The Police Can Have BRC

[bobbiesal]

This was my second year at Burning Man & I hope to return every year. My adult children invite us & it is a family reunion filled with joy and discovery. My only complaint is the number and variety of law enforcement. Why in the world would Black Helicopters and Military Aircraft need to be flying around the playa? Why would officers need to dress up as participants and throw people on the ground to arrest them as they are enjoying themselves at an event. We counted the number of patrol cars passing our camp one morning, and there were 15 (!) that passed by between 10AM and 2PM. WTF??? We did not see nearly as much of this unnecessary display of force last year. It seems to me that increasing the number of LEOs only makes people edgier. Is this really what Burning Man is all about? Honestly, I don't see this many police in fucking NYC!

[wayneal]

This was my 4th consecutive year on the Playa. It has evolved into a Police State complete with overt Burner-Narcs, unmarked/unlit Pershing County, Washaw County and Nevada State Rangers with constant surveillance. BRC is not the carefree city I fell in love with. Unbridled generosity was replaced with an overabundance of paranoia and disbelief in the sincerity of participants overshadowed any exchange for me.

I am a participant and I performed more music this year than ever before. However, my experience was "muted" and "diffused" by the obvious puppet show. Who needs the Policeman's Ball fundraiser event when Burning Man can raise more money via citations than anything else? At least 3 government agencies are getting a slice of the pie. The Infrared, Night vision, entrapment, NARCS, and under-cover agents photographing my camp-mates was enough to take the fun out of the experience for me. Burners are dead meat on the Playa with the Police sharks circling on all fronts. Law enforcement expects the worst out of the participants and The Burning Man Foundation seems to have no influence in that matter. Perhaps politically, we are looking at the end of days for the BRC. A quarter of a century should be enough to see results of this experiment.

I was informed that The Burning Man Foundation has acquired private land in Austin Texas. So, my question to you fellow-Burners is, "Are we ready to evolve to another location?" It is clear to me that Nevada does not welcome the Burning Man event, despite the long running negotiations and permits.

Any comments or thoughts are welcome.

[ygmir]

yeah, I bet it'd be a lot more "free" and "open" in Texas...........

are you mad because you're drug use is interfered with, or, is it you don't like them watching you, no matter what you're doing?

Is it disconcerting to have a LEO checking to see if the driver of the art car that just hit someone (a camp mate of mine this year) is drunk?

just wonderin'........

[AntiM]

Texas, even on private land, is not going to be any freer.

I didn't truly notice the cops, they're about the same as they ever were for me.

[jkisha]

Interesting. We did our normal share of party favors (discretely in our tent before going out, or in a porta-poty if on the playa) and never even noticed an over-abundance of police or any law enforcement.

We always said hello to any cops we saw and got a lot of interesting information from those we chatted with. And all of them we experienced really seemed to enjoy working the event.

We also saw a lot of people doing drugs out in the open too. All we could do is shrug our shoulders. There is no doubt that the only people that report having trouble with the law at BM are those doing something really obviously stupid.

JK

[ygmir]

I for one was glad all the black helicopters left my house and followed me out there, I always feel safer when they're above.....even if I can't hear or see them.........

[**burn**]

I noticed one overt BLM Ranger.
We were waiting (forever) at the Rocket Friday Night and he actually walked over to the mutant vehicle I was riding on and peeked into the cab.
I said Hello, what are you looking for? He said Nothing, but I didn't let him off that easy.
I followed him and walked with him a bit. I said we are just having fun.
No violence, no pot in the air, why is he going of his way to find illegal activity?
He said that his bosses told him that there are illegal activities going on out here and that if he came back with zero citations
that they would accuse him of not doing his job and just having a good time.

This is a cash cow for them.

Moo!

Risky

[jkisha]

I've already addressed this in a previous post. Personally I had no problem with them being there at all.

JK

[ygmir]

you forget to mention you hang with known, notorious "Ner-do-wells"........

[wayneal]

It's typical to assume the worst.

My experience was that the overall dynamic of the event has shifted. I'm glad that many did not have any negative interactions with law enforcement agencies.

