If you haven't already seen this coming, enforcing your rules can be a huge problem at burns. The main reason why is the only concrete punishment you have at your disposal is eviction and/or banning. It is a pretty harsh punishment, and not called for in many situations.
The best way is for the community to police itself. You don't want your community members to be too nice when it comes to people who don't get it or don't want to. It seems many burners would rather pick up moop someone else carelessly threw on the ground then educate that person. I think this is a bigger problem with the smaller burns because people know each other better and there is more a sense of community. At Burning Man there seems to be plenty of absolute strangers willing to scream and cuss at you for any imagined offense, which isn't really very cool either.
I don't have any idea how to begin dealing with this problem. Rules do need to be followed and enforced in some way. People can get hurt when some rules are broken. And the rules that don't generally put people's physical safety unnecessarily at risk, like LNT, create more work for your volunteers. Unless you have really high volunteer rates, this leads to frustration, ill will and burn out pretty quick. There are always going to be some selfish assholes. The repeat offenders can be identified and dealt with. But getting the people who just believe a certain rule doesn't really matter, apply to them, or is just to much of a hassle to follow this one time is the main problem. Educating the community and community peer pressure is probably the best solution, but it takes some work and motivation. But if you get started early, then it will be much easier down the road when it all the veteran attendees are backing you up.
Rule 'escalation' example: PDF has a parking lot for most vehicles on the property, but just outside the gate. People are allowed to take their vehicles in to unload their stuff but are supposed to be quick and come right back out with their car and not spend time setting up their camp. Because people were ignoring this it became, "You have 30 minutes to unload, here is your pass, keep it displayed, return it to us when you get back out." However, too many people ignored that and the property owners don't want too many cars in the camping area at once. If there are, then we can't let other cars in. So we'd spend hours walking around trying to find people by yelling the make and model of their car and the license plate. This was often unsuccesful and was onerous as hell for the volunteers, so now the driver leaves their ID at the gate so we know their name if they have their car inside to long and they are more likely to come back out quickly to get their ID back. It is a huge pain in the ass, but it is the best way we found and it has worked fairly well so far. It would be nice though if we could just go back to "don't take to long, enjoy PDF!"
The best way is for the community to police itself. You don't want your community members to be too nice when it comes to people who don't get it or don't want to. It seems many burners would rather pick up moop someone else carelessly threw on the ground then educate that person. I think this is a bigger problem with the smaller burns because people know each other better and there is more a sense of community. At Burning Man there seems to be plenty of absolute strangers willing to scream and cuss at you for any imagined offense, which isn't really very cool either.
I don't have any idea how to begin dealing with this problem. Rules do need to be followed and enforced in some way. People can get hurt when some rules are broken. And the rules that don't generally put people's physical safety unnecessarily at risk, like LNT, create more work for your volunteers. Unless you have really high volunteer rates, this leads to frustration, ill will and burn out pretty quick. There are always going to be some selfish assholes. The repeat offenders can be identified and dealt with. But getting the people who just believe a certain rule doesn't really matter, apply to them, or is just to much of a hassle to follow this one time is the main problem. Educating the community and community peer pressure is probably the best solution, but it takes some work and motivation. But if you get started early, then it will be much easier down the road when it all the veteran attendees are backing you up.
Rule 'escalation' example: PDF has a parking lot for most vehicles on the property, but just outside the gate. People are allowed to take their vehicles in to unload their stuff but are supposed to be quick and come right back out with their car and not spend time setting up their camp. Because people were ignoring this it became, "You have 30 minutes to unload, here is your pass, keep it displayed, return it to us when you get back out." However, too many people ignored that and the property owners don't want too many cars in the camping area at once. If there are, then we can't let other cars in. So we'd spend hours walking around trying to find people by yelling the make and model of their car and the license plate. This was often unsuccesful and was onerous as hell for the volunteers, so now the driver leaves their ID at the gate so we know their name if they have their car inside to long and they are more likely to come back out quickly to get their ID back. It is a huge pain in the ass, but it is the best way we found and it has worked fairly well so far. It would be nice though if we could just go back to "don't take to long, enjoy PDF!"
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Maryland
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 9:38 AMI think that it is wonderful that you bring this up now. Most especially since dogs are probably going to be allowed and people need to understand what is expected of them.
I think it would be wonderful if we included a sheet of expectations with the ticket and directions. Something that is simple, easy to read and not to wordy. Something with an explination as to what it means to be a responsible person enjoying this event, including things like picking up not only after yourself, but others as well.
As for cars and camping, I think the site will dictate that, and if we are going to have to deal with cars coming and going it sounds like taking ID is the way to go. -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 12:26 PMLOL It would be wonderful if people would ever read the stuff you give them to read about the event!!
I want SO much to say more but poor little me, I'll have to get to it tomorrow since I have these PRESSING PARTY RESPONSIBILITIES...
Oh, my life is difficult with all this dang FUN I have to have LOL...
Thanks again BInk, you sure do know your festival shit! :)
XXXOOO,
Me -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Fri, April 4, 2008 - 1:54 PMHeh, the dog thing has become a full blow fiasco..
The car thing was meant as a clear explanation of rule escalation due to the more lax rules being ignored to often. Parking is one of our defining problems. I used it because I was parking coordinator for a while, so I knew it well. We also had a problem with sound levels. We used to have to turn loud music down at 1:00am, but people kept cranking the bass too late, one neighbor complained too much and now the sound gets turned down at midnight with the threat of worse. We had not control over that rule change though.
I'm personally in favor in as few rules as necessary, but the event has to run smoothly enough or your core volunteers burn out faster then your effigy.
