by Mike Rinder It was a beautiful day in Pinellas County, sunny and warm. I was standing in a secluded parking lot in shorts and flip-flops talking on the phone while I was waiting for Christie to come out of the doctor’s office (nothing wrong, she consults on nutrition). I was not really paying attention to anything but was engaged in conversation. I turned around and suddenly there were 7 people dressed in “business attire” walking towards me, now about 10 feet away: Jenny Linson, David Bloomberg, Sue “David Miscavige is Scientology” Wilhere, Guillaume “on no post but from International Management” Lesevre, Andrew Rinder (my brother), Taryn Rinder (my daughter) and Cathy Rinder/Bernadini (though she uses another name she kept screaming that she is my wife?). They looked more than a little out of place in their “power suits” (except my brother who was dressed in a polo shirt and looked normal).

They started right in — it was just like being in the hole — 7 people surrounding you yelling and screaming “You are a fucking SP”, “Stop doing what you are doing”, “You are going to die”, “You are trying to destroy Scientology”, “You are hurting your family”, “You disconnected from your family”, “You are killing your mother”, “Stay away from Benjamin” (this last was a little strange given the statements that I refuse to communicate with anyone in my family) etc. etc. etc.

The rabble was led by Jenny Linson and Cathy Neal/Rubio/Rinder/Bernardini – doing a perfect imitation of DM frothing at the mouth and yelling obscenities. Guillaume said virtually nothing. Bloomberg tried to be Mr. Big and told me several times “Stop what you are doing.” Sue Wilhere said nothing. My brother who is an OT 8 but not a Sea Org member was the most civil and sensible and actually seemed to want to communicate something other than screaming “You’re an SP”. My daughter Taryn is a Gold staff member and is indoctrinated into the wonders of Ideal Orgs and I feel some pangs of guilt that I raised her in the SO and that she is now caught in the web of lies. And of course, lurking in the background were the ever present PIs in sunglasses.

When I told my brother that I would talk to him without the assembled peanut gallery, the screaming only increased with “Tone 40” commands from Jenny to “Shutup and listen” and “you ARE going to hear us”. I think he was a little surprised to see what he had gotten himself into. Little does he know what really goes on – but perhaps he is going to now realize from personal experience that the “goodness and light” image that DM tries to portray isn’t quite what it seems.

But, DM couldn’t have foreseen that his little ambush squad would approach me when I was on the phone with John Sweeney from the BBC in the midst of a recorded interview! So, everything the DMbots said was recorded as it went down by the BBC. Of course, they were under strict orders from DM about what they were to do, so they just barged ahead with their craziness. That’s the breaks when people in fear are operating on orders – they cannot make a decision if something changes. No “think for yourself”…. In fact, when I informed them they were being recorded by the BBC they seemed to take it as a challenge to their manhood (womanhood? bitchhood?) as if I was trying to trick them (cunning SP that I am). So, it was all recorded (audio only unfortunately) and they couldn’t have done a better job of convincing the BBC of Miscavige’s insanity and that everything that is said about how people are treated by him and that they will sign perjured affidavits is absolutely, utterly true. You often hear “he pulled it in” – a much overused justification that some (including DM) use to explain their overts on others – I couldn’t help but think that DM just “pulled it in.”

Jenny kept screaming about how I WAS going to listen to them (I guess she thinks I take orders from her or else she is going to take away my eternity?) and I told her and the assembled others to “Fuck Off” (if this ever airs on US TV there will be a LOT of bleeps though they will get the unadulterated version in the UK). I then attempted to get in my car and leave. A scuffle ensued with Dave Bloomberg, Jenny and Cathy holding the car door open as I tried to close it to drive away and my brother taking my keys out of the ignition as I grabbed his hand and bent his finger back (until he told me I was going to break it and I let go). It wasn’t good odds. So, I got out of the car to go into the doctor’s office to call the police. More scuffling ensued as I tried to make my way 50 feet to the door. My sunglasses were knocked off and someone trod on them (my brother later insisted I take his nicer glasses to replace them).

