Petition to bring Camels to the playa

[Oreally?]

Not sure if you are aware of this or not, but camels used to be at burningman. Many years ago, my friend's dad brought them out. Along with guns and weapons. Return to old?

[Here and there]

Not sure if you are aware of this or not, but camels used to be at burningman. Many years ago, my friend's dad brought them out. Along with guns and weapons. Return to old?

Times change, and so does policy, often in response to bad experiences. Coming across a lump of camel shit buried in the dust while doing clean up after Burning Man can't really be a lot of fun, so I'm guessing if the above principle doesn't apply to this case, yet, it eventually will.

I'm voting for no camels at Burning Man, except maybe the motorized kind. Build an art car in the shape of a camel, if you want to do the Lawrence of Arabia thing. You can even put your own sound system inside the camel, and travel with your own theme music in the background. Surely that will make up for something?

[The CO]

It was 1999. The camels were right around the corner from us. They were as charming as a dromedary can be, what with the spitting & all. The handler I spoke to was very upset by the time he left, "camel poop is biodegradable". He did not seem to understand that it's still poop, and needed to be cleaned up. And his next-door neighbors were very not happy about the smell.

[TheJudge]

This keeps popping up, now that "not my camel" has become common parlance for most burners, so I thought I would drag this thread back into existence.

Here's the story (as far as I can remember):

In 2000, a local Reno business came out with a couple of camels thinking they could charge people for camel rides. Most people just took pictures with them and the guys didn't make much money.

The problem was, that these camels shit all over the esplanade and the owners didn't feel it was necessary to pick up after them stating that camel shit is biodegradable and therefore not MOOP. (clearly these fine upstanding gentleman didn't quite understand the whole MOOP logic of burners.)

At some point, the camels left a particularly large pile of steaming crap directly in front of Gigsville (perhaps as a social statement?). This was back when Gigsville was camped on the Esplanade (or immediately behind it. Cant fully recall)

Eventually, some Rangers came by, saw the offending bio-hazard, and doing their best Dudley Do-Right/ Authority Whore impression, ordered the fuckos sitting around in Gigsville to clean it up, to which several exclaimed it was not their camel that caused the offense. I'm fairly certain the Rangers were also instructed on a few things they could do with said bio-hazard, as Gigsville traditionally does not particularly care for the Dudley Do-Right/ Authority Whore type personality that Black Rock Rangers mistakenly tend to exude from time to time.

And thus, "Not my camel" has become the Burner way of saying "It's not my problem."

Several things can be gleaned from this experience:

1. Commercial businesses are not welcome to try to sell their products inside the event.
2. Camel shit, no matter how biodegradable it may be - is still a big pile of shit and should be cleaned up, just as you would your pet dog.
3. Unless invited, Rangers need to stay away from Gigsville (this is also where Gigsville gets its now-famous "Fuck Off, Ranger" battle cry.)

[Joshua!]

I seem to remember some of the 'Villians mashing that poop up into "Camel Canapes" (camel poop and mayo wrapped in tortillas) and delivering them to their camp while singing the "camel song."

Names with held of course.

Howdy Judge!

Joshua

[theCryptofishist]

Didn't they use to give out "Fuck off Ranger" patches?

[TheJudge]

Never got a fuck off ranger patch, but I would sure love to have one to put on my Ranger costume. (Yeah, its a costume, not a uniform)

Holy shit! Hey Joshua!!

[theCryptofishist]

I remember people who were in ESDR (the one year it existed as such) finding it a badge of honor, rangers or not.

[TheJudge]

I have the Gigsville "Fuck off Ranger" trading card that's been laminated and I wear it next to my Ranger laminate when Im on shift at Flipside. Probably one of my most prized possessions.

[theCryptofishist]

Maybe that was it.

[gaminwench]

http://www.andrewwyattphoto.com/gallery_img.php?image=./galleries/Burning%20Man%20Archive/DSC_0907.jpg

[Bob]

Not my art grant.