movement in the tent so we wanted to do a random check because we can smell illegal substances" I then said "yeah right, now go away and the kidz field is in the next field" he then said "empty your pockets" I have no pockets!!!

An argument then ensued and I said to him "what is your problem?" he then said "I'm not being an arsehole I'm doing my job, we heard moving on the tent" my reply "it's 7.30am most people start getting up now as it's the morning" his reply "idiot"

Security number 1169

Idiot!

[mungo57]

Prat!

[JennieT]

we were woken up a couple of mornings by their radios etc. proper annoying. i know theyve only got a job to do but a bit of common sense would be good. i do hope they did the same kind of thing during the main acts at night etc!

[bumpy_capers]

With a nod to Longfella's WHY GLASTONBURY

G is for Grunting, glowering and gormless

L is for Little boy, big mouth, small penis

A is for Arsehole Anabolic Abuser

S is for Sustanon (that's where they get the big arms from)

T is for Twats, a pre-requisite for staff selection

O is for Oi! Move! Now!, their preferred communication

N is for Nobody, who they are without their mates

B is for Boots. Black, Jacked like Nazis

U is for Unemployable in any other occupation

R is for Retarded, emotionally and socially

Y is for Why, Glastonbury ?

[chris_top_her]

They seemed to be more on top than in other festivals where the main duty is to stop booze coming in the arena. But that story is dadt! Movement in a tent would not suggest drug use lol

[Bisque]

Saw plenty of Police presence around Kidney Mead, all were very friendly & joined in with our atrocious after drink banter whilst mooching down to the Pyramid stage.

The security lot were just miserable "doing their job".

[hillwalker]

we were camped in the field above pylon field, can't remember it's name. Anyway, on Thursday security came round telling us to be careful as there were lots of thefts in our area. we always take the usual precautions so didn't worry about it too much. Friday afternoon my wife went back to the tent to pick some stuff up and ended up having a little sleep. when she woke she overheard three security guys talking to a group of guys in the tents behind. security were telling these guys that they were trading beer, chairs, clothes and other stuff for money and fags, basically runnnig a black market of all the stuff they had been stealing in the tents. they were bragging about how easy it was. my wife, not wanting to confront them directly reported the guys to campsite crew who upon hearing their description basically said they'd heard the same from other people and radioed across to some other people. thankfuly we never saw these three a-holes again. made me very angry.

[dmillburn]

Thursday night outside the Glade Lounge I watched for a bit as security were taking people's drugs from them when they caught them skinning up on the benches outside. Fair enough but the guy then boasted to his colleague as they walked away about them not having to buy any weed for a year after this - might have been a joke but a bit of a foolish thing to joke about if so, especially as I saw security 'on the make' in this way back in 2007.

[TheBees]

We were living in the West camper field this year, they searched my hubby on the way in and out of the festival most days. One time he had some 'herbal smoke' in a tin, security took the tin off him, you cannot argue with them but I'm not exactly happy about it. TBH the whole security, sponsorship and shit bands on a circuit things are taking away the souls of festivals, I'm tired of it. I'm just a person who likes music, why would the security be so suspicious?

The police are regulated, these little cnts are a law unto themselves. Scary.

[BrendanCalls]

I had very little issues with the security, but it was totally obvious that they were the kind of assholes who take pride in beating up drunk people on a Friday/Saturday night.

As the story above suggests, it wouldn't surprise me if half the crime on site if not committed by them was essentially authorised by them.

Edit: ironically every single police officer I met was brilliant. Having fun and enjoying the atmosphere, I'm sure they were doing their jobs too but not in a over-bearing threatening way.

Edited July 1, 2011 by BrendanCalls

[amigo]

Me and my friend were walking home to the campervan field East one morning at around 7am. Got through gate C, no one else about and they pulled us over and gave us a seriously comprehensive search. Arms up, all pockets, socks, bag completely emptied, everything in it from lip balm to clashfinder polypocket opened and emptied on a table, checked, double checked, seams of the bag checked... the lot. I understand they have a job to do but I thought that was a constable style search that was completely out of proportion on two guys walking quietly and tiredly home to their beds through an otherwise deserted field.

[SoCalMusicLover]

The security was SHIT, so far as I'm concerned. While we were at the main police station, telling our story about how all our money, passports, id's, credit/atm cards, were stolen, I saw a little info sheet on methods for locating people in possession of marijuana.

