A heads up regarding cars

[drewdrewdrew]

Just as a heads up to my fellow Coachella-ites:

A co worker of mine went to the phish festival in october that they had at the polo fields (for those who dont know, that is when they tested the car camping idea, and since it worked well they decided to use it for coachella) and he was talking to me about the security involved.

Apparently, they are pretty fuckin thorough on the car searches, he said he had packed his truck from the cab to the tailgate (with a camper shell) and had a few bottles of tequila stashed all the way in the front behind everything else. Upon pulling up, they made him unload his entire truck load and lay it out on the grass, then searched all his coolers and bags, even the inside of the cab. They found his stash, poured out all of his bottles (Patron!) and confiscated the bottles. They also confiscated a pipe from him and gave him a "warning" after he "tipped" them $20.

So, just a word of warning, hide your goodies well! They are going to be nazis about your car.

[humanoid]

Oh, my car is German, it should be okay then.

[daxton]

[higgybaby23]

It's a mixed bag. Some will be thoroughly searched, some will get a free pass. I went to the Phish fest and was not searched at all. They barely even looked in our vehicle. But, common sense should be excersized.

[amy2705]

Do people know how the camping fields are filled up? Are they going to fill from the back to the front or from the front to the back?

Basically if we rock up at midday Thursday are we going to be further away from the arena than if we turn up midday Friday?

Just thinking that they dont want people driving out once they are pitched up so common sense would suggest that they would fill from the back so people dont drive past people setting up their tents.

[shoegazer76]

Do people know how the camping fields are filled up? Are they going to fill from the back to the front or from the front to the back?

Basically if we rock up at midday Thursday are we going to be further away from the arena than if we turn up midday Friday?

Just thinking that they dont want people driving out once they are pitched up so common sense would suggest that they would fill from the back so people dont drive past people setting up their tents.

Yeah they do this shit at Bonnaroo. Parking the early birds in the back of the fuckin farm. Fuckin assholes. We do them a favor showing up early & thats how they repay you. I hope they don't do that shit @ Chella.

[billtino]

good lookin out drew....so we should just give them the $20 beforehand then right?

[amy2705]

Yeah they do this shit at Bonnaroo. Parking the early birds in the back of the fuckin farm. Fuckin assholes. We do them a favor showing up early & thats how they repay you. I hope they don't do that shit @ Chella.

Im hoping not i plan to be there at about Lunch.

[jigjig]

We went to Festival 8 in an RV and they searched it pretty hard... Found some bottles of champagne. They found Jager as well and allowed us to pour it into a water bottle, which was nice.

Beer was allowed though, as long as it was in cans. I'm confused about the Coachella rules regarding this... No beer allowed into the festival period?

Also, at 8 they didn't search you everytime you went into the camping grounds... From what I've gathered so far, that is how they handle it at Coachella? Everytime you enter/leave the campgrounds you get searched?

[bdfsh]

Yeah they do this shit at Bonnaroo. Parking the early birds in the back of the fuckin farm. Fuckin assholes. We do them a favor showing up early & thats how they repay you. I hope they don't do that shit @ Chella.

showing up early is not in anyway a favor.

'fuckin assholes' chill out man, its not that serious.

[dontfeedthebird]

doesn't showing up early help with lines and traffic bdfsh so we're not all coming in at the same time?

[3wulfmoonz]

They can be brutal with rv's. Confiscating dangerous pyrex cookwear and such.

[brando4n82]

"""

[shoegazer76]

showing up early is not in anyway a favor.

'fuckin assholes' chill out man, its not that serious.

Uhh yeah your doing them a favor arriving early because you are one less car on the roads waiting to get in the show. & I'm always chill for the record.

[shoegazer76]

If anybody has been to the Roo they know how fuckin serious it is to get a decent parking/camping spot. It is the difference between a 100 yard walk & a 600 yard walk to centeroo. bdfsh you have never been have you? Thats what I thought so shut the fuck up.

[bdfsh]

1- if everyone showed up early, itd be the same problem as if everyone showed up later; either way, theres gonna be long lines and congested times.

