I need to know about C O P S & D R U G S

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:08 am

Can anyone tell me about the police situation at BM? My hubbie and I are first time burners and we just wondered - are there undercover cops? How much is ok at BM? I mean, what do they tolerate as far as mind altering stuff? Can we get any there? We really need to know for safety issues - we definitely don't want to get in trouble. We are very spiritual and laid back and want to experience Burning Man, not just watch it. We are not the typical party people. We just want to go off by ourselves and have our minds expanded. Would you recommend just leaving everything at home or is it ok in the safety of your own tent/van?? We don't want to impose our beliefs on anyone and would hope the same is the case from the burning man folks. (although I realize they can't control the police). Please let us know in as much detail as possible what your advice is. We are going to be driving our van from Arkansas, so we would like to be prepared! THANK YOU!
Peace be with you,
Lydia

griffin · Post by **griffin** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:37 am

There are police, I know, I've had them in my camp at a very unfortunate time. They took our entire stash, paraphenalia, and gave our friend a ticket. The good part is that the tickets that they issue are no more then a parking ticket as far as your criminal record goes. Pot is probobly the worst drug you can use for getting caught. The police roam the streets at night smelling for smoke. Our experience happened on Tuesday night. The police usually back off a bit as the week goes on. If you do smoke, keep it in a very private, dark, air tight, away from the street place. Other drugs that don't create smoke are fine. As long as you don't have them out in front of a police officer you will be fine.

There are a lot of mushroom dealers there, a few pot dealers, and extacy is pretty easy to find. You can probobly find just about anything you want if you ask around a bit. You will pay premium price for the service of buying at the event, but I have heard horrible stories of people driving cross country with a van full of drugs and getting busted halfway to burning man, and never making it there, due to being in jail.

Hope this helps, but it probobly just opened up more questions

III · Post by **III** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:42 am

>>Can anyone tell me about the police situation at BM? My hubbie and I are first time burners and we just wondered - are there undercover cops? How much is ok at BM? I mean, what do they tolerate as far as mind altering stuff? Can we get any there?

most of these questions are answered in the survival guide.

black rock city is in nevada, and is thereby subject to all state and federal laws. there are a number of law enforcement agencies at the event, including undercover officers who have been there longer than you, and therefore know how to fit in better than you will. nevada is a zero tolerance state, meaning that any possession will get ou a felony. tickets run start at a couple hundred dollars for possesion, and go up for intenet to distribute (note that this implies gifting as well as selling). as for getting any there, remember that there is no vending, except for ice and coffee, and you are expected everything you need aside from that.

III · Post by **III** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:43 am

>> you are expected everything

i meant "expected to supply everything".

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:44 am

You really should read the survival guide from last year. Differing people's take on the situation is based only from their personal experience/perspective.

Remember that the playa is in no way a fre-for-all zone where the local, state and federal laws are suspended for our convienience.

Local law enforcement (LEOs) will tell you that there is no 'toleration' of anything illegal in the way of drugs on the playa. Their track record of busting folks for nothing more than a single joint speaks to that quite clearly.

BTW, experiencing Burning Man vs. 'just watching it' usually doesn't have a damn thing to do with having or not having drugs.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:22 am

I didn't mean to imply that if YOU don't have d r u gs, then you won't be participating. That is simply mine and my husband's view for ourselves- we are just into that, and would like to experiment at BM whereas in our home state there are some things we simply can't find. We have read Breaking Open the Head, Tripping, etc. and are very interested in the phsychedelic experience. What I meant to say is that if we aren't participating in that experience at BM, we would simply feel as if we hadn't experienced what we wanted to.

By the way, I have read the survival guides, but what I am trying to get is what *really* happens out there. Are there roadblocks anywhere near BM? I have no way of knowing from my computer how many troopers, etc. will be out there, and if they are going to look at red eyes as an excuse to tear apart our camp. Think Timothy Leary, Grateful Dead, etc. We are not here to harm others. We are kind.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:52 am

ONE MORE TIME If you are doing drugs at Burning Man you are runing a "large risk" of being BUSTED. Black Rock City a.k.a. Burning Man has more law enforcement for that week than any other city in the nation. See list.

FBI, ATF, BLM, Na.State,County and Tible Lands.

Figure that nut wagon in washington will have Home Land Security out there too.

Did I miss any??

Oh ya, Figure drugs will hit you at about twice the normal in the heat of the desert.

