Burning Man Update: The Jack Rabbit Speaks
Volume 13, Issue #35: TRANSPORTATION EDITION
August 25, 2009
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====================TABLE OF CONTENTS=======================
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GETTIN' THERE:
+ BURNING MAN RIDESHARE BOARD
+ DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO BLACK ROCK CITY
+ I-80 AND BAY BRIDGE ROAD CLOSURES, DETOURS, DELAYS, ETC.
+ HANDSFREE LAW IN CALIFORNIA
+ DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT IS THE NEW RADICAL SELF-EXPRESSION
+ SOME HELPFUL ADVICE FROM THE NEVADA HIGHWAY PATROL
+ HOW TO BEHAVE IF YOU GET PULLED OVER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
+ DRIVING ROUTE 447? ENJOY "AMERICA'S SOLAR HIGHWAY", COURTESY OF
BLACK ROCK SOLAR
+ BLACK ROCK CITY AIRPORT
+ FLYING INTO RENO
+ RIDESHARE OPTIONS IN THE RENO AREA
+ SHUTTLE BUSES SERVICES FROM SF TO BRC AND BACK
GETTIN' AROUND:
+ OOOH OOOH OOOH! I WANT TO DRIVE ON THE PLAYA!
+ A HUMBLE REQUEST FROM DRIVERS OF LEGITIMATELY NON-MUTATED VEHICLES
+ HAPPINESS IS A SPARE CAR KEY
+ GO-PED STYLE VEHICLES AND BLACK ROCK CITY
+ WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND BLACK ROCK CITY?
+ THE BRC <--> GERLACH / EMPIRE SHUTTLE BUS
GETTIN' OUT:
+ EXODUS: DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR ASS ON YOUR WAY OUT
+ DO NOT PASS ... DO NOT GET KILLED
+ YOUR MOM DOESN'T LIVE HERE: WHERE TO TAKE YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLING
UNSUBSCRIBE?
+ Want to unsubscribe from the JRS? Srsly? OK, here's how:
http://tinyurl.com/2rwqzx{============================================================}
====================INTRODUCTION========================
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Well, boy howdy! We're writing you today from the center of Black
Rock City ... or at least what will BECOME Black Rock City once YOU
arrive and start making wonderful things happen, as you do.
The Man is built, waxed, and is now getting its neon attached AS WE
WRITE. In a couple days, The Man will stand tall atop a tangled bank,
which looks gorgeous by the way. The Temple is coming along
*beautifully*, the Rocketship has arrived, so has Fishbug, and amongst
the gathering hubub, the DPW is cranking away at the city
infrastructure, (knock wood) ahead of schedule.
In case you haven't seen it yet, John Curley continues his wonderful
chronicles of building BRC in the Burning Blog. Check it out:
http://blog.burningman.com/?cat=31OK, so the only thing missing here is YOU, and this edition is
dedicated to just that: getting you to BRC, around and about once
you're here, and out the back end. As it were. Ahem. OK, so read
on, this is important stuff, people!
The Gate opens in 5 days, and the Man burns in 11. Holy crap, 11
days, people!!
-Will
(Associate Rabbit)
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====================GETTIN' THERE========================
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BURNING MAN RIDESHARE BOARD
Save yourself some money, and save your planet some carbon emissions
by ridesharing. Here, you can use our rideshare board ... g'head, we
don't mind:
http://rideshare.burningman.comOh, and some quick reminders when car sharing:
1. Pitching in gas money is cool. Way cool.
2. Tickets are not being sold at the gate this year. Yes, really.
Make sure everybody in the car has their ticket, or none will be
allowed in the gate. Yes, really.
3. When you post to the board, be honest about who you are, what
you're bringing, how much (and whether) you can share driving
responsibilities, your temperment, expectations, and any special
needs. When it comes to ridesharing, surprises suck.
4. Make sure you're comfortable with the person with whom you're
driving.
5. Have fun ... make a friend.
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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO BLACK ROCK CITY
Here are driving directions to Black Rock City, coming from all points
of the compass:
http://tinyurl.com/643shwMen, quietly memorize them, then impress your passengers with your
unCANNy ability to divine your way to Black Rock City WITHOUT
CONSULTING A MAP. You'll be throwing all kinds of stereotypes for a
loop. It'll be fun.
