Picket reports
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Subject: Picket Report: Mesa is not Clearwater.
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP), Date: 13 Dec 1997
Well, I'm back picketting the home town org. Things were much busier than usual this Saturday afternoon. I was on site from 1:00 to 2:00 PM and counted 15 cars at the mission.
For the first time since I've been doing these pickets, I had a long conversation with several of the members (generally I have been photographed and then ignored). One of them left after about 10 minutes, but the other stayed with me as I carried my sign until it was time for me to leave.
The conversation was emotional on my part, but basically civil, except for some hotspots over psychiatry and BTs. The gist of it was my list of grievances against the Co$, in the context of his trying to understand why I was devoting so much time to opposing them. Topics included lawsuits, unproven claims, Hubbard's actual life, etc.
I talked about Lisa MacPherson and the Clearwater vigil. He didn't seem too thrilled about my description of the Scieno picket in Clearwater (a PR disaster).
We discussed how internal change might be persued. His suggestion (letter writing) was not very encouraging. More later, BP
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From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 11-22-97
Today was a short (45 minutes) picket, due to a strong breeze that made holding up the sign a difficult task. I had two people pull over and park in the org lot and get out to talk to me. Both were sympathetic to the picketing. I also had high fives from two pedestrians.
There were 8 cars in the lot during the 9:30 to 10:15 picket. No photographs or other attention was paid to me by org staff. Too busy jerking off with the Onanometer?
Be dark if you want to be, BP
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Subject: Picket Report: Mesa, AZ November 8
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I picketed from 11:00 AM to 12:15 today. There were 6 cars in the parking area, one of which had an Arizona plate, "OT". These are usually referred to as vanity plates, but in this case I pronounce it a "stupidity plate".
The traffic response was incredible today. I stopped counting the honks and "thumbs up" after a dozen or so. A number of people yelled, things like "yea" or "right on". One driver lifted his middle finger and yelled "Fuck Scientology!" for two blocks down the street. I have no idea what is causing the response.
One scieno came out and took my picture. I offered him the Xemu leaflet, but he didn't bite. I asked him for a spare body thetan since I was clean out, but he was not in a charitable mood, I guess.
The good news for the Mesa org is that I will not be personally picketing there the weekend of Dec. 5. Guess what the bad news is.... Later, BP
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 11-1-97
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I arrived at 8:45. One member in a shirt and tie was waiting, apparently he had no key. A few minutes later a guy on a motorcycle, shirtless with no helmet, arrived and opened the org. Just like a $cieno to ride a cycle with no helmet or skin protection. Just stupid.
By 9:00, six more cars and another motorcycle arrived (again no helmet). Then two members set up a sign near the parking lot entrance, size about 10'x4', with the words "Support Freedom of Religion in Germany" and 3, count 'em, 3 torches. They obviously felt that the world-wide attention their enormous protest in Berlin had garnered would make everyone hot to rally to their cause: No one come in for another hour, then I left. No sign of Wonderfool Russ.
I marched in front of their sign with mine turned to show "Scientology Hurts People". To at least some of the drivers-by, the combination probably added up to "Scientology is hurting religion in Germany".
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Subject: Oct. 27 picket in Mesa Arizona
From: cultxpt@primenet.com (Jeff Jacobsen)
Not to be outdone, a huge contingency of arscc converged on the Mesa Arizona org today. Both of us picketed from 7am to 8:30am. No one was at the org until 8am when 2 people showed up. They basically ignored us. We got about 6 honks and waves from passing cars. That always amazes me when the public shows support. How do they know about this?
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 8-14-97
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I hit the rush hour today, 5-6 PM. The traffic was so heavy that cars were backed up to the mi$$ion, allowing many drivers to not only see my sign but to look over and read the signs on the building. I'm sure some of them had driven by the ble$$ed $ite without ever looking at what was there.
At 5:00 there were 6 cars in the lot, by 6:00 about 5 more had arrived and one departed.
Eventually, everyone who comes to the org will see the picket.
