Struck by a Helicopter Toilet: Reflections on Human Waste
As I was jogging past the group of giggling teenagers on a stoop, something struck my shoulder. Curious, I picked up the offending projectile: a plastic bag, tied and filled with a dark, crumbly material. The kids on the stoop burst out laughing.
“So what’s in the bag?” I asked, playing along.
After a pause, one of them blurted out,”it’s sh*t.”
“I see,” I replied. “Is it yours?”
“Uh-huh.” More laughter.
“Oh? Well here – take it back!” I flung the bag back in their direction. It tore as I threw it, flinging the contents (which, for all I knew, could have been only dirt) in all directions. Thanks in part to the mood-enhancing endorphins generated by my run, we all had a good laugh.
“That was a good one!” One of the kids shouted as I waved and continued on my way.
This harmless practical joke was unusual for the Baltimore neighborhood where it took place, but plastic bags filled with human feces – flung out windows or onto the street – are not uncommon in urban slums of the developing world. According to the World Health Organization (2006), an estimated 18% of the global population resorts to defecating in open spaces. In areas that lack basic sanitation, these “helicopter toilets” are often the most pragmatic waste disposal method available.