Question - NOS and entry refusal

[psychonautica]

Hi guys,

Just looking for some advice from people's past experience. I want to take some NOS this year. (This is just for me and my mates to have back at our tent at the end of the night. We'll be taking all the waste away with us and won't be taking it to stages and annoying the bejeezus out of everyone with the noise.

Anyway, I plan on taking between 50-120 chargers and it won't be the end of the world if they're confiscated. I'm just wondering if people think there's any chance of being refused entry if they're found at the door? Specifically, does anyone know of anyone who was refused entry for trying to bring NOS in?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[festivalman01]

Looking to get this same question answered! My mind tells me if we are caught with 100+ it will most likely be a refusal but I haven't heard of anyone being excluded from Boom just because of NOS  but obviously the law has changed. My opinion is that this year they will just get everyone in and worry about the drugs when inside. Last yeas queue was a clusterfuck and I doubt they want to let that happen again so I don't really know how they are going to search every one of us 

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, festivalman01 said:

Last yeas queue was a clusterfuck and I doubt they want to let that happen again

if that was the case they'd have loosened the checks during last year's chaos, I'd have thought.

[bluedaisy]

1 hour ago, festivalman01 said:

Looking to get this same question answered! My mind tells me if we are caught with 100+ it will most likely be a refusal but I haven't heard of anyone being excluded from Boom just because of NOS  but obviously the law has changed. My opinion is that this year they will just get everyone in and worry about the drugs when inside. Last yeas queue was a clusterfuck and I doubt they want to let that happen again so I don't really know how they are going to search every one of us 

Unfortunately, I think this  incorrect.

Last night I was bored and ended up reading the festival licence doc, and the it looks like one of the main reasons they were denied extra capacity was  because they "failed" with the entry searches and allowed "drugs" and "3 weapons" onto the site.   I'm not sure that any of us went to complain at the licence hearings about our queue ordeal, however the anti-festival brigade pounced on the fact that Boomtown decided to relax the search after a certain point last year. 

I'm thinking  that they will probably do what they did last year, but this time with the infrastructure to process us quick enough. For those of you that weren't there, they searched every single bag if I remember right (I went through the coach entry gate). Lot's of expensive bottles of booze  were confiscated  (also a requirement of the licence) and some drug like substances (there was a drug amnesty zone). 

They are also are required by the licence to "eject" people bringing in banned any psycho-active substances from the festival -so make of that what you will.

So this year I think the safest bet is to expect them to be demonstrating to the police and council that they can be trusted to manage a "vigorous" entry search process, whilst making the process as painless as possible for the festival goers.

[psychonautica]

Thanks for the responses.

That's very useful information bluedaisy. I'm starting to think I might play it safe and leave the NOs at home. I know how livid with myself I'll be if my bag isn't searched though!

I just keep thinking, surely if you have an amount that is likely to be for personal use, and it isn't actually illegal to possess, they couldn't justify kicking you out. But I suppose they don't have to justify it if it is in the Ts and Cs.

Now for my little whine: why in the hell are we not allowed a substance where the only recorded fatalities are from interactions (mainly with alcohol) or administering the drug in unsafe ways, but we're all encouraged to get blackout drunk and violent? I'm sure I'm preaching to the converted, but I have to vent somewhere...

[bluedaisy]

Although not every bag was searched thoroughly  - there's only so much they can feasibly do I guess -  they did fully open up a few and unravel bits and pieces. Again, make of that what you will. I think a some people may get caught out thinking that they will completely relax the search after last year's fiasco.

One of the issues Boomtown has is they've had drug fatalities, but whilst the council and police are insisting certain conditions are met,  there's also a more progressive approach to drug management and harm reduction going on in the background. So whilst various parties will try to restrict drugs at the gate, there is acknowledgment that some substances will make it in and they have been allowing support for harm reduction in the form of drugs testing like The Loop. So despite the apparently draconian searches, they are quietly moving things in the right direction - I guess it's baby-steps.

I think you may find this video interesting:

 

 

[Sku]

24 minutes ago, bluedaisy said:

Unfortunately, I think this  incorrect.

Last night I was bored and ended up reading the festival licence doc, and the it looks like one of the main reasons they were denied extra capacity was  because they "failed" with the entry searches and allowed "drugs" and "3 weapons" onto the site.   I'm not sure that any of us went to complain at the licence hearings about our queue ordeal, however the anti-festival brigade pounced on the fact that Boomtown decided to relax the search after a certain point last year. 

I'm thinking  that they will probably do what they did last year, but this time with the infrastructure to process us quick enough. For those of you that weren't there, they searched every single bag if I remember right (I went through the coach entry gate). Lot's of expensive bottles of booze  were confiscated  (also a requirement of the licence) and some drug like substances (there was a drug amnesty zone). 

