All About Participating in the Pottie Project

[Jovankat]

They didn't follow up on the terrible lime juice advice

[SourPatch]

In the last JRS, they again addressed the poop bucket by directing people to this blog post from 08/17/2015:

...
Lastly, in the event of extended rain, pumping trucks will have trouble servicing the toilets and the porta-potties will fill up. You’ll need your own place to go. The solution? A Poop Bucket™! Making a poop bucket is old skool Burnertastic, and super simple. You’ll want:
- A five gallon bucket with a lid (you’ll really want the lid)
- Heavy-duty garbage bags (compactor bags are the best)
- Some kitty litter (or sawdust)
- A pool noodle (if you want to get all fancy)
...

Remember you need to take that “shit” with you when you leave — do NOT under any circumstances leave this mess for others to deal with. Don’t even think of bringing ANY materials from your Poop Bucket into the commercial porta potties (the mantra: if it wasn’t in your body, don’t put it in the potty! Otherwise the pumping machines get clogged). Also, human waste cannot go in dumpsters. So dispose of your Poop Bucket materials in the appropriate location (this is why you have the bucket lid — HELLA duct tape that thing on there for the ride home).
...

Source: http://blog.burningman.com/2015/08/prep ... you-ready/

They did address the kitty litter in the portas issue, I just wish they had also addressed the "human waste cannot go in dumpsters. So dispose of your Poop Bucket materials in the appropriate location" part. Where the hell is "appropriate location?!?!?!" I tried finding that answer with no luck.

They missed a great opportunity to talk about portable bag systems. Instead, they chose to vaguely instruct on how to do a cheaper alternative (kitty litter). Ultimately, they may have created confusion because now their website says something different than the blog.

If you’re going to use a personal toilet, that’s great. Just pack it out and dispose of your used bags along with the rest of your trash.

http://burningman.org/event/preparation ... -disposal/

Oh well.

[theCryptofishist]

Hm. Any roadside biohazard material stations nearby? Maybe the Californians can drop them off at the Ag station in Truckee...

[The CO]

More to come soon as Robbi writes her final wipe up and I work on the supplement, but I want to put out a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers and Potty Friends we had helping us this year!

We can't do it without you!

[FIGJAM]

My camp wasn't visible from the porto's, so I couldn't keep a supply of TP where people could see it.

Our porto's were out of TP most of the time.

On a side note, The porto's at 5&H had a double line of cars parked bumper to bumper from H to I ALL week with just enough room for the service trucks to do the pump outs.

[Bless]

Unlike previous years, I noticed that many portos did not have functional locks on them. Is that something new?

In effect, they became male-only pissers. While I always enjoy peeing in a clean porto, it struck me as moderately wasteful that only fifty percent of the population were using those terminals.

[ElderWrong]

Unlike previous years, I noticed that many portos did not have functional locks on them. Is that something new?

In effect, they became male-only pissers. While I always enjoy peeing in a clean porto, it struck me as moderately wasteful that only fifty percent of the population were using those terminals.

Broken locks are common for the portos at Burning Man. Think of Burning Man as the great festival where Portos come at the end of their life. Like the Elephant Graveyard for the Big Blue Boxes. Most events rent or lease their portos from Potty Vendors. Burning Man actually owns their porta potties and the Blue Boxes live near the playa during the year. (I have even seen Frankenstein Porta Potties at Burning Man, Porta Potties that have been re-pieced together from parts of various broken porta potties.) This is actually a GREAT thing!!!

Why?

First and foremost, it keeps down costs. Burning Man is the second largest porta potty event in the nation! Extending the life span of our porta potties means lower costs to us as participants.

Secondly, a green event means reuse reuse reuse. A busted lock doesn't mean that the porta potty is dead. Just means you should sing VERY loud when using it! (I like using the busted lock porta's myself because it means they are usually the cleanest. I use my bullhorn and turn on the alarm and guess what? No one walks in on me!!!) Win Win!

Lastly, since Portos aren't leased, it means that they are part of the art! Yes that's right! You too can art up the portos! Sharpie them! Create poems! Post posters! Just make sure that you don't destroy the portos any further with your art, or that your art doesn't become MOOP and end up in the Potty!

Want to help spread the good word about the Porta Potty Project? Want to volunteer for a shift with a Sector Chief and help MOOP at the Porta Potties? Have an idea for some great performance art to spread the Good Word of How Would Jesus Take a Shit? Contact us at Facebook! We would love your help!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/515859948548147/

Love,

Your Porta Potty Preacher,

Elder Wrong

[ElderWrong]

Correction, Burning Man doesn't own the Porta Potties, but they are set aside for us by USS.

[theCryptofishist]

So, Abby Normal uses the shitters.

[ElderWrong]

So, Abby Normal uses the shitters.

Shhhh Abby Normal is a shitter!

[Ratty]

I noticed when we were taking down signs after the event that one entire bank of pottis had almost no locks. They had been stenciled with, "NO LOCK", on the door. (As if that made it OK.) I wouldn't have enjoyed that annoyance day after day. Before the gates opened there were 5 new jeeps with teams of repairmen fixing locks & doors. Maybe they ran out of locks?

What was more discouraging was the accumulation of full pee bottles left at the banks. What pigs. Yes. I took pictures.

[Various]

Ratty, would that happen to have been the block at 9 and H/I, right next to Distrikt? By the time I showed up at dawn Monday, there were no functional locks on the block.

[DISTRIKT]

The portos by DISTRIKT were absolutely beyond illegal to health code standards. We will be writing BMOrg to find some solutions to the issues this year. They were simply uninhabitable and made a few people sick at our camp due to sanitary reasons.

