Shortage of Blue Toilet Stuff Threatens Flights

The federal government is warning airlines that flights could face disruptions this winter because of a shortage of the blue chemical used in airplane toilets.

The shortage arose after New York City officials were forced to deploy thousands of portable toilets to Wall Street when the markets went down the crapper.

So far airlines have been able to maintain their flight schedules by encouraging travelers to use the restroom before boarding the plane and by adopting a policy of "if it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down," said a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Several airlines have begun to experiment with the use of pay toilets to mixed results. "That seven bucks they charge me for a beer ought to pay for me taking a leak, too," said business traveler Ben Whitacker.

In light of the shortages, the FAA rushed the approval of toilet chemicals manufactured by three different companies. "The airlines have a number of options to make up the difference," said John Bidet, FAA's director of Toilet Safety and Standards.

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