All About Participating in the Pottie Project

[The CO]

I have 2-3 shifts per day, very flexible.

I cannot stress enough how awesome it is to work a shift with Robbidobbs. If you have not done it, do it!

you get a Pooping Man scarf!

[robbidobbs]

An I cannot stress enough how awesome it was to work with you and your campmates.
Thank you again for an outstanding job this year.

[robbidobbs]

I found this on my doorstep...
www.AdoptAPortaPotty.com
What are your thoughts on this? I will remain neutral at this time.

[theCryptofishist]

Some of us have sensitivity to stinky chemicals in perfumes, colognes and air fresheners. I'm lucky, it is only unpleasant for me; it can trigger asthma in others.
And I don't think those damn collars disintegrate in the blue "water". They need to do more research and make sure that people don't apply one-size-fits-all solutions.

[motskyroonmatick]

If the porta potties are "horrible" at burning man then.....They have not experienced how bad a porta potty can really get. Seriously. Our porta potties are the best I have ever been in and I'd say Ive used porta potties thousands of times. The worst? Just go to any beer garden, nascar race, festival or carnival. Now that is bad! Were good. Were the best and USS tells us so every year.

Pimping potties is great! Do it! That's what this is. Pimping up porta potties.

I'd bet toilet seat covers aren't going to break up in the blue goo by the time the truck gets there.... 2ply = die! if that extra toilet paper is not = to RV type then it's a no go.

BTW. Toilet seats are really sanitary believe it or not.

[Eric]

I'm wondering if it was their first year- I was amazed at how clean the potties stayed *all week*- even during the weekend. I think I only saw 2 or 3 bad ones, and there was a clean one a door away. I'd say 2011 was the best I've seen since 2003.

Like Motsky said- if they think BRC's are bad they have obviously never been to a street fair, or a festival, or a national park.

Robbidobbs- They may not even know your department exists: I'd try to co-opt them if I were you (which I'm not, so YMMV )

[robbidobbs]

I'm wondering if he knows or IS the guy from Pimp Your Pottie. He "stumbled" upon this one potty this year, yet PYP has been around for at least 9 years. It use to be a much larger operation, there were at least 7 units that were pimped (by my observation) at its height - that is until they got locked out of the handicapped units. this year there was one. Where has he been?

[robbidobbs]

I'll interview him. He needs to be educated certainly.
I just watched his video. So he took a balloon ride and asked leading questions to about 6 people.
And what's up with the sparkle pony with FEATHERS?!? Harken not the harlot garbed in fowl plumage.
This is a video of other people's art. I'm not impressed yet - until I see some ACTION this is just so much passing wind.

Oh, and the USS guy that was about to say something but got cut off had told me that there was clothing found early in the week and a backpack. This was obviously malicious, and one can't prevent malice. Sorry.

Now if this guy adopts ONE potty bank himself, and provides a concierge service at it similar to the Potty Pigs, then I'm all for it. But for him to parachute out of nowhere and ask people to "pledge" $30 for the privilege of providing plastic bottles to be stored in MY porta potties, then I have a problem.

This guy's a geek.

[FIGJAM]

Don't need no extras that can fall in the potties. (cause they will)

Minimal necesities=minimal problems!

[robbidobbs]

Here it is kids, the letter I sent to Mr know it all:

David,
Since you chose to not respond to either of my emails, I will be very clear in this one.
Your enterprise has enthusiasm, ambition and attractiveness.
It has one flaw - it is not going to be allowed in the way you have presented. The plastic bottles you are recommending to place within the potty units WILL be dropped in, either by accident or malice. This interferes with the cleaning of the potties by USS, and I have witnessed too many problems with this activity.

To be very clear:
NOTHING is to be stored inside the units, as these well-intentioned items WILL be dropped in by participants.

I have a better solution to improving the lives of those using the potties - set up a concierge station outside the units, with your offerings managed by you and those who you recruit. There is a requirement of course: do not let it become a MOOP factory or it will be bagged up. Excellent examples of this is service are the Potty Pigs at 4:00D and MuppetKiller at 7:30D.

You're asking for volunteers to pledge to do this. I have been soliciting help from the camps who have line of site to a given potty bank since 2003. The Pottie Friend program has been an increasing success since it began. Do I know you? Have you EVER adopted one yourself? I don't recommend that you put up the bakers wheel just yet. I whole-heartedly encourage you to adopt the one by where you live, try it for a year and I will gladly keep you in TP for the masses the entire week.

