Volunteer comp tickets?

[sparr]

Q: Do I get a free ticket if I volunteer?
A: ... receiving a ticket in exchange for volunteering is incredibly rare. If it does occur it usually applies to people who work with-in the organization year-round as volunteers and are highly accountable. These are not roles that are easy to jump into. Generally a person will volunteer with a group for a while, sometimes years. Then they become a team leader or more involved. ...

I had a conversation last night with some burners at a local (bay area) non-burner event. The gist of the conversation was that I was volunteering for the event, and I had purchased a ticket, and if I'd known that volunteers didn't need tickets I would have re-sold mine, so I was out some money due to some lack of information dissemination. They seemed incredulous that I wouldn't simply make that assumption, to which my response was that I was confused since we "obviously" share a background of events where volunteers pay for their tickets. To their blank looks I said "uhm... Burning Man?" and they were taken aback that I could be so misinformed. Apparently some significant number of BRC volunteers, particularly at Center Camp, get comp tickets. Enough so that it seemed alien to these people that I would think that any volunteers pay for their tickets, and one of them was shocked when I told him that at a regional we both attend, all volunteers pay for their tickets, including the board.

Since I'm a big fan of transparency (see my other threads about ways in which the faq and survival guide don't accurately reflect BRC life and Burning Man culture), I have no problem asking about this in a public forum. Sooooo... what's actually up with that?

[tamarakay]

Lol the faq is pretty clear and accurate. But why don't you not purchase a ticket, volunteer your ass off, then let us know how it works out?

[Meat Hunter]

.

[Simon of the Playa]

fuck you, and the apple of discord you rode in on.













too soon?

[some seeing eye]

Do not drink the Kool Aid.

Thousands of hippies volunteer to be at center camp every day and night!

[sparr]

fuck you, and the apple of discord you rode in on.
too soon?

Nah. At least you didn't mention the zorb thread.

[Ratty]

Anybody hungry? They're serving BLTs over in the bar.

[Bless]

Comp tickets for zorb volunteers.

[Molotov]

[Simon of the Playa]

on the upside, lonesomebri can pass on his nametag from last years meet and greet.

if you show up this year for the pot luck you can be "ass-hat shit-stirrer" and he can pick a new nickname.

[tamarakay]

on the upside, lonesomebri can pass on his nametag from last years meet and greet.

if you show up this year for the pot luck you can be "ass-hat shit-stirrer" and he can pick a new nickname.

Don't give it that much credit. Play along. If no one sparrs along then he just looks even more silly.

[Captain Goddammit]

Actually, the latest ridiculous crap Sparr says or asks has become the only entertaining thing on eplaya lately.

[BBadger]

Since I'm a big fan of transparency (see my other threads about ways in which the faq and survival guide don't accurately reflect BRC life and Burning Man culture), I have no problem asking about this in a public forum. Sooooo... what's actually up with that?

What's up with what?

I don't know why you would be so shocked that the Org would not comp every unknown volunteer a ticket. It's like comping placement and EA passes to every camp that "volunteers" to attend the event. Some volunteers are only involved at the event, which requires a leap of faith that the volunteer will show up for duty at all.

No. If people are receiving free tickets, they've probably been working as volunteers a number of years and are known to be reliable enough to be worth comping a ticket. The Org is not going to comp a greeter, an unknown first-timer, or someone who is only doing a couple shifts during the week. It's the same way with members of your camp giving people one of their EA passes: you're not (or shouldn't) be giving these tickets to people without any record of service.

If the process seems opaque to you, you're probably not involved enough to be on the radar for a ticket. That any of this is a surprise for you should be a clue too. The people you asked probably been volunteering long enough to think of these tickets as universal, so they're not even going to be aware of what is required of new people. It's probably good that you bought your ticket. If you weren't already extended the offer for a comped ticket, you probably wouldn't have received one in the first place.

Enough so that it seemed alien to these people that I would think that any volunteers pay for their tickets, and one of them was shocked when I told him that at a regional we both attend, all volunteers pay for their tickets, including the board.

Regionals? Who knows. They run their own events and have their own financial needs and policies. Many regionals are cash-strapped as is, needing money more than labor. Already, ticket prices have risen substantially over the years to cover costs, and they need every penny to fund art and venues. If I were operating the regional, I would also question whether I could depend on someone who required a comped ticket in the first place.


What you should really be considering, however, is your motivation for volunteering in the first place. If it's to receive a free ticket, you're doing it for all the wrong reasons. Traditionally, the comped ticket was more of a nice thank-you (a gift) than a means to get a ticket, because the time volunteered was often worth far more than the ticket itself. The fact that the ticket saved the person $250 or whatever the price was really wasn't a huge deal. Nowadays, with the ticket sell-outs, people are seeing "volunteering" as a means to attend the event at all. In spite of the ticket sell-out, that's still not what those tickets are for. They're a gift from the organization, not an entitlement for your "volunteering."

