BETHEL WOODS, INC. - MUSIC AND ABUSE
Freedom Man
When spending good money for concert tickets, and paying OUTRAGEOUS prices
for food and refreshments - like FOUR DOLLARS for a small bottle of water -
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. We are fools to tolerate
anything less!
On line to enter the Woodstock 40th anniversary concert at Bethel Woods, I
had a carrying bag in which, among other things, was a tambourine. One
poorly trained or just plain stupid guy working security at the entrance
asked to see what was in my bag, so I opened it and showed it to him. He
said I could not bring it in. When asked why, he said because the tambourine
was a "hard object." When I objected, he told me I should bring it back to
my car - about a HALF MILE away! I objected further, so he told me I could
check it at a nearby customer service tent and get a receipt for it.
At customer service, I was told that they DO NOT check things and that I
COULD bring it in, but I should go through the gate at a different location
to avoid the person that told me I could not do so.
I did that, but there another moronic bag-checker had the AUDACITY to STICK
HIS HAND INTO MY BAG to go through what was in it! He is very lucky I am a
peaceful man! Even a POLICE OFFICER has no legal right to do that without
probable cause. Did that idiot think that if I had anything prohibited or
illegal, I would be so stupid as to have it in a bag that was to be
examined?
I also witnessed a glass water bottle being stolen ("confiscated") from a
friend, but I did not object at the time - after all, glass can be
dangerous. However,I then saw beer BEING SOLD IN GLASS BOTTLES inside the
venue!
Did you know that many concert venues carelessly inflict permanent hearing
loss on their patrons? Seated close to one of those huge speaker stacks, you
are likely to be subject todangerous levels of sound long enough to cause
permanent inner ear damage if you don't wear good protection.
Actually, Bethel Woods is not nearly as bad as some other places I've been
to. I now NEVER go to some, like Madison Square Garden, that charge you a
fortune then treat you like shit. Such places are staffed by bullying goons
that will STEAL anything they can from you. They know you can't complain to
a cop that your pot was stolen, and that you are likely to tolerate their
crap rather than risk being thrown out. They only get away with this abuse
because We the Sheeple have allowed them to. Well, as Dylan wrote, "The
Times,They Are a-Changin'!"
Management is FULLY RESPONSIBLE for the conduct of employees and their
treatment of patrons. If we stop patronizing the abusive concert profiteers,
and tell them why, they will start treating us with respect!
ALTERNATIVES TO ABUSIVE CONCERT VENUES
Do you have a home theater system? This combination of wide-screen
TV,DVD/videotape player, and stereo sound system can give you entertainment
experiences comparable to being at a live show. You can buy one with the
money saved by not going to a few commercial concerts. For the cost of
another concert, you can get enough CDs and DVDs to enjoy your favorite
bands for months - and without the obnoxious commercials that you get
onscreen at live shows nowadays. Yes, despite all you spend there, they
subject you to advertising!
The home theater system or a high-quality stereo system allows the enjoyment
of your favorite bands in the privacy and comfort of your own home. No hours
of travel to and from the concert venue. No parking problems. No paying
large sums for tickets, related expenses, and transportation, and no
outrageous prices for refreshments. No idiots violating your rights and
privacy by searching you and your property, and "confiscating" whatever they
want to. No bad seats from which the view or the sound is not good. No being
surrounded by drunks and noisy rowdies. No nasty security goons to push you
around or even rob you. Want to light up a doobie? - go ahead; you are at
home partying and can do whatever you please. You have total control. Take a
break whenever you want - just push the pause button first and you won't
miss a thing. And you can even choose what yousee and hear, skipping over
what you don't care to. And once paid for, your home theater or sound system
will last for many years with no further cost.
TELL ALL THE GREEDY, DISRESPECTFUL CORPSERATE CONCERT VENUES WHAT THEY CAN
DO WITH THEIR MUSIC AND ABUSE!