Burning Man Shakedown by LEOs.

1durphul · Post by **1durphul** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:05 am

jerroc wrote:1durphul try these helpful tips Don't give the LEO probable cause, and yes 1 mph over the speed limit is breaking the law and they will pull you over to see if you got a stash so don't have it out. If they ask to search your car its not a trick question so say NO thank you. Don't sit in a joint circle even if your not token the shit. If someone ask you for drugs say I don't have any. Don't give beer to minors. Most importantly if you see someones rights being violated get the assholes badge number and fill out one of the froms to hold him acountable.

All sensible advice.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:43 am

unjonharley wrote:Think I told this back in 08..

I was out mooping.. Stoped to pick some thing up.. Some times my body wont do what i want it.. When this happens my limbs spaz out and do there own thing.. Must be a hell of a sight for others to see.. Anyway I spazed out.. Cop was half a block away.. He was there and out of his truck in a second to help me.. Everything was under control a few seconds later.. I thanked him for his offer to help..

I sure as hell don't come under the young and pretty.. That cop reacted the way he was trained..

Wellll... I think you're cute, Unjon.... ;)

I agree - Jerroc's advice is spot on - Badge number, agency, time, date, and location. What happened, how you reacted, how the cop reacted, and WITNESSES!!!

For years - well over a decade - I worked front line emergency services. I can't count the number of times a cop put her or his ass on the line to help someone. Ever see a squeamish paramedic stand there clueless, and watch a cop jump in and stat lifesaving stuff? I have. Talking down jumpers from bridges ? That was my stock in trade for some 12 years, and I've seen LEO's out there, again risking their lives, to try to get the person down. And when they don't, I've seen these supposed "evil assholes" break down in tears.

I won't say there aren't asshole cops - Dick's ticket is a case in point. It's not as prevalent as it was, but they're still out there. And that's why there are Judges and Trials and things of that nature.

And... um... whether or not I'm "young and pretty" doesn't really have shit to do with it. When I was an idiot kid and had an attitude problem (and was far younger and cuter), I caught my share of shit, and tickets, and even a night or 3 in the GreyBar Free Bed-n-breakfast. But I finally grew up, quit acting like I was above the law, and lo and behold - when I stopped coming off as a PITA asshole brat to them, they stopped treating me like one.

Ya know... I still get tickets, but usually that's OK, because I understand that I fractured the law, and got caught, so I gotta be an adult and deal with it. I don't try to weasel my way out of it, and ya know what? THAT gets me respect from them. Even had one put a ticket book away and give me a warning, in Texas, for a BLATANT violation in a small suburb of Metro San Antonio (45 in a 20!!)... again, not 'cuz I'm "cute and young" but because I told the cop what I'd done, how it happened, that I'd fucked up (my words) and I felt like an idiot... um... what's the fine for my stupidity, and how do I pay it?

I got my share of bad cop stories, too - the assholes in a 1/2 horse shithole in Northern California, who pulled me over for a "license plate light out" (Clearlake) on my way home from my daughter's, which I fought in court and won (woman judge...). The Fuckbat Sergeant in the Davis PD that pulled me over as I'm getting on the freeway at 2 AM (just got off shift), and his buds show up, and start doing rather obscene and threatening gestures (with flashlights, nightsticks, and pointing at the corn field across the highway while emulating digging with a shovel) ... until a CHP unit pulls in behind (wanted to see what was up) and they all cleared out Toute-suite. (this was... um... 18+ years ago, and I STILL refuse to go anywhere near Davis). Having my car tossed - hard - when I was in my crankster days because I looked "suspicious" (well, I did, I guess - fracking tweakers) and then left on the side of the road trying to figure how to put the seats back in and stuff upholstery in my now-broken trunk. But compared with the "good" interactions (from ones I got citations from to the guys who saw me limping into my bar and asked if I was OK, leading to a beer bash at my place that night) outweigh that by like 100 to 1. I consider those 1 in 100 fucks abberations.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:05 pm

I have been told more than once on this board that this really does not make a difference, but here again are my two cents.

I am completely amazed that anybody wonders about the large number of LEO's on the playa aggressively looking for drugs. This board is constantly full of discussion of being high on this, that and the other. Yes LEO's do read the boards and undoubtedly use the discussion of the participants as a guide to how much illegal activity occurs. The more people talk, the more reason for increased police presence. IMHO the chatter is used as a political chip when requesting LEO staffing levels.

I don't care if half the population is on shrooms for the duration - just don't advertise it on the internet...... aren't there already enough people in the default world that believe this festival is really only a big drug party?

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:10 pm

I only get high on Jesus......100% pure un-cut Jesus

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:30 pm

Fire_Moose wrote:I only get high on Jesus......100% pure un-cut Jesus

Hmmm...snorted or smoked?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:30 pm

Fire_Moose wrote:I only get high on Jesus......100% pure un-cut Jesus

How dose that mexican taste the morning after..