[Captain Goddammit]

Generally, if you work a position that earns a comped ticket, it's for the following year's event.

[gaminwench]

Since you profess being a proponent of transparency, Sparr, I'd like to request that you make an introduction thread and tell us all about who you are, what you bring to the event, where you camp, what your first BRC experience was like, and what you hope to contribute in the future.

The community would like to meet you.

[Ratty]

You can earn a free or reduced price ticket in most departments. Work everyday and earn a ticket for the following year. Stay late and work your butt off taking down the city and earn a ticket for the following year. Every Department has a different qualifying criteria. In some instances you can get a ticket by being valuable. Are you a doctor, nurse or firefighter? Do you have some other professional credential? Don't expect a free pass for working 8 or 16 hours. (Unless you're a trained professional.)

[Simon of the Playa]

i'll get you a free ticket, sparr.





how are you at sucking dick?


too toothy, and you can just fuggetabouttit...

[EspressoDude]

volunteer tickets, in my humble experience, are actually a letter that arrives sometime June or July. If your plans are flexible enough to wait until then, don't BUY a ticket. If you don't get the letter/ticket, try buying a regular ticket then..........

[sparr]

what's actually up with that?

What's up with what? I don't know why you would be so shocked that the Org would not comp every unknown volunteer a ticket.

I guess there's two different "what's up"s here.

1) What's the actual state of volunteer comp tickets?

2) Why doesn't the FAQ reflect that?

It's like comping placement and EA passes to every camp that "volunteers" to attend the event. Some volunteers are only involved at the event, which requires a leap of faith that the volunteer will show up for duty at all.

You seem to think I'm advocating more comped tickets, or comped tickets for different people. I'm not. I'm just asking how it actually works, right now (well, 2-10 months ago, really).

What you should really be considering, however, is your motivation for volunteering in the first place. If it's to receive a free ticket, you're doing it for all the wrong reasons. Traditionally, the comped ticket was more of a nice thank-you (a gift) than a means to get a ticket, because the time volunteered was often worth far more than the ticket itself. The fact that the ticket saved the person $250 or whatever the price was really wasn't a huge deal. Nowadays, with the ticket sell-outs, people are seeing "volunteering" as a means to attend the event at all. In spite of the ticket sell-out, that's still not what those tickets are for. They're a gift from the organization, not an entitlement for your "volunteering."

I probably have a response to this, but I've learned from previous threads that answering this here now would just further derail the thread, so I'm going to stick with what I said above for now.

[sparr]

You can earn a free or reduced price ticket in most departments. Work everyday and earn a ticket for the following year. Stay late and work your butt off taking down the city and earn a ticket for the following year. Every Department has a different qualifying criteria. In some instances you can get a ticket by being valuable. Are you a doctor, nurse or firefighter? Do you have some other professional credential? Don't expect a free pass for working 8 or 16 hours. (Unless you're a trained professional.)

Some of that sounds like an excellent start at a more accurate answer to the FAQ entry in question.

[sparr]

Since you profess being a proponent of transparency, Sparr, I'd like to request that you make an introduction thread and tell us all about who you are, what you bring to the event, where you camp, what your first BRC experience was like, and what you hope to contribute in the future.

Sure, I can do that. I'll bet even money that the majority of commenters show up just to yell about the zorb and similar such things.

[Captain Goddammit]

Some of us have a real photo and actually show up and are easy to find on the playa.
Some of you are anonymous internet posters.

[Ratty]

Everyone should volunteer because they WANT to volunteer. NOT because they want to get a ticket. That is why the FAQ doesn't delve into it in depth. Plus every dept is different and evolving. Pick something you like and do it. If you enjoy it, do it again. If not, try something else.

[Elliot]

Reckon I might as well join this chorus.

I do a bit of volunteering. So… this little rant, to no-one in particular.

In my department, a shift is six hours. In addition, there is travel time, and check-in and check-out time, so I invest around 7 ½ hours per shift.

Each department has its own system.
The system is clearly explained after you request to join. The reason for this should be obvious. But… all right… it’s about getting a job done, not about the ticket.

In this department you have to successfully complete at least five shifts, which may then get you invited to do the same next year without having to buy a ticket. So with travel time, you would invest at least something like 35 hours. And you would work with efficiency and enthusiasm, and continually improve your proficiency – not just mark time.

One shift this year, I spent an hour or two mostly running, not walking, because we were shorthanded. And I’m 63 and have a bad knee. But I “held the fort”. I still feel proud of myself.

