On Mon, 26 Feb 2001, Ron May wrote:
> And, let us not forget the tell-tale "white flags" out on field survey that
> mark potty stations of the unprepared. I can not tell you how many panties,
> jockey shorts and boxer shorts I have seen flying over bushes on my field
> surveys over the past 32 years.
>
> Ron May
> Legacy 106, Inc.
>

There's a point of sorts to this anecdote, so bear with me...

Some 10 years ago, while working on a contract project in Upstate New
York, I found myself helping out on a phase II survey (those of you who
know me know that getting me out of the lab in the first place is an
event).  I was sent into the woods along the edge of the site to dig a row
of test pits.  With my wacky European prejudices, I was reluctant to save
the Coke cans and other assorted 20th century detritus, but was ordered by
the crew chief to 'save everything' whenever I raised the issue.  Anyway,
I came to last test pit in a row, and it became very clear that I was
right on top of the phase I crew's ad hoc privy.  Faced with a pile of
mouldy, used toilet paper, I started to call out to the crew chief 'do I
need to save....', but before I could add 'mouldy toilet paper', he called
out 'for the last time, Alasdair, _save everything_'.  So I dutifully
prepared an artifact bag [note my considerate use of American spelling
there], and filled it with mouldy used toilet paper while muttering
something unrepeatable under my breath.

Worse was to follow a week later when I was safely back in the
air-conditioned delights of the lab, and I found myself staring at a
bag of now-even-mouldier used toilet paper, with my initials prominently
displayed on the outside of said bag.....

MOTTO:
Lab rats should never trust field mice.

Alasdair Brooks