| Topic | Author | Replies | Last Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| street legal requirements for an MV? |
 Daniel
|
6 | September 11, 2009 |
| MV parade help needed Wed. on Playa |
Stormfeather
|
0 | August 18, 2009 |
| Electronics and Playa dust |
Steamboat Ed
|
1 | July 29, 2009 |
| The Clock Is Ticking! |
Kirsten
|
3 | June 19, 2009 |
| Does Art Car Camp have a tribe? |
Cook bacon n...
|
3 | June 17, 2009 |
Enforcement of Driving Protocols
Black Rock Ranger Intercept
The Ranger Intercept team was established in 2004 for patrolling the inner playa with vehicles and bicycles to address issues with unapproved / unlicensed vehicles, golf carts, ATVs, scooters, motorcycles, go carts, and automobiles driving through the city and on the open playa, reckless driving and speeding by both licensed and unlicensed vehicles and vehicle-related injuries
Intercept has two specific tasks. Primarily, Intercept addresses vehicle safety concerns within Black Rock City. Their other key mission is to convey how seriously burning Man takes vehicle safety to the various Law Enforcement Agencies who would otherwise take matters into their own hands. The most important point in understanding about Intercept is that if the Rangers don’t handle it someone else will. The Intercept program is framed in a manner to present itself as a safety plan to Law Enforcement Agencies in a format they can understand. Rangers must have a lot of leeway and discretion to address issues, without being constrained by protocol. Intercept works closely with Khaki, Dirt Rangers, other Ranger departments, and DMV to help keep our community safe.
Intercept removes or escorts vehicles from the playa and the city, either to long-term parking near the Gate or back to their camps. They have at their disposal a fully operational tow truck for moving vehicles to long-term parking. The Intercept team uses rotating amber lights on the vehicles to keep track of each other and to establish a visible presence as a deterrent to speeders or reckless drivers when a visible presence is required. In addition to staff vehicles, the Intercept squad has bike-mobile Rangers. Bikes are used for tracking a vehicle discreetly without increasing a driver's tendency to speed due to the perception that they are being pursued and are an essential tools for tracking vehicles within the city streets. Intercept maintains a deep-playa Outpost Zero and is linked to the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV). Rangers can share logged instances of repeat vehicle offenders with DMV, or request information on numbered mutant vehicle license stickers. If participants are unaware of DMV rules and regulations, Rangers educate them and/or send them back to the DMV or back to camp if the DMV is closed. If vehicles / participants repeatedly violate DMV rules, the vehicle may be sent to Long-Term Parking outside the Gate.
Patrol Black Rock Rangers
It is important to note that the Black Rock Rangers are not law enforcement personnel. However, because Black Rock City stands at the intersection of several legal jurisdictions (represented on the playa by the Pershing County Sheriffs Department, the Washoe County Sheriffs Department, Bureau of Land Management Law enforcement, Nevada State Highway Patrol, and other Nevada state agencies), Black Rock Rangers are at times required to interface with law enforcement personnel when event permit obligations require. In addition to event rules such as the no vending policy, prescribed speed limits, and ban on firearms, Black Rock City is also subject to the same laws that govern public conduct in any Nevada city. Black Rock Rangers work cooperatively with law enforcement groups in dealing with criminal conduct such as theft, assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Every year Black Rock Rangers call on law enforcement to help with a very small number of evictions or to deal with violent behavior.
Rangers share logged instances of repeat vehicle offenders with DMV, or request information on numbered mutant vehicle license stickers. If participants are unaware of DMV rules and regulations, Rangers educate them and/or send them back to the DMV or back to camp if the DMV is closed. If vehicles / participants repeatedly violate DMV rules, the vehicle may be sent to Long-Term Parking outside the Gate.