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 10-4-97
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I arrived at 8:30 with one car in the parking lot, but apparently no one at the org because the next guy to arrive had to wait for another person to show up and unlock the door. By 10:00, about 8 cars and one motorcycle were there (about 14 people). There was still no sign of Ginny Leason, the possible OSA member who had always handled pickets up until about two months ago. That makes over 10 pickets without her showing.
I am calculating averages of the number of cars that pass by each minute, and the number of people per car. In today's 1.5 hour picket about 2000 people had a chance to see my sign. During a rush hour, it would probably be close to 5000, since University Drive is a major commuter and student (ASU) route.
What is the shortest, easiest-to-remember URL for an anti-Co$ website? I will make a sign with it.
[Answer www.xenu.net]
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 10-27-95
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Things are quiet again- no clams taking pictures or keeping an eye on me. There were about 11 cars in the lot from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. I passed out one Xemu pamphlet and had the usual number of honks and thumbs up from passing traffic. It is finally starting to cool down here, only 95 degrees this picket. I will be back ( of course :-) ).
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Subject: Picket Report from Mesa, AZ 9-20-97 : Heating Up
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I arrived at 8:30, with no cars in the mi$$ion parking lot. When I left at 10:15, about 9 cars had arrived, two had left again and 1 motorcycle had arrived. Most of the cars had only the driver.
I was kept under almost constant observation during the picket, and several people took my picture, including from across the street. Smile and wave, smile and wave. Two of the people I had not seen before.
I had a stack of the "Who is Xemu" leaflets, and gave out one to a pedestrian, and the other to a young man who had been brought to the mission for the first or second time. When his friend saw me give him the leaflet (the new person initiated the conversation) he became quite concerned, and called him away. I warned him that they would not want him to read it. There was quit a huddle of the members and the new guy around the leaflet, then he sat down by the sidewalk to read it. If I stopped to talk to him, the $cienos yelled at me to keep moving :-)
I gave the prospect my e-mail address, and told him how to find information pro and con on the web. He looked a little stunned. I encouraged him to study both sides and make up his own mind, then I had to leave.
I think there may be new management at the Org. I will report more later when I find out for sure. The building had always been rented, and had a "for sale" sign out front. Today it was gone. More later.
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 9-12-97
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Tonight I stayed from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. I am trying to show up at different days and times so I can get a picture of the weekly routines at the org. As usual, no clams came out to talk, but I had two lengthy discussions with different people, covering the history and misdeeds of the Co$. Both had net access, so I pointed to the websites we all know and love.
At the start of the picket, there were 5 cars in the parking lot, by 7:00 about 12 cars total. Traffic was fairly heavy for what I thought might be a dead time between work and a night out.
See you later (soon) desert clams. And see you Clearwater clams this December 5-6.
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Subject: Picket Report: Mesa, AZ Aug 9
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I picketed from 10:00 to 11:30 this Saturday. There were 7 cars at the org at the start, 9 cars at the end. Not much business, but EVERYTHING slows down in the desert in August.
"Don't just post- PICKET!"
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 7-12-97
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I picketed from 9:00 to 10:30 this AM. The summer is cooler than normal this year, the temperature was only mid 90's.
There were only 7 cars in the Co$ parking area during the picket, with a few comings and goings. Traffic was lighter than in the evening (6-7) hours, but a higher percentage honked or gave me the up-pointing thumb.
I am still using my mini-billboard sign-on-a-stick, with "SCIENTOLOGY LIES" on one side and "SCIENTOLOGY HURTS PEOPLE" on the other, in 5" letters. It makes breezes a mixed blessing- but it's a great arm and shoulder workout.
I am recovering from a severe case of family business, so I should be able to picket more often for a while.
"I'm in it for the long haul" BP
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa 6/29
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I paced from 2:30-3:30 PM, the temperature was 104, light breeze, no clouds. Traffic was light, but I had several honks, thumbs-ups, and two pedestrians stopped to chat.
Oh, yeah, I drank a quart of ice water during the hour.
