# Illegal to sh*t in the woods?



## keycat (Apr 6, 2009)

So, I was in the car with a family member the other day when my stomach seized up and I realized I had to go really bad. We were in the middle of the highway, and to top things off there had been an accident and we were stuck moving 2 miles per hour. I didn't think I was going to make it, so we pulled over and I ran toward the woods on the side of the road to find a place to go where people wouldn't see me (there was a pretty large wooded area, public property, I assume). On my way there, though, a state trooper saw me and yelled at me. I told him about my situation and he ordered me back in my car. Luckily just then traffic sped up and I was able to make it to the next rest stop, but it was a close call.I was pretty shocked, though. Over eight years with IBS I've never had to pull over on the side of the road to go (usually I make it to a rest stop) but I've always felt assured that if I really had to, I could pull over and go in the woods. But ... apparently not? Pardon my language - when did it become illegal to cr*p in the woods, particularly if you must. go. NOW? I'd write a letter to somebody official about this, but frankly, it's too embarrassing. I would, however, like some confirmation of my sh*t-in-the-woods rights. Please tell me that the law doesn't require that I sh*t in my pants.


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## baz22p (Dec 1, 2008)

What a silly-sounding predicament. Does the same rule apply to bears, horses, foxes, etc - I think not. I can see the point that it may be less than hygenic, after all, we are not wild animals, but there are times when we IBS sufferers need a bit of leeway. Perhaps the middle-ground of clearing-up after ourselves like we are urged to do with pet dogs might help. I've always got a supply of doggie poo bags in my jeans pocket so that I'm prepared for when I take my two dogs out. It is possible to get a poo 'grabber', which is lightweight and the poo bag fits neatly over it....thus avoiding any contact. Although we may not be concerned about the 'public decency' aspect of this, the State Trooper was probably thinking about other people. Unfortunately, not many non-IBS'ers understand us, but I fully agree with you, the law is an a**e (excuse the pun).Baz


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Private land, or public land?If it is private land it might be more of the trespassing for any reason is illegal than whether or not he believed you about what you are going to do. Some areas have a lot of problems with trespassing and they may be on the look out for anyone heading into the woods around there. People will usually try to come up with any excuse that sounds legitimate when they are caught. So he may not have believed that you really had to go to the bathroom.Usually defecating outside tends to also violate decency laws in a lot of places, and he may have thought it was a desire to poop in semi-public rather than an actual need from a medical condition. On public lands if you are in areas without bathrooms they usually require you to bury your feces. Sure other animals poop in the woods, but we usually don't catch the diseases transmitted by their poop. Sure there are a few, but most of the diseases we get from poop are from human poop, not animal poop. Some areas it is completely illegal to poop in the woods and you are required to bring a composting toilet with you, only poop in it, and carry all the waste out of the area to a sanitary disposal (like where RV's dump out their tank).


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## Cathy in CA (Feb 5, 2009)

Keycat... I see you are new here. I'm sorry you need to join our crummy club... oops, sorry everyone, that didn't come out right... you know what I mean!There are many of us who can relate to the urgency you describe. I can show you 2 ideas that may help you in the future when that happens. 1)...a toilet in your car... the bucket idea is one method and another is a small real portable toilet for the car like I and others found in RV stores and maybe medical supply stores. Either way, it's a comfort just knowing it's there, in the back if needed.2)...a wallet card to show people like shopkeepers or that state trooper. You can make one yourself, have your doctor's name printed on it and signed.. oruse one of the already made up cards available.I will now put those older posts up to the top so you can see them... regarding the toilet and the wallet card.Cathy


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Several organizations have themhttp://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org/s...t-wait-card.htmhttp://www.cantwait.org.uk/ is in the UKThere are others.


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## Cathy in CA (Feb 5, 2009)

Thanks Kathleen, those are some that I wanted to share too. *Please add this to my post about "Wallet Card" for people to find easily.* It's so hard to find things that were replies! On my Wallet card topic, I just added a reply myself about seeing Jeff's reply when I first wrote about it. He shared one of your sites and also the one I use from Chrohn's & Colitis. Then after his reply somebody wrote about a different card than yours, in England.*Would you please put my card and hers as well as these that you just listed onto my topic please? Just add it in a reply. **My title "wallet card... " is in General Discussion and is self-explanatory for everybody's future reference. *Thanks,Cathy


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2009)

