pissing on the playa...

jlpc4004 · Post by **jlpc4004** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:09 pm

I saw alot of shit that was just WRONG, but when I saw some f***ked up "frat boy" pissing right i the middle of Venus and 6:30 when the portapotties were 75 feet away and the people at Green Tortoise were eating their breakfast right there I blew. I wanted to go punch him up in the chest SOOO BAD, but I figured I would be the one to get in trouble, 'cause I would have kicked his skinny drunk ass...
Not to mention all the piss spots all over the playa the morning after the burn when portapotties were so abundantly and conveniently placed out there.

Tabula Rasa Mistress · Post by **Tabula Rasa Mistress** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:09 pm

yep, saw the same thing... nasty nasty... especially for the rest of us... kudos to whoever put the potties out on the open playa... i got good use out of them...

Hotspur · Post by **Hotspur** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:01 am

I saw a lady from Green Tortoise squatting to piss right by the bus pakred by the edge of her camp. Literally, five feet from her own camp(!) and yes, JOTS was just on the other side of her camp.

Bizzaro.

Lorgasm · Post by **Lorgasm** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:23 am

I just want to take this opp to say thanks to the inventor(s) of the Pee Funnel. My boyfriend took me to the camp where they had the funnel. It was awkard to use at first but then, I must admit, I had finally mastered it. It was great to be able to just use it where ever and when ever I pleased. My guy got a kick out of watching me acually stand up and pee. On cold nights it came in handy (forgive the pun).
Yeah, it sucks to know that there are those that only "get it" at their own convenience. BRC is a great community. Just like any community, no one wants to see someone take a dump or a piss in their surroundings. I just hope that we will continue to learn, help and grow with each coming year so that the issue of public defication will just be a horrible memory. And if you do happen to come across another frat boy or girl doing their business where they ain't s'ppose to, well, just roll up some newspaper, bop them on the head, and say "bad dog".

freddybaby · Post by **freddybaby** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:50 am

I saw the same thing, from old school burners (in my camp) to newbies.. It's fucked up yes but BM really needs to improve on the bathroom situation. They added urinals to a few stations, great idea but still not enough.

Pumping the potties only every 2 days is a really STUPID way to save a buck too.

Even if they added 1000 more potties, people would still be pissing on the playa. We get so fucked up out of our heads and you just don't think about it.... There are way more important core values of Burning Man that are being ignored but YES this is a good one.

I don't personally think that pee is that bad ecologicaly. We are supposed to be pissing clear right... But it's not cool. I did it 3 times, pissed on the playa, I suck ass and don't feel good about it but I also cleaned my camp space so good you could eat off it. Raked it 3 times, looked like a fucking zen rock garden with no rocks... but I still suck for pissing...

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:29 am

freddybaby wrote:I saw the same thing, from old school burners (in my camp) to newbies.. It's fucked up yes but BM really needs to improve on the bathroom situation. They added urinals to a few stations, great idea but still not enough.Pumping the potties only every 2 days is a really STUPID way to save a buck too.Even if they added 1000 more potties, people would still be pissing on the playa. We get so fucked up out of our heads and you just don't think about it.... There are way more important core values of Burning Man that are being ignored but YES this is a good one. I don't personally think that pee is that bad ecologicaly. We are supposed to be pissing clear right... But it's not cool. I did it 3 times, pissed on the playa, I suck ass and don't feel good about it but I also cleaned my camp space so good you could eat off it. Raked it 3 times, looked like a fucking zen rock garden with no rocks... but I still suck for pissing...

WHOA there Cowboy! The potties are pumped 3X per day, every 6 hours by contract. They were only able to keep up with this schedule because they were trucking the processed shit to the non-edible garlic farms in the region. They saved a lot of time by doing this, and it worked well for all of us. What slowed them down was the amount of baby-wipes in the sewage. This act of negligence clogged up their screens, and was a nasty mess for them to deal with. If you want to help them help us, tell people to bring a zip-loc bag with them if they want to use baby-wipes of any kind.

