Pissing on the Playa

lebarondescarteun · Post by **lebarondescarteun** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:26 pm

Just got to thinking...with all them beer drinking party animules out there...I bet there's a bunch of people that sneek out at night and piss all over that Playa! Who packs that out?

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 6:35 pm

People do.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:32 pm

It's legal to take a leak on the playa, and people do. It's not necessary to pack it out, as the winter flood takes care of any residue after the liquid evaporates.

MrMullen · Post by **MrMullen** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:33 pm

phil wrote:It's legal to take a leak on the playa, and people do. It's not necessary to pack it out, as the winter flood takes care of any residue after the liquid evaporates.

Actually, I don't think this is correct. As I understand it, peeing on the Playa is strictly forbidden and you can get a ticket for it. BLM and BMORG have an agreement to cause a little damage to the Playa as possible. Peeing being one of them.

However, I will be the first to tell you that all those leaking cars (Oil and various other liquids) are probably 10x worse than what ever pee could be.

And you should not be telling people to pee on the Playa, no matter what damage it does. We are trying to create a culture of not only Pack In Pack out but also minimize our impact on the Playa. Plus, only assholes pee on the Playa and if we give them another reason not to come to this event, the better.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:13 pm

I pretty certain you are not supposed to pee on the playa. It certainly isn't the worst thing one can do the playa, I guess, but if everyone were to do it... YUCK! I've heard rumor of people being fined for pissing on the playa, so whipping it out in front of Center Camp and letting it go probably is far from a good idea!

Bascially, try to do it in the JOTS, or in something which can be dumped in the JOTS. If that isn't an option, well, at least be discreet about it.

B.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:31 am

40,000 people peeing three four times a day....About the beer and night peeing... Every morning in the open playa in fron of the ceter camp is a mess...Having wet piss stuck on my bike wheel... well it don't make for a happy camper.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:30 am

Pissing on the Playa is a finable offense. In a closely packed city like ours, your likely to be pissing in someone's camp. Then they get to walk in it. That's not nice.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:37 am

robbidobbs wrote:Pissing on the Playa is a finable offense. In a closely packed city like ours, your likely to be pissing in someone's camp. Then they get to walk in it. That's not nice.

\/
I just might be the one that lights you up with 3 000 000 candle lite..
THen start screaming over a bullhorn ie: What are you doing there?? Are you pissing on the playa?? DO you piss in yor livingroom??

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:22 am

Phil's a rebel.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:24 am

MrMullen wrote:
phil wrote:It's legal to take a leak on the playa, and people do. It's not necessary to pack it out, as the winter flood takes care of any residue after the liquid evaporates.
Actually, I don't think this is correct. As I understand it, peeing on the Playa is strictly forbidden and you can get a ticket for it. BLM and BMORG have an agreement to cause a little damage to the Playa as possible. Peeing being one of them.
>SNIP<

If you can point me to the resource for illegality, I'll be forever in your debt for 15 minutes. :->

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:33 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:Phil's a rebel.

Hey, I do it every year. If unjon wants to light me up and scream at me with the bullhorn, I'll be happy to try to spell his name on the playa. Won't bother me a bit, although I generally don't take a leak on the playa at night, so the floodlight won't be necessary.

Seriously, if anybody can point me to the BLM reg or federal statute that says it's illegal the take a leak on the playa, I'll be happy to stop. The last time I read the regs, they said you can't take a dump on the playa, which I'm happy to comply with, but there is no prohibition on taking a leak. It may have changed, and I'm always willing to be updated.

The last time anybody got a ticket for taking a leak was about 2000 or so, when a female cop saw a naked guy taking a leak on the playa and wanted to get him for it. Since taking a leak isn't an offense, she ticketed him for indecent exposure, making her the laughing stock of Burning Man. The ticket was dismissed.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:22 am

I don't know about the legality and don't care either. I have done it but really try not to. It's something you shouldn't do. As stated before, lots of people + lots of piss makes a mess. Don't pee on the ground for the same reason you don't dump your soapy water on the ground.

You probably won't get a ticket if you piss on the playa. I've seen lots of people do it and never seen anyone getting a ticket. That is not the reason you should avoid doing it. You shouldn't because it's rude to leave piss mud where other people want to go any enjoy their time. If you're hiking in the middle of nowhere, piss wherever you want, but when you're at a large event, don't piss where others are going to be.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:50 pm

It states in the survival guide that you are not allowed by rules of BRC to pee on the playa.

In 2002 our neigbors kept pissing on our fence, right next to our kitchen tent, as well as dumping their RV greywater directly on the playa. Very upsetting. I still have the sign we made "Please stop pissing on our fence!"

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:56 pm

I make it a point to purposely pee into Gigsville every year. Certainly there is nothing wrong with that.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:32 pm

Haha yeah, I guess Gigsville is the a good exception. But remember if I catch you doing it and find your home, you'll end up with 10X what you left us.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:01 pm

> It states in the survival guide that you are not allowed by rules
> of BRC to pee on the playa.

I'm missing that part in my copy of the 2006 guide. Have you got a page number to refer me to? I just can't find it.

> I have done it but really try not to. It's something you shouldn't do.

Okay, I'll apply that same logic to myself. :->

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:23 pm

^ You should. It's not going to kill anyone if you pee. It's not as annoying out away on the playa, as being drunk, being in pain from having to pee and not having any idea where the nearest good place to pee is. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but if you can avoid it, please do.

Real nice people carry pee containers, but it's sort of unreasonable to expect people to all do that. I won't carry one unless there is some dire need. We expect some pee out there from yahoos and some painful situations, but less is better.

