Technology failures in the ladies room
by Jan Kabili

None of us wants to spend more time in a public ladies room than she has to. Lately it seems there are more stumbling blocks to getting in and out fast--in the form of automated everything.

Toilets flush on their own, often at inopportune times. Automatically controlled faucets gleefully refuse to cooperate when you stick you hands under them. Nothing seems to happen until you give up and move your hands away. Sometimes you're lucky and are able to tease out a squirt of water, but it never seems to be enough to do the job. Seeing-eye soap dispensers are just as cranky.

And don't even get me started on the automatic towel dispensers, which obstinately refuse to dispense when you're standing there dripping soap and water on the floor. Sometimes you're offered the alternative of the hand blow dryer, which doesn't really dry hands, but never fails to mess up your hair.

Whoever is in charge of these devices in airports, restaurants, and other public places, we implore you to remove all automatic machines from our ladies rooms. I've got a good idea--stick them in the mens rooms and let the guys wrestle with them for a change.

Submitted by Jan Kabili (view blog) on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 6:20am
Posted In

Comments

 

TECHNOLOGY FAILURES IN THE LADIES ROOM

I quite agree Jan. We have the same problems with automatic gadgets in ladies toilets here in England. They never work the way you want them to and often don't work at all!

NAOMI
www.diaryfromengland.blogspot.com

Submitted by NAOMI on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 06:27
 

I hate hate hate auto

I hate hate hate auto flushing toilets, their only saving grace being the tiny button (if they are placed properly) on top that I can still can reach with my shoe to manually flush at the right time. I do however like the idea of auto changing seat covers - although the level of hygene of the new seat cover being dispensed is questionable.

Submitted by anniemonster on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 10:01
 

Auto Flush

Nothing is more annoying to me than those auto flush toilets. I do not need a flush everytime I lean forward!

Vanessa Pruitt
Crabby Chic
PruittsWeb

Work from Home Promoting Wellness

Submitted by peetred on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 11:02
 

I love automated public bathrooms!

I hate touching anything in a public bathroom. I'm not even a germophobe, but I've read what's on that stuff and sometimes I feel dirtier after washing my hands than before. While auto flush toilets are inconvenient, at least I need not touch (or more correctly, use a wad of toilet paper to touch) the flusher. I also love the auto towel dispensers, as my hands remain clean from not touching a filthy crank. (Although they are always hung too high and the water drips down my arm while I wave at the machine...) Now, if we could just get some auto doors, I would not have to touch the handles!

Suzanne, BlogHer Contributing Editor - Feminsim & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS)& Other Rants

Submitted by Suzanne Reisman on Thu, 08/10/2006 - 13:49
 

work in engineering

I work in the engineering dept of a very large hospital. obviously germs are a HUGE concern. everyone seems to forget that they could be the cause of a HAI (hospital acquired infection) when they visit their loved ones.

we've started requiring designs in our restrooms that setback the doors to ensure that they can open outwards (making sure we don't have to put hands on a doorhandle) and leaving extra space near the doors for rubbish bins to collect paper towels.

I have experienced many an irritating automatic restroom feature, but, overall, speaking from an infection-control standpoint, they are well worth the hassle (i do prefer paper towels over those air thingys by far).

Melanie Perry
***not all who wander are lost***
http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com

Submitted by Mistress Of The Dorkness on Fri, 08/11/2006 - 18:57