Presidential inauguration: Port-a-potties an issue for people in 2009

It's a crap shoot.

Inauguration planners are hoping the 1,500 port-a-potties they ordered for the National Mall and inaugural parade crowd -- expected to number between 600,000 and 800,000 -- will be enough.

In 2009, when some 1.8 million attended, they had about 5,000 portable toilets at their disposal.

Temporary toilet suppliers say the size of the estimated crowd this inauguration would require about twice as many portable restrooms as will be available Monday.

But after the 2009 festivities, organizers found the port-a-potties weren't as popular a destination as they had anticipated. It seems many opted for the indoor restrooms at several Smithsonian museums open for their use.

Eight museums, all bracketing the Mall, will be open Monday, as well.
 

Did you know Warren G. Harding was the first president to arrive by automobile to his swearing-in? Find out more firsts, as well as a history of the bibles used in the oaths, a Q&A about past inaugurations and photos of past ceremonies at http://bit.ly/inauguration13 .