Help me respond to this

[Trishntek]

As we have discussed this between ourselves the last few days, and read all the responses, it would seem those who accept this notion of providing the essentials for a nominal fee acceptable have these comments in common:

1) maybe they will be able to participate in other ways because they do not have the distractions of survival.

2) maybe they do not have the time to prepare, but have the funds to pay someone else to do it for them.

3) maybe they come from a foreign land and are sacrificing a lot just to get there.

It comes down to this: Maybe BM should be in the LA Colliseum with several hotels nearby so we can all concentrate on participation without getting our hands dirty. We could all participate better if we aren't "distracted" by that nuisance environment and the need to feed ourselves, hydrate ourselves and shade/protect ourselves.

Yeah I'm being sarcastic. There are instances where an RV is necessary for someone to attend. But getting it there and back again is half the adventure! 'nuff said

[gyre]

So how do you feel about the people that had someone come from reno every day to detail their rv?

Most events are participatory.
Just because burning man makes a big deal of it, doesn't make it that unusual in that respect.

What if I attend the Festival of Lights using an amex tour to save money?
Is it worse than not going at all?
I could use a hundred examples.

[Trishntek]

As long as the people detailing the RV is a GIFT, I have no problem with it.

[theCryptofishist]

Yeah, I kinda wonder what it means to be Turkish and to come to America and Burningman.

Of course, these are not the same Turks that we only hear about when an earthquake levels their village...

[Davoid]

I remember you.

Where did you run across this?

What are you guys going to do if you run across one of the high end packages?

Is this self reliance on the part of the organizers?

A friend of mine here in Los Angeles posted it on Facebook, with the obligatory groan. Not sure where she discovered it. Was kinda surprised that it hadn't made its way here already.

I guess I ultimately agree with what Savannah said. No matter how someone gets to Burning Man, it's what they do once they get there that matters more, or perhaps what they ultimately take from it at the end. If I ran into someone on the playa who admitted that they were a part of this deal, well, that fact would be secondary to how they were presenting themselves to me at the time. If they seemed cool and open, I'd certainly be curious as to their take on the situation. "So, uh, how were those boiled eggs and PB&J sandwiches?" might be a question I'd ask, with a smile. Or- "Is this one of the provided costumes? Any personal alterations?" Or if they scored the master bedroom, and, if not, were the organizers of this affair in there themselves? And, of course, I'd invite them to our Thursday night Playasurfer party!

Of course, if they're tools, then that's a different story.

[Kiro]

I agree with everything jkisha has said.

If you believe in Burning Man's principles and goals, why does it matter how people get there? How is this any worse than riding and staying in someone else's RV? It seems a rather blatant and unpleasant lack of radical inclusion to pre-judge people that use a service like this, especially without an ounce of knowledge of their situations.

Lots of people rent vehicles and rely on experienced Burners to help them get what they need, but if someone doesn't have those Burner connections and doesn't want to place trust in a random stranger from this forum, paying a premium to ensure they are safe and not a burden on the rest of the city IS SELF RELIANCE.

There are also lots of people who have been preparing 'properly' by your definitions, but are going to turn up with too little water and no lights at night. When they get hit by an art car, be sure to congratulate them on enjoying such an authentic experience.

[Bob]

Somebody should start a Burning Yentas topic area for threads like this. Sheesh.

[Davoid]

Still the same Bob!