Ratty, I think there is plenty of unprotected rebar that will accomplish that.Ratty wrote:
Now. Imagine being blown all over the playa with no control. "Hey! Somebody pop that fool".
BRING IT 
OK, now you're being intentionally dense. Arguing semantics? You're really going to take Jovankat's inclusive "the rider" to exclude yourself and excuse yourself of responsibility, when you already introduced generic terms such as "non-consenting human" and "they" when referrring to the operation of the zorb.sparr wrote:I'm really unclear how *I* am the one responsible for [lack of] safety here, when it sounds like you're proposing that someone else is out gallavanting in my zorb with 60mph winds going on. Why are you angry at me and not at that person? (easy answer: because I'm here and they aren't)Jovankat wrote:Sustained 60mph winds are not unheard of on the playa. And it probably wouldn't take them being sustained for too long before the rider freaked and bailed. Your seeming lack on concern for what damage the zorb may cause after the rider is safely out is pretty damn infuriating. You've gotten some harsh words in this thread but being so lackadaisical for the safety, belongings, time and effort of others is really not in keeping with the burn's community spirit and frankly is pretty shitty.
No, Baby. In your case that would be "performance art".gaminwench wrote:If I CHOOSE to go down a three-story astro turf covered slide nekkid, that is 'safety third'.
To be very explicit: yes.maladroit wrote:Aside from that, let's take the meaning of your comment at face value now. You're upset at being assigned responsibility for safety? Just because someone else might be in the zorb, you think that it's not your problem anymore? You're upset that we expect you to be in control of the thing you brought to the playa, and to assume responsibility for the safety of the people you allow to use it? You feel it's unfair for us to single YOU out, even though you're the one bringing the zorb?
If you're not qualified to offer training and oversight for something dangerous, then you don't allow people to use it. Both the parachute and windsurfing rig are great examples of things you don't just hand to someone and say "go have fun!" and then expect to be blameless when someone dies.sparr wrote:To be very explicit: yes.maladroit wrote:Aside from that, let's take the meaning of your comment at face value now. You're upset at being assigned responsibility for safety? Just because someone else might be in the zorb, you think that it's not your problem anymore? You're upset that we expect you to be in control of the thing you brought to the playa, and to assume responsibility for the safety of the people you allow to use it? You feel it's unfair for us to single YOU out, even though you're the one bringing the zorb?
If I bring something to BM that isn't illegal and isn't against the event rules, and it works in the way it should (that is, I'm not tricking people into using a broken tool/toy), I am in no way responsible for what other people decide to do with it.
That thing could be a nailgun (if those don't violate the weapons policy), a ladder, a parachute, a tent, a desert windsurfing rig, a water gun, or any of a thousand other things that a person COULD use in a dangerous way. When I use it, I'm going to use it safely. When someone else uses it, if they use it unsafely, that's on them. I am not their nanny. I am not offering, nor am I qualified to offer, safety training or oversight for any of those things I just listed, and yet I would have no problem bringing those things and lending them to others to be productive and/or have fun with. The same goes for a zorb.
Why, you don't like jeeps?Meat Hunter wrote:Time To Lock Or Delete This Thread.
This thread is supposed to be about playa dust, vinyl, and scratches. It's not my fault you people are bad at staying on topic. Starting a new thread is the appropriate way to handle that situation.The_Sheik wrote:Really? You didn't like what people were telling you here, so you started a second thread trying to plead your case? That's a good way to get both threads locked by the admins.
If I'm the one riding in it when the wind picks up, I'll get out, anchor it, and deflate it. I won't wait for it to get to 60mph sustained before I bail. I'll bail at the first 20mph gusts. Getting out and anchoring it might take a minute. Deflating it another 5 minutes. Have I under-estimated how fast the wind can pick up on the playa? If not, then the discussion goes back to other people using it unsafely, which is a matter for the other thread.Jovankat wrote:I said "the rider" because that's how YOU were referring to the person riding the zorb. You have MASSIVELY dodged my question in a fit of incredible obtuseness so I will rephrase.
Sustained 60mph winds are not unheard of on the playa, and they can strike with little warning. It probably wouldn't take them being sustained for too long before YOU freak and bail. Your COMPLETE lack on concern for what damage YOUR zorb WILL cause after YOU are safely out is Infuriatingly reckless.
If you don't have a good answer for how you will PREVENT damage being done by YOUR out of control toy DON'T FUCKING BRING IT.
Why are you even bothering to ask this question again, if you haven't listened to the resounding YES from every experienced person here?sparr wrote:I'll bail at the first 20mph gusts. Getting out and anchoring it might take a minute. Deflating it another 5 minutes. Have I under-estimated how fast the wind can pick up on the playa?
Y'all know we don't do that unless we have to, generally dealing with Ticketing or a thread that's gotten incredibly ugly. If you think it's time to let it die, stop responding. It's rather obvious that it's going to be dragged out as long as the OP has someone to reply to, and argue with.Meat Hunter wrote:Time To Lock or Delete This Thread.
