What if my camping neighbors are fuckheads

[Guest]

If i set up a camp and it turns out that i am camping beside some real fuckhead "YAHOOS" is it easy to move to another spot..... Has this ever happened to anyone ?

I for one do not wish to be camping beside some college frat people who are not turned on and tuned in.

[Apollonaris Zeus]

Be nice to them and tell them your concerns. Most BM people will take your concerns and adjust their actions to them.

If they persist, talk to other camper nearby and as them if they are a problem and ask them to mention something to the offending camp.

But before you get the Rangers involved make sure they are violating the regulations of Burning Man. Then,

Call the rangers and have them confront them. Don't get further involved!

KNow your regulations. Stake out your camp zone so you don't someone from outside your camp right on your back.

A II Z

[EB]

I went to college. I was in a fraternity.

I know you're eager to fit-in by parroting what others on this board define as a "yahoo" (whatever the fuck THAT means...) but you'd do well to not stereotype people before you pound in your first rebar.

"What if I camp next to a fuckhead?" Then fucking MOVE, idiot. What, are you trying to get us riled up about it? What the fuck?

I spent a long time reading this board before I felt like I had anything to contribute. If you did the same you'd see we all come from a different cross-section of society. That's what makes the event so fucking fun.

Last year I camped between a Reno building contractor with no less than THREE American flags in full breeze and a pod of twentysomethings from UC Davis with a Go-Cart dragon and a "Fuck Bush" bumpersticker.

We all had a great time. We shared meals. We became neighbors.

I think I saw Ronnie the port o john guy say "just because I'm not wearing a costume, doesn't mean I'm not contributing." The collory? Maybe those "college frat" types are actually nice people.

Yahoos can wear El-Wire, too, dickhead.

Point? Stop fucking judging people, yahoo.

EB

[Markov Chaney]

idiot

dickhead

yahoo

I went to college. I was in a fraternity.

Wow, I couldn't tell.

[ibdave]

Point? Stop fucking judging people, yahoo.

EB

WOW

[sparkletarte]

HAHA!

[EB]

idiot

dickhead

yahoo

I went to college. I was in a fraternity.

Wow, I couldn't tell.

You're defending this person? Friend, not everyone who was in a college fraternity is a stuck up obtuse jerk.

Geez.

It's enough to make a guy want to take his tax refund and daddy's beemer to another batholithic, alkaline desert...

[Sensei]

OK, ok, EB sounds angry... Hell, I remember once even Doc Pyro got up on his hind legs over too many fratboy comments... But get this part:

Last year I camped between a Reno building contractor with no less than THREE American flags in full breeze and a pod of twentysomethings from UC Davis with a Go-Cart dragon and a "Fuck Bush" bumpersticker.

We all had a great time. We shared meals. We became neighbors.

There's your answer, kiddo. Hope you didn't miss it.

[JulzQ1]

I would say the real problem is in who you are camping with, not who is camping around you. Generally you can ignore people around you if they are being idiotic, but you cannot ignore your campmates if they are doing the same.

Always know everyone you're camping with, at least relatively well. If either your campmates or neighbors are being obnoxious, just let them know your concerns and that you're bothered by their attitude or behavior. More than likely they will try to correct their behavior if you state your concerns in a nice, non-threatening way.

Namaste
Julie

[_tears_]

If i set up a camp and it turns out that i am camping beside some real fuckhead "YAHOOS" is it easy to move to another spot..... Has this ever happened to anyone ?

I for one do not wish to be camping beside some college frat people who are not turned on and tuned in.

Back to your question :

Last year i camped with the Lamp Lighters, as well as this year, so I did not have any of these problems, but these are my suggestions.

I would just look at the big picture and take it from there. Depending on what they were doing. If they were playing LOUD music all night long, I would simply ask them to please lower it down for a couple hours, if that doesnt work, pending on what you think, get others around you to ask them, they may soon get the hint. I THINK you do have the option to move, but there may not be much space.

Just take the time to talk to them. If it gets worse and worse throughout the time then i suppose pulling in a ranger may do the trick, but i would use this as a last resort.

Good luck

[Badger]

Then,

Call the rangers and have them confront them. Don't get further involved!

Wrong answer.

For the most part Rangers don't confront they engage. Further involvement is encouraged. It's called conflict resolution. Engagement if you will. Rangers are NOT there to solve your problems for you. We're not security and we're not hostage negotiators and we're not babysitters.

