“Nobody likes a railer,”is the common attitude towards the usual group die hard fans who “camp the rail” all day in anticipation their favorite headlining act. These people ten wake up early (or don’t sleep) on the holy day, wait for the main gates to open, then rush the stage to set up up shop, laying out clothing and tapestries in order to reserve their front spot on the rail. These “railers” are ten associated with negativity and consternation.
This is why Okeechobee Music Festival will be taking preventative measures to stamp out railing culture at their third annual event, held March 1-4.
The details just how the festival organizers plan to go about enforcing this measure remains unclear. Some attendees want answers.
Of course, there are a number ways to go about reducing the amount railers at any given festival set. has gotten better each passing year about implementing crowd control methods to prevent excessive rail-riding. At , the front the stage is usually roped f each time was set to perform. But somehow it is fans who get constantly maligned with despicable rail-riding practice — and for good reason, as bass heads have satirized the negative press surrounding the rail riding culture that permeates their community.
The unfortunate inevitability is that aggressive rail-riders are a part festival culture, according to one user.
The answer to the problem rail-riding does not lie in increased security. The answer lays in educating festival goers on proper etiquette and mutual respect for others. Cultural problems require cultural solutions, not policing; the burden lays on artists, fans and especially rail riding fans, not the organizers. If you don’t like the culture, change the culture.