1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:06,039 Speaker 1: Happy weekend, folks. In old podcast time, it is December 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:11,559 Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen. In modern podcast time, it's two thousand twenty. One. 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Thing that has not changed between two thousand sixteen and 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: two thousand twenty is how porta potties work. It's an 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: interesting topic, believe it or not. I remember really enjoying 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: this episode. Uh, don't really enjoy porta potties, but it's 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: it's kind of a neat thing to research, believe it 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: or not, So give it a listen. Why don't you 9 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: how porta potties work? Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: a production of My Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. There's Charles 12 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: w Chuck Bryant, Jerry Master, Ace Roland. Uh, and this 13 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: is stuff you should not Yeah, poopy edition. This one's 14 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: gonna get disgusting. Yeah, I mean, I don't think you 15 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: need trigger warnings when the title of the episode is 16 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: got porta potti in it, But um, we'll just throw 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: it out there. We're gonna be talking about poop and yeah, 18 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: and so if you're having lunch, maybe just put that 19 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: chili dog down the gag easily. Yeah, you know, sure, Yeah, okay, 20 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: we'll check. I don't think we can put it off 21 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: any longer, you know that kind of beat it out. Um. 22 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: I kind of like how this article actually starts though 23 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: by Dave Ruse. He talks about the Taste of Chicago. 24 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: Oh is this a Ruse jam? Yes, it is good. 25 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: So he talks about how if you go to the 26 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: Taste of Chicago, right every every July, they hold it 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: at the Grant Park alongside the Lake. When was our 28 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: show there, by the way, was that July? No, it 29 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: was chillier than that. I think it was October. Okay, 30 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: they had something had happened in Grant part because I 31 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: remember seeing hundreds and hundreds of Porter potties on the 32 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: drive in. Oh really yeah, so somebo they just always 33 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: have them there. No, I don't think so. Okay, Well, 34 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: for the Taste of Chicago, they definitely have Porter potties. 35 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: In fact, for two thousand and fourteen, and we should 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: say there's like a million people that come through this 37 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: thing over the course of the week. It's a lot 38 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: of folks, it really is. Have you ever been to 39 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: Atlanta's Taste of Anything? Uh? No, I haven't either. I 40 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: don't think it's I don't think a million people show 41 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: up for it. It makes me want to go try 42 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,679 Speaker 1: Chicago's um But so you've got a million people. UM 43 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: and Service Sanitation, Inc. Which is the company that landed 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: the Porter Potty contract crunch the numbers. Looked at the 45 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: food that was going to be there, uh said, you're 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: gonna have some beer. Yeah, okay. They carried the one 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: and they came up with three eighty regular port of potties, 48 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: twenty eight wheelchair accessible porta potties, and eighty hand washing stations. 49 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: They have soap and fresh running water. Not bad, right, 50 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: So here's the thing, Like, that's great. They delivered all 51 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: those things. But had they just walked away and said, 52 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: see at the end of Taste of Chicago, it would 53 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: have been a living nightmare for everyone involved. Yeah, that 54 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: would be it would be more than the taste of Chicago. 55 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Be the sickening smell of Chicago. Yeah, that would have 56 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: been bad. Because well, we'll get into it. But Porter 57 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: Potty sometimes you can leave them come back a week 58 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: later and just take them away if it's like a 59 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: temporary work site or something. But sometimes when you're selling 60 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: beer and chili, you need to come at the end 61 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: of every day and clean those suckers out. Yes, and 62 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: that's what they did. They came at nine when everyone 63 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: was sleeping from well, I guess if you went to 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: bed at nine pm, that's what I'm sleeping. But they 65 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: would come every night from nine and I pm to 66 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: three am, and they would work. And here's the thing, 67 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: like porta potties, it turns out I was overthinking them. 68 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: I thought there was maybe a little more going on. No, 69 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: they are they are self. I don't. I really don't 70 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: know what I thought. It escaped me as as the 71 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: reality of porter potties sunk in my my delusions about 72 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: my illusions about them kind of um escaped me and 73 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: trickle away. And now I can't remember what they were 74 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: up port potty, right, Sure I have, But I was 75 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: like holding my breath and like like just barely had 76 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: my eyes open because I didn't want any germs to 77 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: get on my eyeballs. Um, So I wasn't paying that 78 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: much attention. It's an in and out kind of thing. Um. 79 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: It turns out that like when you serve as supporter potty, 80 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: what you're doing is you're showing up with a trunk 81 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: truck as a tank with a vacuum on at a 82 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: pressurized tank. Um, and you are sucking the contents out 83 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: of that porter potty and then you put it in 84 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: the truck, you drive off, and you dump it off 85 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: at the waste treatment plant of your local city or town. 86 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: It's like a gigantic wet back. Yes, it is for 87 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: poo poo and pep Yes, and a very dangerous one. 88 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: I saw at least one story um in a porter 89 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: potty trade magazine that of somebody who I've read a 90 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: bunch of those, in a magazine called it's called Portable 91 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: Restroom Operator TRO. It's a it's a good mag man. 92 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: They actually found um uh this one issue online going 93 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: all the way back to two thousand nine that I 94 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: was looking for. So they they're legit, but they could 95 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: have been a little more fun with the name and 96 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: pro well. I think they're they're saying like, hey man, 97 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: all the fun you want, but we're saving your behind. 