Porta-Potties

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 1:22 pm

I'd like to thank all the Burners that helped make this a VERY good year for shit! I'm very curious now to get post-burn feedback from participants about their excremental experiences.

Playa love,
RobbiDobbs
Chief Poopervisor of the Pottie Project

Madrone · Post by **Madrone** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 2:51 pm

Those guys cleaning the potties, were so great. Sucking out those contents must not be much fun.. I did get to hear the porta pottie stories though. One porta pottie guy telling the other, that they had just pulled a guy out of the porta pottie hole, he was drunk and had tried squatting indian style over the toilet and slipped, they had to pressure hose him off. I do not envy who had to ride back with him.

Madrone · Post by **Madrone** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 2:51 pm

Those guys cleaning the potties, were so great. Sucking out those contents must not be much fun.. I did get to hear the porta pottie stories though. One porta pottie guy telling the other, that they had just pulled a guy out of the porta pottie hole, he was drunk and had tried squatting indian style over the toilet and slipped, they had to pressure hose him off. I do not envy who had to ride back with him.

TheJudge · Post by **TheJudge** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 9:01 am

Havent heard too many horror stories about the potties this year, but I did happen to spot some things that hadnt passed through the body. (not that I spend a lot of time looking down into the pottie, mind you)

A good tip for people next year is to bring a can of Lysol or an essential oil spray with you. That way, you freshen up the pottie for the next person. A little gift all its own.

BTW, I didnt realize that my words would be emblazoned on the door for all the world to see. Kind of surprised me when I walked up to a porta-pottie and it had my name on it.

Good job, Robbiedobbs. You have a knack for shit.

hoodreau · Post by **hoodreau** » Sat Sep 06, 2003 9:34 am

There were a bunch of signs over by the portapotties at certain and dogma to beware of the apeman. And some kid in an ape mask was hiding in unlocked portapotties to scare people who opened the doors. It was a combination of top-level bathroom humor and incredibly disturbing -- this kid was hanging out in portapotties! That must be worse for your health than watching too much TV. But damn, I got a few laughs.

captain mcguiver · Post by **captain mcguiver** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 3:05 am

I have always applauded the bathroom crews. I dont think there are cleaner porta potties on earth. Hell, it's cleaner than my bathroom (on tuesday at least).

Anyway, my best experience was watching a porta potty guy pick up some moop that had slipped out while he was cleaning. He also carefully checked the ground for any trash. Wow, that's better than some of my campmates, and this guy's working some shit (?) job! That's not even all of it. As I ran to the newly cleaned bathroom with nanoseconds to spare, this guy friggin holds the door open for me, like a friggin gentleman and I'm his girl... Wow. That's service!

ps. Monkey's in the potty. I love it. Very funny. I would take people on tours for that. Every year when I go in one of those things I have to look over my shoulder because I knew that monkey man existed... I knew... I always knew...

Fireman Jeff · Post by **Fireman Jeff** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 11:39 am

The poopers were clean and abundant along the one street. Whoever it was too far to have to go most of the time. Can BM put more poopers out in more locals?
Thx

Stormy · Post by **Stormy** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 11:48 am

First of all I'd like to know how we can contact them and thank them for a terrific job.

Also, would like to thank Robbi Dobbs and her committee for getting the word out on hovering. Hovering is so damn nasty, like why would I want to sit in or clean up someone else's piss. Very good educational campaign this year.

Only saw one piece of moop in there this year. Over near 9 o'clock and creed, I saw the wrapper for personal wipes floating in a potty.

I guess in an ideal dream world, I'd very much like potties a little closer to the Esplanade. I want to keep working at theme camps but I'm one of those people that have to pee all of the time.

Capthayes · Post by **Capthayes** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 3:44 pm

A buddy of mine, by the name of Crackle, fished a seven-up bottle out of the potty at the greeter station with the help of a plastic bag. He waved it around to the next hundred or so people he greeted. I'd like to think it helped

Stormy · Post by **Stormy** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 9:25 pm

Capthayes wrote:A buddy of mine, by the name of Crackle, fished a seven-up bottle out of the potty at the greeter station with the help of a plastic bag. He waved it around to the next hundred or so people he greeted. I'd like to think it helped

Rock on! Gotta love the creativity of Burners.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 9:49 pm

I'm definitely all for closer porta-potties next year!

You kind of get that not-so-fun feeling when you ride your bike, wincing over every playa pothole, because it's 8 AM, and you realized back at the tent that you have to take longest piss of your life!

There were a few mornings when it was no fun to take that journey, especially being camped right off the espalnade.

The potties were amazingly clean this year! Much thanks to everyone for not squatting. I never understood squatting in the first place. But some people just HAAAVE to squat but at the very least, you'd think they'd put the damn toilet seat up but noooooo...people are dumb. Luckily, every potty I went into this year didn't have any pee on the seats!!! *tear*

Yes, it was a good potty year!

portazo · Post by **portazo** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 10:54 pm

I love that every single potty, no matter what corner of the playa I was at, had a Pee Funnel flyer in it!

