Las Vegas Picket Reports

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Subject: Re: Picket Report: Cult Caves In In Atlanta
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 21:06:30 GMT
Message-ID: <378a78c3.3973849@news.newsguy.com>

>, I
>saw one of the ladies hand a bible to the driver to lock in the
>car while they ate. I heard one of them say, "He's got some
>nerve." I remembered Ted Mayett having said that he once
>encountered an Hispanic man with a gun, ready to
>shoot him for picketing a church on Sunday, until he let the man
>know that it wasn't a real church.

Since questions will come of this anyway. For a few years now, every now and then through e-mail or the phone I tell people it is not wise to picket on a Sunday. I've dealt with street people several times who are irate because I am picketing what claims to be a church.

This one particular Sunday, a day of course I'll never forget, I'm doing a picket outside the big org. Two mexicans pull alongside in a car. Now the only thing that initially save me from getting shot was my standard response to wogs that waste my time with questions.
I have two standard responses to, "why are your picketing them?"
A: because i don't like them.
B: because they are a bunch of scumbags and I don't like them.
This time I had used A:

This particular day the street was open, there were no cars parked. The passenger repeated the question of "what are you picketing a _church_?". the word 'church' caught my attention, and I gave the guy my full attention. Now I notice the nasty look he has, I notice the driver is nervous and constantly checking traffic, I notice the guy's hand is hidden by the door of the car. And I realize he has a gun. I know he has a gun, and now he knows, I know he has a gun.

I'm fast, Marine trained and a Viet Nam veteran, I don't freeze over something like a weapon. So i looked around and there was no place to duck to, I saw that, and he saw that also. So I'm dead, no way out. I know this, he knows this. All the time the driver is saying "let's go man, come on man, what are we doing", things like that and he is constantly checking traffic. So I spread my arms, look right at the guy and tell him this is not a church, it is only a church for tax purposes. that is all i say. And we stare each other in the eyes for a few seconds, maybe 10-12.

He nods at me, he nods OK, so I turn my back to let him know I am not going to look at the license plate, to let him know this is between him and I and nothing to do with the police. They screech off. I left immediately and will not picket on a Sunday again alone. Maybe with 4 other people, then I would use the terrain and the other people as a buffer between myself and passing cars, it is just the way I am. I've been threatened with a drive-by shooting for picketing a church. I was almost shot for picketing a church on a Sunday.
the sign *does* say Church of Scientology.

Of course I remember what the would be shooter and the driver look like, I would spot either of them anywhere. For months afterwards i watched for them. Never did see them. But, they never did see me do a picket on a sunday again. there is nothing wrong with meeting these people half way.

If survival is an instinct you posses people, do not picket this cult on a sunday. Statistically it is a bad maneuver.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 2.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 1999 01:06:33 GMT
Message-ID: <37a638ac.738917@news.newsguy.com>

Big org, 4:20-4:55pm, vehicles 11

New sign. I have to make a new sign, this one is falling apart, paper clips don't hold it together anymore. It has been a lucky sign, never knocked down in a skirmish, when I was arrested out there, the sign managed to avoid being incarcerated itself. It has done pickets in three different states, it is over three years old now. The letters, drawn by magic-marker, are faded from the years of exposure to sunshine. The paper it is drawn on has cracks in it, the sign does not stand up straight anymore. The smallest breeze folds it in half.

It has been a good sign, may the next one save only the same amount of nameless newbies the financial snare of this criminal cult, if it does only that, it will be doing good. The new sign will be the same dimensions, same black letters on a white background.

org side:
Does
The Bridge(tm)
Really Cost
360 Thousand?
street side:
Needed -
Truth
In
Advertising

This sign had cost me $1.50 to assemble. I wonder how much money this Price sign has cost them though.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 3.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 01:25:16 GMT
Message-ID: <37a79537.296054@news.newsguy.com>

Big org, 4:35-5pm, vehicles 9

The new sign had a good first day out. It witnessed an almost acceptable vehicle count, there were no confrontations of any kind.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 4.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 01:30:03 GMT
Message-ID: <37a8dd13.77169@news.newsguy.com>

Big org, 5-5:15pm, vehicles 8

I got them, I had them last week, that is why they got confrontational, that is why I had to do TR-Sing-A-Song. The last 5-6 pickets were not needed, the count would have dropped anyway. But still, this Millennium thing is REAL, it is a new factor added to old calculations.

This was the longest the vehicle count ever withstood an assault by The Price Sign. BTW, things should never have deteriorated to the point of my having to use TR-SAS, I'm supposed to be better than that by now. I had made some serious tactical errors out there last month, now I need to re-train them all over again. Bah.

Later monkeys, I'm taking some time off now.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 19.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 19:27:04 GMT
Message-ID: <37be57b4.1437777@enews.newsguy.com>

Little org, 10:45A, 15 min. vehicles 3
I couldn't dance for more than 15 minutes, just too hot.