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:52 am

aquariumgirl wrote: I didn't mean to imply that if YOU don't have d r u gs, then you won't be participating. That is simply mine and my husband's view for ourselves- we are just into that, and would like to experiment at BM

Ahhh, but you imply that if YOU don't have drugs YOU won't be participating...actually you can best participate by being in your free-from-artificial-mind-altering-things state, really! And there are many many bonuses to that, not least of which is that your nagging concerns about law officers *poof* go away and you can more freely enjoy what you are seeing-hearing-feeling. Please come and try being drug free! Its an *in* thing at Burning Man.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 10:53 am

ONE MORE TIME If you are doing drugs at Burning Man you are runing a "large risk" of being BUSTED. Black Rock City a.k.a. Burning Man has more law enforcement for that week than any other city in the nation. See list.

FBI, ATF, BLM, Na.State,County and Tible Lands.

Figure that nut wagon in washington will have Home Land Security out there too.

Did I miss any??

Oh ya, Figure drugs will hit you at about twice the normal in the heat of the desert.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:12 am

Or do what I do- just PRETEND you're on drugs.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:14 am

I simply don't care what's considered "in" at Burning Man or anywhere else in the universe, for that matter. Has anyone ever heard of psychedelic shamanism? I understand some people aren't into that and that's ok, I just want to know the risks involved. I have heard conflicting statements as far as undercover cops go- can anyone verify whether there are any or not? It said in the survival guide that they would all be uniformed but some are telling me that's not the case.
Aside from people telling me not to, I would like to hear about people's experiences with the police force out there. Do you think, reasonably, that it is possible for some people that are very careful to not get caught? That's all I want to know.

III · Post by **III** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:35 pm

>>Has anyone ever heard of psychedelic shamanism?

yes. if that's what you're after, perhaps you should find an event targetted towards that (probably in a different country).

>> simply don't care what's considered "in"

(a) it's not about what's in. you can do whatever you want. we're just saying that you shouldn't expect black rock city to operate under different laws than your home state. federal law applies everywhere in the united states, and nevada is fairly strict in their own right.

(b) what makes you think that what's in the survival guide is not valid? do you think they just write it for shits and giggles?

(c) if you don't care about what other people think, then don't expect theme to care about what you think either. it sounds like, rather than asking for information, your mind is made up, and you're just looking for validation. sorry bucko. you won't get what you're looking for.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:21 pm

Are YOU a cop? You sure sound like one. When I said I don't care what's IN at BM, I was replying to someone earlier stating that I shouldn't do drugs because they weren't "IN" at Burning Man. How would you respond to that? I guess I really should care what assuming strangers think about what I do to my own body. Yes, I am sure your philosophy makes you a very content person. I can sense your calm from here.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:26 pm

I don't care if you think I am seeking *YOUR* approval for what I put in MY body. I am not seeking your permission. I think you have an over inflated ego if you really think I am not honestly wondering about the drug situation at BM. I have no ulterior motives here. Maybe you should look within yourself before you accuse others. It is usually the case that if someone starts finger-pointing, they are guilty of the crime they are trying to accuse others of. Keep that in mind before you expose your leaking ego again, hey?

jaywalker · Post by **jaywalker** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:40 pm

I have no ulterior motives here

But, if I haven't misunderstood your 1st and subsequent posts, aren't you looking for information to minimalize the consequences for your participation in illegal activities?

If you are going to engage in your "psychedelic shamanism", you must be ready to accept the consequences inherent with that activity, at a public event, in a no-tolerance state.

Folks have as great and spiritual of a time without having chemical enhancements as do.

It's your choice, so stick with whatever you want. Folks are adults here (more or less). But if you get into a situation, you can't go whining about it, when you went into it with full disclosure.[/quote]

III · Post by **III** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:42 pm

>>:if someone starts finger-pointing, they are guilty of the crime they are trying to accuse others of

heh. sure thing, lil miss fingerpointer...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 1:57 pm

from our 2002 list of Smitable Offenses:

"Thwarting Darwinism"

iii, jaywalker, unjonharley, et al -- please report for your smitings at your earliest convenience.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 2:54 pm

Are YOU a cop?

You're not from around here are you??

Anyway, to answer your questions: (most of which have been answered):

Can anyone tell me about the police situation at BM?

They are there, including law enforcement agents and representatives of:
Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada Division of Investigation, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Bureau of Health Protection Services, Nevada Environmental Protection Division, REMSA, Gerlach Volunteer Fire Department, Gerlach General Improvement District, Gerlach Justice Court, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Road Division, Pyramid Lake Tribal Council, Union Pacific Railroad, Black Rock City LLC, and the Bureau of Land Management. Those are the official ones, you could probably safely assume some degree of ATF, FBI, CIA, DEA, if not in an official capacity certainly there for intel gathering or just off duty and on vacation.

My hubbie and I are first time burners and we just wondered - are there undercover cops?

Yes.

How much is ok at BM?

Nevada has a zero tolerance law in regards to narcotics (even marijuana).

I mean, what do they tolerate as far as mind altering stuff?

If it's listed here, it's probably not cool:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html

Can we get any there?

