UK Security in the Avalon Bar - were they legit?

[musky]

Well if that's the case and what is going on now then GF needs to reaccess what's going on with the renting out of pitches and what they are used for. We don't want it like the 02 or our local high st, we want it like Glastonbury should be. Glastoworker is saying that the festival is enforcing all the rules that our local high street imposes every weekend.

[DeanoL]

if you open up a can you bought at a supermarket inside a walk in Bar you may be asked to step outside - you can argue all you want but its not a wise move to argue with security.

[glasto-worker]

Why? If the security are hired by the bars to enforce their own regulations they have no power outside of that bit of land they've rented, much like any bouncer in any high street pub. Unless you're saying they're likely to beat you up, in which case I think you've lost the moral high ground here.

And what if it's not a can but a bottle of squash?. Or water? Or just someone not drinking and hiding from the rain?

I imagine these rules have been in place a long time, but I'd also imagine they haven't been enforced and so it's mostly been ignored. I'd also imagine that such rules don't exist for Stonebridge for one, as I would think a condition of its ents being listed in the programme as part of the festival means it has to provide universal access, otherwise it's akin to charging an entry fee, and doing that for something listed in the programme would be problematic.

Chameleon and Kasbah live in the grey area as they do ents but they're not advertised as part of the festival (but that's a very subtle difference). Most of the other bars would probably be best served to take a smaller pitch and just run a counter bar as they don't really do ents anyway. I'd say the reason they're apparently not making any money is that the people hiring them are borderline retarded for hiring a space 5x what they need to serve drinks, in order to put tables in there for people to sit at who won't necessarily buy at the bar anyway, and rely on trying to enforce a silly rule that a) is pointless when it's quiet and is nearly impossible to enforce when really busy and c) no-one actually knows about as they don't tell people until after sending security to evict someone and ensuring that no-one in that group ever buys from that bar at the festival again.

[glasto-worker]

He's actually saying some bars may choose to impose their own rules, and at times will enforce them. I didn't go into the Kasbah or the Chameleon but did see people drinking from cans unmolested in other bars. They were fairly empty though, hence the reason I could see them so easily.

Since this has apparently been going on for 35 years, we can probably assume the Festival knows all about this and is cool with it.

I can understand why this leaves a sour taste but it's nothing new.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

at the end of the day the ground is rented - GFL controls the outside but the renter can impose any rules they wish - like it or not that is how it works out now and in the past - these restrictions have been in place at least for the past 35 years since I started going.

[Squonk]

Did you really just say 'facist attitude' when all we are talking about is being asked to drink your own drink outside of a bar!

All I can say is get a life. Far to many people spend far too much time on these boards wingeing about the most inconsequential boll@cks.

If you dont like the bar policy then vote with your feet I.e. Go elsewhere.

As for the sop complaining about loosing his stash through skinning up in bar,what part of it surprises him?! Be discreet!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Did you really just say 'facist attitude' when all we are talking about is being asked to drink your own drink outside of a bar!

All I can say is get a life. Far to many people spend far too much time on these boards wingeing about the most inconsequential boll@cks.

If you dont like the bar policy then vote with your feet I.e. Go elsewhere.

As for the sop complaining about loosing his stash through skinning up in bar,what part of it surprises him?! Be discreet!

[manateemike]

The restrictions may have been in place technically/legally but they were never enforced until relatively recently. So, why the new fascist attitude? Is it because the bar operators believe this to be the way to maximise their profits,

[stuartbert two hats]

If you so object to the word 'fascist', just replace with 'authoritarian' and Yog's point still stands.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Fascist ?? Way over the top. We are talking about a bar for Christ sake in a field in the middle of no where. Should all bars now be run by non profit making charities ?

GFL want to make a profit each year so that they can, apart from donating to charity, have money left over to improve the site. You have no problem with them making a profit. Or do you ?

[manateemike]

If you so object to the word 'fascist', just replace with 'authoritarian' and Yog's point still stands.

[manateemike]

I have absolutely no problem with GFL or even the bars making money. Both have always made money. What has changed is the fact that you can no longer bring your own drink into bars when you used to be able to no bother. Unless glasto worker or somebody else can answer my questions then I have to believe that it is a fascistic development. I would love to be proven wrong on this point. It would mean that the increase in the commercialism of the festival hasn't affected it's spirit.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Guess its just my way of thinking then. I wouldn't dream of taking my own drink into a bar on the high street and there for wouldn't dream of doing it at Glastonbury.

