Have you ever wondered what happens when Burning Man approves your Art Car? Subscribe to Sparkplug, the official newsletter of the DMV Hotties. This issue outlines many rules, including the new sound policy for art cars.

DMV SparkPlug
Volume 2, Issue #1 Welcome to Burning Man 2012
July 17, 2012

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===================TABLE OF CONTENTS=======================

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INTRODUCTION
+ THE SPARKPLUG IS REQUIRED READING!
+ ACCEPTANCE LETTER
+ GETTING A LICENSE IS NOT GUARANTEED
+ EARLY ADMISSION APPLICATION – *NEW FOR 2012*

VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THE DMV
+ DMV HOURS OF OPERATION
+ 2012 DMV LOCATION
+ DAYTIME INSPECTION REQUIRED FOR ALL VEHICLES
+ NIGHT LICENSING
+ DISABLED VEHICLE LICENSING
+ LICENSE STICKERS
+ FLAME EFFECT INSPECTION
+ LARGE VEHICLES

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE IN BLACK ROCK CITY

mutant vehicle

+ DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T WARN YOU
+ THE RULES
+ DRIVING AT THE EVENT WITHOUT DMV LICENSE
+ SOUND POLICY – *NEW FOR 2012*
+ YOUR VEHICLE AND THE COMMUNITY
+ SERVING FOOD OR ALCOHOL

RESOURCES FOR MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS
+ BURNING MAN RESOURCES FOR MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS OTHER RESOURCES FOR
+ MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS

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=======================INTRODUCTION========================

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THE SPARKPLUG IS REQUIRED READING!
———————————-

Congratulations, you have been approved to bring your mutant vehicle
to Burning Man 2012! This is the 2012 edition of SparkPlug, the
official newsletter of the DMV Hotties. This newsletter is REQUIRED
READING for all disabled and mutant vehicle owners.

ACCEPTANCE LETTER
—————–
You should have already received your Acceptance Letter with your
name, the vehicle name and vehicle registration number. You need this
letter to get your vehicle through the Gate and to start your on-site
registration process. If you do not have a copy of this letter, please
contact the DMV immediately at dmv@burningman.com

GETTING A LICENSE IS NOT GUARANTEED
———————————–

Actual licenses are granted in Black Rock City if, and ONLY if, you
pass the on-playa inspection. Just because you got an invite to the
playa does not mean you are guaranteed a license. Many vehicles are
given the benefit of the doubt and invited for inspection, but that
does not mean they will pass the final review.

EARLY ADMISSION APPLICATION – *NEW FOR 2012*
——————————————–

In order to apply for early admission to the event for you and KEY
MEMBERS of your Mutant Vehicle crew, please fill out the form linked
below.  If your request is approved, you will need both your Burning
Man ticket and your early arrival bar code to enter the event.

REMEMBER: Everyone who is at the event before the gates open to the
public is there to *work*.  The early admission process is
specifically and only for working on (re)assembling your Mutant
Vehicle, not for cruising the streets while they’re still empty.
Please limit your requests to the minimum number of core people
required to get your vehicle up and running for the event, for the
smallest reasonable amount of time necessary.

Link to Early Admission Application:
http://tinyurl.com/dmv-mv-owners

Account Name: mvowner
Password: dmvfertility

THE DEADLINE FOR EARLY ADMISSIONS APPLICATIONS IS 11:59 PM PACIFIC
TIME, WEDNESDAY JULY 25th, 2012.

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===============VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THE DMV================

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HOURS OF OPERATION
——————

The DMV will be open from 11:00 am until 10:30 pm from 8/25/12 – 8/31/12.
On Thursday, 08/30/12, the DMV will close EARLY at 7:00 pm for the CORE burn.
On Saturday, 9/1/12, the DMV will be open from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.

No vehicles will be admitted into the inspection lanes after 6:00PM on
Thursday, 8/30.
There will be no Night License inspections on Thursday, 8/30.

Keep in mind that if you are applying for a night license, your FIRST
visit to the DMV MUST be during daylight hours.

DMV LOCATION
————

The DMV inspection area is located on the open playa approximately 100
feet from the corner of the Esplanade and the 1:00 side of the Center
Camp Keyhole. When you arrive at the inspection area you will be met
by a Greeter who will direct you into an inspection lane.