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:32 pm

Like grass clippings....duh !!!

gunsmith · Post by **gunsmith** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 4:12 pm

almost all the way in from Reno is open range, cows, wild horses rabbits rabbits rabbits, coyote, sheep, deer, mountain lions, antelope and more are going to be on the roads. please slow down, even though you're not aware of it people with kids and dogs live near those roads so please, live and let live and slow down.

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:21 pm

Mojojita wrote:
I don't care if half the population is on shrooms for the duration - just don't advertise it on the internet......

Quite the ironic statement you have there.. lol

masho · Post by **masho** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:35 pm

junglesmacks wrote:
Mojojita wrote:
I don't care if half the population is on shrooms for the duration - just don't advertise it on the internet......
Quite the ironic statement you have there.. lol

Love this

Homiesinheaven wrote:wow 1durphul, you sure sound bitter and disgruntled. i think you have lost all perspective on this issue. "LEOs truly have the power to destroy each and every one of our lives on a whim" hahaha geez dude, are you really serious? none of us here want more cops at BM but alarmist victim attitudes like yours arent going to make things better for anyone. like the vast majority of burners, i saw the cops, was friendly, didnt break any laws and steered clear of them. no problemo. almost every up-in-arms story of harassment i read comes from someone who is bitter and angry towards law enforcement before the incident even occurred.

and agree with Homies 100%

That said. I've had a few experiences on the playa and pre-playa with johnny-law. (1)This year on the way down, we didn't have enough gas to make it any further than Lakeview (from seattle). We got pulled over in Lakeview because of a bad running lights, had a nice conversation with the officer, and were then told where the bars were and where we could park for the night. (2) This year during the Helix Burn an officer showed up saying that we had an "unauthorized burn" underway "who is in charge?". I showed him my open fire burn necklace and introduced him to Daniel of FAST who handled it easily. The police apparently weren't up to speed on our newly approved burn which was understandable. (3)Last year I asked one of the state rangers to help me move my large wooden sculpture to a burn bin 300+ yards away...his response was "can't you get somebody in the community to help?" to which I responded "I thought you were in the community?" The state ranger didn't help and I had to drag this 200+ pound sculpture to the burn bin. Honestly I was most disappointed with the third encounter because the officer had an "us and them" mentality, kind of like you 1derful, but que sera sera. It was hardly the end of the world.

In no instance was I "abused". I suppose you could argue I was "targetted" but then again, in one case I had just started a pretty large fire that wasn't on the original schedule and in the other case (Lakeview) the officer asked me (in my faux fur coat) what we were "off to hunt?" followed after my response by "oh Burning Man?" and "the bars are over there through the alley" etc....

Sanddog42 · Post by **Sanddog42** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:39 pm

Fire_Moose wrote:I only get high on Jesus......100% pure un-cut Jesus

Jesus was definitely cut. It's a rite of passage.

gunsmith · Post by **gunsmith** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:48 pm

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:35 am

junglesmacks wrote:
Mojojita wrote:
I don't care if half the population is on shrooms for the duration - just don't advertise it on the internet......
Quite the ironic statement you have there.. lol

AAAHHAAAAAA!

Risky · Post by **Risky** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:15 pm

It's a long and wandering video.
Footage of BM arrest.

caveatlector · Post by **caveatlector** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:56 pm

It's a long and wandering video.
Footage of BM arrest.

Wow. I mean... just... wow. He goes around the Playa broadcasting "Fuck the Police" while driving at twice the speed limit... then this little gem:

To the cop (who has pulled this vehicle over once before for speeding), the driver says: "Remember. Fuck the Police. Do you have ID on you? I mean, I forgot that... along with my dick."

What a cunning stunt. They went out specifically looking to antagonize the cops and lo and behold: Success.

I always thought that Gonzo was about being subjective about the topic one is covering rather than being the topic one covers.

Jackass · Post by **Jackass** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:08 pm

gunsmith wrote:

That was awesome, so true!!

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:12 pm

There's a moral to that story: Pay your fines you idiotic hippie moron.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:35 pm

Risky wrote:It's a long and wandering video.
Footage of BM arrest.

That was the best usage of a ziptie I have seen all year.

One of those cops was the one that gave me my citation also.

what a couple of jackasses.

changoloco · Post by **changoloco** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:26 pm

Maybe we should petition the org to buy a private island and incorporate it as our own country. We could call it LarryLand and build holiday inn's and motel 7's on it. We could all skip through the fields and sing tralalalala together while we openly indulge in all of our currently illegal substances. We would all be in love and be nice to each other so, there would be no need for LEO's......wait, I just woke up from that dream and realized that we live in reality. Burning Man is special because of the Black Rock Desert. If it were to be moved, it would not feel the same. If it is in the Black Rock Desert, there will be LEO's, period. But, hey op, you could buy yourself a huge piece of land and throw your own burn, right?