There were 100 more potties this year than last year, with only a 5K population increase. Basically there was a pottie for every 80 or so participants. We also added the urinals at each of the in-city pottie banks, and that speeded things up for the piddlers. The girls with funnels liked it too. Pissing on the playa isn't nice for one reason in my opinion. I wear sandals, and I don't like to slip in suspicious mud.

Quantity of service does not eradicate negligence. Next year there will be another 100 MORE potties placed, hopefully adding a third bank out by the Man. This is up to the "asthetics team" of course, so it is them that you may address your potty placement desires. On the nite of the Burn, the Man banks got *hammered*, so puting more out there mid-week is being considered.

If you're interested in learning more about potties and their myriad issues, join the pottie-list (at) burningman (dot) com. This is a clearing house of information, and a way to get your vote counted.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:41 am

As dark and dusty as it got this year, I had trouble finding a pottie out on the open playa. I knew they were out there, but didn't know where. How about adding a beacon of some sort so we don't have to hope to find a dark block of nothingness?

The latrines they added this year were great! I hardly ever had to wait in line for a simple pee. I was disappointed to not see any ladies use their pee funnels in them. I suppose it will take time for people to become more comfortable with them.

jlpc4004 · Post by **jlpc4004** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:42 am

We used a 5 gallon bucket in our camp when we were 1) too buzzed 2) too cold or 3) just plain ass lazy, no pissing on the ground, that's disgusting...I certainly dont want to step in someone's piss in my bare feet.

freddybaby · Post by **freddybaby** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 12:20 pm

Well thanks for the "inside" info about the pottie schedual robbidobs but I don't really believe it. We were near the poop sheds and although I was usualy busy with fun, I looked and looked for them as we were paying them $75 a visit to pump our shower grew water...

Perhaps our local potties were overlooked a few times... Anyway, maybe 3 times a day is not enough.

But back to the issue at hand, pissing on the playa..

Do the rangers have an obligation to enforce the no pissing or do they just look for crapping (saw that too arghhhh). Really the issue is too many people don't get the leave no trace principal. We had a huge dance floor and music, almost 5 or 6 times people asked me "where is the garbage can"

I heard that 40% of the population were new comers and a significant drop in returning burners. I love newcomers but I believe the population is growing faster than the principals can seep into the newbies. As in most social problems, it's an education issue.

So how can we as a community insure that the principals that we hold dear are passed on to our "children"

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 12:52 pm

The contract said 3x/day, but due to excessive garbage in the potties, they were having trouble keeping to the schedule mid to late week. They modified their routes so that several trucks went out at once, and they'd do several banks en mass. This cut down on the amount of time to service. They got to be quick, so you may have just missed them. I lived in line of site of the 3:00 bank, and their trucks were my alarm clock. They are considering adding more units per bank, like the double row at 6:00. It's cheaper for them to add banks than to do a 4th run. They are considering giving us 100 additional units so they can maintain quality of service. The flipside of this is that the added units take away camping space, and the "asthetics team" would need to approve it also. They are also considering puting additional banks at the 4:00 & 7:00 points on Sedna, to accomodate those who had to commute this year. The 5 gallon bucket is the best way to avoid the long walk to pee in the middle of the night though.

BLM does have an obligation to site for pissing on the playa. Their rule, their enforcement. This isn't my issue, so you'd have to go elsewhere for the why's of this policy.

I heard from Joy, the SF BM Office Manager that we had a 50% newbie population. The best way to educate them is word of mouth, as they invariably didn't read the Survival Guide, or didn't take it to heart once their feet hit the dirt. I saw excessive numbers of people who brought 2 ply TP and baby-wipes. Once I educated them on how these fuck up the equipment, they were on board. Keep talking to everyone, and we'll all get enculturated. The first question one should ask to someone they meet is "How long have you been coming to Burningman?"