I live in Washington state , and to boot I live up in the Mountains at the South West Base of Mt.Rainier (The Valcano).I guarentte "It is NOT against the Law" to go to the bathroom out in the woods.That Stater was just being a S.O.B.My husband and I have 4 Quarter Horses , and We have ridden up in the Mountains lot's of times , and we always go behind a tree if we must "Go".We have run into forest rangers many times up there clearing trails , and No one has ever told us > Oh by the way , don't go behind a tree to do your business.That damn cop was just being a Jerk !I would recommend that you contact your state Governor and tell them what happened.I don't know what would come of this. But atleast make them aware you were real sick and the Cop jumped all over you.I'd tell them > You had an accident in your pants too.I am so sorry this happened to you.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I, too, am sorry to hear about this.I have been fortunate to live in areas with lots of forested areas and, during my D-Days, I have cr**ped in every one of them. (That was when I learned about moss for tp before I began routinely carrying some paper wads in all of my jackets.) Being self-centred, it would never have occurred to me to pack a shovel when going for a ski or taking the dog for a walk. Now, with an aging prostate, my concerns have turned to #1s and I still use the woods for that. If it were against the law for me to discretely relieve myself, it would be like being consigned to house arrest. (I also ride my bike on the sidewalk when traffic is too heavy and no bike lanes exist.) I find it amusing that, in my 60s, I could be hauled up in front of a judge for any of these activities.Mark


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## keycat (Apr 6, 2009)

Thanks for your responses, everyone. Your suggestions are really great (particularly the wallet card/portable toilet ideas) and it's even better to be reassured! To address some of the things you said ...I'm pretty sure the area was public property, so it wasn't a trespassing issue. The trooper couldn't have faulted me for public indecency either, since I was headed into the woods. If I had wanted to expose myself to passersby for fun, I would have done so on the side of the road - not trekked the 30+ yards into the woods.I didn't really get a chance to tell him just what an emergency it was. He barely gave me a second to explain myself before he just started yelling. I doubt he would have been very understanding even if I did have a chance to explain properly.In the future, I most certainly will pull over on the side of the road again if I have to. If I didn't have that option, I would - like Mark says - probably never leave the house. And if some cop or state trooper troubles me about it again, I may just have to do as my mother suggested and relieve myself right in front of them (she actually said "on their shoes," but I think that's going a bit far). I hope it won't come to that, but what can you do?Thanks again to everyone who responded. I really appreciate it!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I've never seen any regulations with regards to urination out in the wild areas, but I've done field work in places where you have to bury feces if you go #2 (I think that is all public lands in the USA. or at least all the ones out West) so you have to bring a shovel with you and I know people that go camping or rafting in areas of the USA where you have to bring any solid waste out of the area with you. Not sure how much they check, but if you have to sign in the probably make sure you have the composting toilet or other approved equipment with you before they let you in.Now most of the time they won't catch you if you don't, but there often are regulations for feces disposal if you don't have facilities.


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## keycat (Apr 6, 2009)

Thanks for your responses, everyone. Your suggestions are really great (particularly the wallet card/portable toilet ideas) and it's even better to be reassured! To address some of the things you said ...I'm pretty sure the area was public property, so it wasn't a trespassing issue. The trooper couldn't have faulted me for public indecency either, since I was headed into the woods. If I had wanted to expose myself to passersby for fun, I would have done so on the side of the road - not trekked the 30+ yards into the woods.I didn't really get a chance to tell him just what an emergency it was. He barely gave me a second to explain myself before he just started yelling. I doubt he would have been very understanding even if I did have a chance to explain properly.In the future, I most certainly will pull over on the side of the road again if I have to. If I didn't have that option, I would - like Mark says - probably never leave the house. And if some cop or state trooper troubles me about it again, I may just have to do as my mother suggested and relieve myself right in front of them (she actually said "on their shoes," but I think that's going a bit far). I hope it won't come to that, but what can you do?Thanks again to everyone who responded. I really appreciate it!


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## Guest (Apr 6, 2009)

When My husband and I have taken our Horses out for the day out in the high mountain elevations , our horses go to the bathroom all the time , we are always running into forest rangers out Bucking out (clearing) the trails of tree's that have fallen over the snowey winters , and the Rangers have Never told us > Hey you better pick up the horse poop when they go.So there is NO way that it is Illeagle to go to the bathroom in the woods.Before my husband and I built our Cabin on our vacation property up in the upper mounatin elevations , we didn't have a bathroom to use , so we would go into the tree's and go. But took a shovel and buried it.But if you are out in the Woods , and need to go , I see no problem with running behind a tree to relieve yourself.Who's gonna know ? Unless a silly cop see's you and wonder's why you are running into the tree's.And if he asked , I would just say > I am very sick , I have bad diarrhea and I am about to mess myself.If he can't accept that fact , then he can take a leap off the nearest cliff. I'll push , ha ha.


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