Imagine a World Without Porta-Potties!
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if outdoor porta-potties were no longer available? Though these common commodes may not be the topic of conversation at social gatherings, they would become very coveted if the world didn't have them.
Many of us who live in advanced societies might take restrooms – whether the indoor version or the outdoor variety – for granted. American homes have one, two, three or more restrooms to be used on-demand, but outdoor porta-potties are just as important as their indoor counterparts. Without them, cities and neighborhoods would be infested with dangerous pathogens, causing illnesses and life-threatening diseases.
Here are only a handful of scenarios one can, graphically, visualize if porta-potties were not available.
Construction Sites: If porta-potties were not mandated at construction sites, workers would be forced to relieve themselves wherever they might choose – ditches, alongside the road, behind buildings – anywhere. Imagine the repercussions! As a result, disease-causing microbes would run amok. Workers would, eventually, become ill and that would mean lost work time and the possibility of not meeting crucial project deadlines. 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: Marathon runners don't have the luxury of finding indoor restrooms along their race routes. For this reason, porta-potties are placed in strategic locations for the runners as well as the spectators. 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. Again, can you imagine? From the stench, to the spread of disease-causing germs, serious health issues would ensue.
Along those lines, here is a perplexing oddity: The Great Wall Marathon in China offers a large tent for the runners to relieve themselves before the race, if they feel the need. Once inside the tent, anyone is allowed to relieve themselves anywhere. Yes, piles and puddles of human waste languishing inside – a situation that is not even believable for most of us. Why porta-potties are not positioned along this particular race-course is a mystery.
Natural Disasters: Natural disasters can be overwhelmingly powerful and destructive. From typhoons & hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, raging wildfires, floods, and tornadoes, these massive acts of nature leave death and destruction in their paths. Those who experience natural disasters become acutely aware of a frightening fact: running water is unavailable. Public services that involve water and sewer systems could be down for days or months. This, of course, is where porta-potties, quite literally, come to the rescue – providing a safe place to 'go' and preventing harmful pathogens from becoming a widespread health risk. Without porta-potties, human waste would not only seep into the ground, but natural bodies of water would, eventually, become contaminated
Agriculture Settings: Federal law mandates that porta-potties must be easily accessible to field workers who are a part of hand-labor operations in farm/agricultural venues across the US. Without access to porta-potties, agriculture workers would have no choice but to use their immediate vicinity to relieve themselves. Unharvested food products would become, quickly, contaminated and unsafe for human consumption, and surface and groundwater would become unfit for use. Imagine, also, flies that would flock the fields to have their 'feast' and end up creating their own scenario of health hazards for surrounding communities.
The Facts Speak for Themselves
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! It is encouraging to be reminded that where porta-potties have been rigorously introduced in poor regions of the world, noticeable increases in survival rates among young children have become evident.
A world without porta-potties – can you imagine?