Again this year: people in Gerlach without tickets

[Canoe]

Reports from Gerlach of people wandering around the town begging tickets after they showed up at Gate without tickets and were chased off the playa.

[ACSenator]

Damascus, Syria - Desperate refugees continue their attempts to flee the war ravaged streets of ancient Syria but they have been countered each step of the way by sniper attacks and, more horrifically, chemical weapon attacks.

The chemical weapon attacks have drawn worldwide consternation. United States Secretary of State John Kerry heaped scorn on Syrian leaders but stopped short of calling for direct military intervention.

"I have received troubling reports that there are people wandering the streets of Gerlach, Nevada," Kerry said, referencing a post on the ePlaya boards. "Our concern is that they do not have tickets and worse, may not have enough Heinz White Vinegar products on hand. As you know, the eradication of la playa foot is a top priority of this administration so this is a real situation."

Nobel peace prize winner and current United States president Barack Obama echoed Mr. Kerry's concerns.

"These reports...from Gerlach...are...ahh...troubling," Mr. Obama said. "There was no way to anticipate that a bunch of...ahh...creative types would have made last minute, impulsive decisions. And be ill prepared or have poorly laid out plans. This is a real pickle."

In another statement, Mr. Kerry sought to build upon the president's remarks.

"Heinz brand white vinegar is not only perfect for alleviating playa foot symptoms, it is also the extra fancy choice for millions of discerning people who choose to pickle their own foods at the end of growing season. I think that people without tickets in Gerlach should leave and purchase Heinz white vinegar immediately. And, and Assad should leave Syria."

Mr. Kerry went on to say that Heinz brand yellow mustard could not be weoponized.

[Canoe]

Damascus, Syria - Desperate refugees continue their attempts to flee the war ravaged streets of ancient Syria but they have been countered each step of the way by sniper attacks and, more horrifically, chemical weapon attacks.

The chemical weapon attacks have drawn worldwide consternation. United States Secretary of State John Kerry heaped scorn on Syrian leaders but stopped short of calling for direct military intervention.

"I have received troubling reports that there are people wandering the streets of Gerlach, Nevada," Kerry said, referencing a post on the ePlaya boards. "Our concern is that they do not have tickets and worse, may not have enough Heinz White Vinegar products on hand. As you know, the eradication of la playa foot is a top priority of this administration so this is a real situation."

Nobel peace prize winner and current United States president Barack Obama echoed Mr. Kerry's concerns.

"These reports...from Gerlach...are...ahh...troubling," Mr. Obama said. "There was no way to anticipate that a bunch of...ahh...creative types would have made last minute, impulsive decisions. And be ill prepared or have poorly laid out plans. This is a real pickle."

In another statement, Mr. Kerry sought to build upon the president's remarks.

"Heinz brand white vinegar is not only perfect for alleviating playa foot symptoms, it is also the extra fancy choice for millions of discerning people who choose to pickle their own foods at the end of growing season. I think that people without tickets in Gerlach should leave and purchase Heinz white vinegar immediately. And, and Assad should leave Syria."

Mr. Kerry went on to say that Heinz brand yellow mustard could not be weoponized.

When attending Burning Man, it can be a very wondrous and joyful environment. It is still highly recommended that you stay on your meds. Going off your meds without medical approval (which often involves tapering so you don't crash), is one of the well known causes of medical crisis on the playa, and one of the major reasons for medical sending someone from the playa back to hospital in Reno. If they decide it needs to be fast so it's the helicopter, I suppose that could be really cool, until you get the $25,000 bill.

[ACSenator]

And in sports, the A's beat the Tigers 6 to 3. Now, here's Canoe with the weather report.

[Canoe]

Sorry, forgot you're a virgin.

With 68,000 tickets plus support people traveling through, along with any benefits, Burning Man puts a stress on the surrounding communities. There's a lot of dangerous traffic, from the load of traffic on the highway, overloaded traffic on the highway, too tired drivers, and then there's the congested traffic in the towns. Something to manage for all the communities along the way, and Particularly Empire and worse in Gerlach with all the stopping. There's a lot been done to try to mitigate that, including having traffic flaggers on the peak days and in pulsing cars off of the playa during Exodus.

Add in a large number of foot traffic from virgins who didn't do their homework - or think the rules don't apply to them - and went up to Gerlach without a ticket, and that complicates the congestion further. Which is why there's a policy in place to manage those wandering around looking for tickets:

you can be arrested for loitering ... in Gerlach, Empire, Nixon or Wadsworth)

So you had better not be 'without a vehicle' in those towns, and not with one 'camping out' waiting for a ticket, as "camping" isn't allowed there either. Both expose you to fines and/or arrest.

We ask all Burners to be good neighbors to our neighbors in Gerlach, Empire Nixon, Wadsworth and anywhere Burners go, as we all end up representing the event, including good conduct and Leave No Trace.

[ACSenator]

See? Was that so hard?

[Canoe]

Would reading the material a new burner is supposed to read have been so hard?
There's way more to know than that little bit.
And a lot of good people have put a lot of time into writing it up much better than I can.

[shroom]

I don't understand anyone going to any event without a ticket. I go to a lot of concerts each year and I would never just show up and hope to buy one from a scalper. But maybe I'm weird.

[BBadger]

This is what happens when there are no fair-weather "Occupy" movements to distract squatters and loiterers.

On a more serious note, maybe this "I'll just show up and trust my luck" trend this year was caused by that ticket glut prior to the event last year. It may have convinced people that they could get last-minute tickets, but had to line up their other ducks in a row when the "miracle" happened.