By this time, the doctor and her staff had heard the ruckus outside and she came to the door and told me I could come in and nobody else was welcome. Cathy and Taryn barged their way into the doctor’s office saying “he’s my husband” and “he’s my father”. She told them she didn’t care who they were, it was her office and they weren’t welcome (the rest of the gang were blabbering incoherently at the door). During the scuffles, Cathy had somehow sustained a cut on her arm that was bleeding. The doctor tried to 8C her out of her reception area and Cathy started yelling at the doctor “He’s my husband, and you have my blood on your hands”. Pretty bizarre. That was after she had shouted at Christie in front of the Doctor in her reception area “You, you’re a fucking little bitch.”

The doctor asked if I wanted her to call the police. I told her yes, as I wanted the record made then and there as no doubt the Church would try to claim that I hurt Cathy’s arm and (of course they waited until there were no other witnesses to approach me 7 on 1). I have no idea how her arm was grazed, Jenny Linson might have bitten her in the throws of her frothing insanity for all I know.

The doctor locked her doors and she and her staff were too scared to venture outside until the police arrived. They were literally terrified. She even called her next patient and canceled the appointment. More excellent PR area control for Scientology in the Clearwater community!

The doctor also called the paramedics due to the blood on Cathy’s arm. The paramedics arrived within a couple of minutes and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department (6 cars) showed up about 5 minutes later. Of course, the real chickenshit rats scurried away before the Sheriff’s arrived – Linson, Lesevre and Bloomberg jumped in their cars and drove off as I waved fondly. But Cathy was stuck in the ambulance, so Sue Wilhere stayed with her. So did my brother and daughter – the only two civil ones amongst them. Everyone made statements to the Sheriff’s, as did the doctor and Christie. I am sure Sue and Cathy would rather have left, but they were kind of stuck.

Just before the Sheriff’s arrived, I asked where my car keys were. The assembled mob said “they didn’t know.” I told them that would really be a problem as soon as the police arrived – and suddenly Sue Wilhere “found them”. Childish isn’t the right word for this sort of behavior.

Now, for anyone who thinks I should have “pressed charges” I can assure it would have been a waste of time. This sort of thing is orchestrated to be 7 on 1 (not counting PIs) with no witnesses for a reason. These people will say anything – even under oath – and would simply claim that I attacked someone first (not true) and it would be a long, drawn out procedure that would, in the end, accomplish nothing. And make no mistake, it was a carefully staged (if botched) operation, they waited until I was alone as my brother said they had seen me yesterday (and all I did was ride my bike with Christie and Shane to the park so they were out stalking in the neighborhood). The police DO have all the statements from the witnesses and they issued a trespass warning to the Church people who didn’t flee. There was little else they could do.

Don’t worry, because better than criminal charges that go nowhere – it was all recorded by the BBC as it went down. And that is far more devastating in the long run.

As for my brother and daughter (who I did manage to speak to alone for a few minutes), I told them they both looked good and I was very happy to see that. I also told them they don’t know what is going on and challenged Taryn about the Ideal Orgs and how off policy it is and whether she thinks Miscavige beating people is acceptable. And with my brother, I asked him if he knew what inurnment is because Miscavige is engaged in it and he is going to destroy the Church through his out ethics. Of course, under the circumstances they aren’t going to agree with me. But maybe they will think about it. My brother asked me for my phone number so he could call me to have dinner, just him and me “if he can get permission.” I gladly gave it to him and told him any time. But if he is going to ask permission, it’s never going to happen. One day I hope he will decide to do it on his own.

If anyone needed current proof that the activities of the Hole are still ongoing, it was played out in full living color today. It was vintage DM, gang-bang yelling and screaming, attempting to drive in anchor points and intimidate. Problem is that it occurred in the parking lot of a doctor’s office in Clearwater. The doors weren’t barred. There was no Security Force muscle and there ARE phones with which to call law enforcement. So, it didn’t work out so well for DM. In fact, as has become his personal trademark, he delivered himself yet another massive footbullet.

Meanwhile, he sits stewing in massive MWH phenomena, lashing out with wild animal reactions, wondering which of his crimes is going to be exposed next.

And he should be worried.