Just a few inmates peering out from the Org windows, no picture taking or conversation like Jeff and Steve reported yesterday.
The parking lot is filled in front, about 18-20 cars. I considered staying until the students leave, but it is too hot, and my main goal is to let the driver's-by see my sign.
I gave Xenu leaflets to two people. They must have been crazy, out in that heat....err, well. Until next time (soon).
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From: cultxpt@primenet.com
Subject: Phoenix picket for Odhran
Date: 28 Jun 1997
Steve W. and I picketed from 6:15pm to 7:30pm or so. Wonderful Russ came out and had a long conversation with Steve, while Ginny came out and talked to me for a short while about Odhran. I gave her the family's flyer and she went in to read it and never came out again. She mentioned that she read that a deprogrammer had been involved in Odhran's case.
It was a pretty quiet picket. There were 2 Co$ photographers standing around all day for some reason. They took a few photos and we chatted a little. Russ brought us out some iced tea, which was nice of him. Everybody was cordial and calm.
My sign for the occasion said "Let Odhran Fortune Go!" Despite the strangeness of the sign, we still got some "atta boy" honks and thumbs up from passing cars!
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From: steve@swhitlat.com ()
Jeff J. and I picketed the Phoenix/Mesa org today in support of Odhran Fortune and his family's fight to save him from the brainwashing cult of scientology.
We picketed from roughly 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
An anonymous lovely lady from ars showed in support, delivered cold water, and took pictures.
Phoenix has gorgeous sunsets, and I love the sun. The heat was not a problem. I spent most of the time holding a picket sign positioned for the people in traffic to see, and talking to a scientologist--russel shaw (aka wonerfull russ, wonderfool russ, wonderruss, and perhaps some other things). Russ is personable, likeable, jolly, has a sense of humor, etc. I am not sure he had read a recent post of mine in which I challenged him to show up at the next picket and prove that he is not fat. He did show up; however, I cannot say he is thin.
The first thing I told him was that I just did not have the heart to insult him in person, and I actually had always liked him. Talking to wonderfool was much different from receiving abuse like I did when picketing the San Francisco org. No-one got in my face and shouted stuff like "you are dogshit" like happened when picketing the San Francisco org. This was the most civil picket I have done yet.
wonderfool russ was so nice that now I'm not sure I can comfortably call him "wonderfool." Oh well. Being comfortable isn't everything.
wonderfool is a public OT, a local businessman who has been in scientology for about 25 years. He is familiar with people and activities from when I was involved in scientology, mid '70s. None of it matters. The pattern is still the same. After scientologists behave badly, they disown their actions and the people who took the actions. And then the scienos proclaim they are starting anew, that all the wrongs are in the past, that the past does not matter.
That tactic appeals to the good nature of most people and essentially asks forgiveness. But scientology has a long established pattern of crimes, intimidation, cheating, espionage, abuse, conning people out of money, etc. (and perhaps even murder). When wonderfool heard me lay out my accusations he responded with something along the lines of "those are generalities, they don't exist, you have nothing specific." So, I brought up some specifics, Operation Snow White, Operation Freak Out, etc. He took the next standard scientology tactic, "those were in the past, we corrected the situation, they weren't applying standard scientology technology, it's not happening now, etc.)
It is horseshit. The truth is that there has never been any correction. To accept that scientology has made mistakes, honestly admit them, and try to not do them again is not the way of scientology.
wonderfool russ has been brainwashed. I often ask OTs how they feel about Xenu, Marcabs, Body Thetans, etc. I ask them if they might want to make a statement about any of those things. I did basically that with wonderfool. There is a point at which probing OTs for remarks on the space opera stuff reaches a hard shell that prevents them from considering the core beliefs (Xenu, etc.) to be false. At that point, they become unreasonable, uncommunicative, evasive, illogical, insane. Before that point, I can make progress with them. Just simply talking about the goofy space opera stories naturally brings doubt to their minds.
I do believe that if OTs talked long enough about Xenu, BTs, etc. with non-scientologists (sane individuals), the OTs would change their beliefs. Some disillusionment could go smoothly, but disillusionment would eventually come to all of them.
