ACK! I just bought my first BM ticket . . .

[Rendrag]

. . . and it feels kinda weird to have actually done it.

Just had to share this experience with someone.

[Zephryus]

I'm right there with you.

[Rendrag]

Gotta admit it feels both assuring and poetic that at this same moment someone literally half-way around the world feels exactly the same way.

[Zephryus]

Just curious, what got you into Burning Man?

[robotland]

This will be my second burn, and this year I requested a ticket by mail instead of at will call....last year my campmates had REAL TICKETS that you could hold in your hand AND EVERYTHING, and I felt a little left out. Will call worked out fine, but I just really want that damn piece of paper in my hand this time, just like I need to go climb up in the dome and have a beer just about every day, and smell the dust in the groundcloth. Black Rock City really gets into your head!

[Rendrag]

Just curious, what got you into Burning Man?

I guess there are two ways to answer that question:

1) The glib way: I sure as hell hope its the ticket I just bought otherwise I blew $200.

2) The honest way: I heard about BM years ago from a magazine article and it raised my curiosity but I never pursued it. Then last summer I overheard an acquaintance casually mention she was going. That renewed my curiosity so I looked up this website. One glance at photos from previous burns and my reaction was strong and certain: “Oh my god, I had no idea. I must do this.” I then talked to my acquaintance several weeks after she got back and she described it as “walking into a Bollywood movie.” That sealed the deal.

Since then I’ve talked to a couple of other burners I’ve happened to meet. Doing so has helped me understand the idea of having ‘no expectations.’

[themom]

I am positive...you will not regret, and never look back....you will buy tickets again and again. Last year was my first (as my daughter is one of the Senior Staff and has asked our family to go for years)...now that we've been there...there is no way to walk away....you will thrive.

[Eric]

. . . and it feels kinda weird to have actually done it.

Just had to share this experience with someone.

Welcome to your new addiction
For as long as you care to keep it.

Remember- learn as much as you can about survival and your needs out there, but go with your expectations as low as possible. The less you expect, the more you will be able to discover. Which is a really wordy way to say: keep an open mind.

Waiting for my ticket to arrive.

[pixie mcGiver]

Just go with the flow of the Plya,and the dust ! Look at everything. Try Anything! Ask anyone ? Love everyone, and Get to Know Yourself... ... May your Burning Man experince be filled with everything tou need to improve you

[Icepack]

This will be my second burn, and this year I requested a ticket by mail instead of at will call....last year my campmates had REAL TICKETS that you could hold in your hand AND EVERYTHING, and I felt a little left out. Will call worked out fine, but I just really want that damn piece of paper in my hand this time, just like I need to go climb up in the dome and have a beer just about every day, and smell the dust in the groundcloth. Black Rock City really gets into your head!

Last year we had our tickets mailed to us. I made a photocopy of the ticket, and put the real one in the home safe until it was time to leave. I hung the photocopy up at my desk at work to remind myself of what a great time I'd be having in x more days...

It is a great piece of paper to have. I am checking the mail daily to get the ones for 2004.

[robotland]

Good Idea! I've been using my 2003 stub as a surrogate.....

[JoLo]

Ok, I havn't bought my ticket yet, but intend to do so online. It will be important to me to have an actual ticket, so just to make sure I understand, are you saying that the only way to get a real paper ticket is to order by mail? Or do you get one by ordering online as well?

[precipitate]

You must pay for snail mail delivery of your ticket, but you can get it
delivered to you no matter how you order it.

[Icepack]

Ok, I havn't bought my ticket yet, but intend to do so online. It will be important to me to have an actual ticket, so just to make sure I understand, are you saying that the only way to get a real paper ticket is to order by mail? Or do you get one by ordering online as well?

As someone else already pointed out, you will get a paper ticket whether you order online or by mail. Unless you do "will call" you will have your ticket mailed to you.

It's nice to get the ticket in advance so you can stare at it and dream about how much fun living in Black Rock City is going to be. However, some people prefer to wait until closer to the event date, when finances are better or plans are more secure to order their ticket. It's completely up to you.

[JoLo]

Thanks Icepack, precipitate.

I don't know what "will call" means, but thanks for the info!

I'll be buying my ticket in the next few days to make it "real". Then I've got to figure out the rest of my arrangements!

[Zephryus]

"Will call" means they hold your tickets at the gate. You go there, show your I.D, and they let you in. Many people prefer this method because you don't have to worry about losing the ticket.

[robotland]

I was very impressed with how smoothly the whole "Will Call" tickets thing worked out for me last year...There were lines, but they moved swiftly and the whole experience was quite pleasant. The only confusion was that my carmates already had their tix and had gotten up to the greeters by the time I had my ticket in my hand- You may want to hop out and walk up as soon as you see the little Ticket Shacks....

[JoLo]

Ok, sorry to be so clueless (I'm a BM virgin). So even with "will call", you do get an actual paper ticket, only they hold it for you at the gates, right?

If that's the case, then I'll just do "will call". But if doing "will call" means that they just check your name off a list and let you in (no ticket), then I'll pay the extra to get the physical ticket in hand.

I try to hold on to all the ticket stubs from concerts, etc. as a memento, and I would definately want one from BM. I'm not so worried about having something to look at before.

This seems like a lot of fretting for something pretty insignifigant, but I would be disappointed not to have the stub as a keepsake.

