Camp Sponsored Portos

[spacetime]

We had two of these at 6&i. I don't remember the camp but I believe there was some fake plants, lighting and a few fresheners in there. I didn't use them, because I mostly used the guys express porto on the end or whatever's free next so I can get away as soon as possible.

But I heard nothing but praise for the two Portos.

People seemed to think that the special status of them meant people who used them kept them more clean than normal. (But perhaps it was monitoring by the camp?)

Anyhow, I was curious if this is a regular practice, if anyone saw these or others and general feedback on this community gifting.

[AntiM]

It happens sporadically. Sometimes they just get extra trashed because people are mean and petty. As long as the decor does not interfere with the pumpers trucks, and is not MOOPy, and everything is removed promptly, it is a nice gesture.

Personally, I object to incense, oils and perfumes in the potty. Scent sensitivity. I'd rather smell poo than sneeze explosively half the day.

I think standing by the portos in a maid outfit and cleaning would be useful and hilarious performance art.

[DrYes]

I like that a lot better than the asshat who dropped a recording of someone yelling for help in one of the porta-potties....

[danibel]

At 5 and G/H, there were two portos with caution tape x'd across the door. Unless you were in the know, you probably skipped these, but inside was a basket with wipes to clean the seat, with a waste basket, and air freshener. I thought it was a nice touch. In the past I have seen a man that decks out a single porto with red carpet and has all the extras you may have forgotten (hand sanitizer, tampons, mouthwash, perfume, ext). Also - this bank had extra evening service of rolls of TP delivered by the awesome Elliot!

I do know that for some, the air freshener is not optimal, but for those of us who enjoy a bit of flowery scent, it was a nice change.

One thing that I noticed this year - I am not really bothered by the smell of the portos. Not that I like the smell of shit and piss, it's just that I it doesn't bother me. Is this weird?

[FIGJAM]

If people would just close the lids after use the smell all goes up the vent pipe.

[maladroit]

If people would just close the lids after use the smell all goes up the vent pipe.

Do you think you could solve this problem somehow with a PC fan or an impact driver?

[tahiti_treat]

I found a special potty this year. It was decorated in purple wall hangings, with metallic swirly things hanging from the ceiling, a lilac air freshener, and best of all: a sign on the door saying "Imagine Nicholas Cage narrating everything you are doing right now". I did and it was wonderful.

[pink]

Decorating random portos has been going on for a long time. As has been Porto inspired performance art like the porto pottie valet described above. I saw the valet at a Porto bank two years ago and ran out to use it, even though I didnt really have to pee.

[VultureChow]

If people would just close the lids after use the smell all goes up the vent pipe.

Do you think you could solve this problem somehow with a PC fan or an impact driver?

Put the lid down, NOW!

[forty_eight]

If people would just close the lids after use the smell all goes up the vent pipe.

this people, this

my wife told me about that Nic Cage narration porto ... fucking hilarious!

[Jovankat]

That's what makes the difference?!

I had been wondering how a nearly empty porto could be unbearably stinky while a fuller one less stinky. I know it's not as important as killing the baby wipe beast but that seems like something to general public should be informed of!

[maladroit]

Maybe a sign could be installed above the lid...a sign NOT in prose, so people will bother to read it

[GreyCoyote]

Might be fun to make a couple of "super-JOTs" complete with a solar panel and a computer fan on the stack to evacuate the stinky. Combined this with a closed lid and it might help reduce the midday temperature inside to something more bearable.

Once this gets debugged, a row of potties with FIGJAM coolers on the backside would be epic!!

[maladroit]

All the decorations and stuff aren't a big deal, but some inspector would probably love to get upset about something that actually modifies the normal behavior of the thing. I imagine there are various standards and regulations involved.

[theCryptofishist]

I'm sure it's covered in Robbidobbs' thread, but nothing attached with anything other than zipties and duct tape, and no holes cut.

[spacetime]

I'm sure it's covered in Robbidobbs' thread, but nothing attached with anything other than zipties and duct tape, and no holes cut.