I had a terrible interaction with an LEO, he took this photo after congratulating my fiance and I for getting engaged, what a fucking bastard this guy was. You can tell by the looks on our faces that we were pissed after this LEO interaction;

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:47 pm

changoloco wrote:
I had a terrible interaction with an LEO, he took this photo after congratulating my fiance and I for getting engaged, what a fucking bastard this guy was. You can tell by the looks on our faces that we were pissed after this LEO interaction;

I don't think they should be incuraging behavior like that..

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:51 pm

Uhhh doesn't BM have a no gay marriage law?

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:57 pm

looks like the roofies did a good job

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:03 pm

I have often doubted some of the LEO stories I read, but my wife having such an experience has made me reconsider much of what I have read. On Friday our team spent the entire day preparing to burn Megatropolis. Friday afternoon we needed some more water and other supplies from camp. We had received a one day driving pass from the Artery for such trips during the day. On her final trip back to the Megatropolis site she was stopped no less than four times. She was OK with the first three as she was driving a non mutated vehicle. Though she had correctly placed the driving pass in the rear window, the officers failed to either see it or recognize it. She was actually happy that they were doing their job. The 4th stop was another matter. The officer was not satisfied with the driving permit and claimed he smelled alcohol. At that point she got angry and let him have it. Mind you, she has red hair and a temper to match. She knew that the officer was attempting to fabricate some charge. She does not drink, so his claim of the odor in her personal car was total BS. After she got settled down the officer actually backed down and let her go on her way. He made a feeble attempt at an apology, but his intent was quite clear.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 3:56 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:
Risky wrote:It's a long and wandering video.
Footage of BM arrest.

That was the best usage of a ziptie I have seen all year.

One of those cops was the one that gave me my citation also.

what a couple of jackasses.

It's idiots like that that turn the fuzz against us. Assholes.

You notice how they're all "F*** the police" then when they get pulled over all contrite and yes sir mister officer sir bullshit, etc... then when the cop walks away they're back to stupid... until the cop shows back up, then it's all "O gee, officer, I'm sorry, blah blah blah..."

No wonder some cops hate burners. Idiots like that turning them against us, it's a wonder we don't get more shit.

Oh, wait - THEN they post their stupid on the internet. These 2 seem like ideal Darwin Award Contenders.

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:27 pm

I'm not spending 12 min to watch the whole thing...Farmville's more interesting. But what I did see didn't make me wanna call up Carson City and raise hell or annoy the local sheriff's offices with a fax blitz or something.

In short...Yawn! Karma Gods smack down the deserving on the playa, whiners make a cameo appearance, film at 11.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to a few more posts then on to Mafia Wars. Ain't nothing to see here.

swampdog · Post by **swampdog** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:03 pm

gunsmith wrote:

Totally awesome

swampdog · Post by **swampdog** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:18 pm

Risky wrote:It's a long and wandering video.
Footage of BM arrest.

The opposite of awesome. What's his point? If you're enough of a douchebag you can get arrested by LEOs at Burning Man? The video is too shitty to tell - he seemed to get stopped at least once before the stop where he's arrested, possibly more. If you get stopped and warned for a certain behavior AND KEEP DOING IT until you get stopped again, STFU. Seriously. Just STFU. I suspect that the discussion among all the LEOs that showed up was "I think we have to arrest this douchebag for an outstanding warrant. Is there someway we can avoid taking him in? I don't want him stinking up our facilities with his attitude."

The macho posturing in a totally innocuous situation is just annoying as hell. It's like taunting a stuffed animal. The LEOs couldn't be more bored with his act but he's acting like he's putting his life on the line for the truth. Even with the lousy video footage and shitty editing AT NO TIME does he appear to be subject to anything other than total professionalism. Kudos to the LEOs - I wanted to punch the guy just watching this.

Douchebag.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:58 pm

swampdog wrote: The macho posturing in a totally innocuous situation is just annoying as hell. It's like taunting a stuffed animal.

Wow. What a scathing remark.

(I'm impressed)

some seeing eye · Post by **some seeing eye** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:17 pm

Thanks for posting that video. It's a perfect example of personal art car entitlement mixed with stupid tax stupidity.

I admit I've been fooled by all this Internet talk.

Arrests and citations were level year to year: http://www.foxreno.com/news/25066002/detail.html and if BRC wants to call itself a city, the ratio of LEO's to population is actually low: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_p ... per-capita. Police to population in the USA ranges from 1-4 per thousand. BRC's 50,000 would yield 115 at our national average of 2.3. Instead there were something like 80.

I'm sure there are police-population statistics for state fairs and concerts - data welcome.

So there are plenty of unhappy Internet people, the LEO's concentrate in the open playa area and sound camp areas, so are more visible. But it's not the LEO apocalypse by any means. It's more like the burningman fox news.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:31 pm

1 to 4 per thousand?
On patrol?

Not in my city, at least since the 1800s.

More like 2 to 4 per 50,000 during high crime periods.