A few years ago I spent perhaps 20 minutes (until law enforcement could arrive) “counseling” a drug-addled man who had assaulted one of my colleagues and was holding a stolen knife in his hand. I could have simply driven off to a safe distance. But it needed doing. And what I learned in those 20 minutes cannot even be measured.

If this sort of Burning Man do-ocracy does not sound like your cup of tea, perhaps the whole Burning Man thing is not a good fit for you in the first place.

Rant over.

(Edit to add: I was going to post this with my sock, so as not to be a braggart, but....)

[sparr]

Since you profess being a proponent of transparency, Sparr, I'd like to request that you make an introduction thread and tell us all about who you are, what you bring to the event, where you camp, what your first BRC experience was like, and what you hope to contribute in the future.

Sure, I can do that. I'll bet even money that the majority of commenters show up just to yell about the zorb and similar such things.

viewtopic.php?f=95&t=76417

[sparr]

If this sort of Burning Man do-ocracy does not sound like your cup of tea, perhaps the whole Burning Man thing is not a good fit for you in the first place.

This is hilarious in light of the mentions elsewhere in the thread of volunteering at burns that don't give volunteers comped tickets at all.

[Elderberry]

Volunteering is something that should be covered in the FAQ for new burners. I don't see any reason for covering/explaining/mentioning the possibility of a free ticket at all. New people don't need to know this information to attend an event and making it that publicly known will lead to more threads and questions like these.

After a person becomes involved with the organization, these things tend to become known to those that deserve to know, usually in the form of a surprise gifted ticket.

I'm really trying hard to understand the "point" of this thread when the answer is simply to "get involved".

[sparr]

Volunteering is something that should be covered in the FAQ for new burners. I don't see any reason for covering/explaining/mentioning the possibility of a free ticket at all.

Well, to be simple and blunt... it belongs in the FAQ because it's a question that's frequently asked. Maybe the answer should be worded vaguely, but I don't agree that it should be worded misleadingly/inaccurately.

New people don't need to know this information to attend an event

As someone on a very limited budget for some of the last ten years, I can say with confidence that I would have attended BM sooner if I had known then what I know now about comp ticket opportunities. The cost of a ticket is prohibitive for MANY people.

when the answer is simply to "get involved".

That's an (not THE) answer to question #1 (as rephrased above). It's not an answer to question #2 at all, that being why the FAQ is wrong.

[Simon of the Playa]

you sure got a purty mouth, boy.

[BBadger]

what's actually up with that?

What's up with what? I don't know why you would be so shocked that the Org would not comp every unknown volunteer a ticket.

I guess there's two different "what's up"s here.

1) What's the actual state of volunteer comp tickets?

2) Why doesn't the FAQ reflect that?

Q: Do I get a free ticket if I volunteer?

"A: That’s perhaps the most common question. Here is the scoop: receiving a ticket in exchange for volunteering is incredibly rare. If it does occur it usually applies to people who work with-in the organization year-round as volunteers and are highly accountable. These are not roles that are easy to jump into. Generally a person will volunteer with a group for a while, sometimes years. Then they become a team leader or more involved. Ticket sales are Burning Man’s primary source of revenue. There is no corporate sponsorship of the event. Ticket sale dollars help pay for fixed costs of putting on the event, including porta-potties, emergency services, land-use permit fees, and building materials. It is best not to expect a free ticket for any volunteer work you do. Ask around, most people feel that volunteering only brings you closer to the Burning Man community, it enhances your experience there, and that alone is enough of a reward."

The FAQ does reflect the reality of comped tickets: they're not to be expected for volunteering. When or if they are given out, they're to people who are accountable and have demonstrated their abilities and dedication, possibly over many years. The criteria are purposely vague so that people don't expect tickets for their "volunteering." It is, after all, supposed to be "volunteering," right? Otherwise, people would be thinking of this more as a work-duty type thing to receive a ticket.

So what you do is volunteer for the sake of volunteering. If there is an opportunity to receive a ticket for your efforts, you'll learn about it then from the people you're working with. The FAQ doesn't need to explain that, because comped tickets should be treated as the exception rather than the rule -- and something provided at the discretion of the Org. Don't expect any tickets until the org expects something out of you.

If you want to know the specifics, contact whomever was responsible for coordinating your volunteering, etc.

You seem to think I'm advocating more comped tickets, or comped tickets for different people. I'm not. I'm just asking how it actually works, right now (well, 2-10 months ago, really).

I'm not implying that you want more comped tickets. I'm implying that you're expecting tickets for volunteer work. Yeah it "happens", but don't expect it, or expect specific details about how it happens unless you're already volunteering and are willing to become more involved. These tickets are not meant to be outside incentives (advertisements) but rather internal incentives to people who are known to be reliable. If none of the details are found in the FAQ, that is by design.


An amendment: Greeters can receive comped tickets. It takes a lot of dedication (shifts, time), but is possible.