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I-80 AND BAY BRIDGE ROAD CLOSURES, DETOURS, DELAYS, ETC.
If you're driving to or from Burning Man on I-80, you should check to
see if you're going to get waylaid, delayed, detoured or derailed.
I-80 is like a contractor's paradise right now, including repaving in
Vacaville, roadwork in Colfax, and a long Bay Bridge closure over
Labor Day weekend (Sept 3 @ 8am - Sept 8 @ 5am).
Yep, it's nutty, and you'll want to either figure out how to get
around it, or factor it into your timing. For full information, visit
any or all of these sites:
http://www.getacross80.com/http://caltrans.comhttp://www.dot.ca.gov/http://baybridgeinfo.org/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/***\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
HANDSFREE LAW IN CALIFORNIA
In case you happen to be passing through California, please note that
it's illegal to use a cellphone without a handsfree device. So there
ya go.
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DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT IS THE NEW RADICAL SELF-EXPRESSION
During Burning Man, there are plenty of law enforcement officers
patrolling the routes to the Black Rock Desert, just WAITING for you
to speed, so they can write you a nice fat citation. Seriously.
Don't speed. It's just not worth it. And just right to care for the
safety of the people, children and pets living in the small towns
along the way.
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SOME HELPFUL ADVICE FROM THE NEVADA HIGHWAY PATROL
Every year the NHP helps hundreds of burners who get stranded or
otherwise experience problems on the road to and from the event. At a
recent meeting they let us know some super helpful tips to avoid the
most common problems that Burners experience while on the road:
Balding...
...The NHP reports that bald tires are a significant factor in
accidents and break downs so be sure to check your tires before you
leave for the event and replace those old tires if you need to.
Too tired to drive...
...The NHP reports that of the accidents in September '07 that they
relate to Burning Man traffic, the number one reported cause of these
accidents was fatigue. Be sure to be well rested and sober (duh), with
a copilot to help to keep you company while you drive. Behind the
wheel is no place for a playa hangover.
Driving on empty...
...Fill your gas tank before heading out on State Route 447. Turns out
lots of people run out of gas to or from the event and there are few
gas stations between Gerlach and the rest of the civilized world. Fuel
up when you have the chance.
Going for broke...
...If your vehicle breaks down please carefully pull off the road to
allow traffic to continue past you safely. NHP may push your vehicle
off the road if needed but if you can safely coast or push your
vehicle onto a gravel shoulder, please do so.
Soft shoulders...
...The shoulders of State Route 447 and the other rural highways have
*very* soft shoulders and the chance of getting stuck is much higher
than you expect, especially in the soft sands around Pyramid lake.
Only pull over if you absolutely have to and if at all possible only
on fully developed gravel shoulders. It's also easy to roll a vehicle
if you hit these soft shoulders at high speeds
Watch your load...
...Be sure your any loads on your roof rack or trailers are tied down
properly. This especially applies at the end of the event on the way
home when you may be tired and less careful about how you load and tie
down. Taking a couple of extra minutes to tie down your load is a lot
easier than scurrying about on the highway trying to pick up your gear
while playing real life frogger with the oncoming traffic.
Hurry up and wait...
...the wait for tow trucks can be very long (think hours and hours).
Sitting on the side of the road is a major bummer so please be careful.
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HOW TO BEHAVE IF YOU GET PULLED OVER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Here's an informative video that explains how to behave if you're
pulled over by a law enforcement officer en route to the playa (or
anywhere else, for that matter). It's a great explanation of your
Constitutional rights, and how to protect them:
http://bit.ly/64ixK**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/***\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
DRIVING ROUTE 447? ENJOY "AMERICA'S SOLAR HIGHWAY", COURTESY OF BLACK
ROCK SOLAR
Over the last couple years, Black Rock Solar (http://
blackrocksolar.org) has been busy spreading free solar power arrays
throughout northern Nevada. In fact, they've been so busy, that Route
447 (from I-80 to Gerlach) ow has more free solar power (120kW) than
any other highway in the country. It has thus been dubbed "America's
Solar Highway". Cool huh? You can see these arrays from the road,
too, so keep an eye out. For more about it, and pictures (including
where to find them), see our post in the Burning Blog:
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BLACK ROCK CITY AIRPORT
Want to fly your own private plane into Burning Man? We got you
covered. In fact, we built an airport on the playa just. for. you.