The beliefs the OTs have are weak beliefs. It is as if they do not really believe the space opera stuff. They are just defending something they don't understand.
Talk to OTs about Xenu and Co., BTs, etc. You'll see. --
Honesty cures scientology, but lions lie with lambs only after both have fed on heroes and shepherds.
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Subject: Mesa Picket Report
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP), Date: June 19, 1997
Tuesday evening was virtually the same as the previous week: about 15 cars in the lot, many repeats from the week before. No confrontations this time. I am trolling a line here: I will be back Sunday AM to work the church-going crowd. If they (Co$) monitor these posts, I may detect a difference when I arrive. (If I arrive) !) (In networking it's called pinging).
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Subject: Picket Report - More from Mesa
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP), June 10, 1997
Changing jobs and a visit from in-laws precluded any pickets until tonight.
From 6:15-7:30, CAT (Crazy Arizona Time - we don't LIKE an extra hour of light and heat, so we don't do "daylight savings") I paraded The Sign back and forth across the consciousness of all concerned at the Mesa Mission of Momentous Messing with MEST. Tuesday evening class, apparently. At the start, 7 cars were in the lot, by 7:00, 5 more had arrived. I talked with several walkers/bikers-by (who agreed with me) and with one of the UnCon$ciou$ who amazingly did NOT. We were nose to nose for several shouted sentences at the end, but since that made me incline my head down at a 45 degree angle, I was not enturbulated. :-)
(Every time I have been confronted by a member, he/she wears this fix-ed grin that is basically garish. Why?) My confronter quizzed me on books read, definition of an engram, I quizzed him on rumored Marcabian presence in Mesa, and kindly inquired as to the health and numeric magnitude of his BTs. More next time.
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Subject: My first picket, 12.00-12.30, Saturday, 23 August 1997
From: "Christer Lindström" (clind@carasoft.se)
Hi everyone,
Today I decided to have a taste of what it's like to solo picket an org. I made some copies of the Xemu leaflet, and went to the Stockholm org. I guess I anticipated some reactions, and decided to stay for 15 minutes outside the org, and the another 15 minutes by a nearby road-crossing (with much more people than outside the org).
At arrival, the org was open, with a little sign "now hiring" outside. The first 5 minutes, some people went in and out, and I gave them the leaflets. One person who got a copy when going out, started to read while walking. After ten meters, the steps became slower and slower, and it was abvious that this person was very disturbed about what was read. I guess this one was a newcomer to Scientology.
Not until I was just about to leave for the other spot 100 meters away, some things started to happen. One younger guy came out and asked who I was, and why I was doing this. I declined to present myself, and said I would tell later (I guess this posting is that moment). I also asked him to read the leaflet, as my reason for beeing outside the org would then be clear. He persisted in wanting to talk to me, but I really did not feel like continuing the discussion.
Suddenly he started to take away the few leaflets I had given to people by just taking them out of their hands as they started to read them. As I was then approached by a scientologist who first tried to act as a casual stroller, I did not do anything about it. This new guy were much more aggressive, and wanted to know all about me, and why I did it. Suddenly he made a strange conclusion, and started to think I was someone else, a swede known from internet. I reacted by (probably) a surprised face when he started to mention this guys name, and it seems like he interpreted that as a confirmation, and discarded my refusal to verify or deny. I decided to stop talking to him also.
After this, the first guy who had been taking a couple of instamatic photos, continued to stop people when they was about to read the leaflet. This time I approached them and said "He does not want you to read that, and he is a scientologist. You can have another one if you want". The funny thing was that when I was all alone, most people did not want to have the leaflet - but now when even a third, hamburger-eating scientologist appeared, we were becoming a crowd (thanks scientologists!) and the leaflets were much more easy to distribute. One guy with his girlfriend got very angry when the first scientolgist tried to take away the leaflet from her. He went from completely uninterested to full focus on me, and gave me a lot of support, and we talked for a minute or two.
