A Portrait of the City as a Fun Toilet.

Portland is known as a friend to the environment.  Portland is known as a mecca for bikeriders, composters, reduce-reuse-recyclers, and people who enjoy putting spare stuff to good use.

Now, Portland is known for its toilets.

Upon arriving from San Francisco at the PDX airport (the place actually called PDX in an official way), I was delighted to find a rare bathroom fixture:  toilets that flush differently for numbers 1 and 2.

Yes, kid you not.  The evidence:

In the midst of a rather hectic time, after getting myself to the Oakland airport at 4:30 a.m. and then flying/stumbling into PDX, I felt it necessary to take this photograph.  When a sign affixed to the wall of each stall says “UP for #1, DOWN for #2,” innovation must be captured.

These dual-flush toilets — if people follow the directions — use less water for liquid waste, more for solid.  Granted, this different-direction flushing proves a bit difficult to maneuver early in the morning after a flight and using one’s foot, but the very sight of this opportunity almost brought sentimental Portland tears to my eyes.  Which tears I then had to wipe away in order to read the sign:

By installing this water-saving handle with dual-function flush, this facility has demonstrated its commitment to protect and preserve the environment.  For the system to work, we need your help.  Please take a look at the diagram above and push the handle in the direction which best suits your needs.  With your assistance, we can do our part to conserve this precious resource.

So:  how many people will Do The Right Flush?

Debatable.  There are certainly those who argue this initiative will not in fact prove very water-saving, because — as with many initiatives — success hinges on human behavior.

Still, the fact of it shows a lot about the place.  As people often have to go before or after a flight, a project such as this at the city’s airport bathroom provides passengers with a departing reminder, or first introduction, to the magic that is Portland.

In the City of Roses, sometimes you’ve just gotta stop and smell the toilets.