In fact, this year the airport has an official FAA designation: 88-
NV. Cool, huh? We think so. Anyway, all the info about flying into,
camping at, and departing from the Black Rock City Regional Airport
can be found on our airport web pages:
http://tinyurl.com/5cfco2Oh, and the Rabbit wants a spin in your plane. Yes, really. And a
pony.
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FLYING INTO RENO
If you're going to be flying into the Reno-Tahoe International
Airport, you have a variety of options for getting to Black Rock City,
including shuttle buses, taxis and ridesharing.
For full information about ALL your options, visit our new Reno
Airport page on the Burning Man website:
http://bit.ly/2LojV**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/***\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
RIDESHARE OPTIONS IN THE RENO AREA
As there are thousands of Burning Man participants that land in Reno
every year without much more than the pack on their back, experience
has proven that it is possible indeed, and dare we say kind of easy
for those without a vehicle to land a rideshare from the Reno-Tahoe
International Airport, or from the three Rideshare Bases in the Reno
area (and there are multiple ways to get TO those bases from the
airport):
Whole Foods Market
6139 S Virginia Street
775-829-8666
Open 8am-9pm
Trader Joe's
5035 S McCarran Blvd
775-826-1621
Open 9am-9pm
Save Mart Supermarket
525 Keystone Avenue
775-786-2150
Open 24 hours
For all the details, see:
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SHUTTLE BUSES SERVICES FROM SF TO BRC AND BACK
:::Green Tortoise:::
Join other intrepid travelers on the Green Tortoise bus from SF to
Black rock City. Their buses run on biofuel. And that? Is cool. Info:
http://tinyurl.com/2ojwu8:::Biobus:::
Or hit up the Biobus, also running on biofuel. Note: some seats are
still available for Tuesday's shuttle -- ALL their other shuttles are
sold out. Check it:
http://bit.ly/JJi2i:::Bio Tour:::
Bio Tour is an eco-friendly rideshare on a vegetable oil-energized bus
running from SF to BRC. For full information, fares, schedule and to
book your seat, visit:
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====================GETTIN' AROUND========================
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OOOH OOOH OOOH! I WANT TO DRIVE ON THE PLAYA!
A public service announcement about driving on the playa from the
Intercept Crew of the Black Rock Rangers:
As you may know, the Special Recreation Permit that allows Burning Man
to take place contains a number of stipulations specifically related
to motor vehicle use. Addressing vehicle safety concerns within Black
Rock City is the responsibility of the Black Rock Rangers. The
Rangers' Intercept Program was created in 2004 to address concerns
that internal vehicle safety issues would otherwise be dealt with by
law enforcement agencies. This is the most important point in
understanding the rationale behind Intercept--If we don't address
these issues ourselves, someone else will.
As a Citizen of Black Rock City, what do I need to know about driving
on the playa?
If you are not authorized to drive on the playa, DON'T DRIVE during
Burning Man. The ONLY people who ARE authorized to drive on the playa
are registered mutant vehicles with visible licensure from the
Department of Mutant Vehicles, artists placing art on the Playa with
permits from the Artery, registered disabled persons displaying
licensure and a placard, and limited staff vehicles.
ALWAYS operate your APPROVED vehicle in a safe manner. Remember that
Black Rock City is primarily a BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN CITY. Take that in
to account when operating a mutant vehicle.
Our established community standard is for vehicles to operate at 5 MPH
or less. The unique characteristics of many mutated vehicles require
drivers to exercise particular care when faced with limited peripheral
vision and/or loading and unloading passengers. Please take this into
consideration.
