Best & Worst Volunteer Experiences At Burning Man

asp3 · Post by **asp3** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:37 am

I'll be returning to the playa this year for my second time home. Last year was my virgin year and I had an amazing time. I'm want to participate more this year than I did last year. I think one of the best ways for me to participate is to volunteer.

I searched the forum and didn't find any topic quite like this one. I'd like to find out what people's best and/or worst past volunteer experiences were. I know that everyone is different and someones best experience might be my nightmare and visa-versa. However I hope to use what people write here to steer me towards a good position for me.

I did attend the volunteer recruitment at the BM office in San Francisco, but I still would like to hear more from other people.

Thanks

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:15 pm

I have the best job in the whole city!
I get gifted, beer'd, and entertained all day. There is constant expressions of appreciation for what I do. I can't wait to go to work at dawn, and come in exhausted and happy every night at dusk. I work at my self-prescribed pace sometimes, and go into overdrive when duty calls. I wear a uniform of my own design, and express myself artistically as a primary function of my job. This will be my 7th year doing this. Some people love me, some respect me, some don't understand me at all and think I'm a loose cannon, but appreciate that I'm doing the job.

What do I do?
Here's a hint: I talk to people about a basic activity that everyone does many times a day, and wants to have it be a pleasant experience every time.

And yes, you can help.

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:34 pm

If you volunteer with Robbidobbs, you really learn how it all comes out at BM.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 12:59 pm

Seriously, volunteer with Robbidobbs, she has the most important job of anyone at the event!

The future of the Burning Man is in her hands, help us Robbidobbs! Help us!

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:35 pm

Camp Artica.. Some years good and some bad.. Some shifts Great, some Suck.

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:40 pm

This is burn number three for me. Never did volunteer the first two times. This year I'm going to give recycle camp a try

Green Wood · Post by **Green Wood** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:40 pm

Larry never came to say, "Thank You!"

notonmysofa · Post by **notonmysofa** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:21 pm

Never officially signed up for stuff but spent a few mornings unloading ice one year, wasn't as good a way to keep cool as I'd initially thought.

Recycle camp has also been a place I've jumped in and helped out at in the past. If you're dumping off cans you should stick around and flatten them anyway so it's easy enough to ask if they need a few hours of your time while you're there.

Had a blast at both places.

I haven't worked lamplighters but several of my campmates have thouroughly enjoyed the experience.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:57 pm

Being the Ranger Shift Lead the night that Kathy Lampman died.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:48 pm

I don't know if Bounce ever recovered from that night.

EB · Post by EB » Sun Jul 22, 2007 12:15 am

Isotopia wrote:Being the Ranger Shift Lead the night that Kathy Lampman died.

Much respect, Badger.

That happened during my third burn and part of me always wondered about the details.

I can't imagine a worse horrorshow.

munney · Post by **munney** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:32 pm

First Year, First Day, First Morning I had signed up to volunteer at the Center Camp Cafe,

I have Barista experience from Europa, so I was sure to be the BasAss Coffee Maker, NO! They made me Trash Boy, and it was Great.

You pick up trash from the Loosers, Yes Loosers that leave trash at a Leave no trace event.... Dumbasses.... Anyway, you get to meet cool people , do a big part, educate people and wear no uniform, (some people give you stuff too... Bracelets, trinkets, blinkie, BJ's whatever they've got to share)

Volunteer to be the Trash/Recycling person for shifts at the Center Camp Cafe,

Plus you get to drink lots of Coffee fer Free / Plus some tips at the end of the shift for gas money home... / Plus you get to ask about the good parties later / Plus you get to ask the girl with the Tongue ring what it's like to french kiss, then kiss her.... / Plus you get to participate at Ground Zero, / Plus you get to see some cool performances at the many stages of Center Camp, / Plus you might get to work while you're high in the middle of the night / Plus you may get to yell peoples names for their Coffee / Plus you get to give your friends free Coffee / Plus you get to meet cool People....

Amen

munney · Post by **munney** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:33 pm

Just Volunteer, anywhere is good

asp3 · Post by **asp3** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:49 am

I ended up volunteering at PlayaInfo this year and had a fantastic time. I worked mainly as an Oracle, but also helped with the directory and did some setup as well.

The PlayInfo people were great and it was fun talking with as many burners as I did. I thought Elecktra was a fantastic volunteer organizer and Rob O did a great job leading the group. The shift volunteers were great to work for and my fellow volunteers were friendly, fun, interesting and excited.

I don't have a worst volunteering experience because it went so well this year.

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:29 am

Opening Night Greeter Shift....... WOW

I went out with the BooBy Bar camp and had a Fucking Blast...
Sign me up for next year's shift please....

fierysage · Post by **fierysage** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:41 pm

[color=indigo][/color]
best playa experience this year? toss up: doing the carne armada run on DPW and lavishing them with massages, liquor and gourmet food and massaging calves in center camp for most of Sunday.
worst experience: during the 7 hour dust storm on Monday, trying to clean up someone's crap (they apparently had brought a sh*t-ton of tiny styrofoam pellets to the burn and did not get them out of the wind) and they all blew in to our camp... so we spent about 3 hours trying to sift through dust to pick the crap up.
but we were drinking and on the playa... so really... it is all good
(the worst day on the playa is still better than the best day at work)

Bitterman · Post by **Bitterman** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:13 am

Volunteering my time and my art and going up on the previous Saturday to set up because it's "manditory" because you're on Esplanade and then being stuck in the F-ing "D" lot for S I X hours all because we didn't have a freaking barcode that was never sent to us in the first place via some crazy glitch in the "email" process! That's my worst experience tell you what.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:54 am

I'll second ya IBDave!!! That opening night Greeters shift ROCKED!!!!!