They are also are required by the licence to "eject" people bringing in banned any psycho-active substances from the festival -so make of that what you will.

So this year I think the safest bet is to expect them to be demonstrating to the police and council that they can be trusted to manage a "vigorous" entry search process, whilst making the process as painless as possible for the festival goers.

Thanks for posting the info up here. I was also sad enough to read all the licensing documentation and can confirm.

The police basically accused the festival of trying to "save face" when they relaxed searches to help process the long queue faster. They suggest it was a terror risk, as well as a public disorder risk.

It was the opinion of the police that the festival were already at breaking point with 60k, and thereby they strongly objected to the 80k license.

It's fair to say the strong objection from the police to a capacity increase was a major factor in it being rejected. I'm sure the festival will be determined to get that license next year, and will do what it takes. That unfortunately means very thorough searches and following their own ejections policy.

It certainly seems running this type of event is quite the headache these days, after reading the various planning documents and objections.

[psychonautica]

Bluedaisy - I should have clarified my criticism isn't leveled at boomtown. I've always been really impressed by their attitude towards drugs and harm reduction.

Sku - It's sad to see this kind of pressure being applied, particularly using the spectre of terrorism when the danger of dehydration in the queue was a much more real problem the last time I was there. Part of me wishes boomtown would just stop trying to expand. The biggest criticism I hear year after year is that it's getting to big, so why not keep it small and focus on making the experience more special for those who attend? I guess greed overcomes in the end...

[mr flow]

1 hour ago, psychonautica said:

Bluedaisy - I should have clarified my criticism isn't leveled at boomtown. I've always been really impressed by their attitude towards drugs and harm reduction.

Sku - It's sad to see this kind of pressure being applied, particularly using the spectre of terrorism when the danger of dehydration in the queue was a much more real problem the last time I was there. Part of me wishes boomtown would just stop trying to expand. The biggest criticism I hear year after year is that it's getting to big, so why not keep it small and focus on making the experience more special for those who attend? I guess greed overcomes in the end...

The problem is, its a double edged sword really. Stay the same size, but risk stagnating and people lose interest, or continue to expand and grow and use the extra revenue to improve the festival each year. I don't think greed has anything to do with it. People don't make lots of money from putting on festivals, and particularly if they are 100% independent.

Surely if they were greedy, they'd just sign a huge sponsorship deal? 

[Sku]

I think it would be naive to believe there is not a least a little greed at play in certain areas of the Boomtown camp.

But actually the overriding vibe I get is that they want to be one of the best, if not the best festival in the world. And every year when capacity was increased the quality of the production did too. They do seem to use the money each year to improve and expand the offering.

I've never known a festival to keep upping it's game so much every year. All the while being a relatively unheard of independent business with no outside funding. It's amazing what they have built in 10 years mostly all by themselves.

It is a shame the local authorities haven't quite realised what a good thing they have on their doorstep. Hopefully in a few years if the momentum keeps going in this festival's favour, the local authorities will be the ones begging them to stay.

[bluedaisy]

29 minutes ago, Sku said:

I think it would be naive to believe there is not a least a little greed at play in certain areas of the Boomtown camp.

But actually the overriding vibe I get is that they want to be one of the best, if not the best festival in the world. And every year when capacity was increased the quality of the production did too. They do seem to use the money each year to improve and expand the offering.

I've never known a festival to keep upping it's game so much every year. All the while being a relatively unheard of independent business with no outside funding. It's amazing what they have built in 10 years mostly all by themselves.

It is a shame the local authorities haven't quite realised what a good thing they have on their doorstep. Hopefully in a few years if the momentum keeps going in this festival's favour, the local authorities will be the ones begging them to stay.

Reading through the licence papers you really get the feeling that there's a section of society who do not realise the cultural value in a festivals like Boomtown.  

[psychonautica]

Fair point Mr Flow, so it's capitalism that's to blame! Just as I suspected.

I've always had this dream that one of Boomtown's theatrical revolutions would seamlessly tradition into a real one. 60,000 is a decent sized army to be getting started with. But maybe the Sunday morning samba parties are the closest we'll ever get.

[eFestivals]

2 hours ago, psychonautica said:

so it's capitalism that's to blame!

never trust a hippy.

Just sayin'

 

[frostypaw]

On 8/3/2018 at 12:51 PM, Sku said:

The police basically accused the festival of trying to "save face" when they relaxed searches to help process the long queue faster. They suggest it was a terror risk, as well as a public disorder risk.

It's a disgrace to the planning process that they weren't asked to explain why such extreme measures were absolutely unquestionably needed at Boomtown while Glastonbury on national TV and livestreaming around the world does things so dramatically differently.

I really don't mind when these things are needed but this is just excuse making.

As to the NOS they have a specific ban in place - it's still a music festival and people want to listen to the music not wooshing interrupting performances. Not an unfair point.