All of the laws and restrictions that apply to driving in the default
world also apply on the playa. Additionally, playa conditions require
that all vehicles STOP during white-out conditions, that you not drive
on wet roads, and that you operate at speeds of even less than 5MPH if
your vehicle is creating a dust plume in its wake.
What do Intercept Rangers do while interacting with vehicles operating
on the playa?
First and foremost, we are Black Rock Rangers, volunteering our time
to assist the community. We are available as a resource for vehicle
safety, ensuring that citizens, drivers and mutant vehicles are
operating in a responsible manner when it comes to driving/riding on
the playa in our primarily pedestrian city. We are prone to stopping
people to just chat about their kick-ass vehicles ... please chat with
us if you can.
If you are placing art on the playa and your driving permit is a
temporary slip of paper that we can't see from afar, please be patient
with us if we stop you more than once, it's what we do.
We track interactions based on the VEHICLE, not just the driver. One
person on your crew driving unsafely can ruin things for everyone.
Remember, in Black Rock City, driving is a privilege. More
information about driving protocols can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/83nhn**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/***\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
A HUMBLE REQUEST FROM DRIVERS OF LEGITIMATELY NON-MUTATED VEHICLES
OK, we love that people are enthusiastic about the idea of a high-
quality mutated vehicle. But at the same time, it's good to remember
that there are other drivers on playa who are legitimately driving non-
mutated vehicles (cars, golf carts, and scooters); it's HIGHLY likely
that they are either Burning Man staffers or disabled persons.
It's not uncommon for these folks to get berated by passers-by with
snide taunts like "Hey, nice art car!" or "Mutate your vehicle, man!"
It's happened to this Rabbit on more than one occasion, in fact, while
doing Burning Man-related business. And it kinda sucks, to be honest.
So unless you know the circumstances of their license, please don't be
rude to these drivers. Much appreciated.
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HAPPINESS IS A SPARE CAR KEY
Every year, Burners manage to lock their keys in their car, or lose
their keys altogether. Not only is this a drag, it's an expensive
drag. Having a locksmith re-core your lock, open a door, or cut a key
can be expensive and time consuming.
So a wee bit o' preparation will save you plenty of strife, strain and
struggle, (whether that be scraping up your car with a coat hanger,
waiting for the locksmith, replacing a broken window or replacing an
ignition core). Simply make an extra key (if you're renting a car, ask
for one from the rental company, or go make your own copy), then store
it securely *outside* of your car ... just in case it happens to you.
Self reliance at its highest power. Problem solved! Potential lost
dollars and sanity saved. See, it really is the key to happiness (ha,
get it?)!
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GO-PED STYLE VEHICLES AND BLACK ROCK CITY
You may be thinking about bringing a go-ped type vehicle to get around
at Burning Man... you may want to think more on that. There are lot of
thoughts and strong feelings on this topic, so we thought we would
address the issue.
Black Rock City is built primarily for pedestrians and bicycles. It is
densely crowed and motorized vehicles can cause safety hazards and
difficulties for those traversing our terrain. By necessity, we limit
the number of motorized vehicles moving around. This is for reasons of
safety as well as to encourage interaction and immediacy within our
civic-minded community.
We have, thus far, allowed small, stand-up (with no seat attached, nor
designed for a seat), two-wheeled, low-powered, single passenger, go-
ped type "scooters" under the driving rules of Black Rock City, even
though they are motorized and unlicensed by DMV. If your "scooter"
doesn't meet every one of these criteria, please leave it at home!
GoPeds are generally frowned upon by the organization as well as the
masses. They are one of the least creative or aesthetically pleasing
methods of transportation available at Burning Man. They have
historically been allowed mostly because their small size and mass
generally doesn't pose a physical hazard much beyond that of a
bicycle. However, they do create a number of other issues.
The first is speed. Because these are actually motorized vehicles,
they need to obey the 5MPH speed limit and all other driving rules
that apply to motorized vehicles. Be mindful of your speed and make
sure you're not creating a hazard to others or being a nuisance to the
population as a whole. In many cases, playa conditions are such that
it is hard to remain upright on go-peds at low speeds--that doesn't
mean you can go faster than 5MPH--it means you need to walk beside
your mechanical steed. You should also be aware that no vehicle can
operate at our event after dark without a headlight and taillight.