10:40A the big org had a vehicle count of 16-18. I should have done the picket there, but I wanted to do the little org. This count is disturbing. I know what it would take to knock it down properly, but haven't decided to do it yet. And I'm not even sure it can be stopped and reversed until the Millennium passes. I'm sure the count can be slowed down by picketing, but I'm not so sure it can really be reversed right now.

That org is not supposed to have a count like this after last month's onslaught with The Price sign.

Maybe some of you can get off your butts and go get some vehicle counts. I'd like to know San Jose, Mesa, Ann Arbor and Albuquerque. You lurkers can send counts also, by now you know I'm cool, I'll delete your e-mails.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 20.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 17:26:30 GMT
Message-ID: <37be8672.227202@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org, 8:50, 9:30A
We opened up for another day of business together.
Opening vehicles 9, closing count 14. HOWEVER, this count is subject to correction. I have to do an after-hours drive-by, some of the vehicles were parked in the same exact spot as yesterday.

While their weekday hours are 9-10:30pm
(quick aside: recall when I had made a post about the reduced hours at this org, it used to be 8-11pm, reduced to 9-10pm (weekdays). I had speculated they would not get away with this, that upper management would not tolerate the fact of losing the possible sale of a book or tape. well, they did not go back to 11pm, they must have compromised on 10:30pm)

Anyway, while the hours are 9-10:30, they already had vehicles there at 8:50am. They have a newbie female about 24 doing the purif, twinned with one of the new staff members. A different newbie they picked up a few months ago is now on staff. This one here has potential to become a 'problem-child'. The Purif-Pair are out tech... nothing new about that. I think the Dow Jones Industrial rose slightly, or maybe it fell, I have no idea at all.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 23.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 18:37:15 GMT
Message-ID: <37c493e6.1968051@enews.newsguy.com>

It was a two org kind of day. Opening dance performed at the big org, 9-9:30am, opening vehicle count 4-6, ending count 8-10. Little org until 10am, vehicles 4. Both pickets "uneventful".

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 26.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 21:29:51 GMT
Message-ID: <37c59e16.176864@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org, 12:13-12:50pm, vehicles 13

Almost Police action today. 12:42 I am just ready to leave and a police car approaches slowly, pulling over to the curb. But the guy doesn't stop, he is just looking at me. So I wave to him. Meantime a car comes along and the cop is basically forced to pull away. I watch and see where he turns. Now, at this point I have plenty of time to get away, he can't get back for at least 4 minutes. But I decide to wait, it has been a while since I danced with the cops here. 12:47 a cop car approaches, a different car, this one with a woman in it. She never even slows down and just goes by. So I wait until 12:50 anyway and the male cop never does come back.

The purif girl is still there, she does not laugh, she is hooked. :(

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 31.8.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 18:19:40 GMT
Message-ID: <37caca67.5449981@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org, 9:13-9:40am, vehicles 9, uneventful.

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Subject: Picket, Jive Aces, Stats, Vegas, 2 Sep 99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 22:14:32 GMT
Message-ID: <37ceea37.41889@enews.newsguy.com>

P/M - 'Be among them', that was the plan. Not to upset them, or disrupt them, or send them running. Just to walk among them. The operation was a total success.

1 Sep. the Jive Aces put on a show at the big org here at 7pm. I could not picket or do a vehicle count, just couldn't be there anywhere near that time frame. However, today they do two shows in book stores, on at 12pm and another tonight at 7pm. I attended the 12pm one, this is the report. BTW, I loosely count this as a picket.

A big Barnes and Noble bookstore in Henderson was the scene. I arrived at 11:20am to set the groundwork in the store itself. Not knowing how the local clams would react to my being there I arrived first to gain an edge. This part went smooth. 11:45 the Aces show up in a white van, Illinois Plates. They made a good entrance, it was impressive. The van pulls up, the doors open, and they swoop out and into the store Quickly. I would suppose they instantly spread apart inside and took over the shop. I would.

I let about 4 minutes pass then I go inside. I already have permission from the store to photograph the Aces, now I go right up to a group of three of them and ask their permission to photograph them. One of them poses by the dianetics and what is scientology display table they have set up quickly. There is not a local clam to be seen, so at this point they do not know who I am. I take a picture and toss out the first verbal probe, I want to know which of them are "marks" and which are paying attention. The opening clue I give is to say that a friend of mine saw them in Tottenham England. I purposely don't say Tottenham Rd, but rather imply that I think Tottenham is a city or something. Immediately one of them has me 'made', the other two are clueless. I ask if they will be starting on time, the answer is no because the van with the equipment is lost. (easy enough to do in this part of the city) They ask will I be there for the show, I assure them I will be here the entire time.

So i wander off for a bit, then come back and ask for another foto. The monkey that has me made says "no", says why don't I just wait for the show to start. The show did not start until about 1:05pm.

