ID

[pouxin]

What was with the insanely militant approach to ID-ing people at the bars this year? I have been going to Glasto since I was a teenager, and have never been ID-ed. EVER. This year both my friends and I got ID-ed on a number of occassions, and often refused service. We were basically barred from that bigs blues bar tent for attempting to buy alcohol without ID by the manager, who treated us like we were attempting to sell her barstaff crack or something.

Now, I am 29 years old and with the best will in the world I don't look 17. I found it bizarre. I didn't have any ID on me, as it seems madness to carry your passport and/or driving licence around a festival - these things were safely in my Important Things Drawer back at home! Also, I haven't been ID-ed in a bar since about 2003, so to be honest it just didn't occur to me... Well, I guess in 2013, aged 31(!) I will be carrying my passport with me. Ho hum.

Kudos to the guy at Fluffy Rock Cafe though, who served my mate (also 29) after he was able to correctly list the names of all of the Thundercats.

[sifi]

I couldn't name any of the thundercats. I do remember He-Mans real name was Adam. Does that count?

Edit. : I can remember three now I've had a good think about it.

Edited July 10, 2011 by sifi

[rubenz]

What was with the insanely militant approach to ID-ing people at the bars this year? I have been going to Glasto since I was a teenager, and have never been ID-ed. EVER. This year both my friends and I got ID-ed on a number of occassions, and often refused service. We were basically barred from that bigs blues bar tent for attempting to buy alcohol without ID by the manager, who treated us like we were attempting to sell her barstaff crack or something.

Now, I am 29 years old and with the best will in the world I don't look 17. I found it bizarre. I didn't have any ID on me, as it seems madness to carry your passport and/or driving licence around a festival - these things were safely in my Important Things Drawer back at home! Also, I haven't been ID-ed in a bar since about 2003, so to be honest it just didn't occur to me... Well, I guess in 2013, aged 31(!) I will be carrying my passport with me. Ho hum.

Kudos to the guy at Fluffy Rock Cafe though, who served my mate (also 29) after he was able to correctly list the names of all of the Thundercats.

[Wilson19]

Just on the issue of thundercats, there is a new series starting on 29th July on Cartoon Network!!

[ohmrsoft]

I'm 31 this week and was id'd in the Bimble Inn - had my passport luckily in my day bag. Made my day as I haven't been asked for almost 10 years.

Bit silly, but I guess when it's dark and folk are tired and busy it's better to be cautious.

[CitizenErased]

I'm 31 and got asked once at the other stage, first time I've ever been asked for ID in my life(even when I was genuinely underaged), I just did a silent fist pump, asked for a pint of lemonade and topped it up with bubblegum vodka. I'll probably pay for a card for 2013 though, I can only imagine it getting worse.

[MrZigster]

What was with the insanely militant approach to ID-ing people at the bars this year? I have been going to Glasto since I was a teenager, and have never been ID-ed. EVER. This year both my friends and I got ID-ed on a number of occassions, and often refused service. We were basically barred from that bigs blues bar tent for attempting to buy alcohol without ID by the manager, who treated us like we were attempting to sell her barstaff crack or something.

Now, I am 29 years old and with the best will in the world I don't look 17. I found it bizarre. I didn't have any ID on me, as it seems madness to carry your passport and/or driving licence around a festival - these things were safely in my Important Things Drawer back at home! Also, I haven't been ID-ed in a bar since about 2003, so to be honest it just didn't occur to me... Well, I guess in 2013, aged 31(!) I will be carrying my passport with me. Ho hum.

Kudos to the guy at Fluffy Rock Cafe though, who served my mate (also 29) after he was able to correctly list the names of all of the Thundercats.

[GlasstoLuver]

My mate who is 26 but looks like 12 could not get near a bar, haha, I had to buy for him a few times.

But worked out really well for him because every time he wanted a drink he'd just give his g/f the cash and she had to go get them, lol, so in a way Glasto forced his g/f to get all his drinks all weekend, trust me, he wasnt too upset with this at all.

[CitizenErased]

@MrZigster, I gather from your post that this means any other usually recognised and perfectly acceptable form of ID(apart from a passport or drivers license) would not have been accepted? If this is the case, then I'm sure you'd agree how potentially dangerous it would be organising a festival of this magnitude and demand that people fetch along and carry such important documents as those to buy alcohol.

It's asking for trouble, a lot of trouble, personally I can see in the not too distant future alcohol being sold on a no ID, no sale basis and would expect it to cause sheer chaos at events like Glasto if reasonably expendible forms of ID were not accepted, what with international festival goers not being able to get home and drivers being reluctant to drive hundreds of miles home without adequate credentials, I imagine it would make the festival substantially more inviting to the criminal community as well.

However strong the argument for people being responsible and accountable for their belongings might be, the fact remains that people of all ages are simply inequiped and inexperienced at carrying and protecting important documents in difficult, often chaotic and frankly very trying and exhausting environments such as those encountered at Glastonbury this year.

[anoldhippie@60]

I was never ID. Mind you I am 62 and unfortunately all my identification is written on tablets of stone as thats all we had in my day. I wonder what questions I would be asked.