The second big issue is noise. Many of these little petroleum powered
laziness machines are basically two-stroke, non-muffled, "weed-eaters
with wheels". They are loud and annoying to many that they buzz by.
For this reason, the electric, battery-powered versions are usually
preferred to the gas, but if you do have a gas version, please be sure
to get one with a muffler or add a muffler to the one you have.
Also, please do your best to decorate your ride or mutate it to the
point that you are actually adding to the quality of visual experience
out there instead of detracting from it.
In a tightly packed community of tens of thousands of people, we all
need to be individually responsible in how we behave, as it does
impact the whole, especially when hundreds or thousands are engaging
in behavior that can negatively affect the whole community.
Please note:
The Gate crew will be helping to identify any vehicle differing from
the description above, or that appears to be more dangerous than the
kind listed above. If you have such a vehicle, you must either be
take it off site or leave it at the gate outside Black Rock City until
after the event. Vehicles left outside the gate are left at their
owner's risk, so you may just want to leave it at home. Once inside
the city, the Rangers keep a close eye on the movement of vehicles,
and will work to protect all of us by removing any that violate either
the written, implied, or common sense rules of operation.
Please take these thoughts into consideration when planning your trip
to Black Rock City. We hope your freedom to use motorized personal
transport will be balanced with consideration for your fellow citizens
and your sense of civic responsibility. We're confident that you can
be more creative than just "buying a scooter" anyway.
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WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND BLACK ROCK CITY?
4 out of 5 Burners say their favorite method(s) for getting around the
playa are, in order of preference:
1. Bike
2. Walk
3. Hop a mutant vehicle (just don't care where you go)
4. Fat-wheel skateboarding
5. Rollerblading (good luck)
6. Being dragged around on a chain by my Dom
1,978,307. Go-Peds
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THE BRC <--> GERLACH / EMPIRE SHUTTLE BUS
Burning Man runs a shuttle bus that takes passengers from Black Rock
City to Gerlach and Empire and back. It costs $10 for the trip, and
it departs from Wheel Road and 6:00 (on the outer edge of the Center
Camp circle). Full details, schedule, etc. can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/yrhyvtOh, and you have to be sober and fully clothed to ride the bus.
C'mon ... just this once, it's not that hard.
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====================GETTIN' OUT========================
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EXODUS: DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR ASS ON YOUR WAY OUT
As important as figuring how you are getting to Burning Man is how you
are planning to leave, and when. Exodus gets more interesting every
year as the population of Black Rock City grows. It's important that
you know what to expect and plan accordingly. To state it simply, the
highway that leads away from BRC is at capacity for most of the time
that Exodus is running.
Short of building a bigger highway between BRC and Reno, there is not
much we can do to get more cars off the playa any faster. What we can
do though is make the process as run as smoothly and efficiently as
Possible, but for that we need your cooperation and participation.
Plan on a 3 - 4 hour wait, on average, in line from BRC to the paved
highway, Highway 34. Plan for another 3 hours or more from the start
of the highway to Reno. Either of these times could increase to as
high as 6 hours or more if there are accidents or other traffic
issues, including too many people trying to leave BRC all at once.
If you are making flight reservations or need to get somewhere at a
certain time, take this into account. You should not plan on leaving
the city and catching a flight the same day! Give yourself some safety
margin. Also be aware that if you leave in the evening, you may be
driving until early in the morning. Be prepared. Be safe.
So you are asking, "What can we do? When is it best to leave?" Any
night from 2am to dawn, Monday night after dark, or yes, Saturday
before the Man burns traditionally have less congestion and are the
best times to leave. However this does not mean that there will not be
any line, you should plan on the same wait times mentioned above.
As far as what you can do, start listening to BMIR radio when you are
getting ready to leave, and hang around your packed vehicles in camp.
When you hear a positive status report, jump in line. If you hear
things are backed up, stay in camp and enjoy a little more of our fair
city ... does your camp need another MOOP sweep? Once in line follow
the signals from the Exodus personnel on gate road and Flaggers on the
highway. When lining up use all the lanes we have laid out for you.