Iago · Post by **Iago** » Sun Sep 07, 2003 11:57 pm

RobbiDobbs this was again an excellent year for the Porta Potties and Thankyou for your efforts to keep it that way. I also noticed the lines seemed to be shorter this year. The JOTS folks are my heroes out there and I know it's against the rules of consumerism, but I even tipped one guy $5 for putting up with our shit...

crackle · Post by **crackle** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 12:57 am

Actually, I was working the Gate and found the shit covered 7-up bottle in the staff portapotty. I grabbed it with an empty chip bag, and went on a rampage! About 50 people at will-call were the first to see and hear my rant. The more I yelled, the more pissed I got. I ended up taking the shit-on soda bottle up to the drivers window of approximately 100 vehicles as they waited in line to have their vehicular cavity search. My favorite line was "Don't put this kind of shit is the shitter!" Sorry if I offended anyone, but it really got my goat!!!

The funny part was that as I was doing Exodus, I ran into the owner of Johnny on the Spot and relayed to him the story. He had already heard it and expressed much amusement and appreciation! On the lighter side, he did say this was the best year he has had on the playa regarding non-appropriate items in the porta potties. Keep up the good work folks.

Peace and giggle, Crackle

Remark · Post by **Remark** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 1:08 am

Hey Crackle,

You didn't happen to have your pope outfit on while you where running around with the shit covered moop did you? I'm going to pretend you did, It's a funnier mental picture for me.

...marco....

liebling · Post by **liebling** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 8:53 am

we've not had to use a burning man porta-pottie for a few years (thankfully). get yourself a camping porta-pottie at sears for $100 and an old small tent, and set up your own bathroom at your camp. every couple days you have to disassemble it and tote it to the 'real' potties and dump in the contents, but it's relatively painless.

gael

Kilmore · Post by **Kilmore** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 9:03 am

Actually, from what I saw this year, I have to say that the shitter situation has never been better. I found one empty beer bottle in one stall, and a half empty water bottle in another, and that was it. I also never found a 'shit mountain' waiting for me. Twice the stall was out of TP, but there were some nice and prepared humans outside willing to part with a few squares. I had a roll back at camp incase I needed it -- it is just that after so many days of sweatbox bliss, I stopped bringing it with me every time. So basically, a good year for visiting the blue room, the hot box, the sweat lodge, death row, or whatever your metaphor of choice is.

--Kilmore

Dyna-lite · Post by **Dyna-lite** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:11 pm

Too funny Crackle. I wish I could have been there to witness your rage.......BTW I have a bottle of Corona. You don't happen to have a bottle opener "ON" you? <giggle>

miss ya bro

smooch,

~Dyna-lite / aka chuck of the solo collective

clandyone · Post by **clandyone** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:16 pm

Yep, the potties looked great this year. Yay, us!

The no-hovering signs were a stroke of genius, funny as hell and apparently effective.

Anybody know what happened to Omar the Outlaw Outhouse Outfitter? I miss his work.

jinx_sf_burner · Post by **jinx_sf_burner** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:51 pm

Crackle rocks!

Capthayes wrote:A buddy of mine, by the name of Crackle, fished a seven-up bottle out of the potty at the greeter station with the help of a plastic bag. He waved it around to the next hundred or so people he greeted. I'd like to think it helped

evie · Post by **evie** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:20 pm

In response to the squatting issue How dangerous is it to sit your bare ass on the same seat that 30,000 other bare asses have been. Uh, it kinda creeps me out. If I splatter I make sure and wipe the seat. (does anyone have any personal experience with the pee funnel? I'm curious but hesitent it seems unsanitary but I guess I'd rather carry around something soaked with my piss then get some on else's on me)
To end on a funny note one early morning I went to leave my morning pee in perfect timing with the wonderful cleaners of course. So, anyway this hippie guy who obviously had'nt slept all night goes up to one of the men cleaning and pats him on the shoulder and says "Thank You Soooo Much Man!" The cleaning guy just looked at him like you crazy drugged up hippie I'm cleaning your shit up leave me alone

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:26 pm

> How dangerous is it to sit your bare ass on the same seat that 30,000
other bare asses have been.

There isn't a recorded case of anyone catching anything through their ass
or genitalia by sitting on a toilet seat. Ever. Really. Or, at least not on the
Internet, and you'd think that even false cases would show up there. And
my doctor says not to worry about it and that ass gaskets are a waste of
paper.

You're much more likely to get an E. coli or Salmonella infection from not
washing your hands after wiping your own ass (or, I suppose, someone
else's, but if you're squeamish about toilet splatter I'm guessing you don't
do that much).

I suppose if you've sat on a toilet seat that had been covered in feces, and
then someone licked your thighs and buttocks, that person could be at risk
for infection. But that's nothing a few passes with a baby wipe won't
virtually eliminate. And if someone's going to be licking that close to your
ass, I hope you have decent hygiene anyway.

Urine's pretty much completely harmless. Don't even worry about the
splatter.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:31 pm

I can tell ya - a pee funnel can be a great thing. All ya gotta do is rinse it and keep it in a ziploc. Give it a more thourough wash when you get back to camp.

The porta-potties were so much improved this year that I rarely broke mine out.

However, I must have lousy toilet karma. Every year - usually when I am most susceptible to squeamishness - I open a pottie door to discover someone has shat upon the seat.

I can wipe up someones little bit of hover-dribble but **that**. Oh the humanity.

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:35 pm

> I can wipe up someones little bit of hover-dribble but **that**. Oh the
> humanity.

And, actually, I wouldn't even though I'm not generally squeamish. Not
unless I could also disinfect the seat afterwards. Sitting in someone else's
shit is not a good idea.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Mon Sep 08, 2003 4:37 pm

Sitting in someone else's
shit is not a good idea.

I don't *even* get far in my thinking process.

I let out the girliest gross-out scream and move quickly to the next potty.

Flux · Post by **Flux** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 12:10 am

I had a funny experience on Thursday morning at the potties. I was standing in line with about 100 other people, everyone pretty subdued but friendly. There was one potty in the row that had said "open" since I got in line, but no one came near it.

Finally, this guy gets to the front of the line, strolls up, and walks right in. I cringed internally, but didn't say anything. A few moments later, he walks out, looks at the girl he was in line with, and says, "Don't go in there!"

She says, "It's okay, no big deal." and heads for the door, and he just about blows a gasket. "NO, REALLY!" he screams, "DON'T DO IT!" Everyone in line has a good laugh, and she decides to wait for another unit to become available.

As they're waiting, I say to the guy, "If a potty is vacant for a long time, even though there are people standing in line, there's usually a pretty good reason for it." He looks at me in wonder and said, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Sorry," I said, "It's just the kind of thing you have to learn for yourself."

I still don't know what was in there, and I don't want to know, but I was once again reminded that the porta-potty line is NOT the place to be an adventurer or a trailblazer. I value free-thinking in every other area of life but, when it comes to the potties, I'm a happy little sheep. Baaaa!

Das Bus · Post by **Das Bus** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 7:01 am

Glad to hear the great reviews on MonkeyBoy/ApeMan! I happen to know him personally, but for security reasons he prefers his identity to remain a secret. However, I do have it on good authority that he will be returning to a portapottie near you in 2004! MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

levendis · Post by **levendis** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 9:42 am

Do not lock the door.
Some people knock. If they do, say, "Come in!"
Some people don't knock. Smile and say, "Welcome!"

I have to agree that in 5 years of burning, the cleanest potty experience thus far is 2003.

Shouldn't the potties be white instead of blue? They'd be a lot cooler I bet.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 4:00 pm

Thanks for the fun poo-poo stories. Good shit! As to pottie placement, there are several important factors in play with this, the compromise being centrality to users vs accessability to vendors. There is heavy pedestrian traffic on Esplanade, Authority and later in the week, Creed. It was determined that Dogma (or rather the 3nd street from Esplanade) was the best logistically. We had 400 potties this year, 50 more than last year. We did put some out at walk-in for the first time. Nice. My recommendation to those with painful bladders at 8am (or for me 4am!), get a 5 gallon bucket with a camp toilet lid. Only go #1 in it, and pour it into the potties when you can. I've done this for 3 yrs and I lived out in the FAR sticks. Jump on your bike for #2, you DON'T want to "store" that shit for ANY amount of time!

Stormy · Post by **Stormy** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:41 am

While JOTS and the committee that helped spread the word on excremental correctness did an amazing job, I do have something to say about about overall manners of the ticketholders.

While many people greatly improved their manners inside the potties, more are getting lax outside. Sorry if this sounds like I used to walk five miles to the potties and was glad to have them sort of thing, but... I was kind of bummed that while some people politely formed several orderly lines and waited patiently, some people just walked up and took one ahead of those waiting. It used to be that people would do the "no you first" "oh no, you firtst" kind of thing. When I mused about this, a woman replied, "well sometimes you just have to go." "True," I said, "but you can't assume the others waiting don't have to go either. One can at least ask if it's OK to cut due to an 'emergency'." (Then again what should one expect when people are line jumping on the way to the Greeters.)

Porta-Potties

Porta-Potties

porta pottie guys

porta pottie guys

Distant Poopers

Thanks to Johnny on the Spot!

soda bottle in porta potty

If it seems to good to be true, it probably is

MUAHAHA

Pottie Placement

Manners, or lack thereof