Subject: picket report, Mountain View, 12/17/98
From: humanrights@racerrecords.com (Kristi Wachter)
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 23:32:21 -0800

Loc: Mountain View
Time: 12:30 - 1:10
Fliers: About 10
Handlers: Robin

kEvin and I put in a 40-minute picket this afternoon, just in time for Thursday stats.

I arrived at the Mt. View franchise at 12:31; kEvin had been there for three minutes already and I could tell by the way he held his sign that I was LATE. I had my sign and my slightly ratty sandwich board, "Scn is a scam / Did Scn kill Rodney Rimando?" The weather was GORGEOUS - a perfect day to be outside.

I did a lot of Wave Tech, which was very successful, but mostly kEvin and I strolled and chatted.

A car pulled out of the parking lot with three young people in it, who stopped and asked about our picket. The gentleman in the back seat said they had been recruited and his friends were going to try it, but he was having his doubts. We gave them fliers and explained our concerns. They were about the age of Astara Wong, or maybe of Rodney Rimando. They seemed to be very interested in what we had to say and grateful for the fliers (Lisas, Rodneys, and a Xenu).

We usually don't give out that many fliers in Mt. View, but by the time our handler came out to snap photos and asked for fliers, I was fresh out. I offered to get more from my car, but she declined. She talked with us for a bit - I photographed her after she photographed us, and I held out my hand and introduced myself. She shook my hand and said her name was Robin. I said, "Nice to meet you," and she said she would say the same, but seeing as how we were inciting hatred ...

Sigh.

She was actually quite nice and fairly coherent. She did a pretty good job of answering our questions, but she only stayed to talk with us for about 15-20 minutes - she had better things to do, she said, like getting on with her toy drive. (Nevertheless, she managed to keep us out there for at least ten minutes longer than we had planned.) Indeed, she kept us talking so long that I did get more fliers from my car and give her a couple (a Lisa and a Rodney).

As we sat down to order lunch at Los Dos Hermanos, I saw her piling toys into her car, so I popped out and asked if I could take a picture of her doing good works. She suggested I shoot the barrel full of toys instead, but since people interest me more than still lifes, I took a second picture of her with a toy truck in her arms.

As soon as I get my photos developed, I'll post it on the web, with an appropriate caption about her doing good works. Hubbard may have intended that it all be for PR purposes, but she seemed to genuinely be in the spirit of things. (kEvin was asking her about how a toy drive fit in with Scn's exchange concepts, and she explained that what a child usually contributes is a smile or laughter. I did bring up children working in orgs and so on, which she acknowledged, but I do think she was doing it out of the goodness of her heart, and I'm glad she was doing it.)

kEvin and I munched our lunch and talked, then both headed back to our busy offices.

No sign of a counter-picket in San Francisco.

My best wishes to Robin for a happy winter-season holiday - and thanks to kEvin for joining me! Kristi

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