I understand how excited you must have been to see Pimp Your Potties example of their art. This group has been pimping for about 7 years. I have been fully aware of their presence. What they are doing is not condoned. They are misguided. They are not affiliated with the Pottie Project at all. They have been acting on their own, and due to their grandiose style and relatively limited number of units decorated (3), they have been tolerated. If their "services" were to be expanded upon, the impact could cause me to take action.

From my ELEVEN years of monitoring the porta-potties (full time, 12 hour days, and yes the ENTIRE city), this year has been extraordinary. I personally take offense that you consider them to be "horrible". Obviously you've not attended many public events with such facilities. BRC is unique in how clean the porta-potties are, and this is a direct result of planning, education, effort and cooperation. DO NOT MAKE MY JOB HARDER.

You have expressed interest in presenting your art at Decompression. It's a one day event with 100 potties. I will not be attending. I don't give a shit what goes on there. HOWEVER You will find there that I have many former volunteers, department members, fans, minions, friends and fellow travelers that will educate you in exactly where the flaws in your plans are. Listen to them, they are generally well informed.

On a personal note, I have only to go by what you have posted, and that you are presenting this in October, I surmise that you have a bad case of "next year -itis" and it will disappear like so much passing wind.

Sincerely,
RobbiDobbs
DPW: Volunteer Coordinator, Special Projects (Porta-Potties)

[AntiM]

I wonder of they're using some alternative timeline potties?

And yeah, I have asthma and avoid air fresheners like the plague. Playa dust won't make me wheeze, but a shot of Glade is life threatening.

[lucky420]

And what's up with the sparkle pony with FEATHERS?!?

that was my first thought that came to mind. Then I thought ok cool maybe i could tape a little basket with some stuff in it and place it in a porto close to my camp. After reading robbidobs reply to this video I am now better informed. I hope that the person to whom the letter was intended is also now better informed. I will NOT be pimping a porto, besides they really aren't bad at all.

Thank You robbidobs!

[OregonRed]

*Climbing on soapbox*

Robbi Dobbs does the extremely time-consuming, difficult job of POoP liaison between us (the citizens of BRC) and them (the people who provide and service the potties) and she does it well with a very small staff of volunteers. She manages to stay friendly and positive about shit in a way that I never believed was possible.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of working a shift with the Chief Poopervisor of the Pottie Project (it's okay, she refers to herself thusly), it will educate even the most idiotic of sparkle ponies on why we do the potties the way we do WITH A QUICKNESS! And the shift is not only educational, it is also a lot of fun! In my theme camp this year we encouraged all of our birgins to work a shift (or two) with Robbi, and all of them came back impressed with BRC's maintenance of their potties and how really monumental Robbi's job is. The absolute last thing Robbi needs to be dealing with is some well intentioned idiot putting yahoo fodder in the potties.

If you want to help improve the conditions of the potties in BRC, I encourage you to go out with Robbi for four hours during your stay in Black Rock. Help her make pooping a more pleasant experience for you.

Thank you for listening.

*climbing off soapbox*

[MOOP_Czar]

That is a clog waiting to happen.

They just "found" the one porta-pottie that was pimped out.

Bullshit.

IMHO, if that is the case, they spent an awful lot of time hanging around a port-potty getting opinions and information like this.

I call bullshit.

They should also be eliminated in general due to feather useage.

[OregonRed]

That is a clog waiting to happen.

They just "found" the one porta-pottie that was pimped out.

Bullshit.

IMHO, if that is the case, they spent an awful lot of time hanging around a port-potty getting opinions and information like this.

I call bullshit.

They should also be eliminated in general due to feather useage.

+100

[Bay Bridge Sue]

I agree. 110%

Years ago, we *did* decorate the inside of our camp's portapotty - magazine table, candle, light, ashtray, reading material, trash can... and it worked. But the reason was we had a great group of campers who took care of it, no one abused it, and all went well. Hell, last year someone put comics on the vent pipe and walls of our village ones, and it was cute, easy to clean up, and kinda fun.