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:16 pm

So I'm at the portapotties at 4:00 and somethin' at about 8:00 in the morning and there's a bit of a line. This crazy woman is standing with her back to the bank of portapotts and loudly and very methodically lecturing the captive audience on the finer points of proper portapotty ettiquete. "Like I don't know who the f*%# that is", I say to myself. I introduce myself to this crazy, smiling woman and tell her how hardcore she is; and that is how I met the incomparable Robbidobbs.

Punky Brewster · Post by **Punky Brewster** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:57 pm

One thing with the buckets- add sawdust (bring a grocery bag per person inside the bucket to the event) before and after your pee or poo.

Sawdust will eliminate odors and turn your crap into compost, and there's a dude in Oakland that will take it from you and feed it to his plants. No, you don't even have to stir it, yet you ought to seal it real nice with the lid (esp. for the trip home, go figure).

It will absorb the pee and turn the shit into worm food. This is called "Humanure". In actuality, the entire event ought to be using composting toilets- Clivus Multrum or Sun-Mar- like at some Natl. Parks.
Turning human waste into fertilizer might be hard to "digest" for some, yet it is completely safe and clean when done right.

Happy BM-ing at BM!

jlpc4004 · Post by **jlpc4004** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 2:44 pm

No poop in the bucket, only peepee we did, poop's too yucky...

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 2:53 pm

[quote="freddybaby"]I saw the same thing, from old school burners (in my camp) to newbies.. It's fucked up yes but BM really needs to improve on the bathroom situation. They added urinals to a few stations, great idea but still not enough.

Pumping the potties only every 2 days is a really STUPID way to save a buck too.

Even if they added 1000 more potties, people would still be pissing on the playa. We get so fucked up out of our heads and you just don't think about it.... There are way more important core values of Burning Man that are being ignored but YES this is a good one.

[quote]

You are part of the problem. Every time somebody says "BM should do this or that" the event get a little closer to Disneyland. Bring a pee bottle and learn how to use, but don't complain about what wasn't provided to you.

Punky Brewster · Post by **Punky Brewster** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 2:54 pm

That's why ya use sawdust or some other aerator!!

Poop is possible!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:26 pm

I pissed on the playa, behind my RV.

mea culpa

I actually pissed less on the playa this year than any other year.

Punky Brewster · Post by **Punky Brewster** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:48 pm

piss, being biologically sterile anyway, is going to get nuked by the desert sun.
were there talus rocks we could safely matate our crap too- yet that wouldn't fly with big crowds. we'd be thinking of ourselves as seagulls...

TheMuse · Post by **TheMuse** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 6:59 pm

Our camp was in Center Camp this year and some jerk (on MONDAY night mind you) was pissing ON MY ART (our two large fire pyramids) in front of our camp early in the evening, in PLAIN VIEW off the street. I thought fratboys came later in the week!?

To deter pissing in our camp we decided to put lights up all around our dome, yet people still pissed all around it throughout the week. Come ON folks... train your newbies! If I find someone pissing on my art again next year I am going to follow them home and piss on their pillow.

jlpc4004 · Post by **jlpc4004** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:11 pm

If I find someone pissing on my art again next year I am going to follow them home and piss on their pillow.

Why not follow them back to THEIR camp and piss on their tent, sleeping bag, girlfriend/boyfriend etc...??

Tabula Rasa Mistress · Post by **Tabula Rasa Mistress** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:14 pm

we were close to the potties at kidsville, and i physically saw them out there at least twice a day... some asshole was sabotaging our potties at night... twice i found plastic cups and beer bottles... i'm a leave no tracer, and go out on moop patrol, but i'm not sticking my hand in a pile of shit... pissed me off... bastards...

pee funnels rock!!!!!! i finally made my way there... and let me tell you, those square crystal geiser gallon bottles make awesome potties in the middle of the night... the hole is large for those of male persuasion, and the pee funnel fit great... thank you for reminding me and thank you Pee Funnel Camp!!!

