Toilet world map
Any tourist, and not only a tourist, especially in a big city, is familiar with an obscene simple problem, which usually arises almost suddenly and extremely sharply. It is called a “public toilet.”
Where to find, where to run and how far to run there? A question that is unlikely to be answered by locals passing by, even if you speak the same language with them. Therefore, the card never hurts anyone. No, not treasures – but public toilets.
This is what will be created in the near future in Tel Aviv and placed on the streets of the city. The idea to install stands with maps arose after numerous complaints from residents of tourist areas, whose courtyards and entrances were obviously used for other purposes. People complained that there weren’t enough public restrooms in the city, but a check showed that there were enough toilets, just tourists were not able to find them.
Currently, the City Hall is compiling a complete list of places where you can cope with the needs of large and small. A version of the detailed “toilet card” will also appear on the Internet, writes MIGnews.com.
An example for the Israelis was Australia, which created its map four years ago. The first of its kind and so far the only nationwide electronic map of public toilets was conceived at the annual meeting of the Australian Foundation for Helping People with Enuresis. The project was supported by the federal government, which last month allocated an additional $ 1.5 million for projects designed to ease the plight of people with incontinence. The map contains information about where the public toilets are, what time they are open, and whether they are equipped with wheelchairs. In addition, the developers intended to establish a rating system for these “charitable institutions”, similar to the rating of hotels, which would indicate how clean the bathrooms are, safe and so on.
In July 2003, the association announced the “Happy Toilet” contest. Institutions, depending on conditions, were assigned from three to five stars, as in the hotel business. A star plate adorns the toilet for exactly one year and is immediately removed if citizens complain of poor standards.
However, if there is no way to cope on the Internet, then, as the toiletmap.gov.au map site promises, anyone can request a map in the municipality, as well as other services: such as car associations, tourist information centers and support services. Separate electronic maps of the location of public toilets will appear in 2007 on the streets of Sydney. On