Posted By Merv Newman
We went to a "sound and light" show last night - fireworks, flamethrowers, music and so on. Anything up to 10 000 people, mostly in family groups. I was quite impressed by the safety and security set-up (all arial equipment had double safety lines for example and security funnelled 10 000 people through a single 10 ft wide entrance with the minimum or fuss or delay. No fuss, no pushing, shoving or queue jumping. And not a single child cried throughout the evening. Bliss) A great night, but.

Security guards confiscated every cap of every bottle of mineral water or pop. They also confiscated umbrellas (summer storms were a possibility) and folding chairs. Our 75 year old neighbour had to stand for about 2 hours as she is no longer nimble enough to sit on the grass like the rest of us.

I can, maybe, understand the chairs and umbrellas (possible lethal weapons) But why the plastic screw caps ?

Bottles of water, complete with screw caps, were on sale within the venue.

Merv

Just for the record, we were sitting at the base of a 200 year old conker tree.

Posted By Dave West
The bottle tops is a common thing in football stadia. Full bottles with tops on can be used as missiles so is a standard thing. Have seen these used as above too so not as stupid as it may sound.

Sounds like a good night though!

Dave

Posted By Diane Thomason
I can understand the missile thing but surely bottles can be lobbed without their tops?
Agree, this doesn't seem to be logical given that capped bottles are on sale once inside.

Posted By Jeffrey Watt

I witnessed the effect of a urine cluster munition at the Monsters of Rock in 1988. The effect was more devastating due to a missing lid but the range was decreased.

Merv

I knew you were friendly but laying on all that for 10,000 people in your back garden is positively philanthropic. Deductable from tax I hope.

Jeff

Posted By Peter MacDonald
Just returned from the yard after conducting bottle throwing tests. My non scientific conclusions/observations are

1. A full bottle can be thrown a reasonable distance with a standard throwing action (like throwing a snowball). It can be gripped wherever comfortable and as a litre of water weighs 1kg is a decent weapon.

2. Bottle top off and water removed. It seems that the displacement of the water out of the top reduces the speed of the projectile and the distance you can throw it. Indeed, when it's half full you have to swing the bottle holding the neck in a big arc to keep the water in the bottom of the bottle. Even then on release plenty of water is discharged in flight resulting in much shorter range and of course final weight on impact. And I'm covered in water.

Still strange they sold the bottles inside though.

No hose pipe ban here by the way!

Posted By terryt
This is taken from the Wembley arena venue guide -

"Bottle tops are removed for two reasons - firstly, a full bottle makes an effective missile when thrown (whereas one without a top will empty mid-flight, making it less dangerous) and secondly, a bottle with the cap on will roll instead of crush in the event of an evacuation and could cause people to trip or slip up."

Posted By Martin Monaghan
I went to Opera in the Park at Temple Newsam (Leeds) last Saturday. Sat in the car for an hour till the storm eased. When I finally went in security checked my Sainsbury's carrier bag (said they were making sure I didn't have a barbeque) but ignored my rucksac. People were allowed to take bottles of water (with caps), wine, beer, tables, chairs, unbrellas - anything but barbeques.

Next day was Party in the Park for the younger generation, apparantly security was much stricter about what they could take in.

Martin.