It is still early, but there is already a thick line of people in front of Ingrid Schellekens’ (58) toilet van. For the 28th year she is a toilet attendant at the flea market in the Breda district of Princenhage, which attracts about thirty thousand visitors. Ingrid beams and talks merrily. “I still really enjoy doing this!”
“Hey, you are hard too!“Anyone who has been cleaning the pot for 28 years is a minor celebrity at the free market in Princenhage. Every Sunday before Ascension Day, Ingrid’s field of work is the toilet trolley just next to the Beer Advertising Museum on Haagweg.
Five toilets for women and one for men with three urinals. She has many regular customers, because Ingrid’s toilet is known as the cleanest in the entire flea market.
“I just turn my mind off and brush myself silly,” laughs the lady in question. “And I also talk a lot here. Every year many of the same people come to chat. I’m always there, so they recognize me.”
“I sometimes think to myself what are they going to do with all that stuff.”
In between cleaning the pot, all kinds of topics are discussed. “We talk about the weather or the crowds, but especially about what they bought on the flea market. They display the stuff completely for me. I then talk enthusiastically with them, but think to myself: what do you have to do? along?”
Nevertheless, some visitors sometimes react negatively to Ingrid. Not on her personally, but on the work she does. “Every now and then the toilet attendant is looked down upon a bit,” she says. “Some people think it’s inferior work. Well, I do it once a year and I still really like it. By the way, they can be happy with a clean toilet. I’m above it!”
“If it’s too busy with the women, they can just pee with the men.”
“I never panic and I’ve never seen a fight. I don’t make a fuss either. If it’s too busy with the women, they can just pee with the men. And vice versa. And I only let children and pregnant women The people think it’s all right as long as it’s nice and clean.”
For Ingrid, the flea market is also a family outing. Her late brother Peter was one of the founders and her son and son-in-law are always there too. “I’ll keep doing this until it’s no longer possible,” concludes Ingrid. “But it is hard work, you know. It’s up and down stairs all day long. And a lot of cleaning, of course. When I come home in the evening, I can’t take another step.”