2-and yes, ive been to plenty of festivals and yes longer walks are always worse, but its not something to complain about, lighten the fuck up.

[DeanSpang]

They found his stash, poured out all of his bottles (Patron!) and confiscated the bottles.

So, just a word of warning, hide your goodies well! They are going to be nazis about your car.

Ladies smuggling ziplock bags of liquor in their underwear works like a charm.

[nerdmachine]

Yeah they do this shit at Bonnaroo. Parking the early birds in the back of the fuckin farm. Fuckin assholes. We do them a favor showing up early & thats how they repay you. I hope they don't do that shit @ Chella.

kinda concerned about this happening with the expansion of camping this year. it'd be lame to end up across the street in BFE just cause we showed at noon thursday.

[Rosemont17]

kinda concerned about this happening with the expansion of camping this year. it'd be lame to end up across the street in BFE just cause we showed at noon thursday.

we plan to be there by noon on thursday as well and im really hoping they dont put us in BFE like bonnaroo does.... ive gone to the roo for the last few years so i get their routine.... hopefuly coachella is cool and lets us get close and reward us for coming early!

[Vic Viper]

if anyone thinks every car is going to be search as thoroughly you're insane. they'll be checking people in well into saturday if thats the case. best thing to do is not look obvious.

you rarely read stories about people getting busted sneaking in a jager bottle and some green (and then its usually with a warning). its always "yo my buddy who tried to bring 30 gallons of jack got his shit taken!". no shit.

also it wouldn't make any sense to fill up car lots starting at the front (nearest the entrance) toward the back. you'll have people driving by other people setting up, total safety nightmare. if you arrive early, you'll likely be closer to the fest entrance.

[dekr510]

how about under the hood? any checking there?

[Egull]

Be careful driving through the desert with shit hidden in the hood.

[hailtothetheif83]

Be creative and DO NOT POST where you're going to put it and you will be fine!!

[apachedino]

Yeah they are just going to randomly search a few, most everyone will be able to get whatever they want in. It was easy enough to bring cases of beers in the other years and now it is even more lax. Brought 5ths into the venue multiple years easily (plastic bags). Just be respectful and don't look or act like a deuch and you will be fine.

[weezy f baby]

Hollow out ur bumper like they do down in Mexico when smuggling drugs across the boarder.

[Norwalkguy]

We went to Festival 8 in an RV and they searched it pretty hard... Found some bottles of champagne. They found Jager as well and allowed us to pour it into a water bottle, which was nice.

Beer was allowed though, as long as it was in cans. I'm confused about the Coachella rules regarding this... No beer allowed into the festival period?

Also, at 8 they didn't search you everytime you went into the camping grounds... From what I've gathered so far, that is how they handle it at Coachella? Everytime you enter/leave the campgrounds you get searched?

not really a question about smuggling what not...but was RV camping in dirt or grass? and do you remember what lot?

[billtino]

[The Friendly Ghost]

I think they have a driving entrance at the opposite end of the campground from the festival entrance. That way the first to get there park close to the entrance. There are roads that wrap around the campground so they can set up the entrance wherever they want.

[gooftroop]

If anybody has been to the Roo they know how fuckin serious it is to get a decent parking/camping spot. It is the difference between a 100 yard walk & a 600 yard walk to centeroo. bdfsh you have never been have you? Thats what I thought so shut the fuck up.

You're understating the problem, a 600 yard walk is incredibly close for the Roo as that's about a 5 minute walk. I've known people to camp up to a 40 minute walk away, we're talking measurements in miles. With the way the surrounding Coachella grounds are setup I doubt anyone will have more than a 15-20 minute walk to the entrance gate. Tent only campers will probably get the best spots, a lot of it is just random though.

The Roo car search is a breeze but always best to prepare for the worst. Honestly the best advice I can give anyone is just not to look sketchy. Don't wear your rave gear or be really stoned etc. when you show up to check in, they absolutely profile.

[Boulder]

Originally Posted by shoegazer76: It is the difference between a 100 yard walk & a 600 yard walk to centeroo.

Get real man. Bitching about a 600 yard walk at a music festival? Laughable.