Beach Balls and other flying objets

[ponchom1]

Oops, I think I'm writing in the wrong thread.  Oh well.  In the spirit of this thread I know I had to clean a lot of marshmellow muck off my tarps.

[apollo]

Alright, I have been reading these posts and I think that anyone who comes in attendance to these festivals needs to realize it is in fact a FESTIVAL.  This festival is much more tame and the patrons are much more respectful than you find at a lot of other festivals. 

My feelings are the more you restrict festivarians to rules and regulations, the less people are going to enjoy the festival and what it has always been to them.  I think PB does a great job already of regulating things and making sure the festival is a safe and pleasant place for everyone.  In my opinion, if you aren't happy with things, then don't go to a festival.  You are in a crowd with nearly 10,000 people and you aren't always going to like the actions of others.  And if someone is doing something around you that you aren't happy with, a simple "hey, would you mind smoking over there or not throwing that around us" would probably be appreciated by most in attendance rather than rules being enforced on everyone.

So throwing glass bottles is OK? Your logic says that any action is OK.

I don't always like the actions of others, but does that mean we have to accept actions of others that are endangering people's health

As somebody else pointed you can't ask 10,000 people to do something, that's is what the Festival organizers are for. They do it for frisbees, why not any objects?  To me the fact that Planet Bluegrass doesn't do anything to prohibit objects from being thrown about makes them open up for a law suit. Part of organizing a crowed is ensuring the safety of the people in the crowed and think Planet Bluegrass shows some negligence is this fashion. In fact when we told them we need assistance to remove her because she was unable to stand (after 20 minutes of being hit) Planet Bluegrass told us to carry her. Yea if it was 100% up to me I wouldn't never attend a festival they put again, but for those of who have close relationships know we don't always get what we want,

And personally I go to other Festivals, and when I've seen big beach balls at them security removes them.  In every single issue I've have with bad behavior a festival as been at Telluride. Rocky Grass or Folk Fest never have these issues.

And no there is much more to the story... anything traveling at high enough speed can cause pain. Try sitting under and 100 story building and have a penny dropped on you and when you dying I will say "It was only a penny". Or give your address and I'll send somebody over and have them spike a big beach ball in your face and maybe you'll understand then,

And my post was trying to make a polite request and make it known to people that those things hurt when spiked at full force into a crowd and hoping if people are aware they won't continue to bat around but just pop it. But thanks for your lack of empathy.

[AnythingAtAll]

What happened to your friend is awful and should never have occurred.

Spiked in somebody's face is a whole different matter, but put responsibility where it belongs.

It doesn't make normal, reasonably sized beach balls evil, and therefore, beach balls deserve to be popped, they don't- it makes the spiker a douchebag, potentially liable for assault and responsible for the damages caused.

I have a hard time thinking of ANYTHING that isn't potentially harmful in the hands of a stupid douchebag performing douchebaggery.

[ShatteredArm]

That penny analogy is absurd.  The terminal velocity on a penny is much, much greater, due to differing air resistance characteristics.  The only way a beach ball can crush bones is if (a) it is such an abnormally large beach ball that its weight alone can hurt you, or (b) you have brittle bones to begin with.  And if you have a tendency to get hurt when receiving moderate blows, it might not be a good idea to stand/sit in the middle of a large, excited mob of people.

If you are afraid of getting hurt, the obvious thing to do would be to just move farther back, where everybody is just chilling and drinking beer.  I didn't see any beach balls behind the sound stage.

 Listening to: Okkervil River

[landshark]

Oh stop already! Do you want me to turn this car around?

Adults act just like kids when they have fun. You must let the actions of others just roll (pun intended) off of you. A fest is a terrible thing to waste on trivial crap. Yes, beachballs, glow sticks , marshmellows and smoking all can be anoying.

It's just part of the entire scene and that my friends is fact. So you can ride this subject till dooms day and the facts will remain.

I personally hate unbrellas, they suck, they will always suck, but they are still at fest. Adjust and duck when possible.

HEADS UP!!!!!

[Mel]

Oh stop already! Do you want me to turn this car around?

Adults act just like kids when they have fun.
HEADS UP!!!!!

Well said!!!

[Hot Sugar]

The little ones don't bother me too much. What I worry about with the bigger ones is what happens if they make it on stage? I have a Yonder show somewhere where one of the members (Ben?) tells the audience during a song break that if anyone else throws anything on stage, they (Yonder) would to stop the show and leave because it's really frightening and dangerous. The marshmallows aren't that big of a deal. I seam to remember Todd Snider throwing them back at the audience, and Sam commenting on the average sized beach balls last year, but that giant beach ball could have knocked over some expensive musical equipment and caused some damage.

That being said, nothing could detract from my festival experience.

[jerryfreak]

All Festivarians should make a best effort to keep those beach balls away from the taper's microphones near the SBD booth too!  There were a couple close calls this year 

We all like to relive the experience when the fest is over so let's not mess with the mics.  Cheers all!

 Listening to: Infamous Stringdusters 6/24/2011

[landshark]

And all large breasted women stay back, far away from my tarp, you make me look bad. And those folks with those flags, stop it, I like getting lost. And you, your the one, with the smile on your face, wipe it off buster and shape up, are you having a good time yet .

[Mr. Geppetto]

Nailed by a marshmallow? dance it off
   

of course a 20 minute beach ball beating, broken bones, and everybody telling the injured party to piss off is no laughing matter. I've never seen anything like that in my life.

I can't believe all the crappy stories I'm reading. I didn't see a single person not having fun the entire fest.

 Listening to: froggie went a 'courtin

[muther]

Nailed by a marshmallow? dance it off
   

of course a 20 minute beach ball beating, broken bones, and everybody telling the injured party to piss off is no laughing matter. I've never seen anything like that in my life.

I can't believe all the crappy stories I'm reading. I didn't see a single person not having fun the entire fest.

Agreed, never saw a sour puss the whole time I was there... I think some of you just go into festival withdrawals in the weeks following, and can't stop complaining.  I'm thinking that next year, you 20 or so should have a VIP festival... with a festival constitution in place prior to attending.    Try to focus on the fun you had, and let the little stuff go...

[completejohn]

One thing I noticed this year was fewer, if any, of those obnoxious long balloons that, when let go, fly across the audience making that horribly loud buzzing.  I HATE THOSE!!!  They are the best reason ever for having a safety pin handy!

[rdfager]

All Festivarians should make a best effort to keep those beach balls away from the taper's microphones near the SBD booth too!  There were a couple close calls this year 

We all like to relive the experience when the fest is over so let's not mess with the mics.  Cheers all!

Thanks!  A beach ball hit my microphones during Steve Martin's encore at Rockygrass last weekend.  Luckily it didn't knock the stand over but it did misalign the microphones and create a loud thud in the recording.

 Listening to: Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers - Rockygrass 2011

[Capt. Telluride]

extracurricular activities happen at festivals. It's a fact

 If you don't want beach balls, marshmallows, pot-smoking, or people generally doing fun things, then don't attend festivals. If you do attend, be aware and be open to the fact that other people may enjoy the festival in a different way that you. Sorry that someone got hurt.

Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!