Gutted - thieving b***ards cleaned us out.

Roo · #41 02-07-2011, 04:55 AM

Originally Posted by rickleach

after reading all this thread whilst only having been last year and this time is the general feeling that there was more robbing and hassle than ever this year?(last year I camped in the family field and this time was in a crew camp so maybe I don't have an accurate picture).Next time I am hoping to go with with my better half-who's never been before- and my 17 yr old daughter & her mate(who were in the family field with me last year).I want my other half to have as good an experience as I have had (and bored her senseless about!) the last 2 yrs with no hassle etc.All the above thread leaves a sour taste and make me a bit uneasy.Would the consensus be to use a camper van if poss? Is the general air of hassle & intimidation this year something that is unusual or a trend that is getting worse? And(dare I say this..) considering all the expense of going for 4 of us & a campervan etc does anyone consider that fact that it may(whisper) just might not all be worth it? Should I just leave the last two years as happy memories and not run the risk of having those sullied? I genuinely would like to hear any helpful opinions & views.Cheers!

I don't think it will ever be possible for them to completely eradicate thefts, but I can tell you that since the superfence went up thefts have fallen dramatically! This is mainly due to far fewer thieves getting into the festival now, and they do often get caught, I just wish the police would spend a bit more effort catching them fast rather than pouncing on people up at the stone circle!

Family camping areas, and campervans do seem much safer and do also report far less thieving than general camping areas. It can just take a small number of scum to rob 70+ tents in one field. Best advice is to keep as few valuables as possible in your tent - use the property lock-ups, it's what they are there for - use them as a cash point and deposit all your festival money when you camp up, taking out your daily budget each morning. Then even if you do get robbed in your sleep, you will still be able to eat & drink at the festival!

maclauk · #42 02-07-2011, 09:00 AM

Pre the super fence the number of thefts was very high and dropped dramatically when it was installed. This year, however, for the first time since then it felt like the number of thefts had risen again. We we camped by John Peel and several times heard the security guards talking to people nearby about recent thefts in the area. For my girlfriend, on her 6th Glasto, that was a new experience.

Its not scientific, but I would say anecdotally that there was a distinct rise in the number of thefts this year.

Mandypants · #43 02-07-2011, 11:24 AM

I don't think it's any reason to stop going, there are simple ways of preventing the loss of your valuables, as long as you take notice, then there's no reason why you will be any more vulnerable than you ever have been. Yes, it's unsettling to know someone has been in your tent, but if your money/phone/camera etc has been stashed safely, then you can rest assured that scumbags won't get their hands on it. The more people who take care, the less likely they will get away with stacks of cash and goods, and the less likely they will be to carry on trying to steal.

And remember, even if there were a couple of hundred thefts, it's still a tiny minority in a crowd of over 200,000 people, so statistically it's a very small risk indeed.

Mart44 · #44 02-07-2011, 03:48 PM

Such a shame that we have to be discussing this at all. Very sorry for anyone who was robbed. Especially as we spent a lot of time on here pre-festival telling first timers what a safe festival this one is. I cant describe strongly enough the contempt I feel for the scumbags who undermine the feeling of love and togetherness that I always feel at Glastonbury.

stinkywitch · #45 02-07-2011, 04:52 PM

I have heard so much about the crime this year but I don't think it will have been dramatically worse than previous years I just think with so many forums and social networking sites that we are just hearing more.
It hasn't put me off but I have not been a victim of crime at glasto.

starbar · #46 03-07-2011, 10:03 PM

rickleach, I think given the palaver of getting tickes, then cost, and then having to pay to hire a camper I'd sack it off and go abroad! As I have previously said, I've been going to Glast for years and the cost has gone up and up. It's an expensive weekend, even if you do it on the cheap - lugging all your own food and cooking etc... HOWEVER... I do believe that there is no other festival like it. Apart from this year I've had brilliant times, come rain or shine and seen some amazing things there, so only you can way up wether or not its worth it.

rickleach · #47 03-07-2011, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by starbar

rickleach, I think given the palaver of getting tickes, then cost, and then having to pay to hire a camper I'd sack it off and go abroad! As I have previously said, I've been going to Glast for years and the cost has gone up and up. It's an expensive weekend, even if you do it on the cheap - lugging all your own food and cooking etc... HOWEVER... I do believe that there is no other festival like it. Apart from this year I've had brilliant times, come rain or shine and seen some amazing things there, so only you can way up wether or not its worth it.

starbar -thanks for this.I think you are quite right.If I actually added up the whole cost of everything -tickets,money to spend,equipment nothwithstanding a campervan and looked at it in the cold light of day it would make very good sense to sack it off.But but but-there is nothing like it.I guess that "abroad" will always be there! So come Oct next year I will be like everyone else sweating on getting tickets!Many thanks to you and everyone else who has kindly responded to my post.Much appreciated.

tort · #48 05-07-2011, 12:59 PM

After hitting an all time low in 2007 the number of thefts has been steadily on the rise again. A number of tents were opened around me at the top of Pennards this year although I didn't hear of anything being stolen.