If it ever went to hell in a handbasket, it would have breen totally fubar. Part of the issue is cultural - anonymous self-entitled attendees of TTITD (ain't burners) go into a Blue Water Inn, knowing they have no responsibility for it, they don't have a stake in it, and they treat it not like a priviledge but like a shithole. (OK, it IS a shithole, but you know what I mean). Because they have no responsibility, and that little voice in their head says "Hey, it's burning man, which means there are no rules, so fuck you, if I trash it someone else will clean up after me". Sad, but true - I've seen this attitude grow more and more (example? Look at the mot#&rfu<*ing feathers this year and the assholes trying to bullshit why THEY were so f%*#%^ special that THEY could wear them, etc. etc. ad nauseum) and it SUCKS - bad. It's the same people - those who say "Everyone has to follow the rules but me, because *I'M* special..."

I have an idea. People who are flagrant moop violators - those who refuse to not bring feather boas and wings and hats and crap, people who dump their fucking greywater into a BlueWater Inn™ or trash one out, those who get caught maliciously mooping the playa deliberately, get their name taken down, and when they go to buy tix next year, they get a 50% moop surcharge added to their tickets. On the list twice, and you're banned. Problem solved.

(And you thought the Moop-Nazi, er, Moop-Czar, er, whatever he's calling himself this week was bad...)

[MOOP_Czar]

I agree with BBS.

The flagrant flaunting of forbidden feather-wear... oh damn... wait... let me breathe that one in for a second...




Ok.. I am good...


Where was I?

Oh yeah - that is but one issue that needs to be addressed by all MOOP Nazi's and MOOP defenders. Burning Man has grown to a size where some rules concerning behaviour are needed. People who make any excuse or infer that they are for some reason entitled to blatantly MOOP are wrong.

While I do agree with BBS, there are people who should be pointed out and corrected on Playa or someone else may think it is OK to do something that they shouldnt. It can spread like cancer if there are no repercussions of being an asshat on Playa.
For example:

While I am not prejudiced at all against our blue brothers and I do like his eyewear fashion sense, this individual has issues with following one of the most basic of rules. Now, had he been made aware of the rules, asked about why he felt it unnescessary to follow them, and then asked if he would either donate or pack his boa away, all via a bullhorn so everyone around him might be able to become involved in the Q&A session, aka his PEERS, this Blue Gentleman might have chosen to not ever wear or bring feathers to TTITD again.

Just a thought.

[ygmir]

I agree with BBS.

The flagrant flaunting of forbidden feather-wear... oh damn... wait... let me breathe that one in for a second...




Ok.. I am good...


Where was I?

Oh yeah - that is but one issue that needs to be addressed by all MOOP Nazi's and MOOP defenders. Burning Man has grown to a size where some rules concerning behaviour are needed. People who make any excuse or infer that they are for some reason entitled to blatantly MOOP are wrong.

While I do agree with BBS, there are people who should be pointed out and corrected on Playa or someone else may think it is OK to do something that they shouldnt. It can spread like cancer if there are no repercussions of being an asshat on Playa.
For example:

While I am not prejudiced at all against our blue brothers and I do like his eyewear fashion sense, this individual has issues with following one of the most basic of rules. Now, had he been made aware of the rules, asked about why he felt it unnescessary to follow them, and then asked if he would either donate or pack his boa away, all via a bullhorn so everyone around him might be able to become involved in the Q&A session, aka his PEERS, this Blue Gentleman might have chosen to not ever wear or bring feathers to TTITD again.

Just a thought.

"Torquemoopa"........MC, you have the credentials, and the forward thinking on this, to assume the title.

[Bay Bridge Sue]

There are ALWAYS alternatives to Boas.

Number one - NOT TO BRING BOA. Find less moopy alternative. Use IMAGINATION. Anyway, Boas are so pre-revolutionary.

Number two - if person has failed but confesses to thoughtcrime FULLY, then pennitant shall to take evil feather-based moop generation unit, immediate to disposal into sealable paper bag and disposal within nearest and closest active burn barrel.

If person is unreptant, refuses to be part of **ding**--DRINK--**ding** community of burners, then is necessary to throw boa wearer WITH boa into active burn barrel. Or immediately tape boa to chest (with biodegradable, burn-safe tape) and to attach wtih strong chain to man for imminent immolation.

