Blow dryers in public restrooms
 

We seem to have discussed every aspect of excretory functions, so I thought I'd bring up a restroom pet peeve that has been brought home to me in my travels this week:

I HATE when restrooms don't have paper towels, but just use blow dryers. Here's some reasons why.

• If I'm futzing with my contacts, I want the drain plugged so I can't send my contact down the drain by accident. If the drain is open, I ned something to put over it--and a paper towel works nicely.
• If you want to wash face, arms, etc. you will never get them properly dry. This goes double for any child who may be accompanying you.
• More than one person can take advantage of a paper towel dispenser. If you have 8 or 10 people in line and 2 hand dryers, you're going to be waiting a while.
• A blow dryer is useless for wiping off my glasses. (To be fair, TP works for this OK.)

Please, add your own..... or, sing the praises of these stupid things.

i hate em. I've always hated 'em, and i hate the infrared activated ones worse. you don't even get to punch them. it's a fucking jip!
......but, they never run out of air like they do paper towels.....

they should have both if the place they're in is worth a spit.

May I humbly suggest ripping one of the infernal devices off of the wall and seeing if it will serve as a makeshift drain plug?

The infernal machines (I call them "wipe hands on pants" devices, because that's always the step left off the directions) are infection control nightmares.

You think you're safe because you're able to activate the pushbutton with your elbow? Nah ... you're getting a face full of hot air loaded with all kinds of nasty microbes that LOVE to thrive in the humid innards of one of those things.

Also, the paper towel usage is important to the whole "handwashing as a means of preventing infection" process.

Don't EVER use the wall-mounted blowdryers.

Anybody seen the motion sensor paper towel dispensers? Those things are COOL. I thought autoflush potties and autowash spigots were cool. Nah, those are merely neat.

(one thing most people forget is that as soon as you've finished washing your hands, etc., you almost immediately recontaminate yourself ... by grabbing the doorhandle on the way out. I'm the obsessive compulsive one who opens the door with the used paper towel, and then has to search around for a wastebasket outside the restroom.)

A bit like you then, eh, Jim? :biglaugha

At least you WASH your hands....I can't tell you how many people I work with that don't...and then go visit our salad bar.

:eek:

The only equpment in the bathroom that I touch is mine. Once I open the door I unzip, deploy, piss, retract, zip, kick the handle (still flexible at my state of decrepitude!), kick the door open on the way out.

Urine is sterile, but if for some reason I manage to piss all over myself I have a child so a handy pack of wipes is always about.

So how long before everyone starts carrying baby wipes around in little belt pouches or purses?

I just love the way hand-driers blow the water off your hands onto your crotch, so it looks like you've pissed yourself.

Fantastic bit of design, that.

You would do things to your contacts in a public sink them PUT THEM IN YOUR EYE?
ew.

I just wash and dry off. I try not to think about the door handles.

And since I played outside as a child, got very few antibiotics, have had all my shots (and then some) and tend to have a white cell count twice that of a normal person, I seem to be resistant to most germs and such.

All in all, I just do my thing and care not a bit about others habits.

Brian

Four times in five, the autoflush potties completely defeat their purpose. For me at least. Here's how it goes:
1.Enter the stall
2.Start to remove pants
3.Toilet flushes
4a.Take care of business
4b.Toilet flushes during taking care of business
5.Finish and stand up
6.Toilet doesn't flush
7.Wait a couple of seconds
8.Toilet still doesn't flush
9.Wave hand in front of sensor
10.Toilet still doesn't flush
11.Give up and kick the little button with foot
12.Toilet reluctantly flushes

It's pretty uncommon that I come across one that only flushes as you're either standing up finished or leaving the stall. And I only just encountered those auto-PT-dispensers this weekend. They're friggin' awesome! :thumpsup:

Also, don't EVER put your 4 year old on an automatic flushing toilet. Her tiny body will confuse the sensor, it will flush while she's sitting on it, thereby terrifying her and causing her to jump up, peeing all over herself, the floor, and possibly your leg as she clings to it whimpering.

And then for the next indefinite number of years, long after she's able to go by herself, if there's ever an automatic toilet she'll insist you come in the stall with her and cover up the sensor with your hand.

I work in a hospital. It's second nature. Actually, it was second nature before then. The notion that there are people who don't wash after is extraordinarily icky. I've read the studies, though, about the extremely small percentage of people that do wash.

Ugh ugh ugh, not something to say to a semi-germaphobe like myself lol. :yeldead:

Oh yeah, those *are* cool. Nothing to touch...perfect. :D

Hell yeah, I do the same thing! *cringes*

The one "good" thing about having kidney failure: not having to use the public toilets as much (if at all) anymore (because of the lack of urine output). :D

We've got non-washers at my office. It's a good idea to always get the snacks and goodies between the time they've been removed from the sealed container and the time the non-washer has taken some.

Or not; building up an immunity to fecal coliform is probably pro-survival.

Anyway, I've seen hand driers where a graffiti artist has lovingly drawn in an icon of hands being wiped on pants.