All Rangers are empowered to prevent vehicles from endangering pedestrians, bicyclists and campsites and can establish radio contact with the Intercept Team if necessary. Rangers watch for vehicles operating unsafely in Black Rock City and attempt to Ranger the situation. They are encouraged to use their best judgment in determining whether a vehicle is posing a safety hazard. The guidelines for vehicles given to Rangers are:
Vehicles should travel at a safe (around 5 mph or less) speed; dust trails are a good indication of excessive speed
Vehicles should not operate during whiteouts
Vehicles should not operate on the esplanade or pedestrian walkways (except for law enforcement)
Vehicles should not be operated while under the influence
Vehicles must be licensed
Rangers do not chase vehicles. They are instructed to radio other Rangers with the location and trajectory of the vehicle to see if anyone else is ahead of it, or just yell ahead to participants to get them to stop the vehicle. Intercept is available to assist Rangers if needed for vehicles on the inner playa.
The protocol for advising a vehicle operating unsafely is:
Educate - simply advise operators on the guidelines for safe operation and explain that community safety is important
Escort - for repeat offenders or bad excuses, offer to escort a vehicle - to the DMV for a sticker, or back to camp for the night
Eject - repeat offenses or bad violations of guidelines can earn a vehicle a trip to “Long-Term Parking” outside the city gates, where it can safely stay for the rest of the event
VEHICLE Stickers
The Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) and the Artery
issue stickers to place on vehicles registered and permitted to operate
on the playa. There are several types of stickers that allow operation in
4 different conditions (the various stickers are on display at Ranger HQ and the DMV for reference):
Day - permitted to operate during daylight hours
Night - permitted to operate during night hours
Open playa only - no operation on the streets of the city
Flame effects - permitted to operate pyro effects!
Artist are permitted to drive to and from art installations with paper licenses that define a limited window for operation.
License Stickers are permits for vehicles, not drivers.
Ranger training establishes the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) as responsible for licensing Mutant Vehicles for driving at Black Rock City, and for communicating with and educating the Mutant Vehicle/Art Car communities, year-round, on issues that affect them.
Ranger Behavior
While the Art of Rangering includes approaches unique to each individual, there are basic rules of conduct that characterize Rangers.
Un-Rangerly behavior includes:
Losing self-control
Abusing special privileges
Misusing the community trust
Sexual Harassment
An act of violence
Sexual misconduct
Failing to report an emergency
Knowingly neglecting Ranger responsibilities
When on duty, you must be sober
Ranger Skills
Ranger Skills are the techniques employed when engaging in conflict mediation and resolution.
F.L.A.M.E. is an easy way to remember how to approach and mediate an encountered problem.
F stands for ‘find out’. First, always assess any situation. Stand back, and observe, and be aware of safety issues, your own, and the participants. Then, find out what is really going on in a given situation. There will always be at least three sides, both of the individuals involved and of course an impartial third perspective. Add this to your perspective, which encompasses the general opinion of all the participants and the ideology of the Burning Man Project.
L is for ‘listen’. Listen to all parties, ensure that all have had a chance to be heard, and give their input. Be aware that at times you may have to use your judgment as to who is really involved. Concentrate on the parties who need your direct assistance, and make time for everyone who has legitimate input.
A is for ‘analyze’. Once you have gathered all the information that you can, analyze it with your partner. Active deliberation on your part is required, and is backed by the Ranger organization. You have come forward and have been trained, and are an integral part of our team. We have faith in ourselves and in you. This is at the core of Rangering.
M or ‘mediation’ then becomes the act of allowing the participants
involved to come to the best way to resolve their situation, and for you to make suggestions as a neutral third party. Determine which participants involved may have room to budge, and those whose interests are such that they cannot give in. This is often not based on right and wrong. Work with the parties involved until an outcome is reached that would seem to function well.
E is the ‘explanation’, and completes your ‘FLAME-ing’ of the situation. This actually is not the end. Within the Burning Man event, while things change constantly, the explanations you give will be repeated and re-requested not only by the parties involved, but by other participants later on.
The Rangers find themselves as walking town criers of old reborn on the Burning Man landscape. While maintaining the confidentiality of the individuals involved in any given situation, you will be asked by neighbors to explain the outcome, later that day probably again, that evening, the next morning.