It's a horrible thing to happen but if all your valuables are tucked safely away either in the lock ups or at the bottom of your sleeping bag then the risk of losing anything important is minimised. A bit of cash & a debit card left back in the car is also a sensible precaution should the worst happen.

On a similar note I can't believe how careless some people are with their valuables. I was standing outside the Avalon Inn on the Thursday when I heard something flop onto the ground as a young lad walked past with his girlfriend. At first I thought he'd just dropped some litter but when I looked down I saw his passport with a wad of £20 notes and a debit card lying on the ground. It had all just fallen out of his pocket. If I'd have been less honest/observant or if it had happened at night his whole weekend would have been screwed before it had barely started.

Mandypants · #49 05-07-2011, 01:18 PM

Seriously people, one of these is what you need, wear it under your clothes and only take a small amount of cash out as and when you need it. I've kept my bank card and car key in mine, I sleep in it, it's so much safer than pockets or bags.

I got one in the pound shop so you don't have to spend much, but you could save yourself a whole heap of grief.

stinkywitch · #50 05-07-2011, 03:05 PM

We have used a bumbag for the last 4 or 5 yrs and it really is secure.

starbar · #51 05-07-2011, 10:46 PM

To be honest, I'm not interested in going somewhere where I have to fasten all my belongings to me in case someone decides they are entitled to taking things that aren't theirs. As someone who is careful with their stuff its a pisser that this has happened. However I should feel safe going to sleep in my own tent. Things that are stolen can be replaced. But what worries me more is the face these people seem to have no fear at all. I'm thankful that we didn't wake up whilst it happened as am pretty sure if my OH got hold of them thy would have paid for it. Who's to say they don't carry knives etc? Situations like this easily get out of hand and ill bet and some point it will. If that's the reality of festivals today, I ain't interested.

Roo · #52 06-07-2011, 05:08 PM

ahh back in the day.....

Welshmen stood on every corner practicing their choir voice with the call of "Shrooms, get your welsh shrooms here"

Gangsters dealing harder drugs along the unlit railway - you used to see shadows ahead and hope it was drug dealers rather than muggers. (one year I recall there was even a shooting in the market area!)

Teams of scallies, often a dozen strong sweeping across camping fields in broad daylight, not even bothering with zippers, just slashing tents open to see what they could find.

virtually no lighting, even less security (who often had exactly the same accents as the muggers), virtually no police presence, hardly any media coverage or reporting of the rampant thievery taking place!

Oh, take me back! To the days before people had mobile phones, ipods, cameras and all the things that make the festival so attractive to thieves!

Seriously though, both police and security could do a much better job in eliminating thefts, but both seemed to busy harassing people for drugs, busting small time dealers and poncing about in cool shades!

stardustjunkie · #53 07-07-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by starbar

To be honest, I'm not interested in going somewhere where I have to fasten all my belongings to me in case someone decides they are entitled to taking things that aren't theirs.

Surely everywhere there's people like that?

It's highlighted at Glasto because it's more easily accessible. People are careless with their possessions, they don't use the lock ups etc. Tents aren't burglar proof, but if it worries you enough then stay in a campervan.

The security is there, and it's there to improve your safety and the safety of the festival. Yes, you can still be careful and be a victim of theft, but that is the same wherever you go.

I'm sorry you were a victim and it ruined your festival, but it shouldn't put you off going to festivals in the future. It happens unfortunately, but if you're clever about it you can stop it ruining the whole festival for you.

Mandypants · #54 08-07-2011, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by stardustjunkie

Surely everywhere there's people like that?

It's highlighted at Glasto because it's more easily accessible. People are careless with their possessions, they don't use the lock ups etc. Tents aren't burglar proof, but if it worries you enough then stay in a campervan.

The security is there, and it's there to improve your safety and the safety of the festival. Yes, you can still be careful and be a victim of theft, but that is the same wherever you go.

I'm sorry you were a victim and it ruined your festival, but it shouldn't put you off going to festivals in the future. It happens unfortunately, but if you're clever about it you can stop it ruining the whole festival for you.

Spot on. We wouldn't go out and leave the front door open, we take precautions to protect ourselves from crime every day. Taking adequate precautions against thieves is basic common sense, in a field with over 200,000 people, there are going to be some shitbags who will have a go at seeing what they can lay their hands on. They are a tiny minority, most people are decent and honest, but they are significant enough to cause a whole heap of bother for people if they think they can get away with it.

pixieparable · #55 10-07-2011, 12:50 AM

Thank you for posting this thread.