I wonder what next year's "ticket theme" will be?

[Mojojita]

It had been years since I came in close to opening - this year on Monday I had to bring my hubby back in fresh from emergency surgery in Reno. I was horrified by the sheer numbers of people with signs for tickets. They were not just in Empire and Gerlach, but up and down the lines waiting at Gate. We stopped counting at 50. I was also aware of more people stowing away this year. Saw the BLM catch one in an RV they stopped for something else - the guy made it through gate but not through the police dogs.

[gyre]

The blm can do much worse things than rejecting a car, when they catch a smuggler.

They have impounded vehicles and arrested before.
Could be a really expensive vacation.

[Canoe]

One guy had neve. A new thread for each step of his journey without a ticket.
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... 34&t=66769

[DrYes]

I asked our gate guy what the cleverest way he's seen people try to smuggle others in was.

Apparently one year (last year maybe? I don't remember) one camp had one of those old big-screen TVs that are large and deep, and had someone hiding inside the tv, with the back re-screwed on, etc. And the fucking guy inside giggled when gate was searching the truck, thus giving himself away. What an idiot. Such a great plan right up until then.

[Savannah]

I asked our gate guy what the cleverest way he's seen people try to smuggle others in was.

Apparently one year (last year maybe? I don't remember) one camp had one of those old big-screen TVs that are large and deep, and had someone hiding inside the tv, with the back re-screwed on, etc. And the fucking guy inside giggled when gate was searching the truck, thus giving himself away. What an idiot. Such a great plan right up until then.

Hahahahaha! That's hysterical.

One of my friends had one of those in college though, and I would TOTALLY expect for there to be a human in it. Those televisions look like monstrous, crouched beasts that eat pizza crusts (pets, etc) off of the coffee table when you're not looking.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Saw a young guy in Gerlach hyperactively dancing around, waving a sign that "hugs for a free ticket" or some such. He was wearing nothing but a grass skirt that was MOOPing everywhere. I made eye contact and then looked down at all the MOOP, frowning, but I don't think he got it. In that sense or the big sense.

[ygmir]

Saw a young guy in Gerlach hyperactively dancing around, waving a sign that "hugs for a free ticket" or some such. He was wearing nothing but a grass skirt that was MOOPing everywhere. I made eye contact and then looked down at all the MOOP, frowning, but I don't think he got it. In that sense or the big sense.

maybe he thought you were looking down and frowning because it was a cold day............

[Martiansky]

I could not believe how many "Ticket needed" signs were all along the road from Fernley!
Starting at Love's and then vehicles pulled over along the road and in each town as you went by AND even in the line to get in!
People were walking up and down yelling for tickets!
When we drove through Empire and I saw all the booths set up selling things and even a semi set up and selling facemasks I was amazed at how things had changed since I was there in '05.
There were so many people standing along the road it actually made traffic come to a stand still and backed up traffic along 447 until cars could get by.

I wonder how many of the sign holders actually ended up finding a ticket?

[Admiralllll]

Not only were there tons of Phish show fingers in the air in the car line to the gate, my first contact after turning off the pavement was a couple ASKING FOR MONEY to buy a ticket! I explained to them that people were looking for tickets back on the 80 and they might find some tough going. "We have ways" he informed me. I think he had bare feet too. Saw the couple was with two other folk in a car who were busily making begging signs with sharpies on green cardboard. Guess they thought bringing green cardboard was better than bringing green paper money. Last saw them milling around will-call. Wonder if they found their 'miracle'

Led to my joke of the week: Q: "Whats the difference between a burner and a hippie?" A- "A ticket."

[C.f.M.]

I told my ride-mate that I'd like to sit out there one year, next to one of those clueless hippies, with a big sign that reads: "HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, THANKS! DRIVE SAFE!"

[theCryptofishist]

*snort!*

[gyre]

What's a Phish show finger?

[Savannah]

I told my ride-mate that I'd like to sit out there one year, next to one of those clueless hippies, with a big sign that reads: "HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, THANKS! DRIVE SAFE!"

[BBadger]

I told my ride-mate that I'd like to sit out there one year, next to one of those clueless hippies, with a big sign that reads: "HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, THANKS! DRIVE SAFE!"

What about "PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE HIPPIES TICKETS -- or they will get used to hand-outs."

[Lonesomebri]

At will-call was a knot looking for tickets, includin a couple that claimed to have come to Burning Man to be married. Both needed a ticket though. Very romantic, but I told 'em, a couple tickets, for that I'd need to be let in on some of the honeymoon action. Another guy claimed to have left his ticket in Alturus or something. Some woman offered him a ticket held at will-call but everytime they approached the front of the line, she would drift off somewhere, with him stepping aside to let the rest of us proceed. Perhaps some form of serf-dom could be enacted, work out a deal with the county, trade in the drug-dogs for work camps. And as for getting naked at gate, there were a couple cats at will-call looking for tickets, and naked.

[FIGJAM]

Self-serf!!!

[tatonka]

See a couple at Alturis at a gas station , looked like they were going. See him only at the entry line , walking the line looking for tickets , the later on tues seen them both on the playa with bikes .

[theCryptofishist]

I told my ride-mate that I'd like to sit out there one year, next to one of those clueless hippies, with a big sign that reads: "HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, THANKS! DRIVE SAFE!"

What about "PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE HIPPIES TICKETS -- or they will get used to hand-outs."

A fed hippie is a dead hippie...