Combining two on-going themes of this blog, 'What's Going on Here?' and the behavioural economic analysis of urinary technology, can anyone cast any light on this, encountered in a cafe this morning?
Maybe I've been hanging around with STS people too much, but I did wonder if this was the scene of some experiment.
Ha! A friend I studied STS with tweeted that same image a few weeks ago with a similar "what...?". My initial reaction was that it's useful for families (women's loos do sometimes have duel cubicles) but then I realised I was being clueless and missing the his and hers element.
I do suspect some sort of artistic statement, toilets having somewhat of a history for this. It does challenge the odd thing of two singular and internally identical cubicles next to each other, but labelled separately as male or female (Note here the male one s not a urinal, though the seat is left up. ) If you are going into the loo and washing your hands in a room on your own, why sort for gender? I mean I know boys wee smells worse and alll...
Ever been to the bog at Shunt? (arts space under London Bridge train station)
Posted by: Alice | June 16, 2010 at 05:51 PM
This was in a place called Fix on Whitecross Street. I guess it could be an artistic statement. Maybe it's a satire of functionalism, because my immediate response was 'how can that possibly be necessary?' and 'what a waste of money?'. And yet excessive lighting or designer chairs, for example, don't incite those sorts of responses.
Ummm... how to say this? The seat may not have been up when I entered the room. The experimenters will be delighted.
Posted by: Will Davies | June 16, 2010 at 06:11 PM
Presumably it's a recommendation, not a requirement, to do with the rails for disabled / wheelchair users. Men with unsteady legs standing from a wheelchair might benefit from the nearer grab rail, seen centre of pic which folds down horizontal, closer to the toilet, than do women seated?
Posted by: Kevin Harris | June 20, 2010 at 01:43 PM
Spotted: http://flic.kr/p/8uysPu
Posted by: Alice | August 23, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Great spot, Alice. Maybe this could be the theme for a dedicated blog.
Posted by: Will Davies | August 24, 2010 at 09:31 PM