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Picket report, Las Vegas, September 11, 1999

Picket photos are also available.

Date: Saturday, September 11, 1999
Start and End Times: about 10:30 - 11:45? 
Location: Las Vegas
Picketers: Ted Mayett, Kristi Wachter
Handlers: none
Weather: sunny and hot (but it's a DRY heat)
Number of Handouts given away: 1 ?
Comments: my first Vegas picket - no handling at all



Ted Mayett was my gracious and courteous host for a couple of pickets (one
extremely brief) in the Las Vegas heat last weekend.

(I apologize for the lateness of this report, but I'm changing ISPs, and I
THOUGHT I had sent at least a followup to his brief report, but apparently
it never made it to a.r.s.)

Ted first took me to the Las Vegas "Celebrity Center," a truly tacky
looking place. I hate to speak ill of a building dear to some
Scientologists, but people - please. I would think any celebrity would
take a look at this place and head for the nearest buffet. Or pool. Or
anything but this shabby building.

There was a sign on the door advertising a $100 reward for a stolen
e-meter (I wonder what the owner did to pull that in?), and a rack of info
outside the door - I helped myself to a glossy, space opera-ish brochure
about The Training Route to Clear. Several courses listed, but no prices,
of course.

We had an extremely brief chat or two with a passerby, but we mostly did a
perfunctory picket and photo session, then headed over to the main
building.

The big org is much more attractive. A handful of Scientologists came out
for - a smoking break? I think it must have been, although I don't recall
actual cigarettes. (Darn un-Clear memory.) One rare pedestrian asked what
we were picketing and made sure it was okay with us if he crossed our
picket "line"! That's never happened to me before. (He wasn't going into
the org, just walking past it on his way down the street.)

As Ted said, the Las Vegas Scientologists are quite well behaved. There
were no confrontations, and they even took their photographs from inside
the org. (Of course, it was air conditioned in there; it was darn hot and
sunny out on the sidewalk.)


After 45 minutes, we called it quits and went for coffee (iced tea for me)
before I had to excuse myself - I was due at a party.

I might have given away a flier; I don't recall. I did, however, get to
inform several of my friends why I was getting up early and donning red
picketing jammies, so dissem was achieved.


I am most grateful to Ted for his charming company and for providing a
sign (which we lettered together in the parking lot before starting off
for the orgs).


Thanks, Ted - and thanks to the Las Vegas Scientologists for their
laissez-faire response to our dual picket.


--
Kristi Wachter
the activist formerly known as "Jour" (before $cientology outed me)

I think $cientology is hurting people and breaking the law, and I
want them to stop it. See http://www.scientology-lies.com for more.
         Can you say "Xenu?" ... I knew that you could.

This page was last updated on December 18, 1999.