If you have a beef that seems intrenched or intractable then by all means get hold of a Ranger and we'll help to mediatate the problem and get resolution around the issue. Expect to be actively engaged in the process unless the situation has devolved into a shouting match or threats have been lobbed.

[_tears_]

Expect to be actively engaged in the process unless the situation has devolved into a shouting match or threats have been lobbed.

Does that type of thing happen often? The threatrs and verbal fighting over a simple matter that just gets blown out of Proportion ?

[Markov Chaney]

You're defending this person? Friend, not everyone who was in a college fraternity is a stuck up obtuse jerk.

I know that, but flying off the handle doesn't make your case very well. The unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of asses in the Greek system. I know, some of them were my brothers.

[Badger]

Does that type of thing happen often? The threatrs and verbal fighting over a simple matter that just gets blown out of Proportion ?

Nah, it really doesn't happen all that often. But we try to prepare for it only because there's enough of a hsitory through the various events to suggest that we'll run into it more than a few times during the week. The biggest problems usually stems from domestic violence between married folks and people who get the idea that going to the playa with an 'ex' is a good idea. It usually isn't. They're the ones you want to get to as soon as possible because by the time Rangers are called in the neighbors are often ready to burn the offender's camp down. It always seems to start with prolonged nagging that eventually erupts into a drama fest complete with crying, yelling screaming, insults and (sometimes) physical assault.

Guys that won't fucking take 'NO' for an answer can also be asswipes (see 'yahoo') although catagorizing them as frat boys is actually a bit off the mark. My personal experience is that 80% of the time it ends up being some guy with dreadlocks and too much testosterone thinking he's every playa girls dream fuck.

[Badger]

Remember, that's just my experience and isn't to be construed as a big brush swipe at any particular 'group.'

[EB]

You're defending this person? Friend, not everyone who was in a college fraternity is a stuck up obtuse jerk.

I know that, but flying off the handle doesn't make your case very well.

You are not wrong. I should've tempered my language.

The unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of asses in the Greek system.

There are a lot of asses everywhere and piling on is SOOOO bloody boring. Are we REALLY having the Hippy vs. Frat guy discussion? On the Burning Man e-Playa board? Are we really? in 2004? Good god. I'll take "Frat Guy" just for sport... The poster could've at least colored the cliche a little (Revenge of the Nerds frat guys? Animal House frat guys?)

I know, some of them were my brothers.

You're telling me. Those are very formative years. Just one whiff of a petting zoo and it's, like, erection city.

EB

[Markov Chaney]

Are we REALLY having the Hippy vs. Frat guy discussion? On the Burning Man e-Playa board?

Nah, hippies are well hated here too. And I don't get that either. Some of the best people I have ever known are hippies. I've known some damn good people in fraternities as well.

Yes, there are asses everywhere. Some communities just seem to attract more of them. Besides, even if it is not representative of every fraternity member, the term 'frat boy' conjures up an image that is undeniably synynomous with 'yahoo'.

Putting that aside, I really give two shits what group a person belongs to, so long as they treat others with respect.

[precipitate]

Assholes are everywhere. Most of the ones you meet on the playa will not
be of the FRAT BOY ilk, because most of those don't camp on the playa.
Most of the assholes I've met have been of the RAVER clan, but maybe
that's just me.

Moving is not easy. You won't want to do it. You're much better served by
getting to know your neighbors and working out your differences. On your
own. With little external intervention. You're all adults, right?

If you can't resolve it, call in help. If they can't resolve it, the problem is
likely you. But if I had to bet, I'd say this scenario is pretty unlikely.

[Guest]

idiot

dickhead

yahoo

I went to college. I was in a fraternity.

LOL I think you'de better return for a refresher course.....did you study sentence structure....

Take it easy there big guy..... I suppose i could have worded it a little more descriptively...... but there is no need for your agression....

I know that you know the type i mean.... College guys,,,out of control.....never seen a naked girl.... taking photos of her (them) being beligerant.....talking shit... being losers......Just because you went to colledge doesn't mean that you are like that..... are you?

[diane o'thirst]

I was driving in the car the other day with one of my Burn-friends, and we were trading "yahoo stories."

He told me about his first year, camping in one of the Center Camp camps, and near the edge towards the back. It was just him because his campmates all bailed on him so he just said "Fuck it" and came anyway. So the next day this bunch of lookie-loo yahoos come and pitch their camp right next to his. Koorz light, beach chairs, pickup truck, the whole nine yards. And they spend most of the day catcalling at girls and generally being testicular.