Archantael · Post by **Archantael** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:40 pm

I'm wondering why there's so much focus on pee when the nastiest thing is poo on the playa. If I run over a pee spot with the bike the worst I can expect is to get some mud flung back on me...if that and pee is sterile anyway. Poo on the other hand....well it goes without saying it's an order of magnitude higher on the nastiness scale. And I've seen piles of poo in the mornings on the deep playa.

Since I'm on my soapbox instead of complaining about all the peeing going on, maybe it's high time to suggest some realignment of the portapotties. Instead of rows of 10 barely lit in the dark maybe groups of 5 allowing for less walking distance to them would be better? In order to make it easier for JOTS servicing lay them out in a grid formation so people will have a good idea where to find them. I can't recall how many times I've seen people wandering around in the deep playa asking where the nearest portapotty is. There has to be a better way. Another idea...for major art works in the deep playa perhaps put a small bank of portapotties within a very short distance of each one....I'm rambling but hopefully my idea gets across.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:58 pm

Would be a good project if someone wanted to make something to point toward or light up near ot at the portopotties on the playa. I can never find them at night early in the week. Later you usually see blinky people near them.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:30 pm

MikeVDS wrote:Would be a good project if someone wanted to make something to point toward or light up near ot at the portopotties on the playa. I can never find them at night early in the week. Later you usually see blinky people near them.

Since BRC is a Do-ocracy, I suggest you help others by helping us light the potties. I have said this over and over in other threads.

Let me know if you want to help, and I'll connect you with those who are involved in this.

Or you can just keep complaining.

As far as placement, that is up the Asthetics Team, and we've increased the number of potties quite a bit, both on the grid and in open playa. Staggering them would impact the artistic use of the playa. I'd have potties all over the place if it were up to me, but it's not. Act responsibly.

I strongly recommend carrying a bottle that is for piddle. Then when you do find a pottie, just dump the piss in. It's really that easy to not be rude.

RobbiDobbs
Chief Poopervisor of the Pottie Project
DPW Volunteer Coordinator (porta-potties)

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:35 pm

> I suggest you help others by helping us light the potties. I
> have said this over and over in other threads.

I've noticed your frequent posts about lighting the portapotties in all those other threads.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:10 pm

I strongly recommend carrying a bottle that is for piddle. Then when you do find a pottie, just dump the piss in. It's really that easy to not be rude.

Uhm, does that mean that screwing the cap back on the Mountain Dew bottle and leaving it in the shade somewhere once it gets filled with pee is NOT proper etiquette...?

er, not that I did it even once, much less five times, last year...!

B.

lebarondescarteun · Post by **lebarondescarteun** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:17 pm

Sorry bout opening a can of worms over this pissing on the playa issue,but being a past heavy beer drinker I'm familiar with the piss on everything attitude that comes when your loaded,You just don't think about where you do it,you just do it. Maybe ,like some cultures do,we should drink are own pee and become more spiritual with the man!...What say yeee people of playa wisdom?

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:20 pm

Males: Carry a bottle and poke yer dick in there to piss.. empty when convenient in your evap pond or portapotty.

Female: Carry a bottle with a wider mouth and paper funnel to piss.. empty when convenient in your evap pond or portapotty.

Opponents to a clean playa: How about we piss on you when we catch you pissing on the playa? (granted some may enjoy that.. so be it)

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:11 pm

Or you can just keep complaining.

I wasn't complaining, just agreeing that it would be a good project. Not something I plan on taking up this year but if those doing it set up a list of things needed I'll help with anything I can.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:28 pm

Opponents to a clean playa: How about we piss on you when we catch you pissing on the playa?

Poetic justice.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:43 pm

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... ities.html
End of the page.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... ement.html
Middle of page.

I'll grant you, it says defecate rather than urinate. Go ahead and argue it with the cops.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... nment.html
Specifically, "Do not dump grey water on the playa."

But overall, how about just being a good citizen & not subjecting others to your biohazard.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:31 am

Phil's correct in that it's not explicitly illegal to urinate on the playa, nor to defecate, spit, vomit, fart, belch, queef, launch a nose tator, cry, bleed, or ejaculate, but there may be de facto time, place and manner restrictions, eg not right in front of a cop unless approved by a Black Rock City LLC member as part of an art project or DPW work contract.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:40 am

Re: Pee Funnel
A terrific idea, and one that I used to great convenience. I had a dedicated gallon jug that I kept in my storage tent. It takes practice, but it works very well.

Re: Lighting project
Contact HazMatt (at) burningman (dot) com to help out with lighting. Supplies can be had, it's man/woman power that's needed. Thank you for volunteering.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:12 am

I'll grant you, it says defecate rather than urinate. Go ahead and argue it with the cops.

Nobody will have to. It _does_ say defecate. As I said, taking a dump on the playa is a violation of applicable regs and statutes. Taking a leak is not.

But overall, how about just being a good citizen & not subjecting others to your biohazard.

At least you have an argument with that position.

nor to defecate,

Oops.That is specifically prohibited.

not right in front of a cop

Been there, done that. It's not illegal to take a leak on the playa. Of course, if a cop wants to get you for something, she'll charge you with a made up crime, as happened years ago.

Look, guys. Taking a dump on the playa is prohibited for a reason. Taking a leak on the playa is not prohibited for a reason. I'm not going to change anybody's mind arguing the point, as you're not going to change my mind. Proposing assaulting people or vandalizing their camp site is all well and good on a public forum like this, but urinating on the playa is not a crime.