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Festival Survey - Dissertation


zak14
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Done. Good to see another survey from someone who actually uses the site. 

Not sure on this question though:

Which of these do you see as the biggest advantages for taking a coach to a European festival (select as many as apply)

  • Taking your own creates of alcohol/cider to the festival
  • Not having to worry about parking or train station/airport transfers
  • Being able to travel with a large group of people
  • No luggage restrictions, taking all your regular festival equipment
  • You can sleep on the coach

I've been on coaches to festivals in the UK and they have luggage restrictions. Yes, you can take on more than you could if going by air but you can't take on crates of beer plus all your other camping stuff. 

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done.

Agree on the coach question.

Also, unless the coach drops me and my stuff off at the campsite, I still have to haul it all around the site. Most festival sites make this at least 1km walk if not further, so it really doesn't matter how much stuff they let me bung on the coach, unless my trolley comes, then it's just what I can carry.

One other thing which would make the coach really, really attractive would be to do the security bollocks when getting on the coach, so that when you arrive you're wristbanded and cleared and can swan in.

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@Gnomicide Thank you for taking the time out, it really means a lot! So the idea is to have a coach service that is exclusively for the purpose of making the trip to a European Festival much simpler and friendly for UK festival goers. 

Obviously there will be restrictions to some extent but the aim is to offer the space for everything you’d want/need to take to a typical festival - looking back this probably could’ve been phrased better to include that but hope this answers your question!

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Just now, hfuhruhurr said:

done.

Agree on the coach question.

Also, unless the coach drops me and my stuff off at the campsite, I still have to haul it all around the site. Most festival sites make this at least 1km walk if not further, so it really doesn't matter how much stuff they let me bung on the coach, unless my trolley comes, then it's just what I can carry.

One other thing which would make the coach really, really attractive would be to do the security bollocks when getting on the coach, so that when you arrive you're wristbanded and cleared and can swan in.

The idea is to have a coach service with festivals at the focus so trolleys would be allowed!

Getting your wristband on the coach to void the queues and security is a really great idea, i’ll probably try to incorporate this into the business plan somehow 

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31 minutes ago, zak14 said:

@Gnomicide Thank you for taking the time out, it really means a lot! So the idea is to have a coach service that is exclusively for the purpose of making the trip to a European Festival much simpler and friendly for UK festival goers. 

Obviously there will be restrictions to some extent but the aim is to offer the space for everything you’d want/need to take to a typical festival - looking back this probably could’ve been phrased better to include that but hope this answers your question!

Thanks for responding. That makes more sense now, I was thinking that may have been what you were working towards but it wasn't clear.

How about supplying the trolleys for the travellers, a load of the same type that fold away neatly would save a lot of space.

Good luck!

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2 hours ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Yet another survey that has very narrow age ranges until you reach 35, at which point, you're like really, really old!

Oops sorry - I probably should’ve gone more specific as over 50% of the participants chose that option!

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18 minutes ago, zak14 said:

Oops sorry - I probably should’ve gone more specific as over 50% of the participants chose that option!

When you choose irregular ranges you're prejudicing your data collection.  If you point that one in your methodology critique, they'll probably give you credit.

If it helps, everyone does it, but really it should be much simpler:

0-10

10-20

20-30

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-70

70-80

80+

 

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Done but my answers don't fit very well.  I'm in the 35+ range but for me, these days, festivals are a social thing and could be described as 'caravanning with a bit of music attached.'  If I can't take my caravan I'm not interested, so coach travel to a continental festival isn't an option.  Neither is towing my caravan to the continent.

So I tend to stick to festivals within a 50 or so mile tow from where I store my caravan near the Severn Bridge.  Luckily that covers most of the festivals I'm interested in including Glastonbury, Wychwood and Green Man.

Good luck with your survey and do come back and let us know how you get on.

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Survey completed.

As an aside, I think you could well be on to a good thing here, as long as it's priced correctly. What you may have a problem with is some (if not all) European coach operators will not allow people to drink on their coaches. This bit might be difficult to 'manage' if you have a lot of young / young at heart people on board. I know that I've been on some coaches where the driver has turned a blind eye, but just saying that if you get a jobs worth driver, there could be difficulties. Something to look in to maybe.

I don't suppose there's many coaches out there nowadays that don't have at least one toilet on them, but given the above situation, you'd want to ensure that they do. I know that even having toilet facilities on a coach may not be enough on a long haul trip, if people are drinking (even with the two hourly comfort breaks at service stations that they make for people who need a ciggie / stretch their legs / go to the loo etc). I was on one coach where the wc effluent tank had reached it's capacity - it was not a pretty sight.

Oh, and thinking about this weather - may be air conditioning on the coach would be a necessity.

I have travelled (in my youth) by coach from Coventry to the south of Spain. Non stop there, and non stop on the way back - apart from 2 hourly comfort breaks. I could do it then but not now. I wouldn't have to now though because air travel is so much more cheaper than it was then - which would be another element that you'd have to consider.

That's all that I can think of at the moment, but will come back if something else occurs to me.

Oh, it has already:

Remind them to bring their passports. 

Tell them it's their own responsibility to sort out visa's etc if they are non EU citizens.

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  • 3 months later...
On 7/12/2018 at 4:54 PM, hfuhruhurr said:

One other thing which would make the coach really, really attractive would be to do the security bollocks when getting on the coach, so that when you arrive you're wristbanded and cleared and can swan in.