Michele

Tabula Rasa Mistress · Post by **Tabula Rasa Mistress** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 7:15 pm

by the way, Muse... Spike's kicked ass... my husband and i journeyed there twice... thank you

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:53 pm

The portapotties need to be marked better with a distinctive colored light or strobe. The bank off to the 3:00 side of the man was hard to spot at night.

And I saw the cups and other sabotage of the Kidsville potties too and was upset about it. But what really irritated me was seeing where someone had shit beside a pyramid out past the man. Pee will degrade / evaporate....but someone had to clean up that pile of shit. That's the sort of conduct that needs to be gone over again and again as something you just don't fucking do.

TheMuse · Post by **TheMuse** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 9:18 pm

Tabula Rasa Mistress wrote:by the way, Muse... Spike's kicked ass... my husband and i journeyed there twice... thank you

Glad you liked it, Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We should have event pics up shortly.

PetsUntilEaten · Post by **PetsUntilEaten** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:38 am

two words: dust abatement

Valhalla · Post by **Valhalla** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:54 am

I really, Really didnt want to piss on the playa. There was only one or two occations where I could not possibly hold it anylonger and I absolutley had to. Other than that , I got tired of always walking to the bathroom, since my camp drank all day long, I started using empty beer bottles. Drinking and having to walk to porta potties dont WORK at burning man!!!!!. Drinking leads to lots of piss....bottles are a great thing!!!!

Sobretta Franjipan · Post by **Sobretta Franjipan** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:14 am

they were trucking the processed shit to the non-edible garlic farms

What does one do with non-edible garlic?

Why do women want to pee standing up?

Why do people want to sleep next to their own pee? Is it really that far to the Port O' Potties?

Valhalla · Post by **Valhalla** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 3:22 am

It is far..fucking far as hell when your drunk and you REALLY REALLY need to go..and when you keep having to go because of the alcohol..this was many, many peoples opions that I met...but, like I said..bottles WORK!!!! and thers no way I would sleep next to pee. empty those suckers before you go to bed...I feel sorry for people pissing on or near other people shit. thats just wrong..

Kiba · Post by **Kiba** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 8:43 am

I hate to sound smartass (who am I kidding, I love it!) but when did people decide we are above dealing with the very defacation and urine we create? Just because we think it's 'gross' or 'unsanitary' (false, urine is sterile when it leaves the body) doesn't mean we're above touching it. I'm not saying grab some poo and start flinging like monkeys or something, but I'm also saying we shouldn't squeal like a child every time we see and or make contact with something someone 'left behind'. Besides, it's simply better if you don't think about it.

This doesn't mean I endorse people peeing on the Playa, just that once it's done it's done, and with 35k people, good luck finding 'those responsible'.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 5:36 pm

Well, HEALTHY piss is sterile but some virii such as SARS are found in the urine and tears of people that have the illness.

Ever been to Oktoberfest? They have these urinals that are basically a trough with a screen and a drain that run into a tank that is changed at intervals. These are surrounded by some canvas that goes from about knee level to chest for modesty. Make a urinal in your camp. If BM tried to do it, some yahoo would shit in it and probably wipe with a baby wipe too just for good measure. Urinals wouldn't be a bad idea though.

vulgaris · Post by **vulgaris** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 7:26 pm

I had more of a problem with the fact that people out in Pluto had to walk several blocks up just to take a piss. Fuck that. I camped at 4&Pluto, and was in the same block last year. Last year we had portos right near by until about halfway through the week when they moved them out into the abbyss. That's where they were this year as well. I understand the expense in maintaining portos but If I have to go, I'm going, and if it can't wait for me to walk to the pot I'm not going to piss myself.

pissing on the playa...

pissing on the playa...

Almost everyone does it...

Re: Almost everyone does it...

3 times a day huh...

5 Gallon buckets

Re: Almost everyone does it...

piss on playa

I really

Yeah