Security and stewarding - effectiveness of...

[Better Late...]

Let me start by saying I think the security and stewards do a great job, by and large, and I'm not just saying that because I know some of them personally ! However, I would like to make a few points - you may have others to add, or you may not agree (what, dissent on the forum ??? )

How much thought is given to who is deployed to which duty ? I was at first amused, but then as it continued all weekend a bit disillusioned, to be asked to show my wristband almost every time I went through a gate while large groups of staggering beery (or cidery) men often went through unchallenged. Now while I entirely understand that two or three nice little teenage girls find it easier to do their job as a lone female walks quietly in rather than as eight or nine large noisy men charge in carrying supplies, the point is that main gates in the evening should be staffed by people who have some clout.

Similarly, when I was kicked and knocked to the ground (entirely accidentally - I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time) by two inebriated 40-something men larking around in the tipi tent after Other Lives, the sole (female) Official Person on duty there merely checked that I was OK (which I was when I had recovered from the shock) but then just walked away and did not engage at all with the men who had caused the accident, leaving another member of the departing audience to insist that they came across to apologise: one of them did, but the other was still too busy rolling on the floor roaring with laughter and checking his beer was where he had left it to be bothered...

Smoking, of whatever substance, often went unchallenged this year in the indoor venues. Again is this perhaps because stages are too often stewarded by people too young and inexperienced to have the clout or presence to successfully tackle someone who might be awkward, so they prefer to pretend they haven't noticed ?

Now, as for a duty that could easily (and with benefit) be performed by younger and/or inexperienced stewards... how about increased litter picking ? I thought the site was the dirtiest and most littered I have seen it in four years (though yes, clean by the standard of many places). It was particularly unpleasant - and more problematical than in previous years - to have to search among the empty cans and spilt chips and curry for somewhere clean enough to sit and eat breakfast.

[Velvet Overground]

I personally had no issues with security all weekend - generally very friendly and helpful. I was politely asked for my wristband a number of times which I was more than happy to provide. However I have seen a few comments on here that have suggested some heavy-handedness.

One thing that always bothers me at EOTR (kind of on the subject of litter....ish) though is the lack of appropriate recycling facilities. Many foodstuffs (not to mention the yummy hot cider) are served on paper plates or in paper cups - however there didn't seem to be a place to recycle this, meaning we had to put lots of recyclable stuff in the 'all other waste' bins. Also there were some glass recycling bins, which given the no-glass policy seems a little odd.

[thespiral]

I personally had no issues with security all weekend - generally very friendly and helpful. I was politely asked for my wristband a number of times which I was more than happy to provide. However I have seen a few comments on here that have suggested some heavy-handedness.

One thing that always bothers me at EOTR (kind of on the subject of litter....ish) though is the lack of appropriate recycling facilities. Many foodstuffs (not to mention the yummy hot cider) are served on paper plates or in paper cups - however there didn't seem to be a place to recycle this, meaning we had to put lots of recyclable stuff in the 'all other waste' bins. Also there were some glass recycling bins, which given the no-glass policy seems a little odd.

[shugie]

EOTR was my first festival as a steward, having been to many festivals over the years, for a number of reasons I thought that my first visit to EOTR would be as a steward. This on the recommendation of someone who had stewarded there before, and did so again this year. I believe the various stewarding positions are allocated on the basis of the individual applicants choice, the organisers don't know much about the stewards who volunteer until they turn up on site, and organising them then would be way too late. I'm a rotund middle aged bloke, and found, to my amusement, that a lot of the younger festival goers seemed to think being older automatically meant I was the fount of all knowledge!

Essentially dealing with large herberts who have the capacity to become rough, or worse, is not what the stewards are there for, security get paid to deal with such problems. The question about the incident in the Tipi tent is more one of where was the security bod? A similar point applies to the wristband checking I guess, I could see why a young female might hesitate to ask a group of blokes to show their wristbands, although I felt the gate stewards were pretty much on the ball when I encountered them; if my wristband was not visible under my jacket, they asked to see it.

As for smoking, I was on big top duty at various times, and if I saw someone going in with a lit cigarette I asked them to leave. Most people did this reasonably happily, some rather grumpily. If I saw someone rolling a cigarette near the entrance I was allocated to, I would go and stand next to them so that they got the hint. It seemed to work, no confrontation, no hassle, but at times I had quite a group just outside puffing away. I kept an eye on them and that was all that seemed to be needed.

Some of us had the occasional go at clearing up the mess in the big top between sets, but that's not really what the stewards are there for, and people should make a little effort to take their rubbish outside. Although it was miles better than Glastonbury, at which the state of filth was incredible. I did find a few glass bottles, rather against the rules, so the glass recycling was put to use. I'm quite sure people don't drop their litter on the floor at home, so it's not hard for them to behave properly at a festival.

[Fareham Grecian]

Some of us had the occasional go at clearing up the mess in the big top between sets, but that's not really what the stewards are there for, and people should make a little effort to take their rubbish outside. Although it was miles better than Glastonbury, at which the state of filth was incredible. I did find a few glass bottles, rather against the rules, so the glass recycling was put to use. I'm quite sure people don't drop their litter on the floor at home, so it's not hard for them to behave properly at a festival.