Subject: picket report, Mountain View, 11/10/98
From: humanrights@racerrecords.com (Kristi Wachter)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 23:26:25 -0800
Message-ID: <humanrights-1011982326250001@racer.vip.best.com>

Picket Report, Tuesday, November 10, 1998
Mountain View

SUMMARY:

Suppressives: Keith, Elvis, and me
Date/Time: 11/10/98, 12:55 - 1:25 pm
Tools: sign, disposable camera, tape recorder
Weather: cloudy and drizzly
Foot Traffic: minimal
Street Traffic: steady
Scn Response: busy
General Passerby Response: very favorable
Stats: 3 fliers - 1 each of "$cn costs a mint/Is $cn breaking the law?", Lisa, and criminal allegations

Note: as I do NOT have perfect memory and I don't check everything against my tape recording, any quotes below are very close paraphrases. I apologize for any inadvertent inaccuracies and will try to correct any errors that are pointed out to me.

OVERLONG NARRATIVE:

Recent intimidation tactics by local Scientologists (pickets at Keith's home and at mine on Sunday, plus Elvis' car break-in) pulled in a three-person picket in Mountain View today.

BEANS 'N' RICE

The Color Guard (that'd be me) of the ARSCC(wdne)-SF liased with members of the ARSCC(wdne,e)-South Bay for a strategy conference and general merriment at the new Mexican restaurant next door to the Dianetics office in Mountain View.

The ARSCC Mess Officers / Restaurant Review Committee has submitted an official Recommendation for the restaurant, the name of which, alas, escapes me. (<sigh> If only I were a Clear ...) We sampled the tacos, enchildas, and hefty burritos. They were not only tasty, but extremely reasonable. (Clearly not a Scientology establishment; as we all know, Scientologists are warned against being reasonable.) The people were friendly, too.

Not unlike the Sea Org, we plan to come back, again and again. (Unlike most Sea Org, though, we'll have funds for more than just beans and rice - although the beans and rice were excellent, as well.)

RAISING A REACTION

Well fed and warmed, we headed out to assemble picket signs. (We had parked in the lot, where we could keep a watchful eye on our vehicles.) I donned my trademark red sweatshirt.

It's amazing what a difference an extra picketer makes. I've never picketed Mountain View with two other people before, and it was a whole new experience.

The Scientologists were far more visible than I'd ever seen them at Mt. View. One drove into the lot just as we started picketing; he stopped his car in the middle of the lot, ran into the org, then came back out and wrote down all our picket sign slogans. (He yelled over, "You guys just love to give us more money, don't you?" I'm guessing that was a libel suit threat or something, rather than a "pickets bring in new recruits" line, but who knows.) We had lots of people popping in and out of the office, despite the cold and damp, including one or two with clipboards.

The public reaction was exponentially greater, too. Usually it's just a stray honk or two as the cars whiz by, but we got LOTS of honks and waves this time. Three is definitely the magic number at Mt. View.

There seemed to be a fair number of people coming into the Dianetics office (don't ask me what that number is; I wasn't counting. Maybe Keith was?). Keith speculated that they may be rerouting customers over here and away from San Jose.

The lone pedestrian who came by declined a flier and went into the franchise. However, one of the gentlemen from the restaurant asked what the picket was about, and I spent a few minutes with him explaining Lisa, the criminal allegations, the high prices, the coerced abortions, and the upcoming December protests.

It started drizzling right at the half-hour mark, so we packed up and went our separate ways.

Personally, I'm already hungry for some more tasty Mexican food. Any ARSCC-South Bay operatives interested in meeting for lunch? Drop me an e-mail.

I dedicate this picket to Ben, my revenge picketer.

Kristi

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