"some space held back for the general public" mean

[squatchy]

In the theme camps designated areas, can anyone explain to me precisely what is meant by the following "policy"?

"Shaded areas reserved until 11:59 pm, Sunday August 30th for registered, placed theme camps, and also includes some space held back for the general public. After that, all unoccupied camping areas of BRC become available to all"

I would like to know exactly what areas are to be held back, as I have an early arrival pass to help build an art project and would like to camp close to a friends registered theme camp, or even next door, without encroaching on anyone's turf.

Anybody with the scoop care to share? Mucho appreciated...

[Dork]

It sounds like you can camp anywhere but the shaded areas on the map. If you really want in one of those spots, you can try to track down the placer and ask. How you find the placer I'm not really sure... maybe ask at the gate?

It sounds like they're trying to keep early arrivals from snapping up all of the prime real estate before things are settled. Often camps need to be moved/enlarged/added as people show up with more crap and people than they put on their theme camp applications.

[squatchy]

What this policy seems to imply is that within the shaded ares there is space set aside for the general public to find some space amongst the local theme camps. Is that space marked? Does it occur between two respective theme camps like a buffer zone? Does the placer have some idea in advance as to where it will be?

I'm trying to land next to a very near some friends' theme camp, which I am not part of, on Saturday before the hellishly stupid land stampede in the middle of the night that is our present BRC policy these last few years. One of these years someone is going to get hurt in that chaos, but that's another rant...maybe someone needs to start a pre-burn burn the week before on another nearby playa.

[BitterDan]

Where is this map?

[Artemis]

Where is this map?

Next to the gatorade bottle, dude.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/m ... index.html

I've never been there early, so not sure how to address original poster's query. I thought that the reserved spaces are marked off with cones or lines or something, but honestly don't know.

[BitterDan]

Oh ok, you confused me. I thought they had blocked off regular areas so that people could not reserve space which didnt make sense. The shaded areas are reserved for registered theme camps and those spaces become open-game once the gates open for real (though it is still common courtesy to ask/talk to the neighbors before plopping your camp down anyway.

[BitterDan]

BTW. the theme camp areas are marked by placement flags as well as signs that say "Theme Camps Only"

[Ugly Dougly]

The white zone is for loading and unloading only.

[golgotha-a-go-go]

Been going for 12 years now and never realized that the "shaded Theme Camp Zones" are free game for all after 12:01 a.m. If I read the above correctly, that's what I understand. What happens in the cases where entire half-blocks are held by one small camp or absentee camp? I always find this frustrating and end up camping in the hinterlands only to return a few days later to find the land still being held and sometimes remaining empty all event. What's protocol on this?

[sfmikelia]

We were told last year (08) that any space not occupied at 12:01am Monday morning, was basically open for anyone to inhabit. Well we arrived at 1:30 am, found a space right across from our friends theme camp, started unpacking and setting up our camp. We were almost done, when someone came up and said that the space we were in was their assigned theme camp space. They sat and watched us completely set up our camp before they said anything. When we told them that BRC rules state that any space not occupied by the given time was considered open for anyone that wanted it, they took off and brought back the placement people, who told us we had to move...

Lesson, DO NOT set up camp in a space that says it is reserved for a theme camp regardless of the day or time you arrive...even though BRC has rules set in place, they are not rules that are carved in stone and they will enforce said rules whenever they see fit, regardless of whether they are inconveniencing a fellow camper or not. I just think it was downright rude of the other campers to wait until we had completed setting up our camp to come and say something...

[Ugly Dougly]

It's only shaded on the map.

You have to bring your own shade, same as everyone else.

[Ugly Dougly]

If you're helping them to build something, then they better scoop out some campin' space for you. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Kinetik V]

We were told last year (08) that any space not occupied at 12:01am Monday morning, was basically open for anyone to inhabit. Well we arrived at 1:30 am, found a space right across from our friends theme camp, started unpacking and setting up our camp. We were almost done, when someone came up and said that the space we were in was their assigned theme camp space. They sat and watched us completely set up our camp before they said anything. When we told them that BRC rules state that any space not occupied by the given time was considered open for anyone that wanted it, they took off and brought back the placement people, who told us we had to move...

Glad to see the "Culture of Privilege" is alive and well.

[jkisha]

We were told last year (08) that any space not occupied at 12:01am Monday morning, was basically open for anyone to inhabit. Well we arrived at 1:30 am, found a space right across from our friends theme camp, started unpacking and setting up our camp. We were almost done, when someone came up and said that the space we were in was their assigned theme camp space. They sat and watched us completely set up our camp before they said anything. When we told them that BRC rules state that any space not occupied by the given time was considered open for anyone that wanted it, they took off and brought back the placement people, who told us we had to move...

Lesson, DO NOT set up camp in a space that says it is reserved for a theme camp regardless of the day or time you arrive...even though BRC has rules set in place, they are not rules that are carved in stone and they will enforce said rules whenever they see fit, regardless of whether they are inconveniencing a fellow camper or not. I just think it was downright rude of the other campers to wait until we had completed setting up our camp to come and say something...

You were misinformed. Any space that has not been "placed" by 12:01 is available for anyone to camp in. "Placed" means that someone from the camp needs to come in and claim the area and be placed by a "placer". Once that has been done, the space is reserved for the camp and may not be used by anyone else, even if no set-up has actually taken place in the space.

Camp Montage is a perfect example of this...they had their space reserved, sent one person to be placed, then he set up a sign with the camp name on it. No one could use that space after that. They all got there on wednesday to setup their camp.

JK

[sfmikelia]

There was NO ONE there from the other camp! There was NO PLACER, they came in AFTER we had already set up camp! We had one more Stake to put in the ground to hold down the chill space when they came in! We were NOT misinformed, we were told this by BMORG, so, the rules are made to be broken or adhered to depending on who is enforcing them.

[jkisha]

The PLACER is not a person from the camp that is there to hold the space. The PLACER is a person from BMORG. Someone from the camp must check in with the placer, the placer then takes that person on a tour of their space.

There is no requirement after that for the person from the camp to remain at the space or to put up any markers what-so-ever.

They could have gotten placed, then left to spend time with another camp until the other members of the camp were due to arrive.

JK