NWR: Porta Potty?

Re: NWR: Porta Potty?

• radleyboo member

  

  September 2013

  Rent one.  Make sure it's clean, has TP, and hand sanitizer.  No biggie.  

  
  

  Meddied since 6/15/13!

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• misssunshine17 member

  

  September 2013 edited September 2013

  I've seen this at an outdoor, backyard wedding and it worked out well. I think it sounds like a good option for you. 

  
  

  ETA: I should also say, I generally have a very strict no-porta potty rule. FI knows this and always brings me to the closets fast food place if it becomes an issue, but this type of thing I would use since it would obviously be clean if it was just paced there.

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• itzMS member

  

  September 2013

  ClimbingBrideNY said:

  We're having a large party next Saturday for my FI's 40th birthday. Unfortunately our bathroom upstairs is STILL undergoing renovations and won't be ready. Our downstairs bathroom is also the laundry room, and I'm not gonna lie - it's pretty ugly in there. 

  
  

  My FI has suggested the idea of renting a porta potty. He says not a gross, icky one; a very clean, nice one. Our guests will all be seated outside so they would not have to leave from indoors to go outside to use it. I'm not sure how I feel about this. We did attend a BBQ a few weeks ago at a friend's house and they also had a porta potty set up in the driveway as they didn't want people in their house. Personally, I wasn't bothered by it and it was very clean. But I don't know how the general public feels about this. Is it tacky? 

  
  

  Also, the party is very casual - nothing fancy. What should I do? 

  
  I think it's tacky, sorry.

  Portable toilets have their place at festivals and carnivals...but not when I'm expecting to be a guest in someone's home.

   

  Personal sob story, but I'm a pregnant lady, and even looking at portable toilet makes me gag...

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• misshart00 member

  

  September 2013

  I think it's fine if you get one of those trailers that has flushing toilets and sinks.  They're pretty nice and there was one at a ball I went to.

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• KeptInStitches member

  

  September 2013

  I can't tell whether this is an indoor or outdoor party. If I were attending a backyard BBQ, I would be more okay with it than if it were an indoor dinner party. Either way, I'd prefer one with flushing toilet and sink.

  

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• JoanE2012 member

  

  September 2013

  I don't like them, especially at someone's home.  I like being able to wash my hands.....I hate just using instant hand sanitizer.  Especially when I'll be eating with my hands later.  When I host, I expect people in and out of the house so it doesn't bother me.  If it did, I would have the event out at a restaurant, etc.

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• climbingsingle member

  

  September 2013

  KeptInStitches said:

  I can't tell whether this is an indoor or outdoor party. If I were attending a backyard BBQ, I would be more okay with it than if it were an indoor dinner party. Either way, I'd prefer one with flushing toilet and sink.

  It's an outdoor party, more like a BBQ. 

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• melbelleup member

  

  September 2013

  I don't like them at all! But if it they were clean and you could flush them and still wash your hands, okay. I do use them when needed (mainly at the beach). But if it's just hand sanitizer.. I don't care how much they say it kills all germs.. I would feel so gross to eat after being in a port-a potty.
  

  

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• southernbelle0915 mod

  

  September 2013

  Obviously people prefer regular bathrooms to porta potties. Duh. 

  
  

  But if you're having an outdoor party and your bathroom(s) are under renovation/not something you want people to use, I see no issue with this. I live in a neighborhood that has a shared beach. We have a porta potty at the beach. It's clean, handicap size, has a full length mirror and a handwashing station with water and soap. I know we pay more for this style (I'm on the board), but it's actually quite nice and people appreciate it. You might be able to rent something like this.

  
  

  Summary: from an etiquette perspective, there's nothing wrong with this as long as it's stocked, clean and accessible. 

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• climbingsingle member

  

  September 2013

  Thanks for the input, ladies! If we decide to go this route, I will make sure it's one that flushes and has a sink.

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• aRachel21 member

  

  September 2013 edited September 2013

  misshart00 said:

  I think it's fine if you get one of those trailers that has flushing toilets and sinks.  They're pretty nice and there was one at a ball I went to.

  Yes!  I went to an outdoor wedding a few months ago and they had a port a pot with flushing toilets and running water in the sink.  They had one for men and one for woman.  It smelled clean, looked clean, and they had soap, lotion, hand sanitizer and paper towels for everyone to use.  They even had classical music playing through the speakers haha.  I would definitely recommend something like that. 

   

  ETA:  there were like 5 or 6 steps to go into the bathroom, so it would not be wheelchair accessible... but there may be accessible options available. 
  

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• tammym1001 member

  

  September 2013

  I don't think it's tacky, but I would definitely think it was weird to go to a party at someone's house and have to use a port a potty. Can you just clean up the bathroom that you're using and let people use that. I'm sure if you told people that your main bathroom was being renovated they would understand. 

  
  

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• twotimemob member

  

  September 2013

  My cousin hosted a rehearsal dinner at her home out in the country.  Her septic tank was not big enough to handle a lot of guests so she rented a porta-potty.  She decorated it with twinkle lights and candles and made it really nice.  And really, I'd rather use a clean porta-potty for a private party than use a restroom at a fast-food or 7-11 type place.
  

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• itzMS member

  

  September 2013

  twotimemob said:

  My cousin hosted a rehearsal dinner at her home out in the country.  Her septic tank was not big enough to handle a lot of guests so she rented a porta-potty.  She decorated it with twinkle lights and candles and made it really nice.  And really, I'd rather use a clean porta-potty for a private party than use a restroom at a fast-food or 7-11 type place.
  

  I appreciate what you're trying to get at, but twinkle lights and candles doesn't make a port-a-potty any less of a hole with poop and pee in it.

  :-)

  Just saying...

  No flush? Not for me.
  

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• lc07 member

  

  September 2013

  I agree with the PP who suggested the trailer style port-a-potties. They're a million times nicer than the construction-site-style port-a-potty something like this would be appropriate: http://www.imperialrestrooms.com

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• STARMOON44 member

  

  September 2013

  I think you should clean as much as you can the available in house bathroom and have people use that. Its hard to imagine a laundry room so "ugly" that you can't get it above port-a-potty level in a week. I'd frankly be appalled to have a port a potty, unless it's one of the trailer ones with running water and a flush, and would personally cancel the party rather than have my guests use one.

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• photokitty mod

  

  September 2013

  I've been to 2 weddings that had port-potties. I don't like port-potties, but I prefer them to no potties. I don't think it's tacky. Hand washing would be my only issue, but it sounds like you plan to cover that. Have fun and happy bday to your FI!

  ~xoxo~

  
  

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• climbingsingle member

  

  September 2013

  Can't cancel the party. We have guests flying in from Florida.
  
  Thanks @photokitty!

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• JoanE2012 member

  

  September 2013

  What's so "ugly" about the downstairs bathroom (or laundry room that it's in?)  Perhaps we can give you ideas to spruce it up!  If that is your only concern, I'd lean towards fixing the area up over renting a porta potty.

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• mlg78 member

  

  September 2013

  I'll admit, I didn't read all the responses -- but please be sure to put it in a less obvious place and face the door away from where everyone will see... It's a huge pet peeve of mine. Nobody wants to be watched going in and out of a portapotty.

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