I wanna do it again, everyone said they were almost tooo tired, i swear, I know I WAS TOO TIRED! But as soon as the excited Ju-Ju was coming from each participant as the drove on in, It was like a very contagious anti-dote to sleepiness...I was OVER stimulated by the whole fun wee-hours !!!
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
Topless Deb...lets do it again...WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

BitterDan · Post by **BitterDan** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:01 pm

I spent a little time helping people smash their cans at recycle camp. The girl I came with did Greeters for a day and she had a blast. Next year I think I am going to try Lamplighters.

Xta_G · Post by **Xta_G** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:36 pm

I didn't have any pre-arranged volunteer jobs.. but I ran into RobbiDobbs twice on Monday, and by the end of Monday had become Princess of my Potty Bank and happily kept it restocked all week...

Thurday morning, saw a giant lineup outside Ice Cubed, and asked if they could use an extra hand, so spent a shift organizing blocks and bags of crushed and hauling stuff outta the back of the truck.. and it was awesome! Great crew, nice to be cold in the middle of the day, and I had a lovely time... I think next year I might try to do that again, but go front-line so I can chat up more folks!

Didn't do any greeting shifts this year, but wound up spending a lot of time at Greeter's Camp... still kidna curious about who the yummyummy man was that greeted me at the gates with a hug and a neck nibble and some smooching, that was a most excellent start to my burn!

X.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:10 pm

munney wrote:First Year, First Day, First Morning I had signed up to volunteer at the Center Camp Cafe,

I have Barista experience from Europa, so I was sure to be the BasAss Coffee Maker, NO! They made me Trash Boy, and it was Great.

You pick up trash from the Loosers, Yes Loosers that leave trash at a Leave no trace event.... Dumbasses.... Anyway, you get to meet cool people , do a big part, educate people and wear no uniform, (some people give you stuff too... Bracelets, trinkets, blinkie, BJ's whatever they've got to share)

Volunteer to be the Trash/Recycling person for shifts at the Center Camp Cafe,

Plus you get to drink lots of Coffee fer Free / Plus some tips at the end of the shift for gas money home... / Plus you get to ask about the good parties later / Plus you get to ask the girl with the Tongue ring what it's like to french kiss, then kiss her.... / Plus you get to participate at Ground Zero, / Plus you get to see some cool performances at the many stages of Center Camp, / Plus you might get to work while you're high in the middle of the night / Plus you may get to yell peoples names for their Coffee / Plus you get to give your friends free Coffee / Plus you get to meet cool People....

Amen

Maybe we will do that next year.....

Instead of operating ESPRESSOCAMP on the 3:00 Plaza and spending $500.00 on coffee and water to GIVE AWAY 3500 shots of espresso.

No tips either, but somebody did try to give me $20.00 for a couple shots in one of our cups (EspressoCamp is strictly byo cup).

But then maybe that was a TIP!

I bet nobody pissed (and left a wad of asswipe) on the ground 10 feet from the espresso machine at center camp, either

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:14 pm

EspressoDude wrote:I bet nobody pissed (and left a wad of asswipe) on the ground 10 feet from the espresso machine at center camp, either

If it hasn't happened yet, it will soon.

(Savages, savages, the sooner the Kernel takes over with his message of oven mitts, hygene and doom for all, the better.)

bigbluedoggy · Post by **bigbluedoggy** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:02 pm

Aw Espresso Dude, that had to totally suck! You guys are such great folks for doing what you do! I enjoyed being your neighbor and stopping by every morning for that wonderful blast! Hope you don't let some self indulgent Moophead get the better of you. And if you do decide to change plans... more power to you! It's the playa after all!

Doggy

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 8:38 pm

EspressoDude wrote:I bet nobody pissed (and left a wad of asswipe) on the ground 10 feet from the espresso machine at center camp, either

are you fucking kidding me?!

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:25 pm

EspressoDude wrote: I bet nobody pissed (and left a wad of asswipe) on the ground 10 feet from the espresso machine at center camp, either

Mr. Dude, that is so heinous. But don't let the assholes get you down, you are the Mother Theresa of Coffee!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:05 pm

Better yet, the Alfred Peet of the Playa.

Nick Collide · Post by **Nick Collide** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:16 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:Better yet, the Alfred Peet of the Playa.

Yeah, I had to Google it, too...

...but, in my defense, there are no Peet's in Utah - or Nevada, for that matter - and we're pretty sheltered around here.

But I have heard of Mother Theresa

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:27 pm

Fair enough.

Finnegan · Post by **Finnegan** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:16 pm

Opening Night Greeter Shift....... WOW

I went out with the BooBy Bar camp and had a Fucking Blast...
Sign me up for next year's shift please....

Third that! Beautiful experience. Next year, more interrogations, though.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:48 pm

2005..... i was garbage man/recycle guy a few nights at center cafe....

the 5 minute "shake your groove thang on the bar-breaks" were side spltting, not to mention the schwag that got stuffed in my pockets, etc, as tips...

but far and away, the bestest mostest coolest thing EVER was getting to ride over to recycle camp with the "burnables" on the back of a real live garbage truck and getting to hang on the handle and see the city from a different point of view....oh man.....be still, my heart....

i had always wanted to do that, actually, since as long as i can remember...

riding the garbage truck, that is....and who would of thunk it, one of my childhood "i'm going to do/be that" list got crossed off at burning man....

actually, now that i think of it, 3 others were too...

no, i'm not telling what they were....

yet.

Best & Worst Volunteer Experiences At Burning Man

Best & Worst Volunteer Experiences At Burning Man

Volunteer at Center Camp

Volunteer at Center Camp

best/worst

Re: Volunteer at Center Camp

Re: Volunteer at Center Camp

Re: Volunteer at Center Camp

Re: Volunteer at Center Camp