ALLEY CAT

MV Progress Report

About

ALLEY CAT, aka Shitty Kitty

The Alley Cat is a 1985 International Fire Truck reincarnated into a large ass Mutant Vehicle. Born from the imagination of Holden Mercolino, aka Kevin.

CONCEPT ART

An idea is like a fart in the wind without hard work and passion, but with those two elements you can make shit happen.

ORIGIN STORY

Legend has it, the kitty was bought for $20 at a Chinese night market and they were explicitly told not to feed it after midnight. “Instructions be damned” said the artist, and the Shitty Kitty was born.

TRANSFORMATION

The kitty is made to resemble a calico robot cat with a human sized scratching post/ castle on top. The front has a feline face with a base structure of rebar welded to a dom tubing base. Carpet, fabric, scrap metal, and wood were employed to shape the eyes, ears, and snout of the face. Eyes and teeth are backlit by multicolor Led strips.

The water tank, pumps, tool racks, siren and some basic framing have been removed. The rear of the MV includes a tail made of rebar, PVC, fabric and includes a hanging bike rack. This year we are looking to extend the steering column, as well as the gas and brake pedals to give greater visibility and control to the MV pilot.

UPGRADES

This year we are planning on adding an upper deck to the rear of the kitty.

Embellishing and beautifying the tail.

Reworking and/or upgrading some of the body panels.

Adding shiny material to the body underneath the metal panels to improve daytime shininess and camouflage the base of the vehicle.

INTENT

The Alley Cat is an interactive art piece that is entertaining to look at both day and night, and pleasing to touch and scratch. The kitty is meant to be inviting and inclusive AF. Having spent many years on the playa chasing art cars and looking for rides to nowhere only to be denied entry or picked up and taken to the “biggest show" and then dropped off with disappointingly little interaction with the crew or car, our number one intention is cat herding. This means rescuing those lost and in need of direction and intentionally picking up and making lost those in need of finding a new nowhere.

Over the last 8+ years Kevin has volunteered to drive and spot for several Mutant Vehicles, Torch and the matrimonial dome to name two. After all that experience and research on playa he is incredibly excited to share his own MV for its third year on playa.

We will bring plenty of extra water on board for thirsty kitties and provide bike racks for those in need. Riders will be encouraged to channel their inner kitty by meowing and scratching to get in the mood- whatever that is.

LIGHTING

The lighting is intended to illuminate the vehicle in the outline of a cat as well as illuminate the interior and upper deck for the safety of passengers. Four hundred feet of color changing LED rope lights surround the body, interior of the face and along the sides. The deck and stairs are illuminated by Led plastic globe lights. The vehicle is also equipped with directional flood lights.

LEVELS

There are two levels; stairs with railings lead to top level. The stairs are wide enough to accommodate side by side traffic. Stairs will have a team member on site at all times and stairs will be closed to traffic during motion.

SOUND

Our current sound system is Soundbok bluetooth speakers- https://soundboks.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115004910453-WATTAGE-

SB2

Our sound impact will be mitigated by giving generous consideration to neighborhood areas of playa by turning the sound system off or playing at very low volumes when driving through- especially at late hours. When driving through crowds of people in open playa consideration will be given to volume levels as to not damage hearing.

SAFETY

Fashion first, fun second, safety third. Not on this kitty! Safety is our number one concern and we will be considering all possible hazards. All decking will have railing of sufficient height and be properly integrated into the frame. Our single staircase will have railings and be sized to minimize falls.

The alley cat is designed to only be boarded when stopped. Doors on either side of the vehicle will be the only entry and exit points. Doors will only be opened when the MV is completely stopped and parked. There will be a minimal amount of electric components and wires on board. The lights will be powered but generators and out of reach of passengers. The sound system is a battery powered bluetooth, so it will not require any wires.

This Vehicle is designed to carry an extra 10,000 lbs in weight. It has also been stripped of several thousand lbs of material. This makes us confident that our load capacity and braking system will be adequate.

The MV will be outfitted with a PA system so that the driver and spotters can communicate with passengers. This communication will help to reduce dangerous behavior and let others know the intended direction and locomotion of the MV.

OPERATING PROCEDURES

Before operating the vehicle crew must run a safety checklist:

Are all doors latched?

Are levers, ropes, bikes, arms and legs, secured and fastened?

Is the vehicle properly fueled?

Is anything leaking?

Is anyone or anything underneath the Vehicle?

Are all passengers informed of imminent departure?

If nighttime, are ALL lights illuminated?

Do generators have sufficient fuel for the duration of the drive?

Are stairs roped and traffic cleared, no moving between levels while in motion.

Double check for people or objects underneath vehicle before departure. After crew has communicated “all clear,” vehicle may depart.

While driving crew must remain vigilant. Climbing of any sort by passengers while driving must be stopped immediately or communicated to pilot so vehicle can stop. Spotters must help pilot with incoming people or objects at all times.

While in crowds or navigating interior roads spotters will help pilot with turns and obstacles, as helping to let traffic know where vehicle is going.

PILOT: Along with driving the vehicle safely and soberly, the Pilot is in charge of the PA system. Letting passengers and pedestrians know when the vehicle is moving is the foremost priority. When making turns or navigating streets, horns, sirens, and/or the PA should be utilized.

CoPilot: Helping the pilot be aware of any and all obstacles as well as organize communication with spotters. Communicating with passengers and pedestrians to maintain safety. Copilot will keep an eye on passengers to make sure everyone is being safe and will inform pilot if stops need to be made for any reason.

Spotters: are responsible for helping vehicle to navigate safely through playa. this includes making sure all obstacles are known to pilot as well as to inform pedestrians of the vehicle’s path. They are also responsible for communicating the rules of riding with passengers.

Passengers will be informed that to ride the vehicle rules must be followed. no climbing or moving between levels while the vehicle is in motion. No entering of the pilots cab while the vehicle is moving will be allowed.

Passengers must hold on or secure themselves while the vehicle is moving.

The vehicle will be equipped with a certified fire extinguisher and first aid kit located inside the cab of the vehicle.

Enter/Exit Procedures:

The vehicle must always be stopped before entry and exit procedures can begin. The driver of the Vehicle will signal to copilot and spotters that vehicle will be coming to a stop. This information will be passed on to passengers so they can brace themselves if necessary.