Conflict Resolution
Everyone has a “Good Reason” for what he or she does
When body language and words come into conflict, your words will lose every time Use “we” and “us” to generate a connection with people
Never order someone to “CALM DOWN!”; calm them down by your performance
The less ego you show, the more control you will have over the situation
Be aware of your “trigger words,” and your “trigger issues”
Never lose self-control (walk away before you do); defer to your partner.
Public relations are KEY
Use active listening skills
Ask them to think about it (and give them time to do so)
Treat everyone with equal respect
Don’t get suckered into debates; ACT! Let them have the last word, as long as you have the last act
Communication
Communication is a complex process. Different perceptions may cause difficulties in the transmission of ideas and information. Here are the seven sins of interpersonal communication and ways to avoid them:
It’s Greek To Me!: Your communication can be effective only when received in a language the receivers can understand. You need to speak not in your own language or style of thinking but in the language and style of thinking of the receivers. Understand their educational level and their demographics and communicate to them accordingly.
Overload: Even when communicating in the language of the receivers, you can still lose them if you overload them with too much information or too complex ideas. Use the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple)
Biases and Assumptions: Examine your possible biases and personal assumptions about the issues you’re communicating. Disclose your own interests and agendas. The receivers will quickly tune out if they suspect that you have a hidden agenda. By being authentic, you will gain credibility, which is essential for effective communication.
One-Way: Communication is not just speaking. It’s both speaking and listening. One way communication is no communication at all. Make sure to listen and understand the others’ needs and points of view.
Ambiguity: If your message is not clear, or if it can be interpreted in more than one way, it will leave the receivers wondering about what you mean. Make sure that your message delivers a clear, unambiguous meaning.
Wrong Timing: In certain communications, timing is everything. For example, a message of praise and recognition should not come too late after the fact, or it will lose its effectiveness. The “Better Late Than Never”
advice may be true, but a timely message is the best.
Negative Attitude: Most people don’t like negative communication and bad news. Passive, weak, or negative communication will turn people off. Even the most negative, critical, or difficult communication will be better received when presented in a positive, affirmative style. Instead of saying, “This is a terrible idea,” why not say, “Tell me how you can make this idea work.”
Playa Safety Council
The Playa Safety Council (PSC) is chaired by the Director of Community Services. The PSC consists of ESD Dept. Head, Gate Managers, LEAL Manager, all members of the Ranger Council, Exodus Manager, and DMV Manager.
The Ranger Intercept team was established in 2004 for patrolling the inner playa with vehicles and bicycles to address issues with unapproved / unlicensed vehicles, golf carts, ATVs, scooters, motorcycles, go carts, and automobiles driving through the city and on the open playa, reckless driving and speeding by both licensed and unlicensed vehicles and vehicle-related injuries
Intercept has two specific tasks. Primarily, Intercept addresses vehicle safety concerns within Black Rock City. Their other key mission is to convey how seriously burning Man takes vehicle safety to the various Law Enforcement Agencies who would otherwise take matters into their own hands. The most important point in understanding about Intercept is that if the Rangers don’t handle it someone else will. The Intercept program is framed in a manner to present itself as a safety plan to Law Enforcement Agencies in a format they can understand. Rangers must have a lot of leeway and discretion to address issues, without being constrained by protocol. Intercept works closely with Khaki, Dirt Rangers, other Ranger departments, and DMV to help keep our community safe.
Intercept removes or escorts vehicles from the playa and the city, either to long-term parking near the Gate or back to their camps. They have at their disposal a fully operational tow truck for moving vehicles to long-term parking. The Intercept team uses rotating amber lights on the vehicles to keep track of each other and to establish a visible presence as a deterrent to speeders or reckless drivers when a visible presence is required. In addition to staff vehicles, the Intercept squad has bike-mobile Rangers. Bikes are used for tracking a vehicle discreetly without increasing a driver's tendency to speed due to the perception that they are being pursued and are an essential tools for tracking vehicles within the city streets. Intercept maintains a deep-playa Outpost Zero and is linked to the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV). Rangers can share logged instances of repeat vehicle offenders with DMV, or request information on numbered mutant vehicle license stickers. If participants are unaware of DMV rules and regulations, Rangers educate them and/or send them back to the DMV or back to camp if the DMV is closed. If vehicles / participants repeatedly violate DMV rules, the vehicle may be sent to Long-Term Parking outside the Gate.
