Announcing the Nowhere Omnibus: art and public transport!

NowhereOmnibus · Post by **NowhereOmnibus** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:33 am

Hey all

We are a bunch of Brits, loosely part of the Euroburners and Nowhere community from Europe, and we'd like to announce the Nowhere Omnibus, while reaching out to request your generous involvement / donations to make the project happen.

Full details at http://nowhereomnibus.wordpress.com

Here's our letter:

Listen: Don't ya just hate the way those freakin' art cars never go where you want them to? The way there is no decent transport on the playa? The way there's just not enough QUEUES at Burning Man?

Well, enter The Nowhere Omnibus Service!

A traditional red, double decker London Transport Routemaster, bus stops on the esplanade, A TIMETABLE, tickets, move down the bus PLEASE, room for one more on top, ding ding, next stop Centre Camp, I'm only doing my job madam, the bowler-hatted businessman rustling his copy of The Times.

Burning Man's first genuine public transport infrastructure, but also a massive art piece, running morning and evening for the whole week.

Are you interested in making this happen? Well BOrg are... that's why they're offering us a Burning Man arts grant to cover PART of the cost of this endeavour.

This is a tremendous opportunity, but to realise this dream, we need to generate funds. Having done some planning into the costs inherent in getting a bus to the playa and maintaining it safely, we know we need at least a further USD $6,000. And that's where you can help.

1. Donations. This is a big dream that will only happen with some big kindness and generosity from the community.

We are looking for individual donations of GBP Â£50 and upwards. In return you get kudos on the website (should you want it) and the warm feeling of having contributed to one of the most spectacular (and useful!) art projects on the playa. If seventy people can scrape together Â£50 each, we will be able to set this dream in motion on behalf of the whole Burning Man community. Larger and smaller donations are accepted, of course, but hopefully everyone can see that the more people donate, the closer we will all be to seeing things happen.

We'll be publishing a transparent report of the donation process, with a counter, so that progress can be observed and the website will also be updated with reports of how the whole project is progressing. Your donations will be held safely in account, so if the worst comes to the worst and we cannot collect enough to get the project underway, you will get your donation back. We've already sourced the bus - to get it onto the playa we need your generosity!

2. People. You can be a performer on the bus, part of the support crew or maybe you have mechanical skills. We need bodies to keep our bus pristine on the playa, to build bus stops and install them and to keep the hippies off of our pride and joy. Come and be part of the very first scheduled bus service at Burning Man.

To donate, find contact details for us and read further details on the project, please visit http://nowhereomnibus.wordpress.com

Yours

BongoPedro, Esteban El Hombre, Tobias

oleg8888 · Post by **oleg8888** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:55 pm

what a splended idea, will you be selling (giving away) ticket stubs?

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:02 pm

Wonderful idea!!

I'm going to help spread the word to several interested parties who may find this interesting.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:16 am

Is this an artcar or public transit?

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:00 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:Is this an artcar or public transit?

Sounds like that would be a yes to both.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:23 pm

Gotcha.

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:21 am

Hi,

This sounds fabulous. We are also putting together a tea themed Theme Camp. I, for one, would be more than willing to be a character on your bus. (Of course you may not be able to stop me

We are planning a bit of a steampunk setting with tea in the shade of our abandoned airship container. This means we will have folks in Victorian dress, lots of hot water, and goggles.

If we can assist in any way just give a shout. I will put our folks to thinking about it as well.

You can see our planning here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brassgoggles/
http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/bg-forum/ ... pic=3594.0

Lewis

Lifeisshort · Post by **Lifeisshort** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:13 pm

Question; Is the bus presently in Europe?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:44 pm

One would hope not. Much cheaper to buy something that's already here. In San Francisco, there are tour busses like that, so I would assume there's some availability.

NowhereOmnibus · Post by **NowhereOmnibus** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:35 am

Hi

Thanks for your feedback and sorry it's taken a little while to reply.

Anyone who wants to take part (for example performance, or crew) please contact us using nowhereomnibus at gmail dot com.

Some of you have already donated - we need to update our donation meter - but the more people that can donate and also spread the word, the better.

To answer the question posed by Ugly Dougly, the Nowhere Omnibus is designed as an art experience (involving the external art of the bus stops and the internal theatre of the bus) while simultaneously being a reliable public transit service.

The bus is a genuine British red Routemaste bus but it is not currently in Europe - that wouldn't be efficient, nor would the licensing work out. The bus is in the USA.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:34 am

???? How tall is this thing?

Some under passes are just under 12 ft..

blueballs · Post by **blueballs** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:26 pm

This is a brilliant idea. I hope that it comes to fruition.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:33 am

There is at least one of the london buses in this area if you need another one.
I know where I can lay my hands on some traditional phone booths too.

The playa "transportation" system is hopeless.
Shuttles have been desperately needed for some time.

thirt33n · Post by **thirt33n** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:50 am

omnibus? why no come give ride?

ragabashpup · Post by **ragabashpup** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:21 am

Yeah I just read this morning that it got cancelled. Makes me sad in my pants!

stormfeather · Post by **stormfeather** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:41 am

Soo sad!

But there are a couple of Portland Burners who are restoring a 1961 double decker here in Portland, Or. Downstairs gallery, upstairs dressing/green room for performers.
Probably won't be cruising the playa, just locally- which is still fun...

They are having a benefit party for the DD bus and the Black Rock Boutique on April 25th: (the headline stating Sat is incorrect)
http://blackrockboutique.tribe.net/phot ... a9163a09c1

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:21 am

I am so sorry to hear that you won't be bringing this project.

I shall pack a good suit and a brolly and spend one day wandering bemusedly on your behalf.

The Bomb Bay Tea Co. salutes your valiant effort.

Dusza Beben · Post by **Dusza Beben** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:03 pm

fciron wrote:I am so sorry to hear that you won't be bringing this project.

I shall pack a good suit and a brolly and spend one day wandering bemusedly on your behalf.

The Bomb Bay Tea Co. salutes your valiant effort.

A 21 gun salute at that!
I was so looking forward to planning an airpirate raid on the landbeast.

DB

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:09 pm

sounds like a blast -

TheFunkHole · Post by **TheFunkHole** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:37 pm

This was a great idea! I was looking forward to the bus. Too bad. Wish I had a bus to offer up, but I don't. *sigh*

Maybe next year?

Cheers!
Love

dj_john69 · Post by **dj_john69** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:25 pm

What a wonderful idea. I hope this happens in the future.