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Post by phishsticks41 on Feb 16, 2011 13:47:55 GMT -5
On Bonnaroo's website it says that all vehicles will be searched upon entrance to the festival grounds. I am just curious as to how extensive this search is, maybe someone who has been to Bonnaroo before can give me a little insight as to what I can expect. I understand the no glass rule and think that its an awesome idea so I understand the search, but how deep into my belongings will security be peeking?
Here's a link to the page about the search:http://bonnaroo.com/info/security.aspx
Anyone can have their car completely gutted before entrance - that said, as long as you have atleast some organization to how you packed everything and make sure that your coolers are still easy to open when everything is packed in the car than the gate check can go purty smooth.
Post by phishsticks41 on Feb 16, 2011 14:27:51 GMT -5
Okay, I ask because unpacking everything for them to look for glass bottles would be quite of an inconvenience, but as long as I won't have to gut my car and clothes for them to see if I have any bottles, then I am cool. Not having glass is a great rule IMO.
Been there three times, each search different. No rhyme or reason, you can be gutted, you can have a quick search. Be smart, be organized, be friendly.
They barely searched my vehicle last year- they looked in one of I think three coolers and asked if I had any glass bottles and I said no and went on. However, I have heard of people getting their car gutted like TheVille said. I guess it's a crap shot, just like if you get close camping or get put in BFE.
Post by arlenefavreau1 on Feb 16, 2011 14:47:12 GMT -5
depends on your attitude your nervous and jerky your standing a gr8er chance on being gutted , your calm cool and collected you stand a better chance of glance and go . In my opinion "james dean" getts you in and on your way quicker than "crackhead jones" any day.
depends on your attitude your nervous and jerky your standing a gr8er chance on being gutted , your calm cool and collected you stand a better chance of glance and go . In my opinion "james dean" getts you in and on your way quicker than "crackhead jones" any day.
Hahaha very true. Also important- if you write 'Bonnaroo or Bust!" on your windows, expect to get pulled over by the police on the way to the farm. You're asking for it.
depends on your attitude your nervous and jerky your standing a gr8er chance on being gutted , your calm cool and collected you stand a better chance of glance and go . In my opinion "james dean" getts you in and on your way quicker than "crackhead jones" any day.
Awesome post. Laughing out loud at a Verizon store.
Okay, I ask because unpacking everything for them to look for glass bottles would be quite of an inconvenience, but as long as I won't have to gut my car and clothes for them to see if I have any bottles, then I am cool. Not having glass is a great rule IMO.
Just be smart about it and make sure your car doesn't smell to high heavens of "glass bottles".
Post by OldLadyRoo on Feb 16, 2011 22:51:39 GMT -5
Always follow the golden rule and you will be okay. And hide anything you don't want to be found. Plus don't try to bring in glass bottles -- that's just wrong.
Post by plasticpepper on Feb 16, 2011 23:44:09 GMT -5
Yeah, as others have said, there's no hard-and-fast rule for how extensive it'll be, but it's not a huge deal. Every time I've been they basically just poked around a little bit, peeked in the cooler, stuff like that. They're most likely not going to tear apart your entire car if they don't have some reason to be suspicious. If you get up there and you're friendly and helpful and all that, you'll probably be outta there pretty quickly.
I've been 4 years and never gotten the extensive search. Like others have said, just be cool, keep your stuff packed neat and be nice to the people checking and it seems to be pretty quick. Most of the time it's a question of "Do you have any glass?" then quick open up the doors, glance around at my stuff, make a half-hearted attempt to look like they're searching, and then they send me on my way.
One year, my brother had gotten married the weekend before Bonnaroo and I still had a bag of stuff from the wedding that they'd given the groomsmen in my floor board that I'd forgotten to take out. It look rather odd having a white bag with pink ribbons on it in my truck. That earned me a strange look and question of "What's that?" I explained it and the guy peeked in and sent me on my way with my bag of pastel colored M&Ms and whatever else was in there. So... don't have any weird looking stuff out in the open.