Hoping/begging/pleading that these standards will be improved in the future. We have run many a permitted event and would have been shut down with inoperable portos with no seats, locks, and the cleanliness standards that were kept through the week. Some of which is up to this community but some which should be addressed during pump out.

It was by far, the lowest standard of portos we've had to date by our stage. Hard to know what to do that week to correct the issues.

[Simon of the Playa]

i think we are going to need CCTV next year to collect data on who and why and where and when this is happening.

our potties near the 3 keyhole were immaculate all week.

complaining to the hotel maid about the carpet after your guests have puked on the floor is a little rude.





is it a Proximity to High Traffic Areas?

Demographics?

Bad Pills?

Lifestyle choices?



this is why we need to study the behavioral patterns by using warm, squishy facts.

[Simon of the Playa]

One more quick thought on the subject.

Burning Man is a DOO-acracy.

perhaps large sound camps could assist themselves by making Public Service Announcements to their "Participants" to not only help MOOP the area but also help keep the POOP flowing, lest we all get involuntary constipation.

maybe bring a few hundred rolls of TP for your bungholes along with the 400 handles of Vodka.

how about designating a few members of your large camp to patrol and help the DPW. USS and the entire community by setting a sparkling example.

just a thought...

[ElderWrong]

I would have to agree with Simon. The state of the porto potties near Distrikt is directly related to those who use those porto potties. That's like complaining to BMorg that something needs to be done about all the MOOP that is in front of your camp. We are ALL responsible for the conditions of the Portos at Burning Man, just like we are ALL responsible for MOOP being left on the Playa.

My counter question to Distrikt is this: "What can you guys (Distrikt) do to help improve the condition of your porto's being used near your camp in future burns?

Elder Wrong
THe Porto POtty Preacher.

[junglesmacks]

How about taking more responsibility for the party that you throw?

You know you're going to draw the traffic. You know that you're directly the cause of infrastructure being overwhelmed. It's because of you, DISTRIKT.. that those potties were in that state. They physically couldn't handle the amount of traffic you draw to the neighborhood. Is this the BORGs fault? No. Is it the communities fault? No. Is it your fault? No. It's just a byproduct of what you're bringing to the playa.

So YOU should be taking responsibility and thinking how YOU can help the situation.. not how others can run to your bleeding heart distress call.


We know the infrastructure is over-taxed because of your parties. One suggestion would be to use a section of your real estate to provide more portos. Another would be to maybe arrange for more frequent pump outs, on your dime of course. YOU need to brainstorm how YOU can help alleviate the literal shit storm that you're bringing.

[VultureChow]

I would add that as long as you're cleaning your hands afterward, the potties are unlikely to be the cause of intestinal distress. Far more likely to be something you ate that was a) already contaminated b) improperly refrigerated or c) contaminated by someone's unclean hands. If you're just so very sensitive to the smell or sight of the potties, there are per jugs and buckets and things you can do to take care of your own needs.

[tamarakay]

I will be submitting feedback to burning man itself about portoes. Nothing to do with Robbi and her crew that do excellent work. It is more to do with USS and pre-event. The portos by 7&g were awful pre-event. not many open and available and those that were open were full to the top of shit. full, to the top. Unusable. Either they need to open more pre-event or they need to clean/empty more often. There was not moop, the locks worked, no abuse of the porto's, just full to overflowing. not enough capacity for the population. Really the worse I have ever seen at any event at any time ever.

[ElderWrong]

As part of the Porta Potty Project, i visited every porta potty pre event from 2:00 to 6:00 and a good portion of the porta potties on the other side of the city and quite frankly, I just didn't see this problem. You may have had unfortunate timing when using a John just prior to a cleaning. Or we just rock over on this side of the City.

[ElderWrong]

And in all seriousness, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contact me if you are interested in volunteering with the Porta Potty Project next year at Burning Man. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to walk around to the porta potties with you, preaching the good word about respecting our porta potties and MOOPing as we go. I give out cool shwag and gifts to all volunteers and will get you fed a hot meal to reward your efforts! Being a part of the Porta Potty project is a wonderful thing to gift to the community! It really can make a difference on the experience we ALL have at Burning Man. My email address is [email protected]

[tamarakay]

It was a big topic of conversation on our little corner of 7 & G. From all surrounding camps.

[Simon of the Playa]

i think all parties should just Blame Kanye™ and move on to work towards a better Tomorrow...

KanyeAndLarrysFault.jpg

[Dr. Pyro]

perhaps large sound camps could assist themselves by making Public Service Announcements to their "Participants" to not only help MOOP the area but also help keep the POOP flowing.

That's about the funniest thing I've ever read. Unless, of course, you were being serious.

[Simon of the Playa]

are you saying "that's some funny shit"?


define funny...

[theCryptofishist]

I have this question--what would happen if Distrikt closed itself because of JotS or MOOP? (This is purely a fantasy, not something I'm advokating.) Would the message get through (and, sadly, I remember an earlier issue with moop at a sound camp that education did not reach.) I guess that people would just go to the next big sound camp...

Is it possible to get another bank? Double the real estate?

[Ratty]

Crypto, the toilets aren't full. It's not that they have too few of them. It's that they act like pigs. Moop in and around them. Indiscriminate excreting.

[theCryptofishist]

Yikes!

[Simon of the Playa]

oh yeah.

electro-scat is huge with the kids these days.


deep out-house is dead.

[tatonka]

girl needs schooling starts at 5:20 or so

[media]