Patrol Black Rock Rangers
It is important to note that the Black Rock Rangers are not law enforcement personnel. However, because Black Rock City stands at the intersection of several legal jurisdictions (represented on the playa by the Pershing County Sheriffs Department, the Washoe County Sheriffs Department, Bureau of Land Management Law enforcement, Nevada State Highway Patrol, and other Nevada state agencies), Black Rock Rangers are at times required to interface with law enforcement personnel when event permit obligations require. In addition to event rules such as the no vending policy, prescribed speed limits, and ban on firearms, Black Rock City is also subject to the same laws that govern public conduct in any Nevada city. Black Rock Rangers work cooperatively with law enforcement groups in dealing with criminal conduct such as theft, assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Every year Black Rock Rangers call on law enforcement to help with a very small number of evictions or to deal with violent behavior.
Rangers share logged instances of repeat vehicle offenders with DMV, or request information on numbered mutant vehicle license stickers. If participants are unaware of DMV rules and regulations, Rangers educate them and/or send them back to the DMV or back to camp if the DMV is closed. If vehicles / participants repeatedly violate DMV rules, the vehicle may be sent to Long-Term Parking outside the Gate.
All Rangers are empowered to prevent vehicles from endangering pedestrians, bicyclists and campsites and can establish radio contact with the Intercept Team if necessary. Rangers watch for vehicles operating unsafely in Black Rock City and attempt to Ranger the situation. They are encouraged to use their best judgment in determining whether a vehicle is posing a safety hazard. The guidelines for vehicles given to Rangers are:
Vehicles should travel at a safe (around 5 mph or less) speed; dust trails are a good indication of excessive speed
Vehicles should not operate during whiteouts
Vehicles should not operate on the esplanade or pedestrian walkways (except for law enforcement)
Vehicles should not be operated while under the influence
Vehicles must be licensed
Rangers do not chase vehicles. They are instructed to radio other Rangers with the location and trajectory of the vehicle to see if anyone else is ahead of it, or just yell ahead to participants to get them to stop the vehicle. Intercept is available to assist Rangers if needed for vehicles on the inner playa.
The protocol for advising a vehicle operating unsafely is:
Educate - simply advise operators on the guidelines for safe operation and explain that community safety is important
Escort - for repeat offenders or bad excuses, offer to escort a vehicle - to the DMV for a sticker, or back to camp for the night
Eject - repeat offenses or bad violations of guidelines can earn a vehicle a trip to “Long-Term Parking” outside the city gates, where it can safely stay for the rest of the event
VEHICLE Stickers
The Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) and the Artery
issue stickers to place on vehicles registered and permitted to operate
on the playa. There are several types of stickers that allow operation in
4 different conditions (the various stickers are on display at Ranger HQ and the DMV for reference):
Day - permitted to operate during daylight hours
Night - permitted to operate during night hours
Open playa only - no operation on the streets of the city
Flame effects - permitted to operate pyro effects!
Artist are permitted to drive to and from art installations with paper licenses that define a limited window for operation.
License Stickers are permits for vehicles, not drivers.
Ranger training establishes the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) as responsible for licensing Mutant Vehicles for driving at Black Rock City, and for communicating with and educating the Mutant Vehicle/Art Car communities, year-round, on issues that affect them.
Ranger Behavior
While the Art of Rangering includes approaches unique to each individual, there are basic rules of conduct that characterize Rangers.
Un-Rangerly behavior includes:
Losing self-control
Abusing special privileges
Misusing the community trust
Sexual Harassment
An act of violence
Sexual misconduct
Failing to report an emergency
Knowingly neglecting Ranger responsibilities
When on duty, you must be sober
Ranger Skills
Ranger Skills are the techniques employed when engaging in conflict mediation and resolution.
F.L.A.M.E. is an easy way to remember how to approach and mediate an encountered problem.