Did not see this thread. For anyone else interested in improving the Porto experience for others: viewtopic.php?f=82&t=8935

[robbidobbs]

OH FOR THE LOVE OF GAWD PLEASE JUST STOP!!!
Let me break this down for you:
Anything in the portos can and WILL jump into the drink.
For every bottle there are 3 pieces of probable moop - the lid, the contents and the base.
Anything on the ledge impares cleaning. Anything scented will be heated to over 120 degrees in an enclosed space.
Anything in baskets will jump in, and after all the bottles are in the schmoo, you now have a handy garbage can for participants to fill up. I know, I have pictures of this phenomenon.
I am not interested in declarations, swearing on your mothers grave or fastidious accountings and inventories of said items. For every one unit that is good, serves as an example to some dipshit to do it wrong. It's the feather argument to be quite blunt.
DO NOT PUT FLOWERS, GARLANDS OR OTHER MOOP FACTORIES IN MY PORTA POTTIES!
Posters, graffiti, and lighting are ok as long as they are removed at the end of the event.
You want to get on my good side? Make your poster art educational, not just fluffy pretty stuff.

I have emailed USS Operations manager Mike re this phenomenon, requesting his feedback from a servicing perspective. I have held the door innumerable times for the employees, and am intimately familiar with how they are serviced. If there is something they have to "work around" this slows them. If in their haste something breaks off, they dispose of it. This slows them down. They should only have to deal with tp, not your bullshit. They're in a frightful hurry.
I'm confident that the units are treated somehow better, but the end sewage product is probably far inferior.

Please don't make my and USS's job harder. Get the word out to the internet that pimped potties, although nice and pretty, are not condoned by me. I will be requesting HazMatt to announce a moritorium after I clear the details with Mike. For now, just sit the fuck down and think for 2 minutes, the impact this kind of art has in the insane environment of BRC.
Thanks for listening.
RobbiDobbs
DPW Volunteer Coordinator, Special Projects (Pota-Potties)

[spacetime]

Thanks for that feedback. I don't think the ramifications you're describing were understood by peeps in our neighborhood. People just talked about how clean "those two" were kept over the week. Like I said, for various reasons, I didn't get to use either, so I don't know how moopy / messed up they ended up being.

I like the idea of educational posters, and lighting has got to be useful.

In a more general sense, it seems to me that some things at BM that can be done well by certain folks are still not good because when they are imitated they are done wrong. For that reason, even things that can work for specific folks / camps are still discouraged. Or people still do them, they just don't talk about it on here or bear the wrath of the wizened.

[robbidobbs]

I've been thinking a lot today about why pimped potties are subjectively "cleaner" than others. Let's say your experience is typical: they are avoided for various reasons. That means the volume numbers, the load if you will, is skewed to the other units. The pimper might as well have crapped on the seat. Same outcome.

[Ano]

An "amusing" thing I observed this year: I walked into a porto in a staff area and found stickers advertising on-playa events from 2012 and 2013 still surviving. Not sure how those were still there!

[maladroit]

A devious (and selfish) person could "reserve" a porta-potty by sculpting a plate mounded high with realistic turds, such plate would be set on the rim of the hole and the seat closed over it. However it would be nearly a full-time project since you'd have to stay ahead of the honey wagons and remove the plate before cleaning time.

[robbidobbs]

Ano
The interior signs are left on year round unless they're removed either by someone or become moop. Mine have already been cleared by USS to leave on. The others are moop. Feel free to remove them of you're bored in there.

[Ratty]

These potties are used ONLY by burning Man. It probably goes without saying. This year I had an assignment to remove all of our exterior signs before they get baked on in the Reno sun. Also to remove any foo-foo left by the so-called potty pimpers. And those old pee-funnel signs that they NEVER remove. I was very disappointed to find giant cardboard signs on the outside with peoples names and all kinds of things taped to the interiors in the name of decor. What an irresponsible mess it was. This was on Monday after so I know those jerkasses weren't ever coming back to remove their 'art'. It took 4 to 5 hours to do 5 or 6 banks. Hard work and 2 giant garbage bags of pimping decorations. Fooey!! Spare me your self-serving car deodorizers, empty hand sanitizers, thinly veiled advertisements stuck to a plastic bouquet of flowers. Pee, poo, paper. That's the message I want to see. Decorate your bike and camp. Leave the potties sparse and utilitarian. Those USS guys take a hose to the interior. I like it clean and simple.

[AntiM]

And then we can talk about the containers of OB tampons on the posts where the hand sanitizer is located. Argh. No explanation that they cannot go into the potties once used. Let the women who need them bring them, or if they have to ask for one, the other lady might have the chance to explain why a baggie is required. I got to explain to a newb why she needed to grab a plastic bag when her ladytime popped up unexpectedly. She got it immediately.

I want to pour red KoolAid into those bottles.

[maladroit]

I want to pour red KoolAid into those bottles.

Make sure a few people are watching, then take a sip.