Empty Chairs in Line at TP and Warner

[stugahtz]

Lets take a poll. I love the Raspberry Idea. I believe it will only increase the camaraderie of those who make the effort each and every year to participate in the ritual of the TP, WF tarp run.

[Capt. Telluride]

How 'bout everyone just enjoy their festival experience and don't worry about who is cheating, keeping an empty chair in a tarp run line. Do you really want to spend your festival policing? We're Festivarians, not cops.

That line is stupid anyways.
"You miss out on a lot of fun that's happening now while you're waiting in line for the future." - Capt Telluride
                                                                                                       

[Jake n Wanda Ziller]

I've never done the line thing & I agree with the Capt'n. But, I've notice a lot of empty chairs in those lines and I can feel the frustration of you festivarians who get in line & stick with the rules. I love Hurricanes Raspberry idea. 

[Hurricane M]

Maybe it could go something like this:
 
We make up some big cardboard laminate Raspberries with the "rules" of the line on one side and "The Festivarians give you a Raspberry!!!" on the other side.

The "Raspberry" lovingly explains that an empty chair is a felony party foul and that your chair has been respectfully removed from the line, not by one curmudgeon you can start a fight with, but by the the collective energies of Town Park & Werner Field Festivarians.

If there is an empty chair, a Raspberry is placed on the chair.  If the person returns within 20-30 min, such as for an extended port-o-potty trip or a Damn! I gotta go get my sleeping bag!!! I'm starting to sober up and realize this hoodie isn't cutting it, its 30 ^&%(%# degrees out here!!then the Raspberry is removed, no harm/no foul.  If, however, the occupant does not return for hours, the Raspberry stays, and....

Wed. night, the Raspberry is left only as a warning.  (Planet Bluegrass could help us out by collecting the Raspberries the first morning as they hand out the numbers?)

Thurs., Fri., and Sat. night the Raspberried chairs are moved respectfully out of line. When the person returns, the explanation is sitting on the chair and they understand THEY have made the error, not the person(s) who removed the chair.  Once it becomes inevitable that the chairs will be removed, then the behavior will be "extinguished".

So, are we going to do the Raspberries? Most people agree that an empty chair is just cutting line, a form of cheating, and decidedly UN-Festivarian in spirit.  This is just a way to get everyone on the same page.

You abandon your chair, you lose your spot in line.  To HOLD your spot in line, you man your chair.  Same as anywhere else, getting in line for concert tickets, or getting in line to buy the IPad.  Simple.  It is what it is.  No anger or argument required. 

I propose that the line can start anytime, as long as your chair has a body in it.  We don't care if its your body or someone you bribed to sit there.  You can take shifts with others in your camp, but NO EMPTY CHAIRS. 

A 20 minute break is reasonable.  An hour is decidedly unreasonable. 

Again, on Wed night, the "Raspberries" will be left only as a warning, since people did it last year and might think its OK this year.  Thurs Fri and Sat nights, the chairs will be respectfully moved by whomever is nearby and left with a raspberry on them.   We can leave a stack of the Raspberries with the first folks in line each night. 

Should I go ahead and make these up?  And then later I'll make up some Mai Tai's...  much more fun.

[Bevin]

Hurricane M for President!

About 5 years ago, an intrepid friend came with me to TBF. His first year in Town Park, he took it on himself to get all the empty chairs in the TP line and pile them in the middle of the volleyball court, around 3am. He wasn't "policing" - he was cracking himself up. And he had the support of the other hard-core line vets. I support this initiative. We can't expect PB to put a volunteer out there at 3:30 to do this, so we have to police ourselves.

Since I'll be in line most every night, bring me some raspberries, Michele. Wednesday & Thursday, fair warning. Friday and Saturday, big pile o' chairs in the middle of the volleyball court!

[completejohn]

HOORAY!  A solution!  I love it.  Raspberries on Thurs & Fri, a piling up of empty chairs on Sat & Sun. 

Peace in the Valley again!

[Matt and Becky]

Here, Here.  Sounds like a good plan!

[DukTapeMan]

<hic!> I wuv raspberries. Is'll be in line lookin' for dem.

[Hippie]

Cool - that means you will stay in line for us this year lil dude... I'll bring you plenty of Crunchy Frog long as you stay outa my liquor cabinet.

<hic!> I wuv raspberries. Is'll be in line lookin' for dem.

[Hooch]

Hurricane M for President!

