The Shady Side of ROO 2012

I'm a first time rooer, so I may be naive, but I didn't see any cop harassment/theft occurring during my experience. We were camped in Camp Dillon and never bothered/had anything stolen. After Sunday I left Centeroo feeling so overwhelmed by how safe and happy I felt during the entire weekend, I kept telling my friends at home that this was something I believed I couldn't find elsewhere. The freedom and friendliness I experienced made me say to myself that I had to absolutely return every year until the roo is shut down.

That being said, my friends and I were post-show volunteers and during the first 10 hour shift of picking up trash in the sun, cash was stolen from our volunteer campsite. Yes, it was quite stupid of us to not lock up our cash but we were so used to a safe environment and didn't think to take necessary caution. A bunch of other volunteers had their cash stolen (only cash, nothing else) too. Apparently security let in outsiders and they were just combing the volunteer site while we were working. It's sad to know people would steal from volunteers, but also our fault for just leaving our valuables out to get taken.

Still have that magical feeling about Bonnaroo and will be coming back, definitely.

Could have been taking himself to poop.

Bottom line is this: Bonnaroo is not it's own country free from U.S. law. Illicit druggzz are illegal. If you want to play, be prepared to pay.

The cop presence doesn't really bother me at Roo, but the increase of shady characters and thefts has me considering other festivals but I guess that sort of thing is going to go on everywhere. Sometimes the cop problem seems worse than it really is. For instance, I went to Wanee this year and someone on those boards said that they were approached suddenly by Sheriff's Dept. while they were burning some. They weren't issued a citation or arrested but got the snotty comment "Y'all are lowlifes for choosing to live like this."

When Wanee was over there was one arrest for possession. They were mostly looking for dealers and possession of hard stuff.

I'm glad this story ended that way. I hear of too many who give their corn to the volunteers.

re: sketch factor at roo - i haven't been back to roo since '08 (though i have been tempted), so i'm not an authority on the crowd/vibe of the last couple of years, but i can say with complete certainty that it is not just roo crowds that are becoming less than desirable; it's the scene in general. maybe i just had my rose-colored glasses on back when i first started festing, but it feels like where i used to see kind folks coming together to enjoy a temporary community full of peace, help, and awesome music has quickly turned into way too many spun-out 20-something wooks scheming on how they can rip someone off or steal someone's shit just so they can stay loaded for a few more days and forget to feed their "service animal." i broke up with roo for waka for the better crowd/vibes that i had read so much about, and for the most part, the crowds were better (sorry). but sadly, this year the waka board was also a-buzz post-fest with similar stories of shady characters and attendees not feeling safe - one girl who waka'd solo said she felt completely unsafe after dark (think she's also an inforooster). if a person doesn't feel safe AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL, then mission: FUBAR; festivals are supposed to be a haven for escaping the troubles/drama of the real world, not encountering similar problems with idiots high on bath salts and nitrous...it's actually quite saddening that threads such as this one even exist -- a sad statement on humanity and our culture in general, i guess...

Well, I thought about that... "There's the state trooper taking a hike through the tall grass to take a leak, 30 yds away so it's not urinating in public. And, there's his partner with the dog standing by the vehicle, so they have his back if something goes wrong."

Possible, I guess. But doesn't seem likely.

With all sketchiness going on in the campgrounds (and I'm not talking about illicit substances), why wouldn't this draw an increased law enforcement presence?

whoever drew a penis on the boss made me .

looked like someone in the crowd was holding on to it.

entering thru the arch felt like i was cattle or getting ready to ride a roller coaster.

First time poster, long time Rooer. Heres my thoughts, its an opportunity for the local police force, just as its an opportunity for car rental agencys to jack up the price during huge events in their respective city. Or Airlines to raise prices during spring Break. Not saying its right, but thats how our society works unfortunately. Anyway call me lame or whatever, I dont partake in corn or anything other than the occasional beer. I always have a wonderful time with my wife and friends, we love music and most people, we are glad Bonnaroo comes to us. I dont get aggravated with people too much, I just move on and enjoy myself. Hopefully one of these years I will get to meet alot of you. Sound like a fun bunch. Peace

You people didn't put on your cool face.

This year was the first time in my three Roos that I saw police presence in the campgrounds. Camped in Dr. Egon Spengler, at some point during Saturday morning, I woke up and Voidoid told me about the cops who just busted our neighbors for toking. Rode up on ATVs, took their stuff and wrote a citation. Never had that happen to myself or to anyone of my knowledge in previous years.
As far as getting pulled over on your way to Bonnaroo, I honestly feel everyone gets a fair waring through one Google search or quick read through yoderoo's Arriving at Bonnaroo Guide. Just don't be a dumbass.

Seeing as this is the 2nd most popular thread since Roo, I must file my complaint publicly here, THEY LOCKED THE SHONDA THREAD?!? HERESY!!!

bonnaroo.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=display&thread=29409&page=1

Guys, there's a thread for this.

Camped in tent only, right near the breakfast burrito stand. My friend had her backpack stolen which contained all her cloths and a wallet. Some of our beer may or may not have been stolen also, but thats beside the point and probably was just me anyway lol.

There was also a huge bust right beside our tent, some older vendor was chased down while he tried to eat all of his stash... he was out of his mind. Needless to say they caught him, I remember my friend yelling during all of this chaos "IS THIS REAL LIFE?" what a bazaare roo moment.