FOOTPRINTS ON A TOILET SEAT

There are many stories about men in construction and some of the natural acts that take place. This is only one of those true stories.

Elkford, B.C. was the first of many future projects in 1973 that the Verigin family undertook away from their home base in Trail, B.C. With remote projects there is the need to provide essential comforts for men on a job like adequate washrooms and places to wash up. The camp accommodations were provided by Fording Coal Ltd (FCL) and operated same for all its employees (not all employees had houses or apartments at that time) was available to all external Contractors providing services for FCL and its employees. Since Verigin Industries Ltd (ViL) was building a Shopping Center, Hotel and a 30 unit apartment building, all of which would accommodate and used by FCL employees, ViL crews used the camp as well. The camp had showers, toilets and sinks that were quite adequate but too far away from the ViL construction site for efficient use by employees for other than board and room.

So a mobile trailer with toilets, urinals and sinks was set up at the construction site. Heat was provided by electric base board. Provided that someone made sure that the toilet paper and hand-wipes were frequently checked and filled, everyone was happy.

Elkford is at 4,200 AMSL and winter comes early and so the need for more and more heat in the washroom facility became an issue at safety meetings as the full winter averaging 45 degrees below Fahrenheit became the norm. Snow was getting higher and higher and the path to the washroom door became slipperier and more treacherous no matter what was done to keep it clean.

Soon the washroom facilities became a discussion at the Safety Meetings that was literally the full agenda. You have all heard that story about all parts of the body discussing as who was the boss? Well it goes like this:

• The brain felt that it had all the intelligence and so obviously should be the boss
• The stomach was sure it was the boss as it digested the food, created the heat and nourishment through the blood distribution system and without the stomach, the body could not survive and so the stomach declared itself the boss
• The heart spoke up and said that without its ability to pump blood to the far reaches of the body, no life could be expected and obviously had to be boss
• Then the asshole spoke up and advised the meeting that without an exit for waste, the body would plug up and die. That is why most ass-holes are boss.

So it was understandable that the washroom facility and its operation consumed the attention of management and staff at this jobsite when in December 1973 an emergency meeting was called with the Plumber and it was decided that one toilet (as a beginning) could be installed right away in the basement of the heated hotel. Without further ado, the job was expeditiously done and there was a quick lineup for this novelty as soon as the Plumber declared it operational and before the Carpenters were able to complete construction of a suitable toilet partition and swinging door.

There would be more toilets and sinks installed but relief of pressure (literally speaking) was a tremendous impact on productivity on this project.

Then the Safety Meetings had another issue, there were footprints on the toilet seat. Who would do such a dastardly act?

I made sure that all the employees attended the next Safety Meeting and I paid special attention to everyone’s boots and especially the soles. Yes my undercover work of taking a mental note of the toilet cover seat and its prints, became a perfect fit to George’s boots.

I needed to discuss George’s application for Apprenticeship anyway and so my request for him to stay back after everyone else left was not a concern to George. 

“George, are you enjoying the washroom in the hotel basement” I asked directly?

“Very much so,” responded George.

“Why don’t you sit on the seat as in normal use” I asked abruptly?

George realized that any pretense of innocence would be pointless and so he confirmed with “I worry about venereal disease contraction. I stand on the seat as a result,” he added.

“Well George, I can confirm that venereal disease can only be contracted by sexual intercourse and so would you please stop acting like a Fur Trapper in the wilds and respect the others in the crew” I instructed. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yes” George responded apologetically.

“Now about your Apprenticeship……………………”

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