Litter, loos and no information!

Jul 17 2009

Dear Editor, – I was delighted to make my first appearance at T in the Park on Sunday and was impressed by the quality of the performers and many of the arrangements, including, in particular, the highly efficient bus service to and from the venue.

Praise, quite rightly, has been heaped on the organisers for many aspects of the event by your newspaper and others.

However, there were three areas where I feel that those organising the event clearly fell short and would hope that they will take a look at each of them ahead of next year’s event

Firstly, toilet facilities. I was fully expecting overflowing urinals and no privacy (and was not disappointed!) and as a male these things are taken, to an extent, for granted.

However, having attended many events, T in the Park is undoubtedly the poorest organised (and I guess underfunded or there would be significantly more for an 85,000 crowd) in this area.

I would specifically like to put in a word of sympathy for those females attending on Sunday who were forced, when faced with lengthy queues and a general lack of facilities, to improvise!

As it must be well-known to organisers that they are not providing sufficient facilities OR AT LEAST IN THE CORRECT places where the largest crowds form surely some sort of screen could be erected in various “ladies only” places so that there is at least an element of privacy.

I am thinking in particular of the ‘pit’ areas in front of the main stages. On entry you are advised that you will not be allowed to return if you leave. To be able to get a reasonable position ahead of the final act, my party arrived in this area at about 5pm and were there until about 11.30pm. Many others did the same thing, many arriving earlier.

As far as I could see, there were no facilities for ladies and they were forced to do what was required in the open and mostly behind the urinals in what quickly turned into a foul-smelling and quite disgusting area.

As this must happen every year in these particular areas, if nowhere else, could organisers at least put up some form of screening, with perhaps some raised flooring area above the inevitable quagmire that appears?

Secondly, litter. It seems organisers fully expect and apparently condone the dropping of letter throughout the event areas. In places abroad dealing with even bigger crowds, such as can be found at the various parks in Florida, adequate litter facilities are provided with often separate bins for tins, recyclable paper cups and plastics.

As a so-called eco-friendly organisation surely the organisers of T in the Park could stretch, given the no doubt massive profits they make, to providing (and encouraging use of) much more in the way of bins (and to provide sufficient people to empty those which are overflowing) particularly at the busiest places in the Park?

Lastly, timings and official programme. At no point on the official website ahead of the event can you get timings of the various acts although they must be known to the organisers certainly no later than a week ahead of the event.

Would I be cynical in thinking that this is to encourage everyone arriving to pay the extortionate £10 required to acquire a programme and a list of performers and times (85,000 people at £10 per head-even half of that and you can certainly see the rationale from a business point of view)?

I accept that once in the Park there is a large noticeboard with the timings (a clear head and good memory being essential here!) but this is well away from the entrance where the programmes are pushed.

Could I suggest that organisers again look at the profits they are already making and consider the many students, unemployed, and others who have had to save hard to pay the expensive entrance fee and the grossly overpriced food and beverages once they are there and announce online on the official website the timings at least a week ahead of the event?

The above having been said it was undoubtedly a highly enjoyable and professionally organised event in all other areas and I dare say I will be persuaded to attend again next year but please, organisers, have a look at the above matters and consider your clearly loyal audience who undoubtedly deserve better.

Steven G McLaren,

Partner,

Kippen Campbell,

Tay Street,

Perth.

TAKE A BOW: Lily Allen, The Saturdays and Snow Patrol were just three of the top name acts at this year’s T in the Park.