98 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: Hey see that that sounds like a slogan. I think 99 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: I'm sure it is. Well, they do point out a 100 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: couple of the slogans because porta Potty Companies or porta John's, 101 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: Jiffy John's Portloo if you're in England, Toy toy if 102 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: you're in Malaysia. Yeah. Uh. They're very famous for having 103 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: pretty fun penny um slogans like we're number one in 104 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: the number two business. Not bad, No, it's not bad. 105 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: No one, there's no one takes care of our business, 106 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: like Mr John. Sure I saw that too. Yeah. Um, 107 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: there's also one called got to Go, but it's spelled 108 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: really impressively. Um it's g It's all one word and 109 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: it's lower case, so it's super mod g O T 110 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: you with an oom l out g O. I love it. M. 111 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: Do you like that one? Yeah? I just I thought 112 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: you were going in a different direction. I thought it 113 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: was going to be a little more like g E 114 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: A U X. No, that's like if they were in 115 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: Louisiana maybe, Yeah, that's what I thought. Sure, No, this 116 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: is this had an oomlout. That's what got me. And 117 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: that's why you love Motley Crue so much. Sure it 118 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: is all right? So, um, should we talk a little 119 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: bit about the history. I think so, all right, Well 120 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: we need to go back to World War two in 121 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: this case, and um, because World War two was going on, 122 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: there was there was there was a need for more 123 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: poopers essentially right because they had like manufacturing plants popping up, 124 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: they had temporary manufacturing plants going up. They had places 125 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: where they didn't want to build full service, permanent bathrooms 126 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: all over the place. All of a sudden, these people 127 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: needed to go potty. Um what I saw. I saw 128 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: a few different origin stories, but the one I saw 129 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: the most frequently was that the um shipbuilding docks at 130 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: Long Beach are in World War Two. They're building warships 131 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: for the US. The guys working the docks would have 132 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: to working building the ships would have to get on 133 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: a rowboat and go back to the dock to use 134 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: the bathroom. And this is no good. And they were like, 135 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: this is a terrible waste of time. Can we just 136 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: get something down the ship? So they started building temporary 137 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: what amounted to the first porta potties there on the 138 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: ships for them to use. Yeah, and these first ones, UM, 139 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: you can look up a picture of the Andy Gump. 140 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: Is that what it's called. I didn't see. I gotta 141 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: look that up. I think it's the Andy Gump, like 142 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: one of the just type in like nineteen forties porta 143 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: potty and there will be a picture, and it's basically 144 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: this big heavy metal square. Sometimes they were would but 145 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: they were super heavy and they weren't easily transported. Um 146 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 1: they you know, this is pre uh using like chemicals 147 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: which we'll get into to help break these the poop 148 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: poo down and stuff. So it was just a disgusting affair. 149 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: I'm having trouble right now. I see the indycomer. You 150 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: see it. Wow, it looks like, um, it looks safe 151 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: to be in. You know what it looks like. It 152 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: looks like what they used on mash Yeah, like the latrine. Yeah, 153 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: same idea. Basically, Yeah, it's just a latrine. You could 154 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: take places. But I came across this really cool little 155 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: thing on a website about World War two fighter pilots, 156 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: and um, with World War Two came along planes that 157 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: could stay in these bombers, I could stay in the 158 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: air for a lot longer. And they started to think like, Hey, 159 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: these these dudes are up there for like you know, 160 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: ten to fourteen hours, we have to come up with 161 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: ways for them to go to the bathroom. Right, yeah, 162 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: I mean like you don't think about that, Like when 163 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: we the frost Bite episode, I certainly didn't think that 164 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: they were up there getting frostbite because it was so 165 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: you know, cold. Also didn't think that they were up 166 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: there so long that they couldn't use the bathroom. They 167 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: had to hold it right, So yeah, And the earliest 168 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: ones were, well, here's a funnel and it's attached to 169 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: a tube and it leads out of the plane, so 170 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: go ahead and p Yeah, and that's basically just for 171 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 1: like the pilot and co pilot right this relief tube. Um. 172 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: After that they're like, well, what if we have to poop? Yeah, 173 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: they said, can you get your hands on a produced crate? 