Anyway, my friend was not too pleased with that, it goes without saying. So he engaged them and said, "Hey, why don't you guys get out and go see the rest of the city instead of hanging out here and getting drunk all the time?" Reasonable. And he said they were really getting on his nerves with the way they were acting. They told him to fuck off. So he went to get the main person in the camp, a girl, and had her go over to talk with them.

Well, they were all "Gee, sorry, we won't do it again" and making nice with the chick and acting like they were going to shape up. She goes away and my friend told me, "They started mumbling under their breath, 'That little faggot, he must be gay, why else is he camped all by himself?' yadda yadda." So he got his revenge thusly:

He used to live in L.A. and worked as an extra in some movies, so he had some language and voice coaching tapes with him. He got his boom box, stuck in one of the tapes, cranked it up to max and played it in a loop. All Night. Every Night. Full Volume

Kept the yahoos up all night with this nonsense. They said, "Do you have to play that?" and he replied, "This is my art!" By Sunday they were wiped out from sleep deprivation

[Sensei]

Holy fish-heads! I just got the worst whiff of sock just now... Damn!

[Sensei]

Sorry Di; that post came a few minutes too late...

[Guest]

Holy fish-heads! I just got the worst whiff of sock just now... Damn!

What do you mean by "sock"

Bman terminology 101 please....explain

[EB]

Holy fish-heads! I just got the worst whiff of sock just now... Damn!

What do you mean by "sock"

Bman terminology 101 please....explain

You're "Wildeone" aren't you? Why the secret identity, bro?

EB

[Guest]

No Secret EB..... Just changing ISP this week...Email Address going to be different for notification...

Or maybe i will let you think i have a split personality....... Or that I watched Freddie VS Jason last night...doesn't make a diference no pretending to be someone else.... i am not just the same..i'm still me until the other me comes out... hoo hooo haa haa..... then i am him....LOL.....But makes me happy to know that you are so astute... Very sharp Mr. EB
LOL

[Dr. Pyro]

Thanks Sensei for your comment yesterday. Yes I was a ZBT at UCSB in the '70s, as is the vintner who gives away his silver-medal (awarded at the California State Fair Wine Tasteoff) cabernet from BDC&WB; that is where we met. I almost ignored this thread because I find the whole idea tedious. We have yet to meet anybody who came by our camp leaving thinking we were yahoos, assholes, or worse. That's not to say everybody likes us because, quite frankly, I don't necessarily like everyone in my camp myself. But we have learned to get along, respect one another and their bounderies, be pleasent and curtious. There is a reason Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro was asked to host the Meet & Greet yet again this year, and of course we gladly accepted. But I must say, I thought EB's response was right on: [to paraphrase] If you can't cope with your neighbors, move! We have five square miles of city, I should think that somewhere in our metropolis you could find like-minded individuals. If not, then you need to do some serious introspection.

Doc

[dragonfly Jafe]

One thing that hasn't been answered yet; switching camps can be done, but is a pain in the @ss once you're setup. You are not supposed to be driving around once there, so you would be scouting on foot, etc. You would PROBABLY be able to explain your way out of a ticket/impound/expulsion for driving an unregistered vehicle if you were changing camps for a good reason (you have children and set up next to a sex camp). But maybe not.

It is probably less effort to engage your neighbor in a nice chat over a beer (builds a better community also). You may find that some of your best playa friends are discovered this way. Yes, there are people who will get on your nerves. You will get on other people's nerves also. Tolerance is an essential part of this community.

[Badger]

It is probably less effort to engage your neighbor in a nice chat over a beer (builds a better community also). You may find that some of your best playa friends are discovered this way. Yes, there are people who will get on your nerves.

A good number of my experiences have shown that when complaints about neighbor issues are brought up with the intent of engaging the 'offender' that resolution often takes place. Being forthright and honest about a situation can often be the crack in the door towards getting a problem resolved in a way that both sides win.

[TheJudge]

Are we REALLY having the Hippy vs. Frat guy discussion? On the Burning Man e-Playa board?

Looks like it, yup.

Are we really?

Yup.

in 2004?

I guess it's still pertinent today as it was in 97.

I'll take "Frat Guy" just for sport...

Me too. They run a little faster, so you have to lead them a little more, but other than that, they are good to go.

[Lysergic]

So people at BM don't like hippies? LoL. Well sad to hear that your experiences with dreadlock people aren't that great. It's a pity really, anyone can dress up and act like the 'stereotypical' of any group and ruin it all. Dready people, hippies are suppose to be pacifists, spiritual and easy going. Facades everywhere its unbelievable, all the way to the white house even!