Most of us don't give constant accessibility to restrooms a second thought. We take flushing toilets for granted. Those who live in the US and other advanced societies around the world have the luxury of finding restrooms ? indoor varieties and portable versions ? everywhere. Indoor restrooms with flushable toilets ? the chain-pull type ? were introduced in American homes of the wealthy during the last decade of the 1800s. Porta-potties ? which have been called chamber pots and other names ? have been around since ancient times, in one form or another.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if outdoor porta-potties were no longer available? The absence of porta-potties would wreak havoc in a number of ways. In fact, cities and neighborhoods would, sooner or later, feel the devastating effects of porta-potties being unavailable.
Let's imagine, for a moment, the following scenarios without porta-potties:
Construction Sites: Without the availability of porta-potties for construction workers, the need to go would take place wherever a worker would deem fit ? ditches, buckets, anywhere on the ground ? you name it. Predictably, dangerous micro-organisms, bacteria, and viruses would run rampant on construction sites where workers would, eventually, feel the effects of the contamination. Sick workers and lost work time would ensue. The ill-effects would not be confined to only the construction workers, however, since the spread of disease would find its way far beyond the construction venue.
Marathons: Permanent restrooms do not, strategically, dot the landscape used for marathon runners. Because of that, porta-potties are an absolute necessity. With thousands of runners traveling along a course more than 25 miles in length, the absence of porta-potties would mean that these athletes, and the crowds who watch them, would be forced to relieve themselves behind, in front of, or alongside trees, cars, or buildings. Can you imagine? One doesn't need to think too deeply about the stench from this type of scenario on a warm day, not to mention the spread of disease-causing germs. Also, observing people relieving themselves in public would be unsightly and uncivilized.
Believe it or not, The Great Wall Marathon in China offers a large tent for the runners to use before the race if they have a 'need-to-relieve'. Once inside the tent, anyone is allowed to relieve themselves anywhere they choose. If you were unfortunate enough to have to utilize this tent, you'd better watch where you would step. It's hard to understand why porta-potties positioned along the race course are not available.
Natural Disasters: Unfortunately, natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes ? typhoons/hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, raging wildfires, floods, and tornadoes. Often, those who experience natural disasters, first hand, quickly realize a breath-taking fact: running water is unavailable. Public services such as water and sewer could be unavailable for days, weeks, or months. This, of course, is where porta-potties become heroes for communities that are devastated by unfathomable disruptions. Porta-potties play a vital role when disaster relief and emergency services are quickly needed.
Those dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure as well as surviving victims who might have immediate and on-going needs for porta-potties, would be a priority. Without porta-potties to the rescue, concerns regarding sanitation would turn into filth-ridden realities, and it would only be a matter of time before serious illnesses would set in for the masses.
In these types of situations, proper disposal of human waste is absolutely essential since human feces, if uncontrolled, would end up contaminating water sources. Contaminated water would end up being a severe health crisis, all on its own. In many parts of the world, contaminated water is a very real danger, every day of every year, due to geographic locations that have never seen toilets of any kind ? and presumably, never will.
Agriculture Settings: Federal law dictates that porta-potties must be available to agriculture workers who are a part of hand-labor operations in farm/agricultural fields across the US. Without access to porta-potties, agriculture workers would have no choice but to use the bean fields or strawberry fields as convenient locations for defecation. Needless to say, agricultural food products would become, quickly, contaminated since human waste contains a large number of illness-causing pathogens.
The spread of disease would have the perfect opportunity to grow, exponentially, with the help of surface and ground-water pollution. Additionally, fruits and vegetables would become unsafe for human consumption ? unknown to those who would eat them. Lastly, strong odors and flies would ensue ? the domino effect for health hazards would begin its terrible, indiscriminate journey to your family and mine.
After It's All Said and Done
Sobering Fact: According to the Portable Sanitation Association International, 40% of the world's population does not have access to a single toilet ? ever. The World Health Organization puts that statistic at 33% ? either way, it is a sober reminder of how fortunate we are to have access to clean, sanitary porta-potties, whenever needed! Not surprisingly, impoverished areas around the world where porta-potties have been introduced, have experienced a noticeable increase in survival rates among young children.
A world without porta-potties ? it's hard for us to fathom!