If you live or often travel to remote areas of the country, you might wonder whether it’s illegal to poop on the side of the road. Generally speaking, it’s against the law for anyone to purposely urinate or poop in a public area. A roadside is a public place, which refers to anywhere that is easily accessible to the general public and/or is generally visible to the general public.
But who cares nowadays? You would still find people parking their vehicles on the side of the road, opening the right-side doors to cover themselves, and pulling down their clothing to do their business as usual. Just don’t get caught! It will be troublesome!
Tips to Help you Avoid Pooping on The Roadside
Long distance road trips are fun, and there is a critical difference between driving on the road and traveling by train or plane. Most private vehicles have no bathroom, unlike on a train or plane. So, how do you hold your poop in a car while on a road trip?
Here are some tricks that will allow you to hold on to your poop.
- If there is adequate space in your car, you can lay down on the seat. Please don’t squat! Research shows that squatting is an ideal position to do your business.
- If there is inadequate space in the back seat of the car for you to lay down, shift the position of the seat. Try pressing your bum against the seat. When you do that, also clench your cheekbones. If you clench your butt cheeks, you will automatically tighten your rectus muscles. It is pretty normal for this to happen automatically. Until you get to where you are supposed to, you ought to squeeze all the air in your cheeks.
- Stay calm. Don’t try to stress yourself out. If you keep thinking about this problem, it will sincerely get worse. You rather try to think about other things.
- Avoid panicking or doing a lot of moving around! If you need to distract yourself, try talking to some other passengers, listening to some music, or imagining the great movie that you just watched!
What To Drink and Eat Before Going for A Road Trip
If possible, leave your hotel room after using the bathroom. Many people have coffee and eat breakfast right before they go out. But, as you all know, caffeine in milk and specific foods can stimulate your bowel movement. Avoid consuming caffeine-rich drinks such as soda, coffee, and energy drinks. Moreover, wake up early enough and eat breakfast. It will allow you time to use the bathroom before leaving for your trip.
Breakfast should consist of a couple of slices of white bread; white bread is low in fiber. However, eating foods high in fiber will cause you to want to poop more often. High-fiber foods include whole fruits, whole-wheat bread, whole grains, and vegetables. Avoid high-fiber foods at all costs! Also, don’t drink alcoholic beverages like beer, as they will cause you to want to go to the bathroom more often.
How To Control the Urge to Poop When Travelling
Sitting in the car for a long while on the trip and ignoring the call to go to the bathroom can complicate things. There are many people who have routines that they rely on, and they poop during regular breaks. However, when you get to a new time zone that is an hour behind your normal one, that routine is thrown off.
When you go to the bathroom in a different time zone, it becomes complicated for you to poop. Moreover, the stress that comes with traveling can cause your stomach to feel upset and make it difficult to poop. Some of the stress you are feeling while you are planning to take a road trip, like having to remember to pack everything and be with your family for a long time, can cause your body to function abnormally.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. Because everyone has a different body adaptation, there is no way to prevent that from happening. But you can do a few hack things to help. For instance, drinking plenty of water gets things done, and eating fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt, can help you solve this problem.
People eat different foods when they are on vacation than at home. This is one of the reasons people have trouble visiting the bathroom. If you’re having difficulty going to the bathroom, it could help to change some of your food. For example, switching to a healthier option like eating a salad instead of a regular pizza could help you get things moving well. Even though vacation is not a good time to be committed to eating healthy foods, high-fiber foods like vegetables and fruits can act just as well as drinking plenty of water.
How To Poop In A Car
When you are driving long distances, many unexpected events can happen. Your car can break down, and you are stranded on a highway for hours. Of course, it can happen to anyone at any time.
Unfortunately, it might happen while you’re driving through a storm or when there is an accident, and you don’t have an exit off the highway. In these situations, there is no place where you or your family can use the bathroom when the urge to poop alarms. Therefore, it’s helpful to have a portable toilet in case something unexpected happens, especially if you have small children.
Another easy hack is to make yourself a toilet in advance by saving some cans that you used for food storage or packaging. These cans should measure 6 inches by 9 inches tall. Some people like to use plastic cans that come with a lid; they help store things like hand sanitizer and tissues. If you’re sure that the poop will not leak out of a can, keep the can for such emergencies.
How To Hold Pee When While Travelling in A Car
An adult can hold approximately 2 cups of pee before using the bathroom. Past that, the bladder may stretch to hold more pee, but that’s the moment when we get the uncomfortable feeling of needing to pee very badly. Nevertheless, in certain situations when there is no toilet nearby, we have no other choice left than to hold it in. Fortunately, there are a few techniques that may help you do that a little better. When you are driving and there is nowhere to stop, you can help yourself by finding something that can distract from the thought of using the bathroom. This can include listening to music or making a phone call.
Another hack trick to try is shifting your position. If you are worried about what may happen, lean forward slightly. That will help you reduce the pressure on your stomach and bladder. If that doesn’t work, try reclining or reversing your body position to relieve more pressure from your bladder.
The last thing on the list is remaining calm and keeping your mouth closed. If you constantly think about it, your condition will worsen. Try to stay calm and try to think about something else. Try not to move around too much.
FAQs
Are side walks public property?
Yes. If the sidewalk is within the rights-of-way of the city, then it’s considered public property. According to California Streets and Highways Code (sections 5610-5618), cities in California require that people maintain the sidewalks that run along the front of their houses.
Can you urinate or poop on a roadside in Texas?
Texas has laws that make it illegal for anyone to urinate or poop in a public place, including an alley, plaza, building, park, street, or a public right-of-way.
Wrapping Up
If you are hardly pressed while traveling in a car and there is no nearby toilet, there are a few things that you can do to help you restrain yourself. However, remember that holding your poop for too long is not a very good idea! If a restroom is nearby, don’t wait until you get to the bathroom at your destination! Just stop and use that one on the way!
If you cannot use the bathroom, don’t panic. Stay calm and focus on things that you can do to distract yourself. After reading this article, we hope you’ve gained some helpful information to help you prepare for such an unpleasant situation.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.
I read a lot of comments on my phone about call of nature., well I have a portable toilet in back of my van. You see I have IBD.