F stands for ‘find out’. First, always assess any situation. Stand back, and observe, and be aware of safety issues, your own, and the participants. Then, find out what is really going on in a given situation. There will always be at least three sides, both of the individuals involved and of course an impartial third perspective. Add this to your perspective, which encompasses the general opinion of all the participants and the ideology of the Burning Man Project.
L is for ‘listen’. Listen to all parties, ensure that all have had a chance to be heard, and give their input. Be aware that at times you may have to use your judgment as to who is really involved. Concentrate on the parties who need your direct assistance, and make time for everyone who has legitimate input.
A is for ‘analyze’. Once you have gathered all the information that you can, analyze it with your partner. Active deliberation on your part is required, and is backed by the Ranger organization. You have come forward and have been trained, and are an integral part of our team. We have faith in ourselves and in you. This is at the core of Rangering.
M or ‘mediation’ then becomes the act of allowing the participants
involved to come to the best way to resolve their situation, and for you to make suggestions as a neutral third party. Determine which participants involved may have room to budge, and those whose interests are such that they cannot give in. This is often not based on right and wrong. Work with the parties involved until an outcome is reached that would seem to function well.
E is the ‘explanation’, and completes your ‘FLAME-ing’ of the situation. This actually is not the end. Within the Burning Man event, while things change constantly, the explanations you give will be repeated and re-requested not only by the parties involved, but by other participants later on.
The Rangers find themselves as walking town criers of old reborn on the Burning Man landscape. While maintaining the confidentiality of the individuals involved in any given situation, you will be asked by neighbors to explain the outcome, later that day probably again, that evening, the next morning.
Conflict Resolution
Everyone has a “Good Reason” for what he or she does
When body language and words come into conflict, your words will lose every time Use “we” and “us” to generate a connection with people
Never order someone to “CALM DOWN!”; calm them down by your performance
The less ego you show, the more control you will have over the situation
Be aware of your “trigger words,” and your “trigger issues”
Never lose self-control (walk away before you do); defer to your partner.
Public relations are KEY
Use active listening skills
Ask them to think about it (and give them time to do so)
Treat everyone with equal respect
Don’t get suckered into debates; ACT! Let them have the last word, as long as you have the last act
Communication
Communication is a complex process. Different perceptions may cause difficulties in the transmission of ideas and information. Here are the seven sins of interpersonal communication and ways to avoid them:
It’s Greek To Me!: Your communication can be effective only when received in a language the receivers can understand. You need to speak not in your own language or style of thinking but in the language and style of thinking of the receivers. Understand their educational level and their demographics and communicate to them accordingly.
Overload: Even when communicating in the language of the receivers, you can still lose them if you overload them with too much information or too complex ideas. Use the KISS principle (Keep It Short and Simple)
Biases and Assumptions: Examine your possible biases and personal assumptions about the issues you’re communicating. Disclose your own interests and agendas. The receivers will quickly tune out if they suspect that you have a hidden agenda. By being authentic, you will gain credibility, which is essential for effective communication.
One-Way: Communication is not just speaking. It’s both speaking and listening. One way communication is no communication at all. Make sure to listen and understand the others’ needs and points of view.
Ambiguity: If your message is not clear, or if it can be interpreted in more than one way, it will leave the receivers wondering about what you mean. Make sure that your message delivers a clear, unambiguous meaning.
Wrong Timing: In certain communications, timing is everything. For example, a message of praise and recognition should not come too late after the fact, or it will lose its effectiveness. The “Better Late Than Never”
advice may be true, but a timely message is the best.
Negative Attitude: Most people don’t like negative communication and bad news. Passive, weak, or negative communication will turn people off. Even the most negative, critical, or difficult communication will be better received when presented in a positive, affirmative style. Instead of saying, “This is a terrible idea,” why not say, “Tell me how you can make this idea work.”
Playa Safety Council
The Playa Safety Council (PSC) is chaired by the Director of Community Services. The PSC consists of ESD Dept. Head, Gate Managers, LEAL Manager, all members of the Ranger Council, Exodus Manager, and DMV Manager.
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