Author Topic: The Water Fountain  (Read 1447 times)

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Offline shaggys

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The Water Fountain
« on: September 13, 2010, 05:14:58 PM »
In Straight inc we all sat in a really big room with row upon row of blue chairs. On one side of the group were the bathrooms and in between the bathrooms was a water fountain. This water fountain was fully functional with nice cold water to drink. The water fountain was a constant reminder of what you needed and wanted but couldn't have. Sometimes after a really intense Exercise Rap we would all line up at the waterfountain. 200 kids lining up at a single water fountain. Then each phaser was allowed a drink from the fountain. This usually consisted of a sip lasting a couple of seconds. A staff member stood by the fountain regulating the duration of the sip we could receive. That is the only times that fountain was used. The fountain would sit there for days without anyone ever being allowed to drink. I see now why it was there. A source of constant torment. Like holding a steak in front a starving dog and never letting him have a bite. Just another way to beat you down. Does anybody remember stuff like this from other programs? Please respond.

BTW I can only speak to what was in the Atlanta Straight building. I am curious whether or not the other buildings had a water fountain as well. Straightlings?
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline DannyB II

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2010, 06:38:35 PM »
Was this the building in Smyrna, Ga. off Atlanta Rd by the Naval Air Staion and the railroad tracks. The building I own I believe is not far from that site.
Elan 5,  would put dinner out on the table and let it sit there for hours while we all stared at it, Marty felt this was a great punishment for minor infractions, like making to much noise or more then one person acting out. At about 10 or 11 o'clock he would let us eat our cold food. When gravy is cold it starts to solidify, uck......
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline shaggys

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2010, 06:46:32 PM »
Quote from: "DannyB II"
Was this the building in Smyrna, Ga. off Atlanta Rd by the Naval Air Staion and the railroad tracks. The building I own I believe is not far from that site.
Elan 5,  would put dinner out on the table and let it sit there for hours while we all stared at it, Marty felt this was a great punishment for minor infractions, like making to much noise or more then one person acting out. At about 10 or 11 o'clock he would let us eat our cold food. When gravy is cold it starts to solidify, uck......

The Atlanta Straight building was located on Austell road right off Windy Hill. I believe it is Marietta GA.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline DannyB II

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2010, 07:06:05 PM »
Quote from: "shaggys"
Quote from: "DannyB II"
Was this the building in Smyrna, Ga. off Atlanta Rd by the Naval Air Staion and the railroad tracks. The building I own I believe is not far from that site.
Elan 5,  would put dinner out on the table and let it sit there for hours while we all stared at it, Marty felt this was a great punishment for minor infractions, like making to much noise or more then one person acting out. At about 10 or 11 o'clock he would let us eat our cold food. When gravy is cold it starts to solidify, uck......

The Atlanta Straight building was located on Austell road right off Windy Hill. I believe it is Marietta GA.

Yeah, your right it was there, I know exactly where you are talking about. It is Marietta, what a dummy, I got a email from another person from Straight who asked me how many times am I going to ask this question. I swear I have dementia. I keep wanting to place it in Smyrna, did you have a Straight building burn down in the Atlanta area, maybe that was where I want to place it.  
 
Thank you
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Stand and fight, till there is no more.

Offline Anne Bonney

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2010, 07:08:00 PM »
Quote from: "shaggys"
In Straight inc we all sat in a really big room with row upon row of blue chairs. On one side of the group were the bathrooms and in between the bathrooms was a water fountain. This water fountain was fully functional with nice cold water to drink. The water fountain was a constant reminder of what you needed and wanted but couldn't have. Sometimes after a really intense Exercise Rap we would all line up at the waterfountain. 200 kids lining up at a single water fountain. Then each phaser was allowed a drink from the fountain. This usually consisted of a sip lasting a couple of seconds. A staff member stood by the fountain regulating the duration of the sip we could receive. That is the only times that fountain was used. The fountain would sit there for days without anyone ever being allowed to drink. I see now why it was there. A source of constant torment. Like holding a steak in front a starving dog and never letting him have a bite. Just another way to beat you down. Does anybody remember stuff like this from other programs? Please respond.

BTW I can only speak to what was in the Atlanta Straight building. I am curious whether or not the other buildings had a water fountain as well. Straightlings?


The Gandy bldg in St. Pete, which was built specifically by and for Straight, had the exact same setup and they'd use it the exact same way.  Dixie cup of water with "lunch" and, if staff felt like it, we'd be "rewarded" with a SIP from the fountain and yes, even after a marathon or exercise rap.  For those that don't know, "marathon raps" lasted anywhere from 2 - 6 hours or more.  We were made to dress in warm, layered clothing, including sweaters plus coasts/jackets....the heat was turned up as far as it could go (we're in fucking FLORIDA mind you) and we were sectioned off in a smaller part of the building.  300 - 450 kids "motivating" (ughhhh, I can hardly even begin how to describe it...does someone have a video quick at hand?) to get called on to "confess" their worst sin, or more often, confront someone who wasn't "being honest" with confessing their worst sin. It created so much humidity in the room that the walls were sweating.  They brought in the big, industrial sized garbage cans - ahead of time because they knew this would happen -  for kids to vomit in from the overheating.

It seems to be one of the common threads amongst these places to withhold either food or hydration or both....especially in the "wilderness camps".
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
traight, St. Pete, early 80s
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Offline shaggys

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2010, 04:50:31 PM »
Those raps were called "bust ass raps" in Atlanta, Straight They were done in the carpet room. The heat was unbeievable and the smell...well you can imagine. Blue plastic chairs with pools of sweat in the seat. Anne I wish we had a good video of one of those things to show evryone what it was really like. You just cant convey the absolute absurdity and sheer madness of one of those raps by using words alone. Maybe one day somebody will do a movie which accuratley shows a "bust ass rap" in full effect. A real horror show.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline shaggys

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Re: The Water Fountain
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2010, 07:07:23 PM »
On those occasions when we could line up for a sip from the water fountain, you always wanted to be near the front of that line. The water was cold for the first couple of dozen sips or so. A cool drink of water was such a luxury.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »