This morning I drove past a construction site. Workers were repairing a large pothole in the road, and it looked like they were going to be there for several days.
Amidst the construction was a common sight, a Porta Potty. As I drove by, a thought occurred to me: “How friggin’ brilliant is the concept of a Porta Potty?”
Now, hear me out. No one ever wants to go into a Porta Potty. They reek of chemicals and urine, poop is everywhere, and you’re always a little worried that someone is going to tip it over with you inside.
But take a step back and look at the concept: We’re talking about a toilet that can go anywhere. Without Porta Potty’s, where would people go to the bathroom in locations where there is no plumbing?
Without Porta Potty’s, can you imagine the sheer amount of public defecation there would be? The smell at outdoor concerts would be terrible. Hardworking construction workers would have to pee openly in public.
Some have said that the sewer system is one of the greatest innovations of the modern era. Porta Potties take it to the next level–they’re a portable sewer system contained within a box that can be loaded onto a truck.
If you asked me a few years ago if I ever thought I’d write an ode to Porta Potties, I would have pretended to be wearing headphones and kept on walking. But I’m glad to have the chance to honor this remarkable innovation today. I just hope I don’t have to go into a Porta Potty anytime soon.
As a runner, I have learned to appreciate porta pottys. Chalk that up to something I never thought I’d say along with the fact that I enjoy running long distances. The best porta pottys? The deluxe trailers- yep they exist. They have heat/ air conditioning and mirrors. They are also the only ones that I don’t worry about someone trying to tip it over. Meanwhile,I will continue to seek out porta pottys as needed and I always carry some toilet paper and hand sanitizer when I run.
Julie: That makes perfect sense, and I’m glad porta potties exist for runners like you. Those deluxe trailers sound fancy!
I hope you are not having a poopy day. Poop photo on the update post and poop-related post here. Poop here, poop there, poop everywhere.