Common sense seems to be lacking for new burners

[bx1]

I know this has been touched on before in the forum, but it just seems there are more and more people coming to Burning Man every year without bringing the proper supplies to last in the desert for a week. Maybe its just because I come from an Army survivalist background, but I just can't get past some of stupidity I see in people when they go to an event in the middle of the desert in just a beat up old car and a couple bottles of water. That's just ridiculous... To me survival training isn't required to understand you need more than that to survive in the desert for 7 days (this is common sense).

I am actually not attending this year, but I had a friend hit me up on my cell who told me him and his girlfriend were going for the first time (sorry Charles). He told me what he was bringing and it pretty much amounted to maybe 2 days worth of supplies for one person. He asked me, "well there will be vendors there where we can buy food, so I'll probably just do that." I was like, "are you serious? Did you even pretend to read the survival guide or the hundreds of posts online?"

Honestly take away the generosity of many seasoned Burners and I guarantee there would be a lot of dead newbies by the end of day 1 of the event... Pardon my rant...

[bluesbob]

...I guarantee there would be a lot of dead newbies by the end of day 1 of the event... Pardon my rant...

We'll pile them all in the Wicker Man.

[bx1]

...I guarantee there would be a lot of dead newbies by the end of day 1 of the event... Pardon my rant...

We'll pile them all in the Wicker Man.

And then we can eat them. We should be hunting them anyway to keep the population under control.

[Captain Goddammit]

While I agree 100% with you, I don't think this is anything new.
I think the most extreme example was several years ago; there was a person (maybe more than one tried this) that showed up at the gate naked, carrying absolutely nothing, as a social experiment to see if they could make it all week.
While on one hand it may have been an interesting adventure, on the other it was an exercise in total freeloading.

I'm not sure if it was a male or a female, and if female, how attractive. Somehow I think this could have skewed the scientific result data of the project.

[Captain Goddammit]

accidental double

[bx1]

While I agree 100% with you, I don't think this is anything new.
I think the most extreme example was several years ago; there was a person (maybe more than one tried this) that showed up at the gate naked, carrying absolutely nothing, as a social experiment to see if they could make it all week.
While on one hand it may have been an interesting adventure, on the other it was an exercise in total freeloading.

I'm not sure if it was a male or a female, and if female, how attractive. Somehow I think this could have skewed the scientific result data of the project.

I know its not new. That phone call I received just reminded me of it. For me, part of the initial appeal of Burning Man was the self reliance aspect (I regularly participate in survival camping, extreme hiking, and rock climbing weekends). However, every year I see more and more "idiots" that just need to stay home.

[Elorrum]

I seemed to notice posts asking to join a camp, needing a camp, needing an r.v. to share, etc, more than the "how do I....?, or "has anyone tried this?" sort of posts.

[theCryptofishist]

"Common sense" is a myth anyway. I think Einstein called something like "The sum total of everything you learn before you are eighteen."
There is common sense physics, you know what will happen if you drop something, you can tell if something has a high specific gravity, but the things people do to children in the name of "common sense" show me that there is no agreement in "common" of how to raise them and I don't see the sense in any of it.
You might be better off if you think of these burners as "culturally challenged." Some will be intrigued by this new, on-playa world and will learn how to camp there, others will be off the playa in 24 hours.
And apparently burningman is becoming another party on some international rave circuit. That's enough to make me frightened for the event's future.

[moonrise]

I waited 17 years to come prepared! Let's hope I am...if I have room I'll cram some extra ski jackets/blankets into my truck since I can imagine some people won't have enough warm clothes. It is cooling off here at 6,500 feet elevation...it's also trying to rain in Tahoe. Weather does say very cold at nights, like 20's to 30's for Northern Nevada...and hot in the day in Gerlach area/playa. I will also save room for the jackets/blankets to be taken back out (in plastic trash bags) I have a big Yukon but man it's gettin' full...time to hook up the little cargo trailer for the bulky stuff. See you in the dust!

[moonrise]

PS it took me 17 years because I have been healing due to a botched back surgery, otherwise I would've been there sooner. I'm not THAT slow...hahaha!

[mournlight]

Probably too much so. Warm clothes. Water, Fun stuff, you name it. I hope to prove those of you wrong who aren't seeing those of us newbies coming prepared. we do exist!

[Captain Goddammit]

I seemed to notice posts asking to join a camp, needing a camp, needing an r.v. to share, etc, more than the "how do I....?, or "has anyone tried this?" sort of posts.

Yeah, what he said!