Yeah, well I guess that's the important thing. They have their priorities straight.

At least the piece of shit thieves didn't find all our joints, so at least we were able to smoke something after we left the festival prematurely.

99% of the "security" we encountered during our time there, were complete Idiots. They get free tickets, put on a yellow shirt that says "security" on their back, and then walk around eating donuts, and didn't know anything about anything.

[beodeejay]

Saw plenty of Police presence around Kidney Mead, all were very friendly & joined in with our atrocious after drink banter whilst mooching down to the Pyramid stage.

The security lot were just miserable "doing their job".

Edited July 1, 2011 by beodeejay

[geebus]

At least he had his number on him.

Not sure if it's been 'proved', but general consensus I thought was that Security would try and 'confiscate' any drugs they could to do themselves/sell on. Obviously most people aren't going to insist a police person is brought along for the worry they might get properly 'done' (I'd be much more cautious now, but in 2000/2002 at least it seemed to be fine walking along past some police while having a 'smoke'.)

[geebus]

Though to counter that, I'm guessing these guys were relatively friendly...

That was at about 3am Monday morning in the middle of block 9.

[Pinhead]

Quite a few security I met on gates seemed to think that they were the law and strutted around believing this and swapping stories with embarassed stewards about who they beat up around the site and back home where they seem to mainly be bouncers, ex-army, ex-cons etc. However, occasionally met one or two of them that seemed to posess some conscience and were generally sound in the way they conducted themselves. Shame the majority of them appear to be so bent.

[BrendanCalls]

Though to counter that, I'm guessing these guys were relatively friendly...

That was at about 3am Monday morning in the middle of block 9.

[dmillburn]

At least he had his number on him.

Not sure if it's been 'proved', but general consensus I thought was that Security would try and 'confiscate' any drugs they could to do themselves/sell on.

Edited July 1, 2011 by dmillburn

[mattw]

We were at west holts on sun eve and had 3 goons walking behind us trying to sniff out who was smoking weed, my comment was "you could do with a sniffer dog, oh bugger have u left the wife at home?"

Didn't seem too happy, like I cared

[Mr McJohnson]

Damn, some proper horror stories in this thread. Thankfully didn't have any problems with security.

[Bristol Boy]

Two comments:

For U2 we were stood level with the video screen behind the sound desk. When the balloon went up, four security, in what can only be called "conga" formation, charged through the crowd at a fast pace (impossible to call it running) but they were shouting out "move - security" and oblivious to anyone in their way. Thankfully they were just to our side but two guys were kncoked off their feet. We were probably a hundred yards from the action so no idea what they thought they could contribute.

We saw a security guard at Gate B doing a spot check on some young lad. Intimidating him by saying "hand over any illegal substances now cos if I find them when I search you, you will be arrested and thrown off site." I didn't wait to see what happened but my first thought was that any substances collected in this way were handed over to his mates to sell. I mean, I hardly doubt the lad was given a receipt and a record kept of what was taken. Happy to be proved wrong.

[shugie]

Mostly I got the impression they were a bit more chilled this year than last, especially the guys on stage duty.

With the exception of some twat at Spirit of 71 stage when Gringo Ska were on. There were some younger folk in front of me, and old hippy types to my left. Young guy started rolling, security bloke who had been behind, by the mixing desk, popped over and started getting heavy with the young guy. Who put stuff away, and then left, while old hippies gave the security bloke some verbal. All a bit unnecessary really.

But security seemed not to be able to do much about tent thefts though.

[Spider43]

Getting back at three ish on Sunday night we were accused of robbing from our own tents, the guy wasnt aggressive but it took some persuading him they were actually ours!

[FluffyFairy]

No bad experiences but I did feel like they were judging me everytime I walked past them, especially at night. I remember putting my innocent face on even when I was actually innocent. Mmmm maybe I was just paranoid

[mamoo_51]

My security highlight was a conversation one of them had with a couple who were pitching next to us being warned they may want to re-consider their choice of camping spot or at least be extra vigilant as they were next to a footpath in an area that had a high level of reported theft.

Apparently security had recent reports of "a sleeping bag and A tent peg being stolen last night"!!

Second best was my conversation with a guy at the exit from the naughty corner post 4am who was adamant I could not enter as the are was "9000 over capacity" despite streams of people leaving. He couldn't direct me to the correct entrance either - pretty useless!