[LusciousLucy]

I now have a provisional licence that sits in my wallet but do take umbrage with being questioned when one is quite clearly years over the age of 18.

I have started planning my retorts - my earliest musical memory is 'Dont You Want Me Baby' by Human League in 1981 when I was 3, my first Glasto was 1995 when I was 17 and the question back at the young staff serving - where were and how old were YOU when on April 5th 1994, you heard Kurt Cobain had died?

Edited July 10, 2011 by LusciousLucy

[Amii]

I've worked on bars about six years and always been told only to accept Drivers License or Passport - in date and official - never anything else, purely because it's much easier to forge.

Though IDing is never going to work well at a festival. With an average queue time of 30 minutes at some bars, it's impractical to take ID for every drink being bought (as required by law), and could easily be going to underagers. The only system I can think of is age related non-removable wrist bands (the types with tabs which rip when it's taken off), but there's so many issues that comes with that (increased queue times, those who don't drive or travel, the fact theyre made of paper...). I don't think there will ever be an answer to it.

[danvb]

I only got id'ed once,really shocked me i didnt get checked more,(although im 22,but do not look it i dont think)the last night just before kool and the gang when finally buying brothers cider!,i was ready all weekend to be checked each time i bought a drink.

[LondonTom]

Its bit of an arse but I found them quite relaxed I had my ID with me as I am 21 and normally in bars more often than will be asked for ID. The only time I asked was at brothers bar, when the guy asked, you 18 yeah? .." yep"went to grab my id and it was nah its orite. And Oh got asked once in Bourbon Bar one morning!

Edited July 10, 2011 by LondonTom

[KryziF]

Despite being in my early thirties I'm still regularly Id'd in the real world, so always carry my driving license. Didn't get asked at Glasto though, might be down to the slightly rough festival look means I look more my age! I don't see how carrying my photo driving license in my wallet its any more risky at Glasto than on a night out anywhere else. Shouldn't they also accept the citizen cards, especially as the year they only put your name and address on the tickets these were an acceptable form of ID for entry. I remember as my OH doesn't drive so he had to get one of these.

[Sketchead]

I'm 21 and carried my wallet around everywhere with me, which had my driving license in. Didn't get ID'd once though.

[budvar]

Tricky one for the festival this. Although it might be seen as an inconvenience they don't really have any choice. They were told that the lovcal authority would be clamping down, including using "mystery shoppers" and issuing fines.

The people serving in the bars were personally liable if fined, so it's completely understandable that they wouldn't want to take a risk (which is exactly what the licensing authority want)

In all honesty there's very little reason not to carry a driving licence; although it's a pain if you lose it they're not prohibitively expensive to replace (£20). My point being, I can't imagine anyone claiming that £20 is too precious to carry around at Glasto.

Entirely your choice if you'd rather not to, but you've got to accept that you run the risk of not getting served.

[budvar]

Double post.

Edited July 10, 2011 by budvar

[General Lee]

I got asked at a near deserted Other stage bar at about 1.30pm during the naked and famous. I'm 33. When I said there's no way I look under 21 I was told that he'd been asked to check for id for anyone that looked under 50 as one of the bars had been caught out the night before!

He asked if I had a driving license or passport (why I would I don't know), with no id he then refused to serve me and I had to walk off. I then sent my wife up who had some sort of id, they asked and were funny about giving her two drinks and asked who the other one was for, when told it was for her husband they said they'd 'let her off then'

Quite amusing as it was the only time it happened, not sure I'd have been so amused if it had happened every time though!

Edited July 10, 2011 by General Lee

[StormCrow]

I was never ID. Mind you I am 62 and unfortunately all my identification is written on tablets of stone as thats all we had in my day. I wonder what questions I would be asked.

[izcuje]

After many days in Europe of trying to pass off as 25 for cheap museum tickets and fares (and failing miserably) we all had a big laugh at the irony of being asked for ID at the cider bus. We didn't have our passports on us either and the lucky lady got a free foreign language lesson while we tried explaining our driving licenses to her!

[rexclark]

I got ID'd a few times. Can't say I was bothered. Although I'm 29 I do look pretty young, I take it as a compliment. I'd much rather look younger than older!

[pie_and_a_pint]

Tricky one for the festival this. Although it might be seen as an inconvenience they don't really have any choice. They were told that the lovcal authority would be clamping down, including using "mystery shoppers" and issuing fines.

The people serving in the bars were personally liable if fined, so it's completely understandable that they wouldn't want to take a risk (which is exactly what the licensing authority want)

In all honesty there's very little reason not to carry a driving licence; although it's a pain if you lose it they're not prohibitively expensive to replace (£20). My point being, I can't imagine anyone claiming that £20 is too precious to carry around at Glasto.

Entirely your choice if you'd rather not to, but you've got to accept that you run the risk of not getting served.

[manc]

I got ID'd twice - am 27 but prob look about 24/25 so wasn't massively shocked.

We did have to get drinks in constantly for one of our mates who didn't have his id with him on the sunday... but then at 45 he didn't think he needed it!!

[mattrgee]

You people need to a grow a beard. Fact.