I would imagine you could get drugs in almost any city of 30,000 people, but I would advise against it, aside from Nevada's strict drug laws, this is an event that encourages "radical self reliance", and I'm strongly against the sale of anything at Burning Man, especially Chai.

We really need to know for safety issues - we definitely don't want to get in trouble

.
Then don't buy, use or bring drugs to the event. That's your safest bet for not getting into trouble.

We are very spiritual and laid back and want to experience Burning Man, not just watch it. We are not the typical party people. We just want to go off by ourselves and have our minds expanded. Would you recommend just leaving everything at home or is it ok in the safety of your own tent/van??

Several people have been arrested for using or possessing narcotics and drug paraphernalia at Burning Man while inside their tent/rv/dome. So I would recommend leaving everything at home.

Police Activity at Burning Man last year:
http://www.nv.blm.gov/Winnemucca/press_ ... r03-46.htm

You should also check out this thread:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ght=busted

Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 3:28 pm

...that these are public boards. Anyone can read them. Your boss, your mom, the media, and all kinds of law enforcement. And they do.

As already stated by several folks here, Burning Man has a no-tolerance policy regarding drug use on the playa. That is also true for the eplaya.

There are many safe, private places to discuss drugs and drug use - this is NOT one of them. If you are posting that you take drugs, or are planning to take drugs, you are confessing to committing a crime.

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 4:41 pm

That's preposterous! I take drugs all the time!

Today I took a "cocktail" of:

Acetaminophen 325 mg ................... Pain reliever
Guaifenesin 200 mg ........................ Expectorant
Pseudoephedrine HCI 30 mg ........... Nasal decongestant

All of this was on top of a liberal dose of caffiene, a notorious stimulant, and I have my eyes on ethanol in a fermented cactus matrix for later.

technopatra · Post by **technopatra** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 4:46 pm

Don Muerto! Usted ha vuelto! El corazón canta con la felicidad!

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 4:57 pm

Mi corazón tambien. Eres la luz de mi alma, Techopatra. ¿Cómo está?

Post by **admin** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:06 pm

Muy bien, pero el thread drift asoma...continuemos hablar en el mensaje privado.

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:12 pm

¿Thread Drift? ¡Dios Mio!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:22 pm

aquarium girl...
psychedelic shamanism is alive and well at BM. I believe if you look at the what where when guides from previous years you will see some camps giving seminars on that and similar topics. Me, I don't go in fer that stuff. Did you hear me mom, dad, POTUS, Ashcroft, Boss, etc.? I said 'I DON'T GO FOR THAT STUFF'.
anyway, I find the statement that being drug free is in at BM to be a bit off. What the hell is the cafe for then? On 447 into the event I have been aggresively tailed by cops. DO NOT SPEED ON 447. This means not even 1 mile an hour over the limit. If you do you will get pulled over and have a decent chance of your vehicle being searched.
At the event, cops will not bust you for having red eyes. They simply don't need to stretch or work that hard to make busts. The common advice is extreme caution and discretion. I would recommend brining yer own as your best risk of getting nabbed, other than walking down the esplanade with a J, is from buying shit from an undercover LEO. While no one in my camp has ever been busted, two folks from my village were last year. If you are VERY discrete you will have no problems. Of course, the safest thing to do is to obey all fed and local laws. But BM aint necessarily about safety, despite what the old timers might tell you.

also, search this board for discussions about getting busted. There were a couple of lively ones right after the event this past year.

trocar · Post by **trocar** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 6:04 pm

>>My hubbie and I are first time burners and we just wondered - are there undercover cops?

Awe yea there sure are...and man are they good at what they do. A few years back I saw a naked middle-aged (~55) long haired hippie looking fellow informing the DEA infront of one of the techno camps. I was camped next door and we watched them bust people about every half hour all night long. Even seeing this going on it was really hard to believe this guy was working with the cops by the way he looked and the nakedness and all.

trocar · Post by **trocar** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 6:15 pm

>>My hubbie and I are first time burners and we just wondered - are there undercover cops?

Awe yea there sure are...and man are they good at what they do. A few years back I saw a naked middle-aged (~55) long haired hippie looking fellow informing the DEA infront of one of the techno camps. I was camped next door and we watched them bust people about every half hour all night long. Even seeing this going on it was really hard to believe this guy was working with the cops by the way he looked and the nakedness and all.

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 6:46 pm

> Do you think, reasonably, that it is possible for some people that are
> very careful to not get caught?

Anything's possible. Just don't come whining to us when you get busted.

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 6:50 pm

meanyhead

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:24 pm

Yes. Yes I am. But never let it be said that I don't give sound advice.

I need to know about C O P S & D R U G S

I need to know about C O P S & D R U G S

Experience being free

To III

P.S.

May I remind everyone...