‘Ihave to go potty.” That lament, cried from the back seat to the front seat on family road trips throughout the years, is slightly worse than hearing a 5-year-old ask a million times, “Are we there yet?”
Both cause annoyance to the driver on an inflexible schedule who aims to get another 273 miles under the belt before zipping off the turnpike.
Somebody finally found a better answer than an empty bottle.
I give you TravelJohn Jr. Disposable Potty from Reach Global Industries, Inc.
Could I have used a portable urinal when I was pregnant? Babies tend to rest on the female equipment and there was one time I didn’t get the key in my apartment door quick enough.
Or boating. At our lake property, our friend, Les, who owns the lot across the street from our lot, has a boat and wants to go fishing. I asked about the toilet arrangements on the lake. He mentioned a bucket; I haven’t been fishing.
According to Reach Global Industries, the TravelJohn and TravelJohn Jr. for kids are compact and leak proof. They’re small enough to fit in any purse, diaper bag or glove compartment. Looking at the publicity picture, the device reminded me of a small hot water bottle.
I apologize if you are eating breakfast.
The patented pouch uses something the company calls Liqsorb, which instantly absorbs and deodorizes while solidifying liquids into a spill-proof gel.
There is a specially designed spill guard that prevents back flow, and a unisex collar that apparently makes it perfect for boys or girls, whether sitting or standing.
Now my breakfast isn’t looking so hot.
The product sounds like what’s inside my granddaughter’s disposable diapers. We put her in the lake, in a clean diaper, and she weighed about 50 pounds when we hefted her out of the water. The diaper absorbed a tremendous amount of water. Someone invented great diaper innards that wick away moisture.
They say you can use TravelJohn Jr. for kids in public bathrooms. You can use the stall for privacy without touching the seat. The price for one starts at $1.99, so that’s not too bad.
Jennifer Turner, who moved from Everett to Klamath Falls, Ore., still drives here to visit friends with her children.
“How many times have you heard your friends say their kids had to go so bad and you could not find a bathroom in time so they end up peeing in the car seat?” Turner said. “That happened to me a couple of times and I had had enough. I can’t think of anything worse when you are on a trip, stuck in traffic, and your child pees in their car seat.”
That’s enough to send a mom through the roof, she said. After tiring of the rush to a rest stop, Turner started toting their kid’s small potty on the ride.
“We had a minivan which worked great because there was room to set it right by the side of the door,” Turner said. “So our next trip was awesome. Every time they said they had to go, I would pull over on the side of the road and let them go.”
When she got pregnant again, like me, she had to go when she had to go.
“So I joined the kids as well,” she said. “Yes, it was hard, but I managed to fit myself on that little seat.”
Turner said she was known as the mom with the traveling potty.
“And yes, my friends who thought I was crazy had their kids try our potty from time to time because I also used it on our short adventures as well.”
Now the Turner family may try TravelJohn Jr.
For more information, go to traveljohnjr.com on the Web.
It could ease the stress of being on the go.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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