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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sitting on other people's shoulders at festivals

38 replies

Hammy02 · 22/08/2010 19:44

I went to the V festival yesterday-paid a substantial amount of money, got there early, had a great afternoon with friends only to find that when the headline acts came on that people think it's acceptable to sit on their partner's/friend's shoulders. Do these people have no concept that while they are doing this that they are completely blocking the already limited view of the stage for many rows of the crowd behind them? I couldn't help but wish horrific things on these selfish, self-obsessed creatures.

OP posts:
pjmama · 22/08/2010 19:53

YANBU.

They're selfish, inconsiderate buggers.

Meglet · 22/08/2010 19:54

yanbu.

But I'm probably bitter as I've never had a boyfriend who would do it for me Grin.

SalFresco · 22/08/2010 19:55

I think you are probably better suited to indoor gigs at venues where no shoulder sitting is allowed! It is just what you expect at festivals. Try Glastonbury and being behind 3500 people with massive flags Grin

Spacehopper5 · 22/08/2010 19:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Hammy02 · 22/08/2010 20:11

It wasn't so much the event, and I know that this has gone on for decades, I just wonder what goes through these people's minds? Do they not even think about other people? Or do they think, 'I know there are people behind me but I don't care'?

OP posts:
Lurve · 22/08/2010 20:17

It happens. You should have known that before you went there.

Personally I think a bigger problem at festivals is when bottles are thrown (and they don't contain alcohol-we'll maybe used alcohol).

Lurve · 22/08/2010 20:17

*well

QuizteamBleakley · 22/08/2010 20:42

We were at V yesterday too, I spent most of the day sitting on a fold-up blanket (am 25 weeks pg and I don't have it easy with me cankles!)

Last year, we got right to the front for the headline acts but this year just stayed back and got tutted at for daring to sit! I did see one lass, smugly atop shoulders, get a cup of 'warm-recycled alcohol' chucked at her head which disgusted me more than a bit of a blocked view.

I normally love festivals but have decided they ain't the place for a fat waddly pregnant woman! Sorry - turned into a hijack.

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 22/08/2010 21:51

yanbu,

its downright selfish.

they are usually slutty girls in bikinis too.

Hulababy · 22/08/2010 21:54

It's just the norm for outdoor concerts isn't it?

As I am only 5 foot my view is severly limited at this things anyway. Actually - maybe everyone should have to be sat down so that I can see!

Have to admit that in my late teens/early 20s I have probably at on DH's shoulders at an outdoor concert in order to actually see at all. Although never for the whole thing - only for a few minutes at a time. DH's shoulders wouldn't have taken any longer period of time.

sunny2010 · 22/08/2010 22:07

Why didnt you just get on someones shoulders then? Its just what people do at festivals so I think yabu.

cupcakesandbunting · 22/08/2010 22:10

YANBU. It earmarks people as being a bit of a moron when they do it.

SpringHeeledJack · 22/08/2010 22:17

dp only has to get a glimpse of someone doing this- on tv mind- and he rants for about two hours

he has been doing so since about May

'Only someone who went to V could complain about this'

-not so. We go to the Big Chill where (up till this year anyway Angry) the only people on shoulders are tiny tots. Everyone else is far too old for that sort of caper- might do themselves a mischief

SpringHeeledJack · 22/08/2010 22:19

[whispers]...people who do it these days just want to be on telly

twats

semicolon · 22/08/2010 22:22

Years ago people used to fill water bottles with piss and throw them at the girls and then cheer every time one got down.

Those were the days. Sigh.

semicolon · 22/08/2010 22:23

Burgers worked quite well too.

ratspeaker · 22/08/2010 22:40

Its part of the festival atmosphere isn't it?
Like the toilets
The overpriced food
The crowds
Sometimes there's a better view from near the back and looking onto the screens

You got any views on folk sitting on fold up chairs over to the right at Reading?

TheDoodler · 22/08/2010 22:41

Ah yes - the Monsters Of Rock (back in the glory days - not download or whatever shit it is now) - the delightful warm sensation of someone else's piss being hurled at the back of your neck in a bottle....

Also the mosh pit - find yourself between two sweaty hairy guy and lift your feet off the ground.....instantly 20 foot nearer the stage - everyone's a winner.

YABU in that it's not my idea of festival if this pissed me off...

fatoftheland · 22/08/2010 22:46

Yanbu. This could also be applied to mums and dads who take their children to watch shows.
I took my dd to watch the gruffalo a couple of weeks back and she could barely see because of this.
When we sat down I sat her behind a child so she could see. However once the show started the mum in front of us decided to put her 7 yr old on her lap. This totally blocked dds view.
Totally selfish.

Snobear4000 · 22/08/2010 23:44

V Festival is for people who have cloth ears, need to be told which tuneless indie bands to listen to by the NME and the Guardian, and who think Casabian is "edgy".

At proper rock festivals anything goes, people crowd surf incessantly, the portaloos are overflowing on the first day, megalitres of beer is wasted as it's thrown around the crowd, everyone has a good time and no public-school twunts or real estate agents are there to be annoyed by an interruption to their view of Editors or Foals, or whatever it is they are trying to pretend to like this year.

Snobear4000 · 22/08/2010 23:57

Now this is crowd behavior that you could almost be excused for being upset about. Almost.

Just posting it so you can get some perspective on the matter.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DR26e_1ZFc

mumeeee · 23/08/2010 00:07

YANBU. No it's not the norm for out door concerts only a few very selfish people do this and spoil other peoples enjoyment of these events.

SalFresco · 23/08/2010 07:08

ratspeaker bloody fold up chairs! They're everywhere now! WHen I started going to festivals people just used to sit on the ground and very few people had chairs. Now everyone has them, and they want to sit on them right at the front by the stage - no! Chairs at the back!

Bunbaker · 23/08/2010 07:19

"Its part of the festival atmosphere isn't it?
Like the toilets
The overpriced food
The crowds"

That's why I don't go to festivals

"V Festival is for people who have cloth ears, need to be told which tuneless indie bands to listen to by the NME and the Guardian, and who think Casabian is "edgy".

At proper rock festivals anything goes, people crowd surf incessantly, the portaloos are overflowing on the first day, megalitres of beer is wasted as it's thrown around the crowd, everyone has a good time and no public-school twunts or real estate agents are there to be annoyed by an interruption to their view of Editors or Foals, or whatever it is they are trying to pretend to like this year."

LOL.

YANBU. It is thoughtless and selfish of them. When I went to see Michael Jackson we had a cool box with out picnic (& beer) in. We used to take it in turns to jump onto the coolbox for a few minutes to get a better view, but we were very much aware that it was blocking the view of people behind us so the coolbox wasn't used the entire time.

cupcakesandbunting · 23/08/2010 10:09

"V Festival is for people who have cloth ears, need to be told which tuneless indie bands to listen to by the NME and the Guardian, and who think Casabian is "edgy".

Festival for beginners, I call it.

However, as a hardened Reading/Glastonbury goer, I must stress the point that shoulder-sitters are twats. :)