A phone booth on the Playa last year

Dardanian · Post by **Dardanian** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 7:19 am

Last year on the Playa was one of the most extraodinary experiences of my life (my first burn) and was 99% positive. There was one glaring exception, however.

I recieved a message through a campmate who went into town that my uncle had been in an auto accident and had been flown to a trauma center. I planned to take the bus into town the next day, but a neighbor informed me that they had seen a phone booth on the other side of BRC. So, rather than take a bus into town I went to use it.

When I picked up the line an "operator" very convincingly "helped me" try to contact home. When I had no luck, I decided to come back later. The second time another "operator" picked up... and this time I was f***ed with for 20 minutes until I figured out my mistake. Someone had set it up as a joke (this was not the "Phonebooth to God" art exhibit BTW)

By this time it was too late to go into town. The next day I had to make a choice between helping out with my camps event or taking the bus into town... I stayed to help, but that was one of the worst days of my life and certaintly the worst at BM. It put a pall over the whole thing.

Now I realise that the "extreme self reliance" theme doesn't leave much room for expecting others to help-- but in this case someone else's joke was SERIOUSLY damaging, kept me from using the tools I had to help myself (the bus into town) and struck me as terribly out of flavor for the otherwise positive-vibed event.

I imagine the folks who set up the booth didn't intend harm like they caused, and I have no grudge with them. I just wanted to give everyone a cautionary tale:
Generally: Please think about the consequences of your actions.
Specifically: NEVER misrepresent yourself as a potentially vital service (imagine if someone ran to that phone to call 911 and was delayed, when they otherwise could have sought assistance from BRC Rangers...)

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 12:01 pm

You have made a good point! Perhaps people should understand that an emergency can exist with their Satirical Art and should take a precaution to prevent this from happening again.

But they might have tought that you were spoofing them as well.

They should have asked first, if this call was an emergency or very urgent.

I hope that your uncle has recovered OK.

Please come back to BM again and hope that you can resume the event before this mishap has spoiled it for you.

A II Z

Dardanian · Post by **Dardanian** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 12:10 pm

No question-- I am definitely coming back, this time with several more people in tow! That incident was definitely the exception rather than the rule. Great irony would be if I could get the uncle in question to come as well so I could keep an eye on him

(He is fine now, after some physical therapy)

I just worry that a similar situation could turn out much worse and wanted to nip it in the tail first.

Burp! · Post by **Burp!** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:36 pm

Hello, first off let me say I'm very sorry that this all went a little too far in your case. I'm the person who made Burn Telecom and was actually sitting next to the person who was pretending to be an automated operator on your call. eg. "Please Key in the number you would like to dial" You pressed ###-###-####, the automated operator repeats back a completely different number, "press 1 if correct, press 2 if incorrect". You pressed #2. Repeat numerous times. Increase Frustration. So witnessed this first hand. In no way was it ever intended to cause harm or be mean. Burn Telecom is manned by whoever happens to take the call (The booth auto rings back to the primary phone in the dome) Whoever takes the call can do what they want. 99.99% of the people who interacted with Burn Telecom, walked away smiling.

I don't know what can be done in the future, nor am I inclined to say no Burn Telecom this year or to put a guideline down. I will however keep in the back of my mind the possibility of situations like yours. The group has read this post and are informed as well

On a side note, we promise to make it up to you. If you come by the Smoochdome, drinks are free of charge for you!! :0)

NF

smash · Post by **smash** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:49 pm

Hey there -- I'm another campmate, Smash...

I also feel really bad that you feel bad!! I just wanted you to know that we didn't ONLY fuck with people in "fake real" kinda ways... Every time was different --- Sometimes we tried to get people to bring us pizza, other times we would randomly play truth or dare with them... there was one chick who we had dancing around in the street naked and then we brought her a beer. Most of the time it was just another way to make new friends!!

Anyway, we can't undo your bad experience, but fuck, what bad luck!!! Cause there's not supposed to be any phone or internet service on the playa at all, so the fact that "the real world" mixed in with the "playa world" at all was just freaky!!! And sorry about your Uncle, glad he's ok!

Please stop by the smoochdome and introduce yourself!!

xoxo, Smash

meee_bot · Post by **meee_bot** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:03 pm

Oh Christopher, I'm the person that strung you along for so long. I'm so sorry about the circumstances.

Sigh. I'm not going to be able to get to sleep tonight, knowing that you are still thinking about the joke that I thought I was playing along with you, not on you. I had no idea you were having an emergency!! Your voice was so calm!

Please do come by the Smoochdome, so we can meet, and hopefully clear the air for you regarding those nasty people with their goddamn phone booth.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:09 pm

Please don't take the phone booth away due to one person's panic-induced gullibility. If anything, perhaps shortening the fake-real session would be advised.

It is funny how something that seems so silly to us like a phone booth on the playa might seem totally normal to a newbie.

Dardanian · Post by **Dardanian** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:22 am

After seeing the responses here, I definitely agree with Dork! It sounds like the phone booth is/was a really enjoyable exhibit and that my experience was a fluke aggravated mostly by my own panic and unexpected situation. I hope to see it again this year, this time under better circumstances!

Thanks to everyone for explaining and not taking my venting frustration/critique the wrong way or personally(Burp, Smash, and Meee_Bot)! No hard feelings, and I definitely will try to drop by and introduce myself over drinks this year. Do you prefer mixed drinks, spiced fruit juice, or wine?

PLURR, and see you on the Playa!

meee_bot · Post by **meee_bot** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:50 am

And thank you, sir dardanian, for being so open-minded. Its hard to find people who are willing to hear another side when they have been injured. You are a rare person.

As for beverages, it is our treat after all! but we prefer whatever is easy for you to bring.
See you out there! (asylum village, somewhere behind the esplanade)

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:55 pm

Personally speaking I think this would be better than a phonebooth on the playa:

http://www.skype.com/download.html

multiple platforms and free long distance.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:57 pm

darn. this was the wrong thread.

I think I was looking for Mr. K.'s thread. cant remember the name.

A phone booth on the Playa last year

A phone booth on the Playa last year

Exception that proves the rule

Weight off my chest