The laws in Nevada inevitably place BM as an alcohol fueled event complete with drunk mutant-vehicle drivers all over the Playa...as I was witness too.

When you see the strings of the "puppet-show" the magic is gone.

Cash cow -yawp!

[Ugly Dougly]

What color helicopters would you like to see?

[Ugly Dougly]

I didn't do any drugz this year, but I have a feeling that I could have gotten away with it.

Plenty of X going around, obviously.

[unjonharley]

Yes yes, here we are with the new crop of...I didn't see 'em but they were there.. I didn't get a ticket but i "know" ticketS are a cash cow for the cops..

in 2008 i believe there were 20=30 people got busted..

now give up with some "real" #s or shut the f up..

There was a cop in center camp that had to flash his badge to get some druggie chick off his leg.. she was handing off hits to people around her.

[ygmir]

What color helicopters would you like to see?

they have rocket ships, too.......

[wayneal]

Please don't be ignorant or naive unjonharley. I did receive a citation and am personally affected by the presence of law enforcement at BM. I was by myself walking from the Temple to the Esplanade Wednesday late night and stopped have a hand rolled tobacco cigarette when I was surrounded by 4 Nevada Ranger SUV's and 8 officers within 30 sec. They searched my backpack and found a one-hitter. They tried to recruit me. Be assured there were at least 150 citations and many arrests. The stats will be available soon enough.

The only reason why I started this thread to begin with is that I am saddened and disappointed with the omnipresence and conduct of law enforcement. It was clear they had quotas to meet and it was like shooting fish in a bucket for them, very opportunistic. I was witness to Burners Against Burners- arrested Burners working for the Police trying to entrap others.

"There was a cop in center camp that had to flash his badge to get some druggie chick off his leg.. she was handing off hits to people around her.", -now that should deserve a citation.

I am a volunteer and participant at Burning Man. It is the closest thing to a real vacation I have. I go to be inspired, to have my mind blown, to connect with people and to play music. It's hard to be inspired and creative when the piercing eyes in the dark and the obvious Nevada Ranger parked in front of camp are always profiling on the prowl.

Like I've stated, The Police Can Have BRC.

[unjonharley]

way, there is something wrong with the picture your paints...

8 years of burning man..I run around in the dark just like the rest of the fooling..i dress the same as most burners.. even point and laugh at ATF in black with longgun cases on there golf carts.
They just looked at me like.. Please go away, our boss made us do this..

I need to take meds from a puffer..I do this right in the open. It has a six inch manafold..If that don't look like druggie??

Cop stoped me in 02, wanted to know if i had any nitro.. there a was guy with some heart problems.. the cop was assisting a med team..

I jumped all over two BlM when i saw them sneathing around taking pic's of a nude skater..

Cop was out of his truck and all over me last year.. I was ajusting some on the trike.. My arms and legs started spazing all over.. Cop covered a half block and was there to assist me before you could blink.. That spaz out shit comes from some realy bad drugs a life time ago..

I've been around for a lot of years.. That old wifes tale about ticket quota has been around forever.. Prove it, on the playa..

Been around junkies for most of my life.. I can spot you walking on the open playa even if your just holding.. There is a detectable manner you will carry youself in..
But your to smart to know this..

Your just smart enough to get busted..

[Simon of the Playa]

you forget to mention you hang with known, notorious "Ner-do-wells"........

what chu talkin' 'bout, willis?


ugly dougly wrote...

"Plenty of X going around, obviously."


yeah, we did it with the cops....they like to get freaky once a year too...

[wayneal]

unjon, sorry you're not liking my painting. I'm not pleased with the picture, and I assure you, that is exactly what happened.

Interesting to see that you have had such positive experiences with police at BM.

Apparently, I am just that smart, or at least smart enough to talk my way out of more trouble. My post however, is reflecting upon my experience, and I am willing to share it.

FYI, I have never been convicted or arrested and I am not a junkie. I am a college instructor with long hair, and that seems to be enough for the profiling searches.