The WBC tried that at Glastonbury once but ' it was a right rigmarole '

step 1 - they checked photo ID
step 2 - handed a Crew ticket { no photo on it }
step 3 - Coach enters red gate
step 4 - GFL officials come on so had to show the ticket and photo ID again { note they already had a list of the names of the people on the Coach - supplied in advance by the WBC }
step 5 - they handed out a crew wrist band and they left
step 6 - the Coach moved 40 feet and then security came on and checked crew wrist bands
step 7 - the Coach moved 40 feet and then security came on to check the bloody tickets
step 8 - the Coach moved 70 feet and then security came on  and checked crew wrist bands
step 9 - the Coach moved 40 feet and then security came on and checked crew wrist bands

all this checking even although most of it was unnecessary as it should have only required one check -

so if they do that for people they know I have to wonder if a Promoter would allow it for ticket holders who they don't know.

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On 7/12/2018 at 1:33 PM, Gnomicide said:

Done. Good to see another survey from someone who actually uses the site. 

Not sure on this question though:

Which of these do you see as the biggest advantages for taking a coach to a European festival (select as many as apply)

  • Taking your own creates of alcohol/cider to the festival
  • Not having to worry about parking or train station/airport transfers
  • Being able to travel with a large group of people
  • No luggage restrictions, taking all your regular festival equipment
  • You can sleep on the coach

I've been on coaches to festivals in the UK and they have luggage restrictions. Yes, you can take on more than you could if going by air but you can't take on crates of beer plus all your other camping stuff. 

Glastonbury 2010 was the only time I've not seen that enforced, surprised me. Booked a stupid-am direct coach from Manchester, but the driver just let everyone pile everything they brought under. Ran out of space underneath, meaning it left with about a dozen empty seats including the ones we'd paid for.. So we ended up going to fucking Birmingham, then Coventry, making a journey that as advertised as a 4 and half hour one into a 14 hour one.. I hope since then, everyone who took the piss and crammed on more than their ticket was supposed to allow has been either not allowed on or not fit on.

Edited by RichardWaller
too many nots
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14 minutes ago, RichardWaller said:

Glastonbury 2010 was the only time I've not seen that not enforced, surprised me. Booked a stupid-am direct coach from Manchester, but the driver just let everyone pile everything they brought under. Ran out of space underneath, meaning it left with about a dozen empty seats including the ones we'd paid for.. So we ended up going to fucking Birmingham, then Coventry, making a journey that as advertised as a 4 and half hour one into a 14 hour one.. I hope since then, everyone who took the piss and crammed on more than their ticket was supposed to allow has been either not allowed on or not fit on.

That's bang outta order mate,had friends coming from Bristol a few years back experienced a similar thing,cue frantic phone calls to myself and other because there was no space on coach because hold was full and driver resorted to using seats for luggage. Absolutely no reason why they can't enforce a size/weight limit

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20 minutes ago, glastolover19 said:

That's bang outta order mate,had friends coming from Bristol a few years back experienced a similar thing,cue frantic phone calls to myself and other because there was no space on coach because hold was full and driver resorted to using seats for luggage. Absolutely no reason why they can't enforce a size/weight limit

Yeah, I think the driver bottled it and to be honest I reckon if I were the driver I'd have felt tight as fuck telling people they can't bring their trolley of booze on the coach with em, but then again they should know that. I've seen families turned away with less gear on different journeys. 

I did get my money back from National Express, but I'd have much rathered the original plan that I paid for than getting there for free. Can't remember what time our coach was supposed to have been setting off, but site said we'd have been there by 9 anyway. Course I'd have never expected that knowing what the congestion gets like, I wouldn't have even been that disappointed if we were on site by 1 or 2pm. At least we had the Slovenia vs England game on the radio on the coach...  

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The last two years, National Express at Bristol (or at least for the early departures when I've been there) have used a dispatcher to ensure the coach is fully loaded, and she's had no issue telling people that they're taking too much non-essential stuff and that they have to either leave excessive stacks of cans behind or wait until there's a coach with enough space. And then getting on the coach to remind everyone that they can't drink, can't eat, etc etc.

Then as soon as the coach pulls away, the driver comes on the PA and says words to the effect of "Don't worry about all that, just be sensible).

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58 minutes ago, RichardWaller said:

Yeah, I think the driver bottled it and to be honest I reckon if I were the driver I'd have felt tight as fuck telling people they can't bring their trolley of booze on the coach with em, but then again they should know that. I've seen families turned away with less gear on different journeys. 

I did get my money back from National Express, but I'd have much rathered the original plan that I paid for than getting there for free. Can't remember what time our coach was supposed to have been setting off, but site said we'd have been there by 9 anyway. Course I'd have never expected that knowing what the congestion gets like, I wouldn't have even been that disappointed if we were on site by 1 or 2pm. At least we had the Slovenia vs England game on the radio on the coach...  

Tbh I wouldn't have felt guilty making folks leave trollies of booze especially if taking the piss,I've seen some trollies stacked 6ft high with booze,I'd feel more guilty leaving a passenger with minimal baggage behind. The point is there should be a reasonable amount your allowed to take and not take the piss. Thankfully most folks I know who coach are relatively considerate but you'll always get one or 2 who take the mick.

As for the England vs Slovenia match that would have been my cue to have a nap?

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18 minutes ago, glastolover19 said:

Tbh I wouldn't have felt guilty making folks leave trollies of booze especially if taking the piss,I've seen some trollies stacked 6ft high with booze,I'd feel more guilty leaving a passenger with minimal baggage behind. The point is there should be a reasonable amount your allowed to take and not take the piss. Thankfully most folks I know who coach are relatively considerate but you'll always get one or 2 who take the mick.

As for the England vs Slovenia match that would have been my cue to have a nap?

Oh yeah definitely, it's not like people aren't warned, I'm surprised they got away with it, that driver must've cost National Express a few hundred quid in refunds that day. 

Probably a blessing for England that I didn't see them that day. I've watched em on big screens at festivals twice and both times they've lost.

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