A Cyclist’s Guide to Portaloo Etiquette
You're going to encounter one at nearly every organised cycling event. Here's how to handle it, how to avoid "the blue tattoo," and what to do if you drop your phone in.
Using a porta-potty at a bike race should be a straightforward thing—it’s just a toilet, right? But some people seem to turn into uncivilised animals when their restroom lacks indoor plumbing.“It’s important to know that portable restrooms are engineered NOT to smell if they are maintained correctly and everyone does their part,” says Tom Ramsay, director of marketing and customer service at Northwest Cascade, the parent company of portable toilet maker Honey Bucket. “Portable restrooms can handle about 250 average uses with no problem between cleanings.”We’ve had our share of bad (and not-so-bad) times with these portable plastic fixtures. Here’s how to make the experience as quick and painless as possible—for yourself, and everyone else after you.
Avoid the blue tattoo
You may think it’s glorious being the first to use a portable restroom on race day, but with no material down there, splashing is a very real issue. Toss in some toilet paper or seat covers to avoid that blue liquid splashing up and staining your bum—giving you the “blue tattoo.” And it will stain you: that blue stuff contains a large amount of dye (it includes fragrance, surfactants, and biocides, too).
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Throw waste “into the blue”
While the blue stuff doesn’t necessarily sanitise, its biocides do interact with waste to inhibit odour-causing bacteria. If what you toss in doesn’t hit that blue liquid, its odours won’t be masked. So whenever possible, try to throw used toilet paper “into the blue” rather than “on top of the pile” to increase how much gets deodorised, and thus reduce smell. If the blue liquid has turned green, that’s a sign it’s not doing its job anymore.
Clean up after yourself
Some wisdom for the ages: “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be real sweet and wipe the seat.” If your urine splashed onto the floor or toilet seat, take five seconds to wipe it up with toilet paper. The next person (who could be your future self) will thank you.
RELATED: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Bike
Put the lid down
Always put the lid down when you’ve finished your business to trap bad smells down where they belong (especially on hot days). “If you close the lid when done, then the smell will go up the vent and out of the restroom,” says Ramsay.