Glastonbury is a wonderful experience and escape but i still take my day to day values of what I feel is right to the festival. I am also very aware my values can and do differ from others so i'm not saying yours are wrong, just in this instance we do not share the same thoughts.

[manateemike]

I accept and understand your viewpoint. I would never walk into a high street bar with my own drink. My point is that it used to be perfectly acceptable to do it at Glastonbury. Nobody gave a flying fuck about it. Now that attitude has changed and I can't help but feel that it is driven by greed. As greed isn't what the festival is (or was) all about it doesn't sit with me that well.

[glasto-worker]

The restrictions may have been in place technically/legally but they were never enforced until relatively recently. So, why the new fascist attitude? Is it because the bar operators believe this to be the way to maximise their profits, and therefore instruct security to act accordingly? Or is it because the security are doing this as a decision they themselves have have made? Unfortunately both options are unpalatable to, what I would have thought, was the majority of people who have witnessed both regimes - that of being able to drink your own drink at bars and not being able to drink at bars. You must have noticed the regime change at bars given your 35 years experience? If you have then surely you must have some 'inside' information as to why it has morphed from the way it was until the way it is now? Is it the bar operators or security that have come up with the relatively new regime?

[DeanoL]

at what point did I claim ' Security are likely to beat you up ' ?

So all bar operators are retarded - so how long have you run a bar for ?

In fact most bar operators would prefer more space - not to place a stage in but to give paying customers more space but they are restricted by GFL - if you don't like them then don't walk in.

I am sure you will find many people who have been asked not to drink their own alcohol within certain Bars - most will understand and they will not cause any fuss but there will be some who think they have the right to do what they want wherever they are - they don't - So if you are asked to leave you will then boycott all 90+ bars ? but if you are not a paying Customer then that Bar Group has not lost anything.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

There is no ' new regime '

were you there in the 80's ?

Edited July 2, 2014 by Yoghurt on a Stick

[Badlands]

I drank in the Kasbah all weekend, sometimes buying my own, sometimes with bottles of Astra I had with me. All the time with people who weren't buying. No problems whatsoever. That said, I could understand it if the bar was bothered.

Not sure how people cannot distinguish between bars like Kasbah and Chameleon with places like Stonebridge and the like.

[windy_miller]

I drank in the Kasbah all weekend, sometimes buying my own, sometimes with bottles of Astra I had with me. All the time with people who weren't buying. No problems whatsoever. That said, I could understand it if the bar was bothered.

Not sure how people cannot distinguish between bars like Kasbah and Chameleon with places like Stonebridge and the like.

[Bubblecup]

I was in the Bimble Inn, I drink cider, I bought cider at the bar, my friend doesn't, she only drinks lager, they don't serve lager. Now as I see it we had 3 options, 1. We both leave, we miss the act we wanted to see the bar gets no money. 2. I buy my cider and friend goes thirsty, we watch the act but leave quickly 3. I buy my cider, friend drinks slightly warm can of lager out of backpack, we both thoroughly enjoy the act, I buy 2 more ciders and only leave when my bladder can take no more. We went for option 3 which is surely better for the bars takings than option 1 or 2!

[CCCheese]

I've not had cof

I was in the Bimble Inn, I drink cider, I bought cider at the bar, my friend doesn't, she only drinks lager, they don't serve lager. Now as I see it we had 3 options, 1. We both leave, we miss the act we wanted to see the bar gets no money. 2. I buy my cider and friend goes thirsty, we watch the act but leave quickly 3. I buy my cider, friend drinks slightly warm can of lager out of backpack, we both thoroughly enjoy the act, I buy 2 more ciders and only leave when my bladder can take no more. We went for option 3 which is surely better for the bars takings than option 1 or 2!

[Badlands]

Its never occurred to me that there should be a distinction. Until now I've always thought that a bar was a bar.

[windy_miller]

Really? Bars on the market area with actual advertised venues?

[DeanoL]

Its never occurred to me that there should be a distinction. Until now I've always thought that a bar was a bar.

[DeanoL]

No. Its never occurred to me that there are different rules for plain old bars, and bars with venues in them.