Exodus

When the music’s over…

Then they left. Just shut off their generators, packed their trailers, tied their bikes to the back of their RVs and left.

Exodus is an interesting time. The cars, as most of you know, line up for miles with their engines running (hmm), waiting to leave the city. Lone burners stand by the roads with cardboard signs requesting rides and supplies. For years, I’ve been stuck in that line on my way out; this year, I found myself working the Donation Station with a bunch of half-drunken DPWers. We stood at the side of the road next to a big green trash container, and yelled at the cars.
“Got any booze?”

“Booze, beer, cigarettes, socks?”

“Hey, this is the donation lane. If you’re not donating, you’re not participating.”

And the supplies stacked up and stacked up, faster than we could sort them into boxes… We weren’t accepting water, but some brave burners had dropped off hundreds of gallons under cover of night. We were accepting non-perishable food, of which we got at least two containers’ worth. Then there was the alcohol – another two containers, which we’ll use to stock the Black Rock Social Club for the rest of the year. No charge for drinks at that watering hole, thanks to the generosity of all you kids. DPW thanks you from the bottom of their livers.

Personally, I scored a big jug of vinegar and some lotion, and was finally able to soak a little of the playa dust from my skin (although nothing can be done for my poor, poor hands). Thanks for your donations.

And speaking of donations, the Red Cross could use your help for the Hurricane Katrina victims. A small group of burners has been working around the clock to collect donations at the gate, and they’re on their way to Houston today to pitch in. Please support them any way you can, whether monetarily or physically.