A Burning Man worker has gone viral on Reddit after sharing some of his most bizarre experiences while cleaning the portable bathrooms at the event.
On the platform, a Reddit user who goes by the name u/FreelancevagrantARS recently hosted an AMA [Ask Me Anything] series, where he responded to multiple questions about working at Burning Man this year, which took place earlier this month at a desert in Nevada.
According to its official website, Burning Man is “a global ecosystem of artists, makers, and community organisers who co-create art, events, and local initiatives around the world”.
Through some of the questions in his Reddit post, u/FreelancevagrantARS revealed how much time he spent cleaning the portable bathrooms, and how grateful he was for his co-workers throughout the process.
“We had a good plan but we had a really good crew in the trenches. Everyone was there to work and willing to help each other out,” he wrote. “I can’t speak to previous burns, but I can speak to other events I’ve serviced, and this was by far the best team I’d been a part of.”
When asked if he saw anything “crazy” in the portable bathrooms, the Reddit user said that “a few things” stuck out to him, as this year’s event was “different than usual” and featured some “subversive art” created by attendees with sanitary products.
“I had to clean off a woman that fell into one of the portos in [a section of the desert] because she didn’t know how to use a toilet,” he wrote.
A reader then asked for more information about the woman who fell in the toilets, who allegedly “squatted over the toilet and ended up falling in”.
u/FreelancevagrantARS confirmed that the incident happened and claimed that he had to clean the woman off after she fell into the toilet.
“I hosed her off and got her cleaned up and gave her hand sanitizer to bathe in,” he explained. “But yeah she was a sobbing mess.”
Additionally, the Burning Man worker shared another incident where the “medics” at the event told him that he helped save “a dude’s life”.
“It was around 1pm and the dude had been passed out and locked in there for like at least an hour fifteen by the time I pulled him out,” he wrote. “I got him conscious, started giving him water and got medics on site and they took it from there.”
Regarding the bathroom situation for next year, the worker also prefaced that they are definitely “gonna need more toilets out there”.
As of 9 September, the Reddit post has more than 670 upvotes, with readers expressing their gratitude for the Burning Man employee and the work he did to keep the bathrooms clean.
“Guys you all deserve a standing ovation,” one Reddit user wrote. “It’s my sixth burn and the cleanest toilets I’ve ever seen, always stocked! I’m glad that after three decades your team has finally figured out the porto playa problem.”
“Bless you for your service! I don’t have any questions but wanted to say how thankful we are for you and the rest of the porto team. I was up early daily and always saw you guys out there doing god’s work. You’re the real MVPs,” another wrote.
A third person added: “You are doing the lord’s work. Thank you and your team for your service. Burning Man wouldn’t be here without you guys.”
The Independent has reached out to u/FreelancevagrantARS for comment.