There are eight lanes that lead from the city and the process runs
much better if all the lanes are used; don't just fill up two of the
lanes if they are all marked as open.
Be sure to read your Survival Guide or check the Burning Man web site
for more detailed information on Exodus:
http://tinyurl.com/55vwr2Above all, keep that playa vibe with you! No sense getting road rage,
cutting in front of your fellow community members, or trying to
dangerously pass cars on the highway in order to save a few minutes.
Take your time, have fun, and remember, Leave no Trace and the
community spirit do not stop once you leave Black Rock City.
Want to do more? We need your help! This year Exodus will need more
people than ever. We run shifts from Saturday night all the way
through Monday, as well as set up earlier in the week and tear down
after our operations end. To volunteer for Exodus fill out the
questionnaire at:
http://www2.burningman.com/people/Happy Leaving.
Your Exodus Team
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DO NOT PASS ... DO NOT GET KILLED
We were going say this ourselves, but Leslie, who wrote in asking us
to remind participants about this important issue, is pretty spot on,
and she has particular cred in this department, as she notes: "I was
struck head-on by a person passing and my car was left three feet
shorter. I suffered unbelieveable pain, spent time in a wheelchair and
in physical rehabilitation as the result of his one bad choice to
pass. Much of what was good in my life has been taken from me as a
result."
So ... please take a moment to read and consider her invaluable
advice ... since we prefer our Burners alive, thank you. She writes:
"Please, while driving to and from the event do not pass at all
between the freeway and the event. Passing simply isn't safe and can
lead to fatal head-on collisions. Full-size 18 wheelers regularly use
these roads and go the opposite directions from the main traffic at
high speeds; they are not watching out for you at all.
You simply cannot count on other drivers in a long line of cars bumper
to bumper leaving Burning Man to hang back and let you back into the
line when an oncoming vehicle is coming at you head-on at 55-85 mph.
The delay for just not passing and patiently following the car in
front of you may be only a few additional minutes. The cost of passing
may be your life.
Besides, when everyone is in a line to leave Burning Man it is just
selfish and pointless to pass an entire line of cars as if they didn't
want to go faster. We all have to put up with slowly leaving the playa.
One year while leaving Burning Man I saw a catastrophic accident as
the result of someone passing. I've also seen numerous near misses
that would have resulted in severe head-on collisions, some with full
size 18 wheelers going over 40 mph, that would have killed everyone in
the car.
Many people who go to Burning Man just do not understand or appreciate
the risk."
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YOUR MOM DOESN'T LIVE HERE: WHERE TO TAKE YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLING
First off, please make sure and fully secure your load so that you
don't have any random bits and bobs falling off as you drive on the
highways. Second, and this really should go without saying, never
ever ever dump your trash on the side of the road. Leave No Trace
does NOT end at the edge of Black Rock City ... no sir, it doesn't.
Where can you get rid of your trash and recycling that you've
carefully packed and secured to your vehicle? Answers here, along
with some helpful hints from the Nevada Highway Patrol about getting
to and from the playa safely:
http://tinyurl.com/55vwr2**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/***\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
RENTING A CAR? CLEAN IT THOROUGHLY ... INCLUDING THE ENGINE
Shelley writes in with a good piece of advice for those renting cars:
"Last year I rented a car from Budget, on my way out I visited the
Gerlach Car Wash (very nice people) and wiped the inside very clean.
A month or so later I discovered a charge on my credit card bill for a
$300 cleaning fee. After hours of back and forth with the car rental
company they finally explained that the ENGINE was dirty. THE
ENGINE!!! So, I thought it may be a valuable piece of information for
car rental burners to clean the engine before returning the car."
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==================CONNECT WITH BURNING MAN====================
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The Official Burning Man Facebook Page:
http://tr.im/bman_fbOfficial Burning Man Twitter Account - All Things Burning Man:
http://www.twitter.com/burningmanBlack Rock City Twitter Account - All Things BRC:
http://www.twitter.com/blackrockcity**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**\<>/**
