Comment by mattnewton | Hacker News Reader

Comment by mattnewton | Hacker News Reader

I had many enlightenments from burning man and I hope to have many more; the participants are worthy successors once they pick up the dance, and so I think the event will go on.

One of my favorite memories is an early night at my first burn, there was a man on a stool with a walkie-talkie checking ID to enter the base of The Man.

I didn’t have my ID on me, but I patiently lined up with everyone else, planning on explaining that I only wanted to see the inside with my friends and wasn’t planning on drinking tonight at all.

Before reaching the man on the stool, someone in front of us made a break for it past him. He barked angrily at the guy, grabbing at him and shouting into his handset.

When it came to me, at this point I thought my chances were slim and I would have to sit this attraction out without an ID. I explained my situation to him anyways.

I will never forgot his reply: “I am just fucking with you all” he said, a twinkle in his eye. Indeed, there was only an air of official-ness around his outfit and stool, he had no real authority. We all just accepted a queue for ID checks voluntarily.

I walked past and learned more about society from that one prank than I had from any textbook or class since. And that is just one experience.

I hope to carry that on that tradition. There is a real magic in culture, and I am thankful that Larry stumbled upon it and decided to share. Thank you, and thanks to everyone who keeps it going!

The opening chapter of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian has a story like that except a bit more intense.

Indeed, when you realize how much of human experience runs on autopilot and you try to consciously evolve past that, you can feel manic and begin to feel like anything is possible.

> begin to feel like anything is possible

You can do whatever you want. As long as you can bear the consequences.

The consequences are usually an illusion.

But if you make a habit of testing them you'll find the ones that aren't pretty quick.

Such is the peril of living a full life.

Not burning man but I had an amazingly similar experience of normed compliance.

I was standing outside a bar waiting for a friend. A couple stopped to show me their ideas at random. I was so shocked I just muttered 'oh no you are fine'. Within about 10 seconds, there was a line of other people waiting to go into the bar trying to hand me their ID's.

No request, no effort, just...people assume authority and comply. Taught me something I have been trying to watch myself do and break a habit of since then.

> I will never forgot his reply: “I am just fucking with you all” he said, a twinkle in his eye. Indeed, there was only an air of official-ness around his outfit and stool, he had no real authority. We all just accepted a queue for ID checks voluntarily.

Reminds of my visit to Hacking At Random in 2009. Their entrance had an X-ray scanner where you could scan your own bags, and if that wasn't enough to make you feel safe, there were latex gloves so you could ask another participant to give you a body cavity search.

hah I love it.

A friend once did this at burning man. He was in a tower at an intersection with a light and a megaphone and as cars went by he'd tell them to stop or go or wait. It was overall pretty hilarious (and before people get on me about safety - this was not in a busy part of the city and you're supposed to go ~5 mph inside the city so there was no real safety issue fucking with traffic flow)

I don't get this story. Why did you have IDs if you didn't need them?

You still need to ask for ID if you are serving alchohol to strangers, since it’s still in Nevada. People often have an ID on them or a photocopy on their mug to show to people giving out drinks. Many people run a lot of exquisite bars as gifts to the community and the law doesn’t care if you are charging for alchohol.

The man on the stool was asking for ID’s as a prank. People assumed he was legit and you needed an ID.

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