About 5 years ago, an intrepid friend came with me to TBF. His first year in Town Park, he took it on himself to get all the empty chairs in the TP line and pile them in the middle of the volleyball court, around 3am. He wasn't "policing" - he was cracking himself up. And he had the support of the other hard-core line vets. I support this initiative. We can't expect PB to put a volunteer out there at 3:30 to do this, so we have to police ourselves.

Since I'll be in line most every night, bring me some raspberries, Michele. Wednesday & Thursday, fair warning. Friday and Saturday, big pile o' chairs in the middle of the volleyball court!

That's a really good idea, Bev.  I'm sure neighbors would vouch for anyone that might be in the restroom at 3:30am.  You just have to make sure everyone fill in the gaps once the chairs are piled up.  Hehe.

[FestiTrey]

I like the idea too.  Last year was our first year at TBF and luckily enough our first time in TP.  It was just two of us last year so we didn't worry about the tarp line or the unattended chairs.  However, this year there are six of us going and we will likely be waiting in the tarp line.  I'm not looking to "police" people or cause any trouble, but I will have absolutely no problem throwing an unattended chair out of the line. 

[meanderingjeeper]

About 5 years ago, an intrepid friend came with me to TBF. His first year in Town Park, he took it on himself to get all the empty chairs in the TP line and pile them in the middle of the volleyball court, around 3am. He wasn't "policing" - he was cracking himself up. And he had the support of the other hard-core line vets. I support this initiative. We can't expect PB to put a volunteer out there at 3:30 to do this, so we have to police ourselves.

Since I'll be in line most every night, bring me some raspberries, Michele. Wednesday & Thursday, fair warning. Friday and Saturday, big pile o' chairs in the middle of the volleyball court!

I believe that is the incident that led people to start zip-tying their chairs to the fence.  Not that I didnt think it was a splendid idea, but when people come back and see all their @#%$ in a big pile in the middle of the volleyball court, they get pissed and look to get back at others.  That doesn't lead anywhere good nor generate festivarian type vibes.


 Listening to: flyers/hawks

[FestiTrey]

But it also doesn't create good festivarian vibes when people leave unattended chairs all night and show up just in time to get a number when everyone is following the rules and staying in line all night.  That just makes everyone else in line who followed the rules mad.  So regardless, one side is going to get a little riled.  And if you are trying to cheat the system you deserve to have your chair thrown out of line even if that makes you mad.  Although you would have no one to blame but yourself. 

"Smokey, this isn't 'Nam.  This is bowling.  There are rules!"

[meanderingjeeper]

But it also doesn't create good festivarian vibes when people leave unattended chairs all night and show up just in time to get a number when everyone is following the rules and staying in line all night.  That just makes everyone else in line who followed the rules mad.  So regardless, one side is going to get a little riled.  And if you are trying to cheat the system you deserve to have your chair thrown out of line even if that makes you mad.  Although you would have no one to blame but yourself. 

"Smokey, this isn't 'Nam.  This is bowling.  There are rules!"

True, but it's not like the people in line actually follow the rules anyhow.  What will be given to the people sleeping in line (I vote bananas) since raspberries are for people who aren't there?

Ahhh for the days when people actually stayed awake in line, hung out, & picked instead of bringing full-on cots and going to sleep.  Seems like it's been at least a few years since that happened, barring the usual suspects like Claire, Tim & Alexa, et all.

 Listening to: boys who should be sleeping!

[Auntie Hope]

Okay, Here's the deal folks....

If the line is going to take on the responsibility for policing the line...

The line will take on the responsibility for getting the word out to everyone that sets a chair down in the line. Believe me, the warning shot, the "Warning Raspberries", on Thursday evening will get around pretty fast in ALL of the campgrounds.

The line will work out just fine this year, probably better than years before, if EVERYONE POLITELY gets the word out that the line is self policing this year and the ground rules set out by Planet Bluegrass will be followed, as they pertain to empty chairs in the line.

This is NOT about planning an ambush on Fellow Festivarians, because that's what we are up there, Fellow Festivarians. Hurricane M is my Fellow Festivarian, you are my Fellow Festivarian, The person with the empty chair is your Fellow Festivarian.

Be Kind, Loving and True Festivarians about this matter, because I'm tellin' ya, if Uncle Ferg has to take care of this, your're gonna' wish it was your Mama taking ya out of church. TRUST ME on this one.

Yes, it's been a problem in past years. You've come up with a wonderful idea and that wonderful idea has plenty of backing. Trust in your own ideas, trust your own planing that it will not be a problem this year. Put it out there in the universe, put it out there in the camps around you, and all will be wonderful.

See the Monks..........  Hear the Monks.......  Be the Monks.......... 
Chill ...........