What LuAnna said!!!
No need for extra PB man hours. Do it all before fest, all linked to the day of purchase, or number of fests attended(?) and number 1-10,000 posted on your wrist band like a tatoo. Where is a stats guy when ya need em… :lol
:wave I think the line should start with everyone seated. Have a little cabin or a booth, with the all-powerful number hander outer call out “OKAY WE ARE STARTING!”
The first person gets up, takes their chair with them, goes to the booth, and sings:
“YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT, AT ALICE’S RESTAURANT”
they get a number, and leave.
NEXT!
second person, … “YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT, AT ALICE’S RESTAURANT”
get a number, and so on…
If they don’t like it, they can go sit on the Group W bench until everyone else gets a number.
:concert
And if they are :zzz they get shrink-wrapped, then wakened by the smell and sound of bacon frying.
okay not that last part, that would be cruel and unusual, but funny, punishment.
:lol :lol :lol :lol sooooo funny :lol :lol :lol :lol :clap :clap
Cindy Lou, you rock! :thumbsup I hope you get in the line first so that we can ALL hear you sing that!
Thanks for the great idea which we all know will work… especially the shrink wrap part. 
:flower :flower :flower
LuAnna
What if we were just allowed to lay down and sleep while in line?
I don’t think that rule change would make many more people show up and we could at least get a little rest on the late number nights. I think if they guaranteed that the numbers would be given out by a certain time there could end up being a lot more people in line.
I for one don’t mind that people get multiple numbers, although I haven’t gotten multiples. I think it sort of helps create a sense of community and sharing when people get miracle numbers given to them in the morning. I have gotten numbers in the morning several times and I’m very grateful for that.
Hey Laura;
You are the best! I am reading your post and I hope that it helps others understand all that you have tried to do over the years in making the line situation as good as it can be. Our camp was able to get a good number for Sunday’s show and decent numbers the previous 2 days. I like the random numbering system as it affords everyone a chance to be up front or in the shade, as they desire.
I do agree with handing out numbers between certain hours and not too late.
Volunteers for this? Well, I think that I could help out at Rocky Grass if you need me for just one hour each night.
Please tell Craig that I found my instruments and took them home, and thank him for watching out for them for me.
Teresa
Hey, I am a four star festivarian! Cool!
I am really tired at work today too! :eek
Every camp I knew had more than one number this year, the guy who was number 1 on Sunday had pocket of 5 numbers.
First, those numbers were all received by different people who waited in line just like everyone else.
Second, ALL of those extra numbers were given away to other folks…many of them got bumped up to a better number and then they got to give their number to someone else.
It’s good karma to give away an unused number!
I actually think it’s just fine that PB hands out numbers in a wide time window…I believe that if the time was set, or if the window was small the number of folks looking for a random number would go UP dramatically making even more of a mess. Personally, I find it fun to hang out in line and pick with friends to all hours of the night with a few beers…or just listen to the great pickin’ going on around you!
I want to applaud Bluegrasslaura specifically, and Planet Bluegrass in general, for even trying to manage what is ultimately just chaos. :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap
There’s no perfect solution to this matter, but the fact that Laura and PB are listening and trying to improve things is truly in the Festivarian spirit.
I still don’t understand why PB can’t just give random numbers at will call at 12pm till the numbers are gone. Why is any line needed at all other than to pick up your number on your way back to camp?
Maybe because then there would be a line for that? At least using the walkway gives people a place to be.
LuAnna
But you know what? I would love to be back in that same old line on Thursday night because that would mean it would almost be time for RockyGrass!!!
Can’t wait til next year…
A line will form reguardless, your right but my point is if the numbers are given out at a known time then it would only take a hour or so out of our day instead of several hours. I don’t think it would increase the number of people wanting a number it woud just expidite the process and eliminate the need to sit in line for hours.
I guess I screwed up! This was my first fest and I attended by myself - no chair, no tarp. I showed up around 2:00 each day as I live about 15 minutes away and walked around until I found about 2 sq ft of grass and plopped down, all between the stage and the sound hut. No one said anything like, hey you, move!!
Was this a bad thing to do??
Welcome to the Planet.
Next year, feel free to occupy empty tarp space until the owners arrive. Then thank them for the space and move along - unless they invite you to hang around.
I always let folks stay around if I have room, and I’ve always been impressed with the grace people exhibit when I have to say no, there’s not room for my party and you, too.
Some of the finest people I know I met while they were sitting in my festival chair.
Thanks, Dean!!!
Makes total sense…
FWIW… I Love LuAnna’s idea! :medal
Auntie Hope :pickin :green
The festival way of shrang space is one of the great things about the Planet festivals. We cover the ground with our tarp, thus preserving it (or us from it) and many times we find that not everyone in our group is using it at any given time.
We had a good number and runner on Sunday and each time I saw somone wanting to sit our our tarp, which was front and center, I always asked them if they would like to sit in a chair.
The only time that our whole group was there was for Sam’s set and even then we found room for a few more.
If I didn’t camp with so many folks I would certainly be on a mission to make more friends! Hang out on a tarp that “feels good” and make friends and share in the music. We are all there for the same reason.
I liked when the announcement was made instructing festival go-er’s to do just that, to take an empty seat or tarp space for a set or 2.
That is the festivarian spirit!
I think that would work to reduce the chances of people getting multiple numbers. I think though that if they always gave out tickets before 1:00 that the number of people waiting for numbers would get a lot bigger. I was in line until 3:30 on Friday night and because of it I was too tired to even think about waiting again on Saturday. If it was always at 12:30 I’m sure I’d be there every single night. I think just the possibility that it could be really late keeps a lot of folks away. It keeps me away a lot of nights.
I could be wrong but I think the numbers were introduced as a kindness to festivarians to allow the diehards to be able to get a good spot in line without waiting in line all night. At least this way a little sleep is possible and usually the tickets go a lot earlier than 3:30. If they didn’t throw in an occasional late night there would be 2000 of us out there. Now if there was live music while we waited we could just call it a party.