Not to promote thread drift, sorry. But while this was banner year for the Bluewater Inns™, I am scared to promote this as people will get lax. It's this whole feeling of laxity and "special me-ism" that makes my alter ego come out and want to macerate them.

If not for those who would to protekt ALL aspekts of playa, then although we may to be doomed, TTITD will to be more than doomed. And this is NYET acceptable.

For as Reichprotektor of Playa is to say...
"In Bluewater Inn™,
If what you shall to put in
If it is not from voiding,
then you should to be Avoiding."

[MOOP_Czar]

Ygmir,
1) I accept.
2) I believe in the 10 Principles, my thoughts merely take into consideration all of them.
Radical Inclusion- Our blue friend would of course be included as well as everybody around him.
Gifting - Our blue friend would receive the gift of enlightenment. those around him would receive the gift of perticipation and education
Decommodification - If our blue friend were to donate his boa, he could feel the release of his myopic consumerism slip away
Radical Self-Reliance - Our Blue friend (OBF) could, obviously, chose to be completely ignore his moment of enlightenment.
Radical Self-Expression - All people involved would be encouraged to express themselves and they may be some very colorful "radical self-expression from OBF.
Communal Effort - By creating an audience of his Burner Peers, this would indeed be a communal effort.
Civic Responsibility - By bringing to light the rules involved and attempting to self-correct - all invloved would be involved in Civic responsibility.
LNT - Kinda what got us here to start with.
Participation - I think a crowd of peers all encouraged to listen and ask questions is the highest form of participation - and truly Democratic.
Immediacy - obviously, the quicker we can turn a potential MOOP situation around, the better. Smack the dog on the nose when he craps on the floor, not an hour later.

All 10 are covered.

I support the Potty Project-

[FIGJAM]

MoopCzar needs a "special squad" to be known as the Pheasant Pluckers.

The Pheasent Pluckers will engage anything with feathers and start plucking furiously shouting "LET ME TAKE CARE OF THAT MOOP FOR YOU!!!!!

[AntiM]

Boas are so last decade. Angels wings are passe as MOOP. No, the enemy is feathered headdresses!!! AAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!

[MOOP_Czar]

Boas are so last decade. Angels wings are passe as MOOP. No, the enemy is feathered headdresses!!! AAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!

They are on the list...

[theCryptofishist]

Boas are so last decade. Angels wings are passe as MOOP. No, the enemy is feathered headdresses!!! AAAiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!

They are on the list...

I'm sure they wont be missed.

[ygmir]

to poo, or not to poo, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the colon, to suffer
the pains and growling of outrageous flatulence,
or to take Pepto against the loosening of stool.
And, by loosening, one also must run, fast
no more, to stroll, lazily, to the JOTS
The butt ache, and shock, of explosion.
Or, take the cheddar and whole wheat, to consummation?
and bloat, and block, to poo never more?

To run, perchance to Poo and one ply; Ay, there's the rub.

[robbidobbs]

Damn ygmir. That's amazing. Thanks for writing it.

Good morrow Campers!
Gonzo and I have cracked the crypt and are moving in a forwardly direction on this years improvements on how to keep our shit straight this year. I had an epiphany (and I did clean it up) that what would kick it up a notch is the addition of JINGLES. Hey, coke does it, who can EVER forget "I want to teach the world to sing"? HAH! Now it's in your head. Catchy jingle that is ultra adhesive. That's the ticket - get the message across in a way that's catchy, invasive, engaging and STICKY.

So if you have an idea for a pottie-message song, even just a glimpse of an idea, just post it here. Some of my best shit has been started with a seed from a Participant like you!

Keep the field-pies burning!
RobbiDobbs clear

[The CO]

<begins furiously scribbling lyrics and music>

[ygmir]

Sir Mix a lot (baby got back):

I like big poo and I can't deny,
In the blue room, with one ply,
When some pony walks in with a glittery face
squats and sprays all over da place.

you get mad,
wanna pull out your megaphone, yell:
"you stupid ass, don't you know"
other people gots to go,
not sit in the shit you're spraying
on yer knees, you better start praying.
I wanna piss on ya,
and show ya,
yer here, yer not alone-a

so
git yer mind right,
sit down
it's only right,
do yer stuff, don't jiggle yer muff and
dance off into the night.....

[motskyroonmatick]

Sweeeeeet!

[robbidobbs]

That is fucking outstanding ygmir. Thank you!