Emoney serves more of a purpose than any of you, especially Nate, whose incessant, garbled ramblings are so mindless and pointless that I get depressed just seeing them.
Indeed, whether you're on the highway on the way in and get pulled over or at the gates, there's a level of profiling, whether the police and security want to admit it or not.
Me or somebody in my crew were searched by the dtf in 08 and 09. It doesn't make a difference how you pack or what you look like. It's random. They destroy you stuff and don't put it back at all. You have to pack it back up. Don't pack it in you sleeping bag because they sniff and dig through stuff. The smashed my friends bread sniffing it and don't care. It's one of the reasons I didn't go last year. It's an illeagle search by police. I know the tickets say your subject to search but not by the law. It's better to be safe that sorry.
something i've felt helps is the later in the day you arrive, the less likely you will get a heavy search. they start letting people in at like 7am or something and they get tired over checking in all those people over 8 hours in the hot TN sun. every year i went to bonnaroo i went through the gates around 4 or 430pm and in 06 and 07 i didnt even get searched just waved in. in 08 and 09 i got a little poke around and thats it.
They do shifts - we came in last year around... gosh I can't remember, lunchtime or so when it just started to rain. Some new folks on the shift, fresh and ready to search, even in the drizzle. It's not always young volunteers or DTF, there is some older folks who know their stuff.
We wash our car before going down, my husband wears a polo shirt, I wear a pretty traditional outfit, we're very friendly. We give icy cold bottles of water to the cops directing traffic into the Farm. This year we had a long conversation with the 40-something dude checking cars about the Suburu WRX and what car he wants to buy. We treated him with respect, he treated us with respect, we both ended up having a good time.
Keep your car clean, don't look like a wookie, don't be messed up while driving in, keep your car tidy (you may think a mess may discourage them from searching but it will make them suspicious and less likely to respect your stuff), be friendly and do what you can to make the line move fast and keep their job as simple as possible!
Me or somebody in my crew were searched by the dtf in 08 and 09. It doesn't make a difference how you pack or what you look like. It's random. They destroy you stuff and don't put it back at all. You have to pack it back up. Don't pack it in you sleeping bag because they sniff and dig through stuff. The smashed my friends bread sniffing it and don't care. It's one of the reasons I didn't go last year. It's an illeagle search by police. I know the tickets say your subject to search but not by the law. It's better to be safe that sorry.
You probably should not go to any festivals then. Last year I did Bonnaroo, AllGood, and Yonder Mountain Harvest on the Wakarusa grounds. By far Bonnaroo had the lightest security and searches, getting onto the grounds, and getting into the venue.
Post by c234567892 on Feb 17, 2011 15:15:28 GMT -5
The past 4 years my car hasn't been searched. They just ask me if I've been there before and if I know the rules and I say yes and they put the circle on my car and let me go. *knocks on wood*
Post by itrainmonkeys on Feb 17, 2011 16:36:54 GMT -5
I've never had much more than a quick glance through the cooler and around the camping gear. I hop right out of the car and open the doors and coolers before they even have time to ask. I say "No glass.....i've been here before I know the rules" and stuff and the volunteers are usually really cool and just let us go.
I've never been randomly selected for those big searches and I'm glad for it. But i've never had a problem with the regular search.
Post by aegsbong22 on Feb 17, 2011 17:00:40 GMT -5
i say they dont search cars, unless they are guilty of something, like smells, and stuff being out in plain view, before we got to the entrance last year there was a cop walking around just looking in cars through the windows and just getting close to find them stinky cars, and i saw quite a few cars that were pulled to the side getting torn apart, i suspect they were being bad
Post by itrainmonkeys on Feb 17, 2011 17:09:11 GMT -5
Yea I make it a point NOT to do anything bad until getting in. Of course, the first year we stunk the car up and was surprised we didn't get hassled but after that I didn't want to risk it.
The chances are you will get the regular volunteers and they are fine. I justed wanted everybody know that there are random searches by dtf even if you aren't doing anything wrong. I'm not trying to scare anyone but it can happen.