174 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: And the crew would say like, well, yeah, sure, we 175 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: have produced creative course, what are we commies and the 176 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: people in charge to say, We'll poop in that? Take 177 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: that up in the plane and just pooping that, buddy, 178 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: and maybe wash it out when you get down here 179 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 1: and put it back in for later use, or maybe 180 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: just get a new crate. I guess if you're not thrifty. 181 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: Eventually they came up with something called the Elson E 182 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: E L S A N. It's a chemical toilet and 183 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: it was really kind of one of the first little 184 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: porta potties. But if you look up Elson and on 185 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: the images on Google you will find that it's it 186 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: looks like nothing more than a metal oil can that 187 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: you sit on. It's basically what it was pretty much. Um, 188 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: and you're all they're exposed. I mean, there's no room 189 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: that this is in. You're just doing this in front 190 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: of you know, your all your buddies on the plane, 191 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: right like prison. Sure, and that I mean that that 192 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: Elson toilet was still I mean as primitive as it was. 193 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: It was an advancement, but it had certain problems, right 194 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: like if you were flying through turbulence, yea, that Elson 195 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: would spill its contents out into the plane. Yeah, there's 196 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: a few quotes here. I'd like to read a couple 197 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: of these from some of these fighter pilots. Um, here's 198 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: one and this is from a British pilot. While we 199 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: were flying in rough air. This Devil's convenience often shared 200 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: its con tense with the floor of the aircraft, the 201 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: walls and ceiling, and sometimes a bit remained in the 202 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 1: container itself. It doesn't take much imagination to picture what 203 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: it was like trying to combat fear and airsickness while 204 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 1: struggling to remove enough gear in cramped quarters and at 205 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: the same time trying to use the bloody Elson. If 206 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: it wasn't an invention of the devil, it certainly might 207 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: have been one foisted on us by the enemy. When 208 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: seated in frigid cold, amid the cacophony of roaring engines 209 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: and whistling air, away from what should have been one 210 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: of life's peaceful moments, the occupant had a chance to 211 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: fully ponder the miserable condition of his life. This lowsome creation, 212 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: invariably overflowed on long trips and in turbulence, was always 213 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: prone to bathe the nether regions of the user. It 214 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: was one of the true reminders to me that war 215 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: as hell. You don't think about this stuff. You hear 216 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,840 Speaker 1: about all the glory of being like a bomber pilot. 217 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: You don't think about sitting on a can and having 218 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: your your friends poop and pe slash up on your fannie. 219 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: Sorry to those in the UK, weies doesn't even make 220 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: sense in that context. That means something different here in 221 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: the US, right, but right so, uh yeah, that's the 222 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: the first I guess. Chemical toilet, which is a designation 223 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: of a porta potty, right, like a porter potty is 224 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: a chemical toilet, but not all chemical toilets or porta potties, 225 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: But a chemical toilet is any kind of toilet where 226 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: you have um something in there that's intended to break 227 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: down waste. And actually I don't know that an els 228 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: In toilet, I guess it was a chemical toilet. I 229 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: see now, But that's gross because in addition to getting 230 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: the rest of the cruise poop and pa slopped up 231 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: against your rear end, um, so too, were you getting 232 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: very very hazardous chemicals as well. Yeah, so that's a 233 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: good man. That guy may have had his buttocks removed 234 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 1: after the war. Uh. One of the uses of the toilet, 235 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: they said that this is supposedly very true. It was 236 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: that some members of the Royal Air Force UM actually 237 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: jettisoned the Elson toilets with their bomb payload onto German targets, 238 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 1: so they would drop these toilets full of pooh on 239 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: the Germans. And Uh. There was an American too, had 240 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: a great quote about peeing through the little hose. He said, 241 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: as the urine ran through the tube, it turned to 242 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: ice and dropped like topaz colored hail to the ground. 243 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,359 Speaker 1: I like to imagine every time I urinated over Germany. 244 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: My my acidulous projectile would plank on some Nazi Burger's 245 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: aryan nose poetry. Yeah, there's some more good stories in here. 246 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: You should, uh man, I don't remember which website it was. Yeah, 247 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: I have to. I have to post that later on 248 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: Facebook and I'll tweet it, all right. So that's the 249 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: the war effort that eventually ultimately led to the creation 250 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: of the porta potty, right, and again, like there were 251 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: already latrines that had already been out houses. And the 252 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: difference between an outhouse and a porta potty is that 253 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: an out house is basically some sort of rigid structure 254 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: that's intended to be permanent or semipermanent, permanent that's dug 255 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: over a hole in the ground. That's it. A porta 256 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: potty is a self contained unit that has a place 257 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: where the waste goes, and it's held inside that unit 258 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: rather than like put into the ground, which is extremely 259 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: dangerous that we learned a very long time ago. Pooping 260 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: in holes in the ground is not a good way 261 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: to go as far as public health is concerned. It's not. 262 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: And that's one of the legitimate um marks in the 263 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: favor of porta potties. Is gross, as as most people 264 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: who have ever used one thinks they are. They're actually 265 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: um quite beneficial to public health. Yeah, and they're green too. 266 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: Saves a lot of water. Yeah. I saw um a 267 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy billion leaders a year, about a hundred 268 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: and twenty five million gallons a day in the U 269 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: s alone. Crazy. Yeah, So, um, you want to take 270 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: a break for a second. Yeah, we'll break in. We'll 271 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about the evolution of the 272 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: port of John right after this y s game that 273 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: you should know, that you should know, but Josh Clark, 274 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: all right, chuckers. So we're talking about the evolution of 275 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: the port porta john. You've got the Andy Gump, you've 276 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: got the Elson toilet, and then finally, in actually the sixties, 277 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: you have what is the what we think of as 278 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: a porta potty. Um. A patent was developed by a 279 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: guy named George Harding Um and he called it for 280 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: a portable toilet Cabana and it was made from plastic 281 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: and um. Although he had the patent for it, the 282 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: guy who actually gets credit for actually creating the first 283 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: real modern port to john reporta potty was a guy 284 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: named Um Harvey Heather, and he created what's called the 285 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: strong Box. Great name. Did you see Have you seen 286 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: the strong Box? Oh? You did? That's what I went 287 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: and found the December two thousand nine UM issue of 288 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: Pro magazine. Um to find because I saw a reference 289 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: that they had published a picture of it, and I 290 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,360 Speaker 1: couldn't find it anywhere else. Those things are ugly. Yeah, 291 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't. It wasn't a great looking Uh. It's not 292 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: like the fantastic porter John say have today, just so 293 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: gorgeous to look at right now. This thing was ugly, 294 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: had had no alibi. Uh. Yeah. And these were made 295 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: of fiberglass, which um, it was good. It was lightweight 296 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: but um, and it was sturdy. It was as sturdy 297 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: as metal or wood, and it was a lot easier 298 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: to clean. But the problem with the strong Box and 299 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: the fiberglasses it was a big kind of one piece mold. Um. 300 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: It was dark inside, which was not good. They weren't 301 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: stackable as far as transporting them, and so that just 302 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: made it really expensive to get them where they needed 303 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: to go and back again. It did. And the fact 304 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: that like it was completely opaque um and there was 305 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: no light that could get in. That's that's an issue. 306 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: Plus I also get the impression that the floors could 307 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: get pretty slick and you could fall and die of 308 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: positional asphyxiation and important you. Yeah, and they were also 309 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: fiberglasses pretty fragile, so they would break a lot uh, 310 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: fiberglass absorb odors, which was not good. Uh. And so 311 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: shortly after the fiberglass came along, someone said, you know what, 312 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,360 Speaker 1: how about poly ethylene um. This is what we will use. 313 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: And George Harding, who you mentioned, co founded the Polly 314 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: John Corporation, and he started building the polyethylene portable toilets 315 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: that were much better because they lasted longer. They would 316 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 1: last like a decade. Although I would not want to 317 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: use a nine year old port of John. Well, so 318 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: the that picture of the strong box that was published 319 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: in Pro magazine apparently had been out in service. It 320 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: was still in service, and it had been built like 321 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: thirty years before. Well, yeah, you would know that your 322 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: company could not have cared less about you if you 323 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: show up to your job site and there's a strong 324 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: box there. Yeah, and that's what you're expected to use, 325 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 1: with all of the with all of the possible choices 326 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,199 Speaker 1: that your company could choose from, and they went with 327 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: the strong box. They don't care about you or your happiness. 328 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: The polyethylene. The other good thing about them where they 329 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 1: were assembled into different parts and pieces, so it made 330 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: them a lot easier to transport, a lot cheaper. Uh 331 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: and if apart broke, you might be able to replace it. 332 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that that is kind of good. Yeah, makes sense. 333 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: So hooray for poly ethylene toilets. But one of the 334 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: things that George harding Um created in his patent that 335 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: I noticed was a ventilation system. This is a big improvement, 336 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: right for sure, because when you're just piling human waste 337 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 1: upon human waste into a hole, um that it's going 338 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 1: to create gases, noxious gases, because bacteria is going to 339 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: start decomposing that waste, and as a byproduct of the decomposition, 340 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: they're going to produce what we see what we experience 341 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,680 Speaker 1: as rotting fecal material. Right. Yes, not just that it's stinky, 342 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: it's dangerous. It is dangerous and as that gas tries 343 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: to find a way to escape upward, if the only 344 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: hole available to it is the toilet that you're pooping 345 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: or peeing into, those gases are going to come out 346 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: of it, and you're going to vomit while you pooper 347 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: p as well. So what George Harding had I told 348 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: you this phone is going to be cruts. What George 349 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: Harding figured out was that if you could just basically 350 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: create a pipe venting off that gas upward and out 351 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: of the porter potty, people would be willing to use 352 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: porter potties a lot more. And that was a huge improvement. Yeah. 353 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: He also said, how about we make this rooftop translucent 354 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: white so we can let in some natural light at least, 355 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: why don't we improve the flooring so that it's not 356 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: as slippy and um, maybe even further down the line, 357 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: we'll have porter potties that have a little urnal that's separate, 358 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: so you don't even have to sit your butt down 359 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: on that most horrid of places. Right yep, what about 360 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: the roll around toilet? Did you see these? Yeah? Those? 361 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: I mean that it makes sense. So basically, if you 362 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: are on like a job site right um, where there 363 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: are like different multiple stories being built and you're up 364 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: on one of the higher stories, it's the same thing 365 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: as when you're working in the shipyards building a ship. 366 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 1: You don't want to have to come all the way 367 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: down to use the bathroom. So they created porter potties 368 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: that were a lot more mobile that could be um 369 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: hoisted by cranes. UM just two different different levels. Yeah, 370 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 1: if you look up roll around toilet, it basically looks 371 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,640 Speaker 1: like one of those UM coolers that has the two 372 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,479 Speaker 1: wheels and the handle and you can pull the cooler around, 373 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: except it's larger and UM sitting above the wheels is 374 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: a is a urinal. Right. I don't see how you 375 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: go poopy in those, so maybe maybe that's when you 376 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: go downstairs. Uh yeah, I don't know either, because it's 377 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: not enclosed or anything. I mean, it's just wide open, 378 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: just like prison. And there's actually a great um a 379 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: great scene from I think the First Police Academy starring 380 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: our friend and Twitter followers Steve Guttenberg goots and UM. 381 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: I think it's Mauser who uses a porter potty and 382 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: Steve Guttenberg goes over and gets some crane operator to 383 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: lend him the crane and now it's Mauser's um, his 384 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: right hand man. I don't remember that guy's name, but 385 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: they lift the porter potty up while he's inside using it. 386 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: It's hilarious, wacky, wacky stuff and sus uh. And then 387 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: if you really are living the good life, or you 388 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 1: have a maybe a really nice upscale wedding that's out 389 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: in a remote area, you don't want to bring in 390 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:47,479 Speaker 1: just even the nicest polly ethylene porta John won't do. 391 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,199 Speaker 1: You will bring in what we call in in the 392 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: movie business a honey wagon. Um. It is a restroom trailer. 393 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: And these are actually nice. They are have running water, 394 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: they have dolls, they have porcelain uh, toilets, it's all partition. 395 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: They have sinks and running water and mirrors, hand towels. 396 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:13,919 Speaker 1: It's like a rolling trailer full of toilets. Yeah. Like 397 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: you can breathe through your nose in these things. You 398 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: can lay down on the floor if you wanted. Yeah. 399 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 1: And apparently these first started in nineteen eight four Polly 400 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,199 Speaker 1: John in Columbus, Ohio, go by guys. Yeah, And the 401 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: original trailer was eight stalls or as we said in 402 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: the movie business, and eight banger at three journals, and 403 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: it was thirty two ft long. And now there are 404 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: nineteen companies manufacturing luxury restroom trailers around the world today. Yeah. 405 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: I saw one in um like that they market for 406 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: like outdoor weddings and stuff like that. They said, all 407 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: you need are like I think six outlets maybe six 408 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 1: D and twenty bowl outlets. Yeah, and like standard garden 409 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: hose connection. And you've got yourself a luxury porter potty 410 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:03,400 Speaker 1: trailer for your next remote black tie event, right, which 411 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: I mean even people in black tie got a p Yeah. Sure, 412 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: so you might as well take it easy on him 413 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: with a nice looks trailer. That's right. So, speaking of Chuck, 414 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: you want to you want to take a break. Yeah, 415 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go to a real bathroom and hug it, 416 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: and I'm going to get a crane operator to probably 417 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: a prank on you. All right, we'll be right back. 418 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: That's y s games a little bit that you should know, 419 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: y sk should know. But Josh Clark, okay, Chuck, Yep, 420 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: we can't put it off any longer. We gotta go inside. 421 00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna go inside, deep dive into the bowels of 422 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: the porta pott Oh my gosh. Okay, okay, you're ready, Yeah, 423 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: catch your snorkel. Okay. So when you look into a 424 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 1: porter potty, you may notice that the stuff that's inside 425 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: the bowl or inside the holding tank is blue. Yeah, 426 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: it's in brown, sure, yeah, but it's more blue than brown. 427 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: And that's no accident, that's right. Any porta potty is 428 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: going to use a deep blue dye. In the entire purpose, 429 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: from beginning to end of the blue dye is to 430 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: visually mask the presence of human feces. Yeah, they don't. 431 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: They don't want you looking down there and seeing. Uh 432 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: if it was just like clear, like it's already disgusting, 433 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: You're you're getting the full experience from the smell alone. 434 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: You don't need the visual and and you don't pooping 435 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,679 Speaker 1: these things to you? Oh no, okay, No, I I 436 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: think I would just put my pants and walk around instead. 437 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't think I would. I certainly don't remember. 438 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: It's possible I blacked out that memory, but I don't 439 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: think I ever have it, like the first Lallapalooza, right, 440 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: I The only time I pooped in these I'm sure 441 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: there's been like some extreme emergency. But the only time 442 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: I can really recall is when Emily and I were 443 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: getting our master bath built at our house. Um, we 444 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: had our own we had another little bathroom kind of 445 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: you know, a little small guest bathroom, and we shared that, 446 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: and then we had a construction toilet on site because 447 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 1: they were doing construction. And so I would get up 448 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 1: in the mornings because I didn't want to. I want 449 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: to be a good husband, you know, and not ruin 450 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: Emily's day in morning, um by getting in there first. 451 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 1: So I would, I would get my newspaper and I 452 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: would walk outside in my slippers and use the port 453 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 1: to john in my driveway every morning. But I mean, 454 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,239 Speaker 1: I guess it was pretty clean. It was yours, right, 455 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: it was great. It was me and like, you know, 456 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: two or three dudes there you go, that's that is doable. 457 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: Festival taste of Chicago, Like, yes, there's there are like 458 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: of course, like surely if you're sharing a porter potty 459 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: with a couple of other people that you have to 460 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: look in the eye here there, you're gonna take care 461 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: of it. But if it's random drunk strangers or people 462 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: on drugs or something like that, you, uh, it's gonna 463 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,199 Speaker 1: get messy awfully fast. And and again it's more and 464 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 1: more people use it, that blue dye becomes more and 465 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: more important. Right as it does, there's also gonna be 466 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: a fragrance that they're gonna add to hopefully mask the 467 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 1: odor and apparently well, I was reading in some uh 468 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: some trade magazines, and I haven't experienced it myself, but 469 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: I did get the impression that they have come a 470 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: long way as far as fragrance goes. Yeah, like I saw, um, 471 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: you can get bubblegum fragrance. It doesn't sound good vanilla 472 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: um that comes from just standard use to the taste 473 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: of Chicago. Yeah, I mean, you know me with fragrance 474 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: this period, it's it's even worse to me, um everything bagel. No. 475 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: But like I came across the site and there's like 476 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: a Jaguar brand porta potty fragrance additive, and they have 477 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: like any fragrance you can imagine. Wow. Uh. And then 478 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: the finally final thing you're going to see down there, 479 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: or that it's going to be down there are biosides 480 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: to kill the bacteria and microbes and um. It used 481 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: to be that they would use formaldehyde uh to take 482 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: care of that, but more and more wastewater treatment plants 483 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 1: UM started saying, hey, we can't properly dispose of that 484 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: stuff now carcinogen, and we don't feel good about it. 485 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: So they've been phasing that out over the years going 486 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: a little greener and now um they actually use enzymes 487 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: like in official enzymes and microbes that feed on this stuff. Right, 488 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: they feed they helped break down the poop, and they 489 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: also feed on the bacteria that causes the smells. Right, 490 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: So they're making the poop and nert but they're also 491 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: naturally cutting down and smells, which I just find fascinating. Um. 492 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: They also, since it's capable of breaking down UM bacteria, 493 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: it's also capable of breaking down um any organic material, 494 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: so that if you use the right kind of toilet paper, 495 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: they'll break down the toilet paper as well. Yeah. It's 496 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 1: just basically magic in a in a porter potty. Yeah. 497 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: And they the other benefit there is they don't need 498 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: to be emptied as often UM if it's doing the 499 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: job like it should. Yeah. UM weather has an effect obviously, 500 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: if you're in Georgia in the hot summer, things are 501 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: gonna get even worse. I imagine Chicago in July is 502 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: probably no picnic either, and the taste of Chicago. No 503 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: one's gonna go to the taste of Chicago anymore. They're 504 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: like attended stop by this year. You don't know what's 505 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: going on, but when temperatures go up, bacteria go to 506 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: work even harder, and things are just gonna smell even worse. 507 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: So they might actually use more chemicals in the summer 508 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: um or more chemicals, especially if it's a summer festival. 509 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 1: And then conversely, I saw this, I guess it was 510 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: a blog post by a Porta Potti worker that was 511 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: published on Cracked and um, they basically just went over 512 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: most of the stuff you can imagine, but just crazy 513 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: stuff that they found. Um. But one of the things 514 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: that they made reference to is that the worst thing 515 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: that they can encounter is um a frozen waste, because 516 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 1: they said, once that happens, you have to break it 517 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: up by hand. Oh, so to protect to defend their 518 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: people from having to do this, they well, typically in colder, 519 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: colder areas during the winter, they'll they'll create a briny mixture. Yeah, 520 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: that will have a lower freezing temperature, like the Minnesota 521 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: ice Fishing festival, Right, But eventually you're going to reach 522 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: a point where it's cold enough that it's it's freezing 523 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: no matter how much salt you add to it. Yeah, 524 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: And I did see one of their little tricks of 525 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: the trade is they put a a cake of this 526 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: rock salt in the urinal, so you go peepy on it, 527 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: and as you peep on it, it just adds a 528 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 1: little more salt slowly throughout the day. Right. The only 529 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: issue with those is that you have to keep the 530 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: deer away because they love salt licks. You like that one. Yeah, 531 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: I'm ashamed of basically every joke I've made this whole episode. 532 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: I don't feel good about myself right now. All right, 533 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: so let's finish up by talking about the really the 534 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: worst part of this. If you're one of like eight 535 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: people still listening, right, Uh, if you're still listening, then 536 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: we'll finish up with the worst part, which is servicing 537 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: these things. And we talked about it. It's like a 538 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: wet back. You suck it out, drive it to a 539 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: waste water plant. But uh, you have to add new water. 540 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: You have to add new blue junk, uh and some 541 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 1: more dry solution. And I saw I saw like a 542 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: ratio of one to one about fresh water to solution. 543 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 1: We don't want to mess that up. Uh. And you think, like, 544 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: all right, so that's pretty gross and everything. But um, 545 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: especially at like a music festival or something, there's stuff 546 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: everywhere like you've been in these There's there's urine everywhere, 547 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: there's poop and places where you think, like, what in 548 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: the world of someone doing in there, and they have 549 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: to be cleaned out by somebody. It's an awful job. Yeah, 550 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: there's um stuff that people drop down there. Like if 551 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,320 Speaker 1: you use the sock to wipe your bottom with and 552 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: you just deposit the sock into the porta potty, that's 553 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: gonna as you comp up the tank or the pump. Um. 554 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: So they have to get that kind of stuff out first. 555 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: About your cell phone, cell phone, Yeah, apparently they find 556 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: all sorts of stuff, especially things like phones, wallets full 557 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 1: of cash, jewelry, drugs. Yeah, guns. Uh. That crrarect guy 558 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: said that, Um he had a friend who showed up 559 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 1: at a porta potty where they just found a body. 560 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 1: Oh my god. Yeah, the thing now in the porta potty, 561 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 1: not in the actual hole. That's just cruel. Yeah, but um, yeah, 562 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:33,439 Speaker 1: they find all sorts of stuff because almost everybody would say, 563 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: well that's gone. I'll just have to get a new 564 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:39,800 Speaker 1: identity because I dropped my whole wallet into porta potty. Actually, 565 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: I saw a stat where five percent of people that 566 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: go into porta potties don't come out at all, so right, 567 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: the dead body scenario makes sense. They end up in 568 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: the other dimension from phantasm uh. And then our article says, 569 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,320 Speaker 1: the worst case scenario if you're a porta potty service 570 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:02,359 Speaker 1: person is uh that the porta potty Well, there's two 571 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: worst case, one worse and one way worse. One is 572 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: if it just gets knocked over, either by a car 573 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,919 Speaker 1: hitting it or the wind, or some jerk who thinks 574 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: it's funny, that's not cool knocks it not cool at all, 575 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 1: knocks it over on purpose. But the ultimate ultimate worst 576 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: is if it tips over on its door. That's its 577 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 1: achilles heel, any porta potties achilles heel, because what happens, 578 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: all of the stuff that's in the holding tank gets 579 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: dumped out. When it's facing on its front on the door, 580 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: all of the stuff is liable to come out, and 581 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: it does, especially when they pick it back up. It 582 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: just slashes around everywhere and the poor porter potty service 583 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: operator has to wash this thing out. And those are 584 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: the worst. Like like somebody can put poop like on 585 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: the ceiling or on the walls or something that's pretty bad. 586 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,359 Speaker 1: But when it falls on its front on the door 587 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: and everything slashes out. It gets everywhere, so you have 588 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,359 Speaker 1: to like inside to clean the whole thing. And at 589 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: the very least, it takes them a lot more time 590 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: and screws up their entire day's schedule. At the worst, 591 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: they're in there cleaning a filthy porter, potties, nook and 592 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: crannies from the inside. Yeah, I would just say it 593 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: fell off the truck, boss, right, Sorry, it's in that 594 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: phantasm dimension, boss, didn't they Jack asked, do one of 595 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,520 Speaker 1: these like put one of them in there and tip 596 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 1: it over or something? Yeah, I'm sure I think they 597 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 1: did that when they were like four. Yeah, I think 598 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: they did, like I had a crane lifted and turn 599 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: it over something. I don't know. No, you're thinking police 600 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 1: Academy and also police academy, giegs. You don't have to 601 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 1: write in it was Police Academy three. So I was 602 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: about to say, I didn't remember that. You didn't see what? Nah? 603 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 1: I think I petered out after two. Even three might 604 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 1: have been the best of all of them, which is 605 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: that what was the full name of it? Uh? Citizens 606 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:01,840 Speaker 1: on Patrol? Okay, it's the one where Bob gold Thwaite, 607 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: like goes over from his life of crime to being 608 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: a junior police academy guy. Yeah, I love Bob Goldthwaite. 609 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 1: But good, he's great. Can we stop, sure, man, Okay, 610 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,959 Speaker 1: we have to say you got anything else? No, okay, Chuck? Well, 611 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: actually I do know. If you see these porter potty 612 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:26,920 Speaker 1: service people in your neighborhood, if there's construction going on, 613 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: you see them, bring in the truck, just flash a 614 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: nice smile, give him a tip of the cap. It's 615 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: a really gnarly job. And like they say, somebody's got 616 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,799 Speaker 1: to do it. They're making a living. Like they've got 617 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: a job. They went out and got that job to 618 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,760 Speaker 1: make money and provide for their family. And don't forget, 619 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: they're defending public health and they're saving a significant amount 620 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: of water. So there you go. Nice Chuck, all right, 621 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: good way to finish. If you want to know more 622 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:58,359 Speaker 1: about porta potties, you can type those that hyphenated word 623 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: on the search bar at how stuff works dot com. 624 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: And since I said hyphen it's time for listening. Now 625 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna call this quick. John Clase uh direction or 626 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: John please exactly. Congratulations on an absolutely marvelous episode concerning 627 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: Monty Python guys, it's great to hear so much of 628 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:21,280 Speaker 1: the history of the group. Well done. One bit of information. 629 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,879 Speaker 1: I happen to see John Clease present a one man 630 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,800 Speaker 1: show a few years ago in Carmel, California. He just 631 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: stood on stage and talked for about seventy five minutes. Um, boy, 632 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: that's a good gig. He discussed his life in general, 633 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,720 Speaker 1: Python in particular, and lots of things. Other things he noticed. 634 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 1: Noted that his name is pronounced to rhyme with cheese 635 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: rather than fleece. In fact, his surname was originally Cheese, 636 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: but his father changed it to please. Uh. This was 637 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: a good thing for the Sun being named John because 638 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 1: he did not want to go by Jack Cheese. Yeah. 639 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,720 Speaker 1: I guess not, so it's John Klees. Never knew that 640 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,759 Speaker 1: that's from David Hewitt. Yeah. And um, I also want 641 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: to say, chuck. Somebody called us out for not mentioning 642 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,799 Speaker 1: Carol Cleveland. She was, for all intents and purposes, the 643 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,680 Speaker 1: seventh member of Monty Python. Yeah, we felt terrible because 644 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: she was in our notes and we mentioned her and 645 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: lavish praise on her and our runthrough that we did 646 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,399 Speaker 1: in the studio, and it was just one of those 647 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: live show things that got biased. Yeah, so sorry, Carol Cleveland. 648 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 1: We uh, hats off to you. We appreciate your work 649 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: and we're sorry we'll left you out, agreed. Uh. If 650 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:38,800 Speaker 1: you want to get in touch with me, your Chuck, 651 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: you can tweet to us I'm at joshuam Clark and 652 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 1: there's also s y s K podcast Chuck sat Charles W. 653 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 1: Chuck Bryant on Facebook and at Stuff you Should Know 654 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,839 Speaker 1: on Facebook. You can send the both of us and 655 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 1: Jerry an email to stuff podcast at how stuff Works 656 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: dot com and has always hang out with us at 657 00:39:55,160 --> 00:40:00,799 Speaker 1: our home on the web. Stuff you Should Know dot com. 658 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeart Radio's 659 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. For more podcasts for my heart Radio, 660 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,319 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 661 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. H