Glasto People Smugglers Busted...

[russycarps]

I look at it as stealing as Glastonbury is being deprived of the money.

If the festival wasn't sold out you'd have a point. As it is, people getting smuggled in after every ticket has been sold hasn't cost glastonbury a penny.

These people are in fact doing good, in monetary terms, as they are bringing additional cash into the glastonbury economy.

[PabloCoke]

Its so unfair, we pay so much money and spend so much time and effort trying to get a ticket and people jump the fence or get let in through security! These people should all be arrested!!

Did you stamp your feet when you wrote that.wah wah wah...

[russycarps]

You're being disingenuous. The only thing that's been broken here is the spirit by which we all try, and some of us fail, to get tickets. There's no ingenuity involved in paying some mug a wad of notes to get a lift in a mini-bus. I've no problem with somebody chancing their arm (and twix) to get through, but going back and forth in a bus transporting as many people through as possible for profit is taking the piss. Their money doesn't go to Glastonbury or any of the charities it supports, so in essence it is stealing from the festival.

There's no difference at all though, apart from one method is more romantic than the other.

It's like saying murder by strangulation is ok, but murder by gunshot is not as it's much easier.

And I fail to see how it is costing glastonbury money, when the festival is a sell out.

You either condemn all methods of breaking in, or none. I dont see how there's a middle ground.

Edited May 22, 2015 by russycarps

[ltfckimbo]

Hardly crime of the century. And yet if they'd made their money importing tat made by exploited Chinese workers and picked and packed this end by people earning below the living wage on 0 hour contracts, they'd be hailed as the entrepreneurs making Britain great.

[PabloCoke]

There's no difference at all though, apart from one method is more romantic than the other.

It's like saying murder by strangulation is ok, but murder by gunshot is not as it's much easier.

And I fail to see how it is costing glastonbury money, when the festival is a sell out.

You either condemn all methods of breaking in, or none. I dont see how there's a middle ground.

What he said.

[Spindles]

Russy is right in that they bring money into the festival, I have no problem with that and I'm sure ME doesn't either...if he had his way he would let as many people in as wanted to come. Money is not what it's all about though. How about that every person who overcrowds the place makes it a little less pleasant for those who have paid? By devaluing their experience they are the ones footing the bill.

But pretty much my line remains, if someone busts a gut to get there, fuck it, let them stay.

[PabloCoke]

Russy is right in that they bring money into the festival, I have no problem with that and I'm sure ME doesn't either...if he had his way he would let as many people in as wanted to come. Money is not what it's all about though. How about that every person who overcrowds the place makes it a little less pleasant for those who have paid? By devaluing their experience they are the ones footing the bill.

But pretty much my line remains, if someone busts a gut to get there, fuck it, let them stay.

But the tiny amount of people getting in won't make a difference to anyones experience at all. That attitude is very Tory/Ukip and not very Glastonbury IMO.

[glasto-worker]

people are making money out of this -

its just the same if they were selling counterfeit tickets.

one has to wonder if they offer a money back guarantee if people don't get in.

I am not a lawyer but its a scam and I doubt the claim that these people who are slipping in this way are doing good sounds very shady to me.

one year one joker claimed he got in eight minibuses full - now I have no way to know if that is true or not but we are not talking about the odd body.

[russycarps]

people are making money out of this -

its just the same if they were selling counterfeit tickets.

one has to wonder if they offer a money back guarantee if people don't get in.

I am not a lawyer but its a scam and I doubt the claim that these people who are slipping in this way are doing good sounds very shady to me.

one year one joker claimed he got in eight minibuses full - now I have no way to know if that is true or not but we are not talking about the odd body.

It is galling I must admit, but what can be done about it? I certainly wouldnt want glastonbury to spend more money on security. Adding another ring of steel round the festival would be horrific.

We just have to accept there will always be scamsters on the periphery of events like glastonbury. People are on the blag in every single walk of life (from bunking into glastonbury up to fixing LIBOR rates in big banks). People are in general scumbags. Raging impotently does no one any good at all.

And I say this as being one of the only people who actually paid for a ticket in 2000 while 100,000 bunked in around me

[PabloCoke]

people are making money out of this -

its just the same if they were selling counterfeit tickets.

one has to wonder if they offer a money back guarantee if people don't get in.

I am not a lawyer but its a scam and I doubt the claim that these people who are slipping in this way are doing good sounds very shady to me.

one year one joker claimed he got in eight minibuses full - now I have no way to know if that is true or not but we are not talking about the odd body.

The people in the buses are no doubt well aware of the risks and there's no harm to anyone if it's just a few hundred even thousand as it does nothing but add to the festival.

We are not talking about large scale fence jumping that was out of hand back in the day its a few people looking for loopholes and taking advantage with the only downside being the people who get in could be thrown out.

It shouldnt be encouraged but its really harmless.

