Phish in 2009

[SkyePrizm]

As long as there is Phish there will be police presence in the lot.

That is a fact.

Live with it.

I went to three shows and while I was not happy about all the police presence I also didn\'t bitch about.

It has no effect on the outcome of the show.

Unless you don\'t get into the show

I definitely saw my share of cops this week, but as long as you weren\'t doing something stupid, they seemed to leave you be.  Only run in my crew had with the cops all week was sitting in the lot after the great woods show.  We were towards the back of the lot so, we weren\'t even thinking about moving for 2 hours.  All we were doing was sitting, chilling, and drinking.  Cops in the golf carts decided to show up and give us shit about having open alcohol containers out.  Not really too big of a surprise....they made us poor it out and get in the cars to get on the road, that\'s about it.  Other than the fact that after we got in the cars and we still couldn\'t go anywhere in traffic for another 1/2 hour, it really wasn\'t a big deal.

Granted it sucked to be told to get out, but it is understandable as it starts to get closer to 2am.  They just wanted people out, and even though it seemed stupid to leave that second (considering the traffic), there really is no point resisting...it can only lead to more unwanted harrassment and uneeded attention.

 
They probably only bothered you guys because of the hour.   The cops at great woods and other venues are NOT PAID by the town they are in during these shows, they are paid OT by THE VENUE.   A lot of people don\'t get how OT works.   The venue probably told the cops to have everyone out by a certain time, to limit the number of open cans of alcohol, etc.

I\'m glad, Nick, you realized that they only bothered people doing something illegal.  Or at least something illegal out in the open that is visible.

[ChrisPitch]

Not including last night, I\'ve listened to every show Phish has played since returning and hereby proclaim Camden, which I was not at, the best in terms of both setlist and execution, despite the forgotten lyrics in Fee.

[SkyePrizm]

It\'s called resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer, and a multiple of other names.

It\'s also called standing up for your rights as a dignified human being.

Yes, you have freedom of the speech, HOWEVER  if you resist arrest, if you interfere with an officer doing his job, it is ILLEGAL.  Remember that.  

 If you are caught doing something illegal, and you yell fuck you at the cop, that\'s immediately getting you arrested.  No brain surgery there to figure that out.  

I suggest taking the route of:  Officer, i realized what i was doing is illegal.  (And being calm and respectful and 9 out 10 times, they will just take your bowl and throw it out AND NOT arrest you.  They:  A) don\'t want to do the paperwork for your silly arrest, they really don\'t.  There is this myth going around....they don\'t get any kick backs, or incentives, and it honestly WASTES tax payers money.   B) They only arrest you when you cause a scene to make a point that what you are doing is illegal so it will get through your thick skull and to your buddies that you are showing off to  (power trip on both ends in my opinion)  and C) Be covert.   Don\'t smoke all out in the open and make it obvious.  I swear there is a new generation of kids out there with no common sense.


Oh, and Yoda, thanks for saying I didn\'t sell out my values.     Cause i didn\'t.  I have awesome values.   I see both sides of the coin, which is rare for people in our circles.   I can see what the cops do, what people at the show do.  Sometimes NO ONE IS RIGHT.

Oh, and people saying Camden was the best show by far.  My ears agree.   I totally wish i had gotten tickets for that show instead.  It was a coin toss last wednesday and i went for great woods cause i liked the venue, but then reflecting, i remember back in the day i saw some two awesome shows in Camden......

[bdfreetuna]

I don\'t yell fuck you at cops. They have guns and handcuffs.

Appreciate the level-headed response though.

Fact is, at least in my experience, I\'ve seen police cause more problems than I\'ve seen them help resolve. Even watching "COPS" from time to time I have to wonder what % of people are rooting for the police who are taking some poor junkie to jail, or some guy with miniscule amounts of marijuana.

Seriously is having some jello shots on Phish lot worth getting handcuffed, interrogated, and car-searched? These kids were totally chill and respectful. They did not deserve to be treated like a lower class of undignified people, as they were.

By the way this was in Massachusetts where apparently the police have failed to realize that marijuana is now decriminalized if you have less than an ounce.

End the "war on drugs" and I have a feeling police will get 10000% more respect from the general population. I know I certainly appreciate their efforts to direct traffic during power outages.

Yes, you have freedom of the speech, HOWEVER  if you resist arrest, if you interfere with an officer doing his job, it is ILLEGAL.  Remember that.  

Universal laws > The ever increasing police state

If somebody (cop or not) is trying to detain me and take away my freedom over a victimless "crime" I consider it a universal right to resist.

Believe me, I am a highly moral person and try my damndest to do wrong by nobody. However, I do believe people should have freedom over their own minds and life choices.