[Zephryus]

Although I, too, have yet to actually attend burning man, if they're like evrybody else they'll have a line for will call where you pick up your ticket and anotherr line for the gate where they'll tear said ticket. So yes, you do actually have a whole ticket for a vary short time and yes, you do get to keep the stub.

(Small heads up - will call is a service provided my most box offices, including theaters, rock concerts, and even most movie theaters.)

[Ivy]

I've never done will call, but I'd assume* they'd give you a ticket since I seem to recall reading somehwere that you'd need the stub to get back in if you left and came back.

*yes, we all know, when you assume you amke and ass of of u and me

[Das Bus]

Yes, you definately get an actual ticket at 'will call'.

[robbidobbs]

Yep, that's true. Having been a Gate Supervisor for the last 2 yrs, here's my advice for getting thru Gate as quick and smooth as shit from a goose:
1) Everyone in the vehicle either has their ticket in their hot little hand, or better yet, in the hot little hand of the driver, so I can just count noses, rip and send you on your way.
2) If you have a ticket at Will Call, or still need to purchase one, DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE TALKING TO GATE STAFF!!!!!

Park the car at the BIG parking lot by Box Office, stretch your legs, start drinking water, use the porta-potties, relax, while the folks who need their tix go to Will Call. It's just damn rude IMO if the rest of the party abandons the poor slob who was left at Will Call.

3) No matter how tempted you feel, that ticket in your hand is worth WAY more than the hassle of getting caught as a stowaway.

4) DO NOT pick up a hitch-hiker until you've eyeballed their ticket. LOOK AT IT UNDER THE LIGHT. It's YOUR pain in the ass if it's counterfeight. The whole car gets to come up with the money to front him/her.

[Badger]

3) No matter how tempted you feel, that ticket in your hand is worth WAY more than the hassle of getting caught as a stowaway.

Yep. It would really suck to have your tickets taken by the gate folks and then be asked to turn your car around (with all occupants) and go home.

Starting with their trip back to That Place From Whence They Came the folks could then start their year long contemplation on how their selfishness impacts the event and how stowaways are parasites on both on th event as well as the the participants who're quite invested in Black Rock City. Hopefully during that time they'll have 'gotten it' so that when they return in 2005 it will be with a renewed appreciation.

Do NOT think that stowaways will be tolerated for ANY reason under ANY circumstances. If you're caught trying it you're fucked. Totally fucked.

PM me to inquire if I/we are bullshitting you on this issue.

[precipitate]

> The whole car gets to come up with the money to front him/her.

What, I can't boot the lying fuck to the side of the road and go on my
merry way with my non-counterfeit ticket?

I mean, I guess it's one way to go to make the whole car responsible.
Probably pretty effective as well. But is this a change in rules or just
something I never heard before?

[Badger]

No change in the rules.

In fact it's not (nor has it ever been) policy as far as I know.

I do know that there are those who've suggested a change. Whether or not it comes about remains to be seen.

The NO toleration for stowaways is gate policy however. The seriousnees by which gate staff takes it is pretty much a matter of record.

And you're right Precip. Having a stricter policy such as the one that's been ruminated on would be pretty effective. It'd probably work most effectively by having it announced pre-event and then have a series of warning signs reiterating the policy and the consequences just before you exit the highway to turn on to the playa. That way perps would have the opportunity to entertain second thoughts, unpack all losers from the back of a Ryder truck/RV and get everyone's ticket/monies together and slide happily on in to the event with no delays and no hassles.

[MusicVixen]

Will Call wotked great for me last year. No problems at all.

[robotland]

....don't forget when you purchase your Will Call tickets to PRINT THE ONLINE RECEIPT. It has the NUMBER of your ticket order, which you will (probably) need to get your ticket. I say probably because nobody checked the number of mine, but I assume that many DO. I even wrote the number in Sharpie on the back of my driver's license, so as not to worry about losing a scrap of paper....Turned out to be overkill, but ya never know.....

[robbidobbs]

> The whole car gets to come up with the money to front him/her.
What, I can't boot the lying fuck to the side of the road and go on my
merry way with my non-counterfeit ticket?
I mean, I guess it's one way to go to make the whole car responsible.
Probably pretty effective as well. But is this a change in rules or just
something I never heard before?

Point one: No. It's not ok to just boot the lying fuck to the side of the road. They then become a Perimeter pain in the ass by trying (repeatedly) to crash the Gate. By dropping them off, you (the driver) are "forcing" them to expend BRC resources. Note: A BLM (federal) trespassing ticket costs $250. You do the math.

Point two: No change in rules. The Gate's job is to search for stowaways. If you're dumb enough to hide the idiot in your van, then it becomes your responsibility to either get him in legally, or drive his dumb ass to Reno.
And Gate/Perimeter knows about the Empire Store parking lot.

Point three: Stowaways don't carry water, food, supplies to last them the event. They are parasites on the Community...and they use MY porta-potties.

RobbiDobbs clear

[Badger]

Also, dumping some clueless fuck within Gerlach or Empire is about as uncool a thing to do as I can think of. The potential for the person becoming a burden or annoyance to the people who live there is very real. (think sleeping in yards, pissing on property, knocking on doors asking for water, etc.) In a town as conservative as Gerlach this is the last thing the citizens want to have to deal with.

[III]

so the rule is "don't pick up anyone, anywhere, unless you're willing to be responsible for them."

which, for those that aren't complete idiots translates to "don't pick up anyone, anywhere."

which i spose is another necessary nail in the coffin of community.