Now this Ace clam is not really sure about me, so I isolate a different Ace and give him another clue by asking about dictionaries and how I know they know all about them. He asks what kind of work I do. I say web page maintenance, this clue registers.

the lost van, a rental moving truck, finally arrives and the equipment is being set up. Still no local clams in sight. there are 6 band members, 2 females, one of them does a song. And a male shill. I've got the shill made, I've got them all made, and as the equipment is being set-up I let them know it by standing Right-next-to-them.

What I'm doing is wandering the shop for this hour and sneaking up on them using different isles. I keep them always looking for me, looking to see where I'm at. Every time I catch the shill's eye I smile. Now the equipment is tuned, the show is ready to start.

One of the females and myself do a dance jockeying for position. She wants more pictures of me and I make it difficult to do. the music starts and then I sneak up on her and say "hello". She does a little jump and I tell her they already have a lot of pictures of me.
"Who"?. cclv and the sahara org. "They do"?. Yes, they have my name address and phone number. She asks if I am a member. I say "No, I picket often". This makes her flinch. She asks, "Who are you?". so I give her my name, this leaves her feeling clever (amazing). I tell her I am not here to cause any problems. She is confused by this and I walk away leaving her confused. Meantime, the band played on. As each song ended I joined right in with the applause.

They did about 30 minutes of music, quite decent I thought. There was no crowds at all, at most counting me, 4 spectators on and off. they did not do a sales pitch.

I put on a great show IMHO. Good use of terrain and good use of timing. By the time the band finished everyone knew I was an "sp". When I say everyone, I mean nobody existed in that bookstore except them and me. Customers and employees had nothing to do with this. I walked among them, I ruined the show. No t-shirts or picket signs or flyers. Just timing and use of the terrain to confuse them.

As a fall back I had my picket sign in the trunk of the car, had one Xenu flyer and a copy of Karin Spaink's OT3 stuffed in my shirt in case I had to send local monkeys running.

Tonights show is at a bookstore about 15 miles from me. I'm not even sure I will attend. I don't think I have to. they will be looking for me, they will be anticipating me, their effectiveness will be impeded. By now the local clams know I was there and will maybe be expecting me tonight. Even typing this does not hurt as they know I bluff and use misdirection often. So they won't know until it is over if I will show up or not. they just don't know.

The aces openly admit to a scientology connection in the flyer for this, they call it something like a 'what is scientology promotional tour'. I call it a terrible flop, a dramatic waste of money/time.

The boys are healthy, it is evident the eat and sleep properly. the female with the camera had her hair pinned up, she did not do her hair today. her name is Shelly. I would have asked for her last name, but I knew she would not give it.

I'll do a reply to this post when I have some pictures scanned and webbed.

Stats for the Pope. In the store was the following:
1 slant on life, 1 fundamentals of thought, 6 dianetics/one in spanish, 2 wis. Sorry, forgot to check for invaders plan etc.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 9.3.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Fri, 03 Sep 1999 23:56:11 GMT
Message-ID: <37d05621.50341@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org, 11:-11:15am, vehicles 10,
no traces of the aces. Seems they have moved on.

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 11.9.99
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 20:23:20 GMT
Message-ID: <37dcb28f.806572@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org, 10:45-11:30am, vehicles 8.
There was a second picketer, a critic who pickets elsewhere. (S)he will report upon returning home.

I had told this person that my monkeys are well behaved monkeys, and they were today. No confrontations at all. Once this person posts I will put up some pictures. Oh yes, we did about 2 minutes, little org

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Subject: Picket, Vegas, 13.10.99, Lucky Day
From: Ted.Mayett@worldnet.att.net (Ted Mayett)
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 02:47:13 GMT
Message-ID: <38063e57.6213163@enews.newsguy.com>

Big org 3:33-4:03pm, vehicles 13. Uneventful, except for...

This has never happened before, immediately I walked into 5 newbies, by about 3:36pm 5 newbies had been stopped in their tracks by the Price Sign. And if that wasn't good enough, one of them came back out and laughed at me. When he went inside I allowed a big smile to cross my face. Once they laugh at me they leave soon. It always happens this way. OTOH, that young Valet girl I spoke of a few months back, we crossed paths three different times, she never laughed, she is still in there. Wish I had been there sooner with that one :(

A new and interesting sign is up at the big org here, it is on two different doors. The sign reads: "Attention Public and Staff - notify RECEPTION when you arrive and depart the org." there is some smaller print I could not read, 'reception' is in bold letters. the sign is about 11 inches square. I don't understand the reason for this sign, perhaps they are having problems with theft???

Left the big org, went to the little org to see if they also had this sign, vehicles 6, they do not have the sign. BUT, zapped another newbie with the Price sign there in a 10 minute picket.

To reach 6 newbies in less than one hour exceeds the odds I've come to accept here... this was a very lucky day.

As always I do more vehicle counts, than postings about vehicle counts. While I'm not particularly happy with a count as high as 13, considering the nearness of the millennium... I'm comfortable with it. If i were to have put a Line on the Vegas big org count, I would have put it at 24 for this date. I still think December will find them with an average count in the high 20's, I don't think pickets will stop it either... we shall see.

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