I was told by law enforcement that they were looking for the hard drugs for a major bust to print in newspapers. They would like nothing more than to squash this event forever.

This is only the writing on the wall.

[theCryptofishist]

The laws in Nevada inevitably place BM as...

As it's on BLM land, Federal Law applies, and I believe in places (between the legal codes) where there is difference, supersedes state codes

[unjonharley]

way, no matter what your personal stat is.. your an admitted drug user.. that is against the law.. you broke the law.. the law nabed you..

now your trying to justify by making a bunch of wild claims about the cops..

every year the eplaya gets few druggies just like you.. same story.. now your in the court system..all your rightest blah is just blah..

so you have long hair.. up to2006 i too had a pony tail and all the trapings.. retired 24 years in art repair.. cut my hair and settled down a little.. also over the last 46 years i have work with drug users from every station in life..

[ygmir]

you forget to mention you hang with known, notorious "Ner-do-wells"........

what chu talkin' 'bout, willis?

you know Ed zachary what i'm talkin' about, pilgrim\





[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O8oLqY2sxo[/youtube]

[ibdave]

[quote="wayneal"] Be assured there were at least 150 citations and many arrests. The stats will be available soon enough.[quote]

So Neal,
If your wrong will you just go away?

And just for the record, give us a Number for the "Many"

Or just go away now.

I mean come on, You know the Leos are at the event, and yet YOU chose to be in possession of something illegal in the state of Nevada.
Then come in here complaining?(more like crying)

You just like the people coming on the site crying about the "Family" bike that got stolen even though everything printed about bring shit to the burn states to not bring anything you can't afford to not lose.. Right?

Really??? Ok, I've been around a teenager tonight...

[swampdog]

Age bias? OP says he's a thirty-something professor. I know many of the posters on the thread are old bastards like me. Maybe they just don't pay that much attention to folks over 50.

[brcprincess]

Interesting. We did our normal share of party favors (discretely in our tent before going out, or in a porta-poty if on the playa) and never even noticed an over-abundance of police or any law enforcement.

We always said hello to any cops we saw and got a lot of interesting information from those we chatted with. And all of them we experienced really seemed to enjoy working the event.

We also saw a lot of people doing drugs out in the open too. All we could do is shrug our shoulders. There is no doubt that the only people that report having trouble with the law at BM are those doing something really obviously stupid.

JK

All of the above!

[oneeyeddick]

Way....you are an idiot.

First off, you should not have given them permission to let them search your shit when they caught you rolling a cig.
You have the right to say no, but you consented...didn't you ?

Also, when that cop said what you just said he said, you should have written down his badge number.

Shit rolls downhill all the time.

[makoona]

You keep mentioning music, are you a live musician? Personally, I don't think any live musician should be issued any citation whatsoever. There are so few of you, you're a rare and valued resource. I wonder if the profiling code could be modified to select out live musicians.

I saw more leo vehicles this year, but my first year, 04 I saw more camp busts, so who knows.

I saw a BLM ranger remove his gear/gun belt and have a kick ass ride down the slide. They're people too. He was kind enough to tell me which slider was the fastest. Also, he was about 6-3, 250, he sent every block flying. There's a little burner in everyone.

Answer to getting busted: pot brownies

[pinemom]

hahaha...this thread is funny...as funny har har as the person bitching...not.
Would you do it walking down your neighborhood?
no you wouldnt.
Why the f' do you think you can get away with it @ BM? Still in the good old
U.S. of A.
Still havent figured out a way to ship our silly asses off to the moon.
so play by the guidelines....be invisible.

My invisible cloak works just fine...how bout yours?

[jkisha]

They would like nothing more than to squash this event forever.

Somehow I find this very hard to believe. The government and other local business are making too much money from the event to want to close it down. BMORG pays fees for the use of the land, the police, the prota-potties, etc. HUGE FEES.

JK

[Ugly Dougly]

you know Ed zachary what i'm talkin' about, pilgrim\

Those guys had an interesting relationship.
Yoo-hoo, Pilgrim!

[Zim]

Not here man.