Here's an inaugural fact: Porta-potties went largely unused

[alienlovechild 75]

Obama inaugural crowd filled with more than well-wishing for Obama. People like me figured that were always full of it.

"Here's an inaugural fact: Porta-potties went largely unused

By Katherine Tandler and David Coffey | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Among other things, the inauguration of President Barack Obama was "the largest temporary toilet event in the history of the United States," an official of Don's Johns, the firm that provided most of them, said Wednesday.

Here's the mystery, however: Did it have to be? According to Conrad Harrell, vice president of Don's Johns in Chantilly, Va., most portables were about a quarter full Wednesday morning. Harrell had thought they'd be half full, as they are after most events.

Adam Carter, the operations manager for Alpine Portable Restrooms of Round Hill, Va., was puzzled, too. He said Wednesday that he'd "found whole rolls of unused toilet paper in some."

Here are the possibilities: The planners overestimated demand. The crowd was so dense that people couldn't get to them. The crowd chose to use Smithsonian museum restrooms, the better to escape temperatures in the 20s. Or the crowd thought ahead.

The evidence appears to support all those theories, and also to suggest a slight lack of enthusiasm.

Kristen Tortorici, 28, an accountant from Birmingham, Ala., for example, admitted that her experience with a portable toilet "could have been worse."

Harrell and Carter think that inaugural committee planners overestimated the crowd. Planners did, at any rate, pay the Smithsonian Institution $700,000 to open all its museums, including their bathrooms, to the public on Inauguration Day, and long lines of waiting customers trailed from the museums all day Tuesday.

There also were long lines at several McDonald's restaurants close to the National Mall, and at other restaurants.

"We bought doughnuts because they were checking receipts to use the bathroom," said Hanna Kim, 22, an exchange student from South Korea who's attending Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Md.

Other tactics required planning.

William Broker, grocery manager at the Giant supermarket in Bethesda, Md., said he'd noticed that sales of Depend, a common brand of adult diaper, rose 20 percent in the days leading up to Tuesday.

Several couples told him they were getting them to survive the dense mall crowd.

"At an event like this, you really have to wear Depends," said Karen Johnson of Fredericksburg, Va., who isn't a fan of portable toilets.

"It's so nasty inside those things," she said.

Carter, the Alpine operations manager, said that he loved his job but was saddened by customers' disdain.

"People just don't appreciate them," Carter said."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/254/story/60475.html

[Ban Hammer 13,347]

William Broker, grocery manager at the Giant supermarket in Bethesda, Md., said he'd noticed that sales of Depend, a common brand of adult diaper, rose 20 percent in the days leading up to Tuesday.

sniff sniff. so that's how you can tell a die hard obama supporter.

Edited January 22, 2009 by charles!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Hmmm ####### retentives.

[SAT 9,609]

Obama inaugural crowd filled with more than well-wishing for Obama. People like me figured that were always full of it.

"Here's an inaugural fact: Porta-potties went largely unused

By Katherine Tandler and David Coffey | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Among other things, the inauguration of President Barack Obama was "the largest temporary toilet event in the history of the United States," an official of Don's Johns, the firm that provided most of them, said Wednesday.

Here's the mystery, however: Did it have to be? According to Conrad Harrell, vice president of Don's Johns in Chantilly, Va., most portables were about a quarter full Wednesday morning. Harrell had thought they'd be half full, as they are after most events.

Adam Carter, the operations manager for Alpine Portable Restrooms of Round Hill, Va., was puzzled, too. He said Wednesday that he'd "found whole rolls of unused toilet paper in some."

Here are the possibilities: The planners overestimated demand. The crowd was so dense that people couldn't get to them. The crowd chose to use Smithsonian museum restrooms, the better to escape temperatures in the 20s. Or the crowd thought ahead.

The evidence appears to support all those theories, and also to suggest a slight lack of enthusiasm.

Kristen Tortorici, 28, an accountant from Birmingham, Ala., for example, admitted that her experience with a portable toilet "could have been worse."

Harrell and Carter think that inaugural committee planners overestimated the crowd. Planners did, at any rate, pay the Smithsonian Institution $700,000 to open all its museums, including their bathrooms, to the public on Inauguration Day, and long lines of waiting customers trailed from the museums all day Tuesday.

There also were long lines at several McDonald's restaurants close to the National Mall, and at other restaurants.

"We bought doughnuts because they were checking receipts to use the bathroom," said Hanna Kim, 22, an exchange student from South Korea who's attending Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Md.

Other tactics required planning.

William Broker, grocery manager at the Giant supermarket in Bethesda, Md., said he'd noticed that sales of Depend, a common brand of adult diaper, rose 20 percent in the days leading up to Tuesday.

Several couples told him they were getting them to survive the dense mall crowd.

"At an event like this, you really have to wear Depends," said Karen Johnson of Fredericksburg, Va., who isn't a fan of portable toilets.

"It's so nasty inside those things," she said.

Carter, the Alpine operations manager, said that he loved his job but was saddened by customers' disdain.

"People just don't appreciate them," Carter said."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/254/story/60475.html

here's another innaugural fact

over 2 million people attended the innauguration

as a result, almost 3 dozen people missed work

.........ohoh......I can't crack that kinda joke here.........

[Ban Hammer 13,347]

here's another innaugural fact

over 2 million people attended the innauguration

as a result, almost 3 dozen people missed work

.........ohoh......I can't crack that kinda joke here.........

[MrsCat 6]

here's another innaugural fact

over 2 million people attended the innauguration

as a result, almost 3 dozen people missed work

.........ohoh......I can't crack that kinda joke here.........

[chri'stina 190]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

[justashooter 430]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

nah, it's just that o supporters are full of it. if they ever went, they wouldn't be.

[chri'stina 190]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

nah, it's just that o supporters are full of it. if they ever went, they wouldn't be.

Silly.

I am not an Obama supporter in one way(didn't vote for him), but now he's the President and whoever the Pres is I want them to do a good job or else it effects us all. I am not going to act like a whiny person like so many did while Bush was president. Are you?

[Jasman0717 9]

William Broker, grocery manager at the Giant supermarket in Bethesda, Md., said he'd noticed that sales of Depend, a common brand of adult diaper, rose 20 percent in the days leading up to Tuesday.

sniff sniff. so that's how you can tell a die hard obama supporter.

Taking care of the air around you

[spookyturtle 9,466]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

This wouldn't matter to men.

[MrsCat 6]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

This wouldn't matter to men.

Only if the pee froze to their winkie.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

This wouldn't matter to men.

Only if the pee froze to their winkie.

Men will pee anywhere. It is more convenient for us than women; we can aim better.

[Jasman0717 9]

Men will pee anywhere. It is more convenient for us than women; we can aim better.

With all those people, where would they pee if not the porta-potty....someone's coat pocket

[Ban Hammer 13,347]

People were probably way too cold to use those...the seats would be freezing outside, nevermind having to unbundle winter clothes. NO thanks!! Emergency use in that case only, I would think.

This wouldn't matter to men.

Only if the pee froze to their winkie.

Men will pee anywhere. It is more convenient for us than women; we can aim better.

the world........is our toilet!