Please do not come to get your vehicle licensed until your vehicle is
*100%* ready to be inspected by the DMV. Due to the large number of
vehicles we need to inspect the DMV does not have the time to inspect
vehicles twice. The DMV will not be offering a “second chance” to go
back to your camp to make changes or additions.

DAYTIME INSPECTION REQUIRED FOR ALL VEHICLES
——————————————–

All Paperwork, inspection and photography must be done during daytime
hours. Night inspections will not be conducted for vehicles that have
not yet been inspected during the day.

NIGHT INSPECTION
—————-

All vehicles applying for a night license must return to the DMV after
dark for a quick demonstration of your radical night illumination.

NOTE: Even if you are only applying for a night license, you must have
first come to the DMV for a daytime inspection

DISABLED VEHICLES
—————–

Disabled Vehicle licensing is processed in the same inspection lanes
as Mutant Vehicles. This year we will again be offering window flags
as an additional way for Black Rock Citizens, Rangers, and law
enforcement officers to quickly and easily identify Disabled Vehicles
and help keep disabled participants from being harassed for driving
non-mutated vehicles.  Each flag is marked with your vehicle’s
individual registration number, and is not transferable.   While
window flags are optional, the Hotties highly recommend their use.

A separate night inspection is NOT required for Disabled Vehicles;
however, your vehicle must be adequately lit for nighttime use.

LICENSE STICKERS
—————-

Licenses are a 12″ long by 3″ high bumper sticker. Licenses must be
affixed to the BACK OF YOUR VEHICLE ON THE LOWER LEFT-HAND SIDE and
you should make allowances for this on your vehicle. THERE MUST BE A
12″ X 3″ FLAT SURFACE THAT THE STICKER WILL AFFIX TO. If your vehicle
is approved for a day and night license, you will need a 12″ by 6″
space for two stickers. Again, the placement on the rear left side is
MANDATORY.

FLAME EFFECT INSPECTION LOCATED IN SALEM’S LOT
———————————————-

If your Mutant Vehicle is equipped with Flame Effects (FE) it must be
inspected BEFORE you can operate the FE within Black Rock City The
Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) will be conducting vehicle inspections in
“Salem’s Lot” which is located at the corner of the Esplanade and the
1:00 side of the Center Camp Keyhole.  There are signs posted to
indicate the location of Salem’s Lot. FE inspectors are available from
6:00pm-9:00pm, Saturday 8/27 through Wednesday 8/29 and Friday 9/2.

NOTE: there will be no flame inspections on Thursday 8/30 due to the
CORE burn event.

For questions or concerns regarding Flame Effects, please email
Dmv-flame-effects@burningman.com

LARGE VEHICLES
————–

Vehicles that are more than 12 feet wide or too long to safely
navigate the city streets will be assigned a Playa Only license.
Vehicles with Playa Only licenses may  only be operated on the open
playa. The determination to assign a Playa Only license will be made
by the DMV Hottie inspection team.

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========= OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE IN BLACK ROCK CITY=========

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DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T WARN YOU!
—————————–

Failure to follow BRC’s driving protocol may result in one or all of
the following;
* Revocation of your Mutant Vehicle license
* Impound of your vehicle
* Fines
* Ejection from the event without refund

THE RULES
———

You agreed to obey BRC driving rules when you applied for your vehicle
and you will sign the agreement again when you get your license. Here
is a reminder of some of our rules.

– Be Sober while driving
If you are caught driving your vehicle while under the influence of
drugs or alcohol then you can be arrested and charged with driving
under the influence on federal property. You do not want to find
yourself in this situation! Be sober while driving!

– Obey the speed limit
The maximum speed limit in Black Rock City is 5 MPH. This includes all
city streets AND the open playa.

– No driving during white outs
Mutant Vehicles may not be driven during white outs. In the event you
are in your vehicle and away from your camp, stop where you are and
wait for the white out to clear.

– No driving on pedestrian only streets
Mutant Vehicles may not be driven on pedestrian only streets.  See
your Black Rock City map for details.