This story sounds similar to ours, with some slight "minor" additions in our case.

Will gladly tell our story later, but here's a quick summary.

Before we got off the shuttle at the site, someone had stolen our mummy sleeping bags.

Wednesday night, while we slept, tent entered, most of our cash, all but 1 credit card, only ATM card, 2 drivers license id's, 1 passport, 1 railcard, were stolen from our tent, while we slept. We were in the "Camp Triangle" area of Park Home.

Thursday night, our tent was again entered, as the zipper was again open.

Friday night, we got a lock, and locked the zipper from the inside.

We left Saturday morning, but had more fun. On the train ride to London, someone lifted one of our luggage pieces. A nice bag which had several pairs of shoes and cosmetics inside, along with several travel books, we had wanted to use on this trip.

At the festival, we encountered nothing but INCOMPETENT "security" and "staff", to find out where to report this. We spent Thursday & Friday, dealing with the onsite "police"(who cared more about finding drugs, than tent theft), canceling cards which had been stolen, and arranging an appointment with the US Embassy in London, so the stolen passport could be replaced in time for our train to Brussels on Monday afternoon.

But more on that later. This was one of the most traumatic overall experiences of both our entire 45 yr. lives. It's severity was magnified, by the fact it was supposed to be a very positive life enriching experience.

For us, Glastonbury will forever be, not so much a festival of Peace, Love & Music.....but rather, Peace, Love, Music & Theft.

stardustjunkie · #56 10-07-2011, 10:51 AM

Again, I'm sorry to hear you became a victim to theft. Some people aren't worthy of their ticket to Glastonbury!

Regarding reporting it to the police. All you can do is alert the police of theft in that area, there's no CCTV (and you'd complain if there was!), there's nothing they can do about a theft that happened during the night. I appreciate it's frustrating to tell them and have nothing happen, but by telling them you have made them aware of problem areas and you can only hope they've taken it upon themselves to increase the number of people wandering around (for security), particularly at night.

I don't believe it's because they're incompetent, how would you go about preventing theft amongst 150000 odd tents?

Mandypants · #57 10-07-2011, 11:31 AM

For future festivals, there is also a text number that you can report crime directly to the police. The number is 81819, so if you see anyone acting suspiciously, you can text them the area that you're in and what you have seen, the thieves won't know they've been clocked and hopefully security will be along shortly. If you see a police officer, ask them if they have any security straps, they are fantastic for securing your wallet/mobile to you, and they also have the text number printed on them.

starbar · #58 10-07-2011, 08:55 PM

PixieP, so sorry to hear you had such a shitty time. Glastonbury can be an amazing experiencean I've had brilliant times there, but we lucked out this year to say the least. Our experiences of the police were that they were lovely but totally at a loss as to be able to rectify the situation, tent theft is almost the perfect crime, easy done and hard to do anything about unless caught red handed. However I do believe what goes around comes around. Btw, Padlocking a tent is pointless and usually leads to a slashed tent... Hope the rest of your trip was salvageable in some way

Roo · #59 10-07-2011, 09:43 PM

Sad to hear of the grief PixieP, though can I add to the advice above in suggesting that valuable items that are surely of no use to you whilst at the festival, be put in the property lock-ups for safety?

Did hear of a guy dropping his passport outside one of the bars, and it contained a lot of cash and cards, inc international driving license! Luckily one of my co-volunteers advised him of the Property Lock-up service and where to find the nearest one to prevent the possible repeat, and potential disaster of losing them again!

In the festival guide, website, and the programme, there is info about the Property Lock-ups and the service they provide. But what puzzles me is why so many people seem not to notice this, or choose to ignore it? Anyone got any ideas? Or is this a potential topic for an entirely separate thread?

Mandypants · #60 11-07-2011, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Roo

In the festival guide, website, and the programme, there is info about the Property Lock-ups and the service they provide. But what puzzles me is why so many people seem not to notice this, or choose to ignore it? Anyone got any ideas? Or is this a potential topic for an entirely separate thread?

Honestly? I think it's laziness, people can't be arsed to make yet another journey to put their stuff in the lockups, so they convince themselves it'll be alright. But you're right, even carrying stuff is risky, you can be pickpocketed, or you could simply lose stuff over the course of the day, it falls out of your pocket or bag. For things like passports, it beggars belief that people wouldn't use the lock ups, they are such important documents and so difficult to replace.

ROWLANEL · #61 12-07-2011, 03:22 PM

I don't get it either. I found a wallet, full of cash and every card this person owned along with car keys, house keys and other keys, all wraped up in the security of a sainsburys carrier bag!!! Being the honest person I am, I handed it in, although I did think about swapping the Merc for my Corsa!