Another thing to consider speaking of cars, intoxicated drivers. Best way next to noise violations to get police attention. We allow people to come and go as long as their car is in the parking lot, and only theme camp and sleeper vehicles aren't. We've had two drunk drivers that were caught and we know of. One wrecked his car 100yds from our gate and the guy behind him called 911. Thankfully the cops just left, that was a fun hour or so wait at the gate though.
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Sun, April 6, 2008 - 3:02 PMVicious public shaming is something I'm not unskilled with.....
I make it hurt so good -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Mon, April 7, 2008 - 8:52 AMLOL yeah, public shaming is more powerful sometimes than a crew of bouncers!
I like using women for rangers/security. Friendly cuddly women who ask really really nicely. Does wonders. I also like having big big guys around to back the friendly women up in case anyone isn't feeling instantly reasonable.
I like to keep a roll of duct tape around to show to folks who are partying too out of control how they could spend their evening if they don't feel like chilling out. It's an amazing pacifier!
One of my social theories about rules is, the less rules you have, the better. That way people feel good about attempting to help out by sticking to them. If all your rules are reasonable and of the "we can't help it, we HAVE to have this rule!" variety, most people will behave themselves, freeing up your rangers to deal with the odd few that have a problem for some reason.
Something I think is very important, is at the event, KEEP THE VIBE POSITIVE if you're part of the festival staff. Sure, we might have to get serious with someone at some point, but it's SO MUCH LESS likely to happen if everyone "in charge" is happy, polite and friendly from the moment they arrive, so that if we have to ask anyone the special favor of cooperating with some policy that they're not cooperating with, they feel glad enough to do it.
Oh god how I hate dealing with a site that has parking issues. I mean all sites have them, but it teetotally SUCKS when you've got that can't camp with your car setup. I don't think that's going to be an issue this time, we'll just need some 'parking badger' volunteers to take each car in and get them situated in a spot, so nobody's driving over anyone's stuff by accident.
I like a lockdown event, myself. That's if you're here you're here, if you're gone you're gone. Obviously this is a rule that's going to get made exceptions to in the case that someone REALLY has a reason they need to leave and come right back (My cell phone won't work here and I have to give my girlfriend directions...I totally forgot my insulin...and so on)...but it's a great way to keep your gate simpler, and it puts an end to some of the difficult decisions you might have to make, like who's too trashed to drive. Also cuts down on the 'visible appearance' of the festival to the surrounding community.
If you tell people about this rule in advance and then again at the gate as they're coming in, they don't have a problem with it.
I'll tell you something that aggravates me about Burners coming to festivals...those goddamn little stickers that some of y'all like to stick all over the place at the local gas stations and grocery stores are NOT funny (when stuck in a place like that), they're not welcome and they're not helping! Jeez! Give stickers to a good home, the local yokels don't dig your sticker MOOP!
The pets may not be as much of an issue as some of y'all are concerned that they'll be. I've got a lifetime of professional animal wrangler skills, and it's simple...dog behaving badly, dog gets put up. I think we should document which animal came with who somehow, maybe a simple digital photo of the dog and the car it's with taken at the gate. It's true that most people won't think the leash thing applies to THEIR dog, and I don't want to have to enforce it on good dogs who are truly on an "invisible leash", like for instance Nico's dog, who really is good in all ways and doesn't deserve the insult. But if you have the leash rule you can enforce it when needed, and I've never needed to tell a dog owner more than once that they'll have to keep a better grip on Fido. Of course there's the implied threat that the next time I see the dog running I'LL just watch the dog for them if they can't...
Whoop, personal emergency interrupt, more later!
XXXOOO,
Me
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Re: Ruse Enforcement
Mon, April 7, 2008 - 9:54 AMRuse Enforcement? Sounds like a job for the 'disinformation department'.
The Bonobo Rangers Motto - "Make Love - Not War"
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Tue, April 8, 2008 - 1:50 AMBrilliant notions; I obey! -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Tue, April 8, 2008 - 12:53 PMRE female rangers: I'll pack my crop and flogger, just in case.
I am 100% with the dogs on a leash - or at least collared with the owner's name on it somehow (cheap collar from the Dollar Store and a sharpie, for the weekend).
Having been to various things, burns or otherwise, where even the nicest dogs, with the nicest owners, were still a problem, it's just easier to say no dogs at all.
Maybe construct some stocks, just in case someone does need to be taught how to behave properly. Litterbug? Two hours in the stocks, subject to the whims of passerbys-at-large... -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Tue, April 8, 2008 - 6:48 PMNo festival is complete without a pillory.
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 2:50 AMHas there been consideration of the annual northern counties summer burn ban?
www.gfc.state.ga.us/ForestFi...rnBan.cfm
Walker county on the restricted areas map shows that site prep and prescribed burning is permitted.
I don't think they would have a problem with our fire, but they might.
(best to find out before any big effigy fire is planned and funded) -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 4:30 AM"Ceremonial" fires are often permitted during a burn ban unless the fire risk is really high. It varies from state to state though.
Some state and local districts also have a maximum height that any burnables can be stacked and set on fire. We are currently restricted to 20' I believe. -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 4:39 AMLast year at Alchemy the locals on the surrounding hill side were freaked out by our fire and thought there was a house on fire or something and I think that's how the sheriff and county fire got involved.
It was so awesome! -
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Re: Rule Enforcement
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 7:41 AMMaybe we could lay in a big supply of whiffle bats for our rangers.
And then we could hear the Bonk bonk bonk bonk sound from all around...:)
I don't know about the specific burn ban mentioned but burn bans are always an issue, especially with the summer droughts that have been plaguing the southeast the last few years. Probably if it's an issue there's a permit or something we can obtain, though.
Most everything can happen if you do enough stinking PAPERWORK..:(
XXXOOO,
Me
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