[Spindles]

But the tiny amount of people getting in won't make a difference to anyones experience at all. That attitude is very Tory/Ukip and not very Glastonbury IMO.

Ouch, been accused of some things in my time, but that's the harshest.

I was just trying to explain another way that it could be viewed that there is a negative, rather than stating that all gatecrashers have a benign effect just because they spend a few quid while they are there. It's the industrial scale of it that causes the problem, if it was just a tiny number it would have almost no effect, but the reports last year was that busloads of people were getting onsite and this is evidence of just one such scam. If left unchecked then it won't be a tiny amount of people and it will make a difference, I'm saying that as one of the tens of thousands who did exactly that in 2000.

[Sofa]

I remember one year back in the 90s when the site was mega full from fence hoppers .I seem to remember a whole large section of fence was broken down and folks were pouring in .You could certainly see the difference and to many people presents a lot of obvious problems .Got no problem with a few people doing a covert job to get in but bus loads is taking the piss somewhat .

Edited May 22, 2015 by Sofa

[PabloCoke]

Ouch, been accused of some things in my time, but that's the harshest.

I was just trying to explain another way that it could be viewed that there is a negative, rather than stating that all gatecrashers have a benign effect just because they spend a few quid while they are there. It's the industrial scale of it that causes the problem, if it was just a tiny number it would have almost no effect, but the reports last year was that busloads of people were getting onsite and this is evidence of just one such scam. If left unchecked then it won't be a tiny amount of people and it will make a difference, I'm saying that as one of the tens of thousands who did exactly that in 2000.

Sorry, I've overstepped with that one. Should never say that, I withdraw the earlier comment.

[**claire**]

I'm someone who has an extremely tolerant attitude towards gatecrashers, having been one myself in the past when I was young and fit enough to get over, but people using the festival to line their own pockets I don't like.

If someone can get in using only their ingenuity they deserve to stay, if all it takes is money and contacts that's as crooked and corrupt as everything I detest.

Well said as always Spindles.

[**claire**]

What with the festival having such strict regulations placed on them by the local council etc with regards to numbers of punters on site, anything like this sort of scam being carried out on an industrial scale, that might threaten the future of the festival if left unchecked, does bother me to be honest.

[siblin]

Have to put myself in the "against it" camp here.

It'd be nice if everyone who wanted to go could, but if the festival safely had capacity for more, they'd sell more tickets. Similarly if they didn't have to mitigate for people jumping the fence or sneaking in they could probably sell more tickets (at a slightly lower price), yet the festival wouldn't be as crowded as it is now. This isn't some anti-establishment protest which is to be cheered, it's fraud which is direct detriment to the rest of us.

....and yes not everyone who sneaks in is a tent thief, but I'm betting the larger proportion of them come from this pool.

[siblin]

But the tiny amount of people getting in won't make a difference to anyones experience at all. That attitude is very Tory/Ukip and not very Glastonbury IMO.

Left wing thinking isn't the same as anarchistic thinking by the way... In fact "the strongest/fittest/best able to jump the fence surviving" attitude is arguably more right wing

[PabloCoke]

Left wing thinking isn't the same as anarchistic thinking by the way... In fact "the strongest/fittest/best able to jump the fence surviving" attitude is arguably more right wing

I was in no way advocating a hunger games or running man type competition to gain entry to the festival. But now you mention it could be better than F5....

[MrZigster]

I remember one year back in the 90s when the site was mega full from fence hoppers .I seem to remember a whole large section of fence was broken down and folks were pouring in .You could certainly see the difference and to many people presents a lot of obvious problems .Got no problem with a few people doing a covert job to get in but bus loads is taking the piss somewhat .

Sounds like my experience of 1995. Tents just everywhere by the end.

[stuartbert two hats]

Left wing thinking isn't the same as anarchistic thinking by the way... In fact "the strongest/fittest/best able to jump the fence surviving" attitude is arguably more right wing

Yeah, I was thinking that this was more individualistic rather than communal behaviour.

My nuanced, considered approach is that everyone that opposes it is a square. So there.

[siblin]

I was in no way advocating a hunger games or running man type competition to gain entry to the festival. But now you mention it could be better than F5....

lol! love it.

[Spindles]

Sorry, I've overstepped with that one. Should never say that, I withdraw the earlier comment.

Cheers, and no worries, sometimes things come across wrong on line.

[SteveTLizard]

Diddums!

[Ted Dansons Wig]

The numbers getting in without tickets is surely a tiny number. My uncharitable w*nker side is saying "I paid - why shouldn't they". Then I remember the number of years I walked in without paying a penny before the fence.

Do these bods have bands? Seen a couple of times folk stopped by security if they clearly weren't in possession of one.

[SteveTLizard]

Never particularly had an issue with jumpers, especially the ones that plopped there tent next to ours in 2000, then buggered off Sunday night leaving a mars bar sized lump of hash under our tent . Happy days.

Caveat would be if said jumpers put the whole festival at risk.