By now, I was getting hungry, and wanted to get home. I said bye to the scientologists, said I would be back within an hour (yes I *lied*) and was just about to cross the street when a forth guy with a VCR came running towards me. I thought this was rather funny, and as he crossed the street passing (to get a facial picture) I decided to stop, and made a 30 meter run the other way.
I strolled slowly towards the car, got a snack at a gas station five minutes from there, and suddenly discovered that they were following me, guy #2 and the one with the camera! I made another 3 second run, this time towards them and did a "kiss" to the camera, and asked them to stop following me. Now I was a bit upset. The second guy was very abusive, and continued to provocate me thinking I was someone else.
To my amazement they followed me even as I entered a small marine-shop a couple of hundred meters away, and outside I asked them again to stop this, and I would have to do something drastic if they persisted. My problem is that I tend to have a rather shirt fuse, so if this had been anyone else, I would probably have knocked them down by now. I did not want to give these guys that pleasure though, and now told them that I was very upset, and that they should stop following me. After some time they realized that they could not continue, and I finally got rid of them.
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Well, at the beginning I wanted to make a 30 minute picket at the Stockholm org, and probably wait for another long time to the next one. But after this incredibly abusive behavior, I have decided to do more. I just can't understand how they think. What do they expect to gain from this behaviour? The certainly made all people around this place much more interested, me much more angry and motivated, and completely ridiculed themselves in public eyes by stealing leaflets from people.
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I have heard from others that they will dig up all they can on me now, but I really don't care, even if I am far from an angel. What I now feel, is even more respect for Wayne, Ted and others doing pickets against scientology on their own. If this is what they have to put up with on a regular basis, they are truly strong and persistent.
Until next time, Regards, CL
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Subject: SF picket report, December 20th 1997
From: me@primenet.com (kEvin)
Saturday, December 20, 1997 from about 2 til about 3. (no one was wearing a watch.)
Meklar and I picketed the SF org on McAllister street. It was pretty boring. I did get into an argument with a holocaust revisionist who knew and liked Wayne. Wayne is better at dealing with people than I am, I think.
My new PVC pipe sign design developed a few bugs. In high winds, the whole thing will rotate down hinging on the T joint where the handle connects to the square frame. I like the ability to collapse the thing down and for variety, a roll of banner paper is much cheaper than an equivalent amount of poster board. Right now I'm thinking I need to drill some holes through the T and pipe and insert pins, but am not sure I'm geeky enough to go to those lengths.
We had a few of my old "A Critic's answer to the Question: What is Scientology[tm]?" fliers, but hadn't printed anything up on the back of them. (We'd tried sticking half of mirele's lisam flier there, but she's not into open systems flier design and the half we chose referred to the other half, thus clearly trying to lock us into a monopolistic proprietary flier OS. She also looks like Bill Gates if you squint.)
We managed to catch a break of some sort, and they made no effort to keep their people inside. I'm not sure if they've decided that a couple of picketers don't matter or if they felt themselves compelled to put on a show of confidence. Meklar's "$340,000 for salvation is a SCAM" sign caught some double takes from the people going in and out, so I think it had an effect. My sign said "Stop being Victims" [the "being was small in comparison to the other words, I'm not sure that was a good idea.] and "scienology is a SCAM" on the flip side. I mostly kept the scam side to the street and the victims side to the org.
We were hoping they'd tail us and show some life at the end there, but they were pretty inert. I'm leaning towards the view that they only have PI's handy if the picket was announced in advance and that it takes them 90 minutes or so to get together a response over the phone.
I did speak with one woman who'd taken the personality test and communications course 12 years ago. She'd just stopped receiving things in the mail 2 years ago. She thought the comm course was utter garbage and she mentioned that having her father call the org to tell them she was dead and receiving mail addressed to her was distressing had no effect on the amount. She found it incredibly damning that they would be so heartless. I figure that since she's taken a course, she must be one of the 8 million members. She thinks they're loony assholes. Scientology[tm] is expanding!
kEvin me@primenet.com