No price gouging by JOTS??? Riiiiiiight.

[adept]

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... l/rvs.html
"You can have your potable water tank recharged for a fee of $40."

This is not exactly about JOTS, but most everybody knows what that stands for--My issue was actually with a truck that said United Site Services, which may have been leased by JOTS or by burningman corporation for all I know, or operated by united site services. If this entity had been operating as advertised though, I wouldn't have wasted 2 hours wednesday.

Wednesday morning at around 10am I loaded up my water drums and headed toward the gate to leave and pick up more water. By this time I had given up on looking for water trucks doing RV service. I had gone to playa info monday morning looking for the RV services signup sheet but everybody I asked there had no idea what I was talking about, and on subsequent trips there were no new clues given. On the way to the gate, at about 4:45 and Guess, I finally found a water truck. They told me they could fill my drums and charge me the RV rate. When I tried to verify the rate I had found on the burningman.com site ($40), they laughed at me, told me "that must be a really old website" and proceeded to tell me it would cost $2/gal. I wasn't about to pay $200 for some water, I went to empire instead.

We were trying to plan our wedding (ceremony was held friday and went GREAT), and it really sucked to have to leave in the middle of that. All I really ask is that burningman either get their fucking SHIT TOGETHER when it comes to their vendors or stop lying about how much services cost. I would have planned differently if they hadn't fucked this up.

[Token]

We got a mixed bag this year for RV service.

Getting sludge pumped was very easy. Ran up to the truck and got prompt service, a few beers later, and at the published rates.

Getting water service was a complete no-go. I tracked down the truck but was told by the driver that he will not bother with anything less than 100 gallons which was about 3 times what my RV holds. Fortunately we had backup plans in place.

[Ron]

....cost. I would have planned differently if they hadn't fucked this up.

You were warned in another thread, Adept. Seems to me that you had plenty of opportunity to plan differently and chose not to...

Ron

[unjonharley]

Can not see why the RVer don't band togather. They could park in a manner to benifit the service companys. Not have run to Ccamp and worry. I passes a few RV that had started to smell nasty.

[PurpleKoosh]

This is not exactly about JOTS, but most everybody knows what that stands for--My issue was actually with a truck that said United Site Services, which may have been leased by JOTS or by burningman corporation for all I know, or operated by united site services.

FWIW, United Site Services officially announced their acquisition of JOTS on August 2.

http://www.unitedsiteservices.com/news/news12.html

[geekster]

Maybe it's just me but the concept of selling water on the playa outside of service contracted prior to the event sure smells like vending to my nose. If they are selling water on the playa at any price they should be kicked out.

[dj_john69]

I had no problems once i found the H2o truck...i paid my buck 'o gallon and was happy. Luckly, i only have a 40 gallon barrel.

Sounds like a bunch of bullshit though for the 100 gallon minimum as well as $2 a gallon of fresh pond water. $2 maybe if it was good drinking water but not for pond water.

~John

[spectabillis]

You were warned in another thread, Adept. Seems to me that you had plenty of opportunity to plan differently and chose not to...

what other thread?

[Ron]

what other thread?

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... highlight=

I don't know if that link will work or no but do a search for Adept's posts and you'll see a thread called "RV grey/black water service," or some such where Adept was told about the RV servicing situation.

Ron

[spectabillis]

i dont see anything explicitly warning of price gouging or related abuse. in fact, i see a post by tiara on 'stated fees' and how to report 'bribes'.

what warning of this are you referring to?

[blyslv]

I find that blaming burningman for my lack of anything is a great stategy.

SOMEBODY SHOULD get their shit together, that's for sure.

[Ron]

i dont see anything explicitly warning of price gouging or related abuse. in fact, i see a post by tiara on 'stated fees' and how to report 'bribes'.

what warning of this are you referring to?

From that same thread,

....Now having said all that I've learned over the years *not* to plan on using the JOTS trucks for grey or black water removal. They may or may not do so, and they may or may not demand an amazing bribe to do so. In 2004 they told me that they had been forbidden by the ORG to service individual RVs (a line that was supported by the folk at the info tent) and so could only do it for extra cash. Like $200, as memory serves. One of our neighbors was a very rich camp, with paid support staff, and they paid the bribe for the entire block. Very nice of them, but not something I would have done. Bribes suck, IMHO.

So be prepared to be self-reliant. If you can take care of all your water needs yourself, do so. If a JOTS truck makes things easy, take advantage. But I would not plan on being able to use them as you may or may not be.

Later on in that same thread frenchblue1 and Badger posted supporting my point.