You spell "ILLEGAL" in all capital letters as if that is the key point here. I parked my car more than a foot away from the curb last night and that was ILLEGAL. A little perspective, that\'s all I\'d ask from the police. There\'s plenty of rapists, murderers, child molesters, heroin dealers, etc left to be taken care of. So why the fuck are they hasslin kids over decriminalized tiny amounts of ***** or tailgating before a Phish show?

[Spacey]

The Rave Act is the reason that all these venues are cracking down on open use of drugs and illegal activity.

"A bill to prohibit an individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, managing, controlling, renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance, and for other purpose.

[bdfreetuna]

It\'s a culture war, plain and simple.

[Klout]

an arrest for some petty bullshit is also money on the pocket of the state don\'t forget about that.  Phish lot is easy money for the cops and in some places they obviously have no problem ruining people\'s day for the money.

[SkyePrizm]

an arrest for some petty bullshit is also money on the pocket of the state don\'t forget about that.  Phish lot is easy money for the cops and in some places they obviously have no problem ruining people\'s day for the money.

See, this is a myth that many like to recycle around.....

state makes NO money on arresting people at phish shows or any shows.  They actually lose money because they need to now house people in a jail cell over night, put them through the court system, etc.

The venue HIRES the police from the local town.    The police are paid BY THE VENUE.   The venue tells the cops what they want to control and not control.  You want to blame someone, blame the venue for hiring cops out...

The Rave Act is the reason that all these venues are cracking down on open use of drugs and illegal activity.

"A bill to prohibit an individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, managing, controlling, renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance, and for other purpose.

Wise man, Spacey....

 in the long run.....Venues are hiring police because they are trying to avoid law suits in the end.   They don\'t want someone\'s kid getting fucked up on the lot and then hurt and then the parents turning around and blaming the venue that they did nothing.  it comes back to suits in a corporate office.  Like i said, blame the venue for cops patroling. its not the town or the cops bored with nothing to do. the venue paid them to be there.

[Klout]

yea right ever heard of court fees, fines, writing tickets?

How about states like Tennessee that enacted the drug tax laws specifically to make more money off bonnaroo?  If you get busted with anything down there there is a huge charge on every single gram plus all the other fees.

[Vassillios]

That Sand from Camden is something else

[SkyePrizm]

yea right ever heard of court fees, fines, writing tickets?

we weren\'t talking fines, you were talking arrests.  

Speeding Traps, Seat belt checks=make the state money.

Arresting kids at a phish show=wasting money.

you\'re talking apples and oranges.   If you said all the cops in the lot were being dicks and writing tickets because people weren\'t following the traffic rules or wearing seatbelts, i\'d say, yeah they were trying to make extra dough.

but what we are talking here is, people complaining because they were getting busted for smoking out in the open and drinking alcohol out in the open.  They were just maintaining the laws the VENUE set down.

[Klout]

Being arrested at a show does not mean a night in jail.  It is pretty easy to get arrested, processed, and released at shows anywhere.  They set it up that way. If the crime is a major felony or the person is out of control they get hauled off but lots of times they ticket tons of people, do some catch and release, hold a few in local, and ship a few off to county, all in they come out on top because the jails and courts and patrols are going anyway so more through the system = mo money.

not to mention all the money they steal from anyone they consider to be dealing at shows

[tyzack]

The Rave Act is the reason that all these venues are cracking down on open use of drugs and illegal activity.

"A bill to prohibit an individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, managing, controlling, renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance, and for other purpose.

The Rave Act has to be one of the worst peices of legislation ever passed.

They tried to pass it 3 times in open session and it failed because people were correctly raising free speech and what the fuck is this objections. They ended up passing it by tucking in into one of those omni-bus spending bills.

That\'s right, the Rave Act is "pork-parrell" legislation.

Also, it\'s primary sponsor is none other than our estimed Vice Presidant.

[Spacey]

The Rave Act is the reason that all these venues are cracking down on open use of drugs and illegal activity.

"A bill to prohibit an individual from knowingly opening, maintaining, managing, controlling, renting, leasing, making available for use, or profiting from any place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, or using any controlled substance, and for other purpose.

The Rave Act has to be one of the worst peices of legislation ever passed.

They tried to pass it 3 times in open session and it failed because people were correctly raising free speech and what the fuck is this objections. They ended up passing it by tucking in into one of those omni-bus spending bills.

That\'s right, the Rave Act is "pork-parrell" legislation.

Also, it\'s primary sponsor is none other than our estimed Vice Presidant.

I believe the Rave Act got passed by being attached to the Patriot Act. That was what I remember about.

[freddiewaht]

asheville..
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