Lucia has something to say

Monday, April 30, 2007

Loo, Privy, and Powder Room

Always using my time (cough) wisely, I settled in to page through Toilets of the World. I expected the developing world ones, which I’ve seen (and smelled) in person all too often, would be the most interesting. But they’re not.

Skipping all the interestingly shaped and patterned bowls and urinals, here are some of my favorites.

The Whiskey Café in Quebec is a rare urinal wonder. For men, they’ve got the stream of water on a metal wall, described as “a rare treat” and “soothing.” But for women. There’s the L’urinette, a frightening urinal which looks like a cross between a torture device and a vacuum cleaner. No, thank you. I’ll be over here in the corner with my legs crossed. (Anybody been there?)

There are a lot of outhouses hovering over the end of piers in the San Blas Islands. I especially like the photo captioned “An unsuspecting snorkeller swims right under the toilet.” Big fun for the locals.

I’d include the throne at the now defunct CBGB in NYC, in a nostalgic sort of way. RIP.

I’m liking the pop-up urinal in Soho on Charing Cross Road in London. During the week, unsuspecting walkers stroll over a manhole cover, but come Thursday night, up pops a 3-urinal contraption for the weekend.

And then there’s the Hong Kong jeweler who took Lenin seriously when he said toilets should be made of gold to remind the world of capitalist warfare. He built the world’s most costly bathroom, with gold fixtures, a gold toilet brush, gold toilet paper holders, and TWO (count ‘em TWO!) solid gold toilets.

Got any great additions?

13 Comments:

Blogger Citymouse said...

the worst restroom i have ever been in is at the amtrak station in New Orleans... would rather use the port-o-poty at the end of Jazz Fest (at least they smell like pot)

8:12 PM  
Blogger Girlplustwo said...

my favorite was a tin bucket in a shed in central america with a gigantic wolf spider sitting on the edge.

so my very favorite, as i perched in the dark, a flashlight between my teeth.

i just finished the Masai book, sister. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Thanks

9:51 PM  
Blogger meno said...

I was snuck into the men's room at the Madonna Inn (a monstrous pink building) by the Mister and a freind of ours to see the huge metal trough with constantly running water.

Starting the White Masai next. :)

11:23 PM  
Blogger QT said...

There is a bathroom in New Glarus that bills itself as having the worlds largest urinal. I have not seen many urinals, but that one is large indeed!

4:55 AM  
Blogger KC said...

What an interesting book you have there. I can't contribute much here. Maybe all of those floor toilets in China with the sign: No Fecal Excrement.

5:03 AM  
Blogger St. Dickeybird said...

I used to live in Georgetown, Ontario. It is a toilet in itself.

8:37 AM  
Blogger Gordo said...

The former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Gardens had troughs like Meno's Madonna Inn. 10" long if I recall. Two of them "disappeared" when the building was stripped of it's hockey heritage. That's not exactly whan I would think of grabbing as a souvenir.

9:30 AM  
Blogger Lynnea said...

I don't have one to add, but as I live in Quebec, I am vowing right now that I will get to that Whiskey Cafe and when I do, there will be pictures!

12:44 PM  
Blogger thailandchani said...

I'm sure you already know about some of the toilets in Thailand. It took some adjustment! LOL


Peace,

~chani

1:28 PM  
Blogger Tink said...

I went to an artsy little cafe in NY where a male attendant follows you into the restroom to open the stall door for you. Once he closes it, he stands in front of it until you're ready to leave.

Freaked me the f*ck out. I hovered for nearly a minute before I realized I was never going to pee with that strange man standing out there. When I went to leave, he actually asked me if everything had been satisfactory.

3:38 PM  
Blogger Susan as Herself said...

I have used that CBGB bathroom. And lived.

I have also gone next to a dumpster behind a Catholic church in Palatine, IL. Don't ask.

Whatever you do, do NOT use the port-a-potties at the Taste of Chicago summer food and music festival. Unless you want to leave with a really bad taste of Chicago, that is.

4:11 PM  
Blogger magickat said...

I'm all about pulling down the pants and squatting in an alleyway over ANY of those!!!

Sheesh!

9:27 PM  
Blogger karmic said...

I don't have any I can recall off hand, but I loved hearing about the ones you wrote about.
And what Maggie said, hopefully there will be pictures of the ones at the Whiskey Cafe in Montreal. :)

6:16 AM  

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