GA Line Controversy @ RoseBowl-What happened?

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Hopefully U2 will go to a Springsteen-type lottery system. General admission means just that. "First come, first serve" is the opposite of general admission.
 
ntalwar said:
Hopefully U2 will go to a Springsteen-type lottery system. General admission means just that. "First come, first serve" is the opposite of general admission.
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Care to explain?





Also:

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't see how anyone EXPECTS their place to be saved if they show up before the legal said time. :shrug:
 
Lila64 said:
Funny thing - if they were U2 personnel, why would they need to show up and get in line and be number 1 and 2? :der:
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Exactly. And why would they be showing up at 2:00 a.m.? And why wouldn't venue security have been briefed that U2 personnel would be handling the line? And if U2 personnel were handling the line, why is this how they would handle it? And would U2 personnel really fuck over 400 people who thought they had a spot in line? Box of hammers stupid right there.

Between it being a Sunday night show and being filmed, SOMEONE from Live Nation or U2 should have realized it was going to be a clusterfuck and should have clued in the venue--that clearly didn't happen. Very lucky no one was seriously injured in the mad rush.

I also heard that Craig Thomas? Thompson? from Live Nation told someone that the GA line had NEVER started the day before in ANY city. Anyone know anything about that?
 
BVS said:
Care to explain?





Also:

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't see how anyone EXPECTS their place to be saved if they show up before the legal said time. :shrug:
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While arriving prior to 'legal' line up is a debatable issue, the biggest issue is that AFTER the legal time to line up, numbers were written on hands and wristbands passed out BY THE STADIUM.

So by 3:00 we were numbered and wristbanded, by the stadium. They had us separated in groups of 250 with caution tape and THAT'S IT. No personnel, no security. Like good cattle we stayed in line.

Then something happened and the line collapsed. So at 4:00 we were stampeding toward the gate assuming we were being moved in. We weren't. The long line was suddenly a much shorter line with everyone crushed together. Where I was I saw numbers ranging from 150 to 1200. And some with no numbers at all. For 45 minutes we stood like that, on top of garbage and things people just left in the panic.

Someone could have gotten hurt. No one was saving anyone's place. It was BAD managment by the Rose Bowl.
 
^Totally agree with you!

My feelings exactly, it wasn't even about the numbering deal for me, although I believe it was unfair, policy should have been enforced consistently from Sat through Sunday.

The concern is with the line safety when dealing with a mass crowd. It was ridiculous to leave thousands of people to police themselves....uh and this could go right?
 
Edge_Orchestra said:
BTW - The two guys that ran the VEGAS line? Fantastic. Nice. Orderly. Helpful. And just two really nice great (and not heavy-handed rude) fans.

To them, I have nothing but great things to say. A well-ran organized line - with staff that knows how to let a line in a bit at a time, so there is no crush, is a good thing.

And alleviating the tension of bad lines, misinformation about who what and where to line up... = happier fans and better vibe in the crowd... like in Vegas.
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Vegas GA was awesome! Stadium personnel too! Security was always present and in sight. The line was constantly patrolled. Great experience there! I was not expecting it to be as nice in LA, but I did expect that the RB and PD to be better prepared safety wise when knowing well in advance the mass number of people attending.

Rose Bowl/Pas PD/City = Fail
 
I forgot to mention before that when we were all piled in by the gate, and they started taping off sections to let in, we were discussing the mess w/ one of the security guards (the "uniformed" ones, not the yellow event staff kids). He said they "expected everyone to be honest." THAT is their policy?

How about just assigning GA numbers when you buy your tickets, so the line #s are printed right on the tix? Horizon purchases first, Breathe, Boots, Magnificent in that order? At least those in the actual fan club would get first priority for GA line? Just a thought. (Although I'm sure scalpers would get their hands on some, too. EW!)
 
SeeTheBird said:
While arriving prior to 'legal' line up is a debatable issue, the biggest issue is that AFTER the legal time to line up, numbers were written on hands and wristbands passed out BY THE STADIUM.
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I don't really think it's all the debatable, but I understand what you are saying about the sudden move confusion, that sucks. But I was specifically talking about those that left and then came back because there were no overnight stays, I honestly don't think those people should expect to have those numbers honored, it's not official policy. I just don't get that part.
 
u2rodeogirl said:
He said they "expected everyone to be honest." THAT is their policy?
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Their job is to keep people safe.

u2rodeogirl said:
How about just assigning GA numbers when you buy your tickets, so the line #s are printed right on the tix? Horizon purchases first, Breathe, Boots, Magnificent in that order? At least those in the actual fan club would get first priority for GA line? Just a thought. (Although I'm sure scalpers would get their hands on some, too. EW!)
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That's like reserved seating.
 
BVS said:
I was specifically talking about those that left and then came back because there were no overnight stays, I honestly don't think those people should expect to have those numbers honored, it's not official policy. I just don't get that part.
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I don't disagree. That part I am pretty laissez-faire about. Though two girls showing up at 2 am pretending to be with the band is beyond questionable, especially when the Rose Bowl policy had been repeatedly and loudly stated by email, on the parking passes, etc. The public safety issue however is definitely one to consider. Rose Bowl security should have been coordinated. Instead, it looked like they outsourced most of it to a private company who paid a bunch of 17 year olds to stand around and look busy.
 
Are we sure this security staff went to Chicago 'to see how it's done' and not Raleigh instead??? Same thing there: no line, just a mass of people - some with numbers, some without - that Security did nothing more than stare at with morbid curiosity for most of the day. Then, about 4pm, our 'line' collapsed also... and we stood there, asshole to belly button for just over 2 hours (my pic only shows the crowd in front of our position; we were probably in the first third of the crowd). While security continued to mill around with blank looks on their faces as people who'd just walked up to the stadium at 3:30 were entering the 'line' anywhere they felt like. :madwife:
U2360Tour2009131.jpg


At least at Carter Finley the GA crowd was smaller (maybe 2000 - I'm guessing), not the 5000 or more there seems to have been in the Rose Bowl GA line. Regardless, 1000 or 7000, people could have very easily been seriously injured & just because no one was doesn't mean the security at either venue did their job. :down:
 
The line collaspes every time fans are told to put their ice chests and stuff away correct?

