I was just making a spiffy page on my likes and dislikes (because that’s not boring at all. :P On the bright side, it took me much longer to type out my dislikes than my likes!), and thought of something related to my last listed dislike: public washrooms. I was thinking of all the reasons to hate them. I mean, there’s the germ factor, which I just don’t want to think about at all. But not only that…
Who designed the public washroom? I mean, essentially, they look the same, right? At least, the ladies’ do. I’m not as much of an expert on the mens’, sadly. But the ladies’ has quite a standard layout. You enter, and to one side there are stalls. One of them is usually larger to accommodate the disabled. On the other side are sinks, with soap dispensers. And towel dispensers. And, often, a change table for small children. More flashy washrooms these days have cool LCD screens and stools in front of mirrors. A lot of amenities are automatic these days- we no longer need to flush the toilet, turn the tap or even get our own soap! It’s all done by a sensor! How smart!
So, WHY on Earth, has someone designed this one thing so stupidly: the towel dispenser.
For those of you not familiar with towels, generally they are used when your hands are wet and you wish to dry them (lol. I jest– I do not wish to insult your intelligence, but more so the intelligence of the washroom designer). So, WHY would you want to reach UP to grab a towel from the dispenser?
Does it not seem a little backward to move your arms and hands so that water will run down your sleeve? Does that make sense at all?! No, it does not. So, why are all towel dispensers (or, at least, enough that I’ve encountered to make it a real issue in my mind– I’ve been ranting about it since I was in Jr. High) situated higher than hand-level?
If we can’t get this one little thing right, what hope does society have for the future?
Oh I hate when this happens especially if I’m wearing a sweater or coat! One thing that always befuddled me was after you use the paper towel, you have the the trash can with the springs on them, so the the top always stays in one place, and then to dispose of the towel, you would have to push it down either with or without the towel, and than put the towel in, leaving your hand exposed to the trash can. Then if you’re particularly not fond of germs (as am I), you rewash your hands, without drying them to prevent repeating the same idiocy.
Most towel dispensers here are at a good level. Kids and really short people have to reach upwards, but average to tall people don’t have the water down the sleeves problem.
*gives you Kiwi towel dispensers*
You haven’t see these hand dryers? http://tinyurl.com/6moamc Your wish has been granted.
Anyway, I’m glad that you like history - but it’s too bad about math. Math is good.
I bet it was done to stop people using the towels and start using the hand dryers. Using hand dryers is much better because they help the bacteria drip off your hands and on to the floor. Using towels just spreads them over your hands so there’s no point in using them. (The standard soaps they use in public toilets don’t fully get rid of bacteria).
SO before I get into more detail and start showing statistics (but here’s one: the hand dryer Chantelle linked to is the Dyson Airblade and works best), my point is maybe the designers were secretly scientists and did it for the good of mankind?
LOL!
You’ve seen a washroom with LCD screens and stools in front of the mirrors?? Wow.
LCD SCREENS?!! Eh whaaa?! What for?
And wow, reaching up for hand towels have always annoyed me but I never really realised why til now O_o.
I think there’s many problems with public restrooms, like towel dispensers, which is why I never use public restrooms… or restrooms for that matter. I mean, there’s oodles and oodles of good bushes and trees out there.
…
Nahhh. I’m only kidding. Though I try to avoid drying my hands with towels. I very much adore whoever invented hand dryers.
Sometimes thast automatic stuff is quite annoying. Like, when you aren’t done peeing but the toilet flushes anyway. And sometimes, you can wave your hands in front of those sensors to start the hand dryer or the towel dispensor, but nothing happens! Same with the water and soap dispensers. Many a time I have been just standing there waving my hands around wildly just trying to get the darn water to come on! And then it does come on (for about 5 seconds) and then goes off before I am done!
But what was grosser was when they used to have those towels things that was this huge roll of towel, like actual towel, that you just pulled down and dried your hand on and the next person who camr along had to pull down a fresh section of towel. Except the “fresh” sections were always dirty and nasty too! Eww!