DRIVING AT THE EVENT WITHOUT DMV LICENSE
—————————————-

Your very first stop once your Mutant Vehicle is ready for operation
should be the DMV.  If a Ranger or law enforcement official sees you
driving without a Mutant or Disabled license, and you are not
obviously on your way to the DMV for inspection, you will be directed
back to your campsite, and risk impound of your vehicle.  If your
vehicle is not ready for inspection, or you have been inspected and
did not pass, please…leave it parked.

SOUND POLICY – *NEW FOR 2012*
—————————

Mutant Vehicle sound systems can be classified into three levels.

Level 1: Normal car stereo / average living room (under 90 dB at a
distance of 30 feet from the speaker)
Level 2: Dance club or theatre (90 dB and up at a distance of less
than 100 feet)
Level 3: Large dance club, arena, or stadium (100+ dB at a distance of
100+ feet)

(Note: All decibel levels refer to maximum potential dBA.)

The dB levels here are intended as guidelines; what is most important
is the impact your vehicle’s sound is having on your surroundings.

Vehicles with Level 1 systems may play anywhere in Black Rock City,
but must be mindful of your volume and surroundings, especially in
quieter areas of the City or later at night.
Vehicles with Level 2 systems may only play at high volume on the open
playa (not in or pointing right into the city streets) and must be
mindful of where you are playing and turn it down when appropriate —
e.g. around art pieces, burns, etc.
Vehicles with Level 3 systems may ONLY play at high volume by the
Large Scale Sound Camps on the 2:00 and 10:00 sides of the City, with
speakers pointing out to the deep playa.

If you get more than two warnings about your sound system, you may
lose your Mutant Vehicle license and the right to drive your vehicle
for the rest of the event.

YOUR VEHICLE AND THE COMMUNITY
——————————

One of the most disheartening things we’ve heard in the past is how
someone would be walking deep out on the playa, see a Mutant Vehicle
and ask for a ride and were told sorry, this is a private party, or
something to that effect.

PLEASE REMEMBER: part of the agreement you sign is the understanding
that a registered Mutant Vehicle is considered to be a public
conveyance. This means that when you get a license to drive in Black
Rock City you agree that you will share that privilege with others and
give rides to those that need or ask.  This is also a great way to
meet people and a wonderful show of our community. Proper etiquette
should be followed; all participants are allowed to ride Mutant
Vehicles so long as there are not an unsafe number of passengers
aboard at any given time.

SERVING FOOD OR ALCOHOL
———————–

If you are serving food or alcohol on your vehicle, there are some
things you should know.

– Serving food to the public from your Mutant Vehicle may require a
permit from the state of Nevada. Please visit the following website
for more information:
http://health.nv.gov/BFHS_EHS.htm

– It is a misdemeanor to serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21
years old in Nevada.  The law still applies if the alcohol is gifted
as opposed to sold.  Law Enforcement has been known to have sting
operations in the past. Know the laws about serving people alcohol and
follow them, or you may end up bring fined or arrested.

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========= RESOURCES FOR MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS=========

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BURNING MAN RESOURCES FOR MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS
———————————————–

How to contact us:
dmv@burningman.com

The DMV’s page on Burning Man’s website:
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/playa_vehicles/dmv.html

Mutant Vehicle Licensing Criteria:
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/playa_vehicles/criteria.html

Vehicles at Burning Man
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/playa_vehicles

Black Rock City Driving Protocols:
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/playa_vehicles/no_driving.html

Volunteering at the DMV:
http://www.burningman.com/participate/dmv.html

Burning Man’s ePlaya (forums):
http://eplaya.burningman.com/

Burning Man’s Fire Art Safety Team (FAST).
Primary contact: Jack Scholl Dmv-flame-effects@burningman.com

Fire on Mutant Vehicles
http://www.burningman.com/installations/fire_mutantvehicles.html

Flame Effects at Burning Man:
http://www.burningman.com/installations/flame_effects.html

OTHER RESOURCES FOR MUTANT VEHICLE OWNERS
—————————————–

ART CAR MAILING LIST:
http://www.armory.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/bm-artcars

ART CAR YAHOO GROUP:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BurningManArtCars/

MUTANT VEHICLE TRIBE:
http://tribes.tribe.net/bmmv

ART CARS TRIBE:
http://artcars.tribe.net/