Next time you need me to hold your hand, just ask, SB. ;)


Ron

[spectabillis]

no worries, and i appreciate going back over it because i overlook things all the time when jumping around different topics and trying to stay on top of it all - in all honesty there's just too much to do it without good justice and yet another reason for a self-moderating board.

but as much confusion i had, unless its more specific you cant always expect people to get it all straightened out for themselves as well, especially when you are going on word-of-mouth and rumors. thats one of the reasons i like people to have a place to bitch and vent because it eventually gets worked out - eventually.

unfortunately i dont care for the bitching, but once people hit a certain threshold they need to vent in a cathardic way without it all rising to a head and blowing-the-fuck-up.

[Tiara]

I'll chime in again and encourage anyone who feels they were the victim of "price gouging" to report it to the org. Now is the time. All the various departments are busy putting together their post-burn reports. If service vendors were violating their contracts, that's information they need to know.

Details about dates, times, description of personnel, description of services and charges, and even descriptions of vehicles involved should be passed along.

[Cabanasprings]

What about being self fucking reliant. Instead wasting our time crying about it, why don't you try taking care of yourself. It worked fine for us.

[spectabillis]

and what about not using self-reliance as a pleasant excuse for everything? seems many people are more interested in leveraging whatever principals to fit their viewpoint, rather than understanding its intent or spirit.

[ibdave]

Jots charged me the going rate for my size rig... No gouging here..

[unjonharley]

and what about not using self-reliance as a pleasant excuse for everything? seems many people are more interested in leveraging whatever principals to fit their viewpoint, rather than understanding its intent or spirit.

/
Vending is vending and a monopole in this case. So no one should object to me having a couple from the Mastang Ranch vend to me. Hell how about pizza delivery to my tent. Have Oil Can Henery come in give me a lube job. Bring a general store in a semi-truck. Vending is ok so let the good times roll.

[spectabillis]

Vending is vending and ...

not taking a stand either way, my concern was the use of principals.

[Captain Goddammit]

I just gotta say, I never count on being able to purchase supplies at BM, so I bring my own. My own food, water, power, shelter, booze, whatever... like I thought it was very well-publicized that you were 'sposed to.

[unjonharley]

I just gotta say, I never count on being able to purchase supplies at BM, so I bring my own. My own food, water, power, shelter, booze, whatever... like I thought it was very well-publicized that you were 'sposed to.

/
After that being said. If you know it's under handed and or pay the bribe. Quityourbitch'en. Now where are those whores I ordered. I can't do BM without commerce. Fuck everyone else I "want".

[Cabanasprings]

There's whores at Burningman?

[Kinetic IV]

There's whores at Burningman?

I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.
I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.
I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.

Quit dangling temptations like that!!

[unjonharley]

There's whores at Burningman?

/
NO, You must go down to center camp and order up a vender to come to your camp. Same as any other service. Or you can put up a sign at your camp. But that way you may get a bootlegger vender. Where you pay through the nose and get sloppy seconds.

[unjonharley]

There's whores at Burningman?

I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.
I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.
I will resist the urge to make a smart ass post.

Quit dangling temptations like that!!

/I didn't resist. I was on it like a dunk on a june bug

[skygod]

I hate those freakin' june bugs. They are all over the porch light at night and when I try to open the screen door to get in they explode in a clowd of horror. Get it off me!
I'm sorry. What were we talking about?
O yeah, vending. I say just vend coffee ice and party favors only.

[Kinetic IV]

So when will the ORG extend the power grid and install full RV hookups for everyone and wrap the fees up into the ticket price? I can see it now....a JRS prior to the event with a picture of DPW welding up portable metal RV pads that can be lifted off a flatbed and put in position for the event. These pads will have built in tanks for grey and black water and a power box so Lanceland can quickly run cables to provide the juice. Sounds far fetched? Not with the current culture of entitlement and environmentalism run amuk it's not.

[unjonharley]

I hate those freakin' june bugs. They are all over the porch light at night and when I try to open the screen door to get in they explode in a clowd of horror. Get it off me!
I'm sorry. What were we talking about?
O yeah, vending. I say just vend coffee ice and party favors only.

/
A pimp is a pimp and a whore is a whore.

BMorg whores coffee and ice. They pimp RV service.

THis should open the door to any other vender.

[Cabanasprings]

We were sitting in camp on Monday when a very very attractive topless young lady rode up on her bike and asked if we wished to purchase pschedelic chocolate. Did I mention she was attractive - wow. We asked her to leave and reminded her that she was not playing by the rules.

Saturday we noticed a locksmith truck drive by with his window down looking for customers. How did he get in and why is that okay. Sure he may save someone's ass but where do we draw the commerce line.

[skygod]

Throw the money changers out of the Temple!