DPW parade

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:38 pm

i really liked how this parade ran through sedna and other streets - stealing beer, booze and trashing other people's belongings... including insulting and assulting those for which they built the city.

hey, man: 24/7! they LIVE it!

best burningman ever, DPW. how can i apply next year?

b

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:42 am

Well I was in the DPW Parade, and I don't know anything about stealing beer and trashing camps. We were kept under very tight restrictions this year, and had a fed truck ride along with us.

The way to volunteer for DPW, as any department is to fill out a volunteer questionaire, on the BM main page there is a link. You'll want to include any construction type skills you have, and definitely bring your own tools.

Especially a really good knife.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:17 am

BTW, in DPW lingo, when we say "Fuck you" we really mean "We love you."

And if you can't get that, get over it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:51 pm

in DPW lingo, when we say "Fuck you" we really mean "We love you."

yes, that's cute in a mad max hippie sort of way that we all tolerate. but what does pushing people around, stealing and breaking things mean, really?

sparkletarte · Post by **sparkletarte** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:37 pm

Whenever I see DPW I have to consciously get myself to say 'public works'. I read it as 'public waste' for some reason.

I did not see the parade. I do, however, have some love for a DPWer named Anna, from Seattle(?). I think that's what she is- she was out there for a month beforehand pounding in the fence stakes and stuff like that.

Sunday afternoon she appeared at our camp and, like an angel, asked if we wanted to go swimming in a lake. Our eyes got big...do we, a bunch of misty mountain dwellers who live in a land of gorgeous lakes and rivers we dearly missed, want to go to a lake?! Yes!!!

We crammed 9 of us into a little station wagon and with the help of a sheriff found a lovely cold lake to swim in and lounge beside for a couple hours. Our neighbour George from Brooklyn came too- he had not been swimming for 5 years! We all loved it.

It was so nice of her. None of us had met her before- she just thought she'd pop into a random camp and take some strangers on her adventure. Thanks Anna! You made our day and wrapped the week up perfectly!

(just so you know, it was not Pyramid Lake)

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:03 pm

For the record, many of us w/ DPW got bored witless with the parade years ago. Thank fucking god it's about the last vestige of esprit de corps rah rah boy scouts on crack bullshit that sprung up after someone had the brilliant idea of calling people drunker & dirtier than they were "DPW".

Besides, if I wanted your nasty wanker beer there are more clever ways of obtaining it.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 7:40 pm

but what does pushing people around, stealing and breaking things mean, really?

Cites Bronco? Just curious. Them's some big accusations you heaped out there. A description or two maybe with some specifics usually carries a bit more weight rather than the typical online driveby grenade toss.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 8:50 am

i'm not going to cite specifics. the people who do such things are acting individually, of course, and i'm not out to get anyone. i'm really out to get the More-Burningman-Than-Thou attitude that i think facilitates a lot of negative behavior out there, including acts against others and their property.

as a friend said this year, 'it takes all kinds'. what i'm looking to say to DPW is: hey - i've been to a home depot in florida, and i understand the More-Home-Depot-Than-Thou attitude... also.

which is not to say home depot isn't a great place.

KellY · Post by **KellY** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 1:29 pm

bronco wrote:i'm not going to cite specifics.

Translation:

I'm talking out my ass and don't actually have any cites to give

I was in the parade and don't recall any of what Bronco is describing - of course the parade is rather long and no one can see what's happening during the whole length, not to mention there's a fair amount I don't recall from the end of the parade, period. I do know that we had a very young and eager DPW recruit who was running into camps and soliciting donations of beer for DPW, which worked quite well. All the violence and destruction I saw involved DPW turning against itself, as usual...

If you don't like the "bad vibes" of the parade, I suggest you hide in a rave camp next year. For the record, I don't think that DPW can do no wrong and have witnessed many folks completely going over the line at the event - and when it's brought to people's attention, it's dealt with. If you've got actual examples of assault and stealing, put up or shut up.

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:30 pm

I was camped right at 5 and Sedna when DPW rolled through. There was a guy on a loudspeaker screaming "Give us Beer, we know where you live, we will burn your tents down". The whole parade was blasted by this point so they actually had to back up to get the trash bag full of beer I donated. Just as an aside, my Meet and Greet leftovers. 24oz Hinies and Bullets. And as the parade continued they where begging for water. Gave them my last 2.5 gallons but I did not know that at the time. I thought I had one more than I did. But my Camelbak was full so I was OK. I did not see anything like looting or damage being done and they were kind of hard to ignore. Very loud but just riding on their vehicles.

Just some people who did a hard job blowing a little steam.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 8:22 am

That beer you donated was mighty tasty Calsur, and very much appreciated.
The parade is like Halloween, only we wear our costumes all the time.

I was at the end of the line, and only got 3 beers (one remains in my fridge as a momento). Fortunately when we all got back to the Depot, there was enough beer for everyone. What burned my tootsies is the number of first timers who did nothing but gawk. Christ! It's like they have not fucking clue how hard DPW works. We've been bustin ass for weeks, and now we just want yer fookin BEER!!! This was definitely the "kinder, gentler DPW" this year. We were even lectured to by the bossman before the Parade to say pleeeeeeeze. It was fun....

PLEEEEZE give me yer fookin beer!

DPW parade

DPW parade

~

My Take