[Captain Goddammit]

I seemed to notice posts asking to join a camp, needing a camp, needing an r.v. to share, etc, more than the "how do I....?, or "has anyone tried this?" sort of posts.

Yeah, what he said!

[TomServo]

Common sense isn't always common.

[Edana]

Hey! Not all of us virgins are so clueless! Some of have been preparing for years!

[bluesbob]

Hey! Not all of us virgins are so clueless!...
:)

And not all veterans are paragons of wisdom.

[TomServo]

Hey! Not all of us virgins are so clueless!...
:)

And not all veterans are paragons of wisdom.

True! I used to pass out behind my own bar.

[bx1]

Hey! Not all of us virgins are so clueless!...

And not all veterans are paragons of wisdom.

Both very true.

[bx1]

"Common sense" is a myth anyway. I think Einstein called something like "The sum total of everything you learn before you are eighteen."
There is common sense physics, you know what will happen if you drop something, you can tell if something has a high specific gravity, but the things people do to children in the name of "common sense" show me that there is no agreement in "common" of how to raise them and I don't see the sense in any of it.
You might be better off if you think of these burners as "culturally challenged." Some will be intrigued by this new, on-playa world and will learn how to camp there, others will be off the playa in 24 hours.
And apparently burningman is becoming another party on some international rave circuit. That's enough to make me frightened for the event's future.

I guess that's true. I think everyone's idea of "common sense" might be a little different. To me, common sense is the obvious that needs to be taken care of. And I would think it would be obvious to anyone that you need to bring supplies to survive on a dry lake bed for a week. I guess some people will just get it and others won't.

[EmilyD]

As a birgin who has been planning since the very day we bought our tickets (2/14/10) I want to point out the exception to your rant bx1. I know you were blowing off some steam and it's no doubt justly deserved but I can guarantee you that there are also many new burners who will be not just ready but OVERLY ready for their first visit to the Playa. So fear not, we'll be there too, offsetting the jerks, losers, and common-sense-less. :-)

[Edana]

I wonder if part of the issue is that the well-prepared virgins don't stand out. They kind of just fade into the background / people assume they're NOT virgins because they aren't dumb.

[TomServo]

I wonder if part of the issue is that the well-prepared virgins don't stand out. They kind of just fade into the background / people assume they're NOT virgins because they aren't dumb.

The playa will be your teacher. Its not normal camping! Bring duct tape or Gorilla tape.

[EmilyD]

I wonder if part of the issue is that the well-prepared virgins don't stand out. They kind of just fade into the background / people assume they're NOT virgins because they aren't dumb.

I do not plan to fade into the background! ;-)

[lucky420]

certainly not with that gorgeous purple hair...

[C.f.M.]

I agree with the OP, and would have last year when I was still a virgin.

He isn't saying ALL of you, just "more and more."


It's the idiots who get the attention, the rest of us quietly go about not being That Guy without making a scene.

[EmilyD]

certainly not with that gorgeous purple hair... 8)

:-)))))

And it's fresh for the Playa! My art will basically be my costumes. Although I was invited to help work on a sculpture for the Playa I didn't feel I could devote any time this first year.

[Packoderm]

I'm headed to Burning Man as a newbie in just a few hours, and I believe I have everything needed to be completely self reliant. I'll have to work on some other way to be devoid of common sense once I get there.

[Elorrum]

I'm headed to Burning Man as a newbie in just a few hours, and I believe I have everything needed to be completely self reliant. I'll have to work on some other way to be devoid of common sense once I get there.

That's the spirit!

[bx1]

I agree with the OP, and would have last year when I was still a virgin.

He isn't saying ALL of you, just "more and more."


It's the idiots who get the attention, the rest of us quietly go about not being That Guy without making a scene.

Exactly, my post was not directed at anyone who actually does do a little research before hand and properly prepares. Its for the "other people." And for those I say:

I changed my mind.

You don't need to bring anything to Burning Man, just a smile! Everything else will be providing for you! To include running clean water, and food vendors that you can either pay for or trade services for! Oh and did I mention the air conditioned RVs they you can rent out once your there for pennies if you need a place to crash? Burning Man is just large rave anyway, so as long as you guys are ready to party, there won't be any problem!






...Hopefully someone reads just that part of my post, then maybe I can say that's one less idiot we have to worry about.

[some seeing eye]

The playa accommodates all. It's just a generational-cultural thing. We are in transition from almighty knowledge to knowledge of connected friends. The middle is asking the random interwebs to provide. That is what you are seeing. Chill. No one will perish for lack of prep among 50,000 while learning.