<>
 
BluRmGrl said:
Are we sure this security staff went to Chicago 'to see how it's done' and not Raleigh instead??? Same thing there: no line, just a mass of people - some with numbers, some without - that Security did nothing more than stare at with morbid curiosity for most of the day. Then, about 4pm, our 'line' collapsed also... and we stood there, asshole to belly button for just over 2 hours (my pic only shows the crowd in front of our position; we were probably in the first third of the crowd). While security continued to mill around with blank looks on their faces as people who'd just walked up to the stadium at 3:30 were entering the 'line' anywhere they felt like. :madwife:
U2360Tour2009131.jpg


At least at Carter Finley the GA crowd was smaller (maybe 2000 - I'm guessing), not the 5000 or more there seems to have been in the Rose Bowl GA line. Regardless, 1000 or 7000, people could have very easily been seriously injured & just because no one was doesn't mean the security at either venue did their job. :down:
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OMG that is how we looked except packed in closer and tighter, but just as wide with people outside the tape on each side.

:crack: PTSD is hitting now.
 
The reason the Raleigh line got bunched up is because of skippers. When people went to put their gear back in the car there would be empty pockets so people from the back with no numbers tried to skip and fill those spots. So people sitting around got up to move forward to get in front of those who skipped and then everyone rushed forward.
It wasn't so bad except getting hit in the face with that umbrella for an hour.
 
diamond said:
The line collaspes every time fans are told to put their ice chests and stuff away correct?

<>
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In Raleigh, no one even had a chance to put their stuff away, the line collapsed because someone at the front yelled something as a joke and everyone assumed the gates were opening and rushed forward. A few people who were sleeping got stepped on in the mad rush and chairs and ice chests got knocked over or left where they were.
 
BAW said:
In Raleigh, no one even had a chance to put their stuff away, the line collapsed because someone at the front yelled something as a joke and everyone assumed the gates were opening and rushed forward. A few people who were sleeping got stepped on in the mad rush and chairs and ice chests got knocked over or left where they were.
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Uncool.

I find it funny how some go to the strict legal meaning of general admission vs the honorable spirit of cooperation type mindset fans.

love the higher law
love the higher law

<>
 
We left Vegas on Sunday morning, and without going into details, our day was complete HELL, and we even thought we might miss the show. Our friends were in this mess as well. Now as I look back at it I know that it was a blessing in disguise.

I am so glad I missed having to put up with this crap. :yuck: (But I am very sorry for those of you that did). :hug:
 
As 4U2Play pointed out, this is one of the two girls with the fake U2 laminates:

6a00d8341c630a53ef0120a61e57a9970b-450wi


Jessica Montez, 23, attempts to take a nap in the Sunday sun while awaiting U2. She arrived at 2 a.m., Khan reports. The "number one" stamp on her hand reflects that she was the first to arrive on the Rose Bowl grounds.
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From the LA Times article here: The masses descend upon Pasadena for U2's Rose Bowl gig | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times

Shazam!

Not that I advocate vigilante justice or anything. :tsk:
 
diamond said:
The line collaspes every time fans are told to put their ice chests and stuff away correct?

<>
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Not necessarily. The other GA we did in Charlottesville was soo nice - well organized by both fans & staff, great cooperation amongst the folks in line, 50-100 folks allowed onto the field at a time, etc. Granted, a much smaller audience but no less excitement to see the band - just better organization.
 
BVS said:
I don't really think it's all the debatable, but I understand what you are saying about the sudden move confusion, that sucks. But I was specifically talking about those that left and then came back because there were no overnight stays, I honestly don't think those people should expect to have those numbers honored, it's not official policy. I just don't get that part.
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I believe this was because they didn't want people to camp out overnight, so the agreement was that those with wristbands would come at 7:00am and things would go from there. I'm sure many of the people that got wristbanded and left would have stayed if it were an option (not me though - I did have a wristband from Saturday). I'm guessing the venue was blind/ignorant of the fact that fans were gonna keep coming at all hours of the night. Parking was supposed to open at 8:00am, but obviously opened much earlier. :shrug:

And BTW, the line was wide across the whole day too. We tried to tell them in the morning in needed to be narrowed, but they didn't want to hear it.
 
diamond said:
I find it funny how some go to the strict legal meaning of general admission vs the honorable spirit of cooperation type mindset fans.
<>
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Humans are a very pushing shoving type of species, these types of scenarios bring out the worse in some people, it doesn't matter if they are U2 fans, Kanye West fans, or Marilyn Manson fans :shrug:
 
Lila64 said:
I believe this was because they didn't want people to camp out overnight, so the agreement was that those with wristbands would come at 7:00am and things would go from there. I'm sure many of the people that got wristbanded and left would have stayed if it were an option (not me though - I did have a wristband from Saturday). I'm guessing the venue was blind/ignorant of the fact that fans were gonna keep coming at all hours of the night. Parking was supposed to open at 8:00am, but obviously opened much earlier. :shrug:
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My point being this: I'm sure the Rose Bowl like most other venues have a stated "no overnight" policy. Most GA rules I've seen clearly states no overnights. So any expectations of guarantees don't exist. These venues do this for a reason, one being liability and the other being they want to have hire extra security for the crazies :wink:
 
Oooh cool! Interference mob building. Get your pitchforks and torches ready! :happy:
 
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