Legions Of Port-A-Potties Line Parkway For Massive Crowds Expected During Papal Visit
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes to make sure all the people expected on the Ben Franklin Parkway this weekend have a place where they can use the bathroom.
"The port-a-potties are everywhere," says Wade from Fairmount.
"I mean, at music festivals there are a lot of them too, but not like this!" He adds, "It's insane, every you go is lined with blue 'A Royal Flush' signs everywhere."
Kuznits: "Does it make you want to go to the bathroom?"
"Not really, actually!"
Bill Downey, also a Fairmount resident says, "I walk by here every day, and one day there weren't here, the next day they were here."
Jimmy Ramos is an employee of A Royal Flush Port-A-Potty company:
Kuznits: "How many uses before it starts getting bad?"
Ramos: "I say about 7-9 times."
Kuznits: "For an event like this, what are you expecting?"
Ramos: "Damage, damage! It's going to be a lot of work!"
He says employees work methodically in teams to maximize their cleaning time.
"There's one person that does all the toilet paper. Somebody has the hose, somebody sprays them all down. Next thing you know, somebody has the blue thing (air freshener) to put it in to make it smell good."
Kuznits: "so you go boom boom boom (quick)!"
Ramos: "Yep, you have to work as a team. If you don't work as a team, it's going to take forever."
He says port-a-potties are grouped in sections of about 300 and each grouping has a truck assigned to it.
"The trucks have a hose and they have a sucking machine."
Kuznits: "And the sucking machine takes all the sewage out?"
Ramos: "Yep. It takes all the sewage out and the next thing you know, bam! We hose it down, have a bucket, fill it with water, we're all set to go."
A Royal Flush has headquarters in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
"And we're all here helping each other out."