I don't think anyone has actually answered this question. So far the closest anyone has come is to say that it will pick up fast enough to surprise someone who isn't familiar with the zorb's handling characteristics in wind. I have no idea how fast "fast" is, in that context. Are we talking 0-60 in seconds? minutes? hours?maladroit wrote:the resounding YES from every experienced person here?sparr wrote:I'll bail at the first 20mph gusts. Getting out and anchoring it might take a minute. Deflating it another 5 minutes. Have I under-estimated how fast the wind can pick up on the playa?
sparr wrote:I don't think anyone has actually answered this question.maladroit wrote:the resounding YES from every experienced person here?sparr wrote:I'll bail at the first 20mph gusts. Getting out and anchoring it might take a minute. Deflating it another 5 minutes. Have I under-estimated how fast the wind can pick up on the playa?
Ulisse wrote:If you get to rolling with the wind, how do you stop?
Trash Fence?
Eric wrote: It could also be a blasted hell-scape with dust so thick you can't see 10 feet, in which you wouldn't want to bring it out since there would be a very good chance of endangering someone else (no, I'm not exaggerating )
My gut answer would be to leave it at home.
Meat Hunter wrote:All jesting and poking at you aside. With a potential for 60+ mph wind sweeping across the playa unexpectedly and at anytime, no one would be able to help you. Bringing your zorb is not a good idea a'tall.
Drawingablank wrote:I have no experience with a Zorb - but I can't see using one on the playa having a happy ending.
Simon of the Playa wrote:i saw these on the TV the other day and immediately thought "wow, there are going to be a few stupid fucks who actually bring this idiocy to the playa" and i was right...
maladroit wrote:And wind loading is no joke, it's a lot more force than most people realize. Keep in mind that playa winds rolled trailers and RVs over last year during early entry and everyone still thought this was another pretty easy year for weather.
Drawingablank wrote:Do what you want, but you are severely underestimating what the wind can do out there. And it can happen without any warning too.
Last year a few days before opening it rolled a mobile home (not a camper but and actual mobile home).
Just last weekend it wreaked havoc http://www.burn.life/blog/the-playa-strikes-back
Meat Hunter wrote:This will be your first Burn and you know absolutely nothing about the conditions that you are going to face or the personal and property damage that you might do to others.
Most of the comments that you have received in this thread are from burners with years of surviving all that the worse that the playa can throw at them.
Ask yourself, how many of the comments from these veteran burners were supportive of what you are proposing?
I am out of here. Let him bring it on because he is not listening and get what he deserves; hopefully he will not hurt or kill someone else.
Drawingablank wrote:Funny, but I have an image of a big brown ball moving at warp speed right over the trash fence and ending up 200 miles away.
Ratty wrote:Sparr, You seem unwilling to take the advice from virtually everyone that this is a BAD idea. When the wind reaches over 60 mph and you try to take shelter in a porta potty what will you do with your precious plastic ball? If you bring it, (and I have little doubt that you will), We will all be looking for you. Eplayans love a good show. I fear the Leos would put a stop to your fun due to endangering everyone else.
GreyCoyote wrote:For the record I think you have NO CLUE what the playa can throw at you, and your grasp of the resulting physics is tenuous and wishful at best. This is indeed a foolish and dangerous endeavor. Not so much for your riders (because hey, its burning man, and if they really want to kill themselves, thats just ducky with everybody else!), but for the poor schmoo who gets his neck broken when this contraption clobbers him off his bike. Thats just an unacceptable risk you are imposing on the general BRC public.
The playa has an amazing way of debunking bad science. You'll see.
maladroit wrote:I'm putting odds on seeing this roll into the center of a giant dust devil and get some air! That would be awesome! And very likely result in injury, policy changes, etc, but still something you'd never see otherwise.
maladroit wrote:I'll summarize the points above:
Letting it loose on the playa could be an extremely bad idea
Are you seriously saying you don't think anyone has adequately warned you that this is potentially dangerous?! You are a menace. A wilfully ignorant self centred menace. I hope to god the only person's burn you manage to ruin is your own.Mojojita wrote:I'm far less concerned about someone being hurt while using the Zorb, but my concern would be for the person who gets knocked down by it once the user has to bail out in a high wind. The speed and bounce it could pick up once empty could certainly knock someone down or off a bike. It is an environment where things do become airborne that send people to the hospital - even things that have been tied down. It can be a lot more like the flying house scene in Wizard of Oz than one would wish.
Me too. I watched a carport go cartwheeling down the street before Gates opened in 2011(?) with half a dozen shrieking people running after it down the street. It was not a particularly windy day. Freak gust. Although "freak" is probably the wrong thing to call something that happens numerous times a day.gaminwench wrote:A 40 MPH dust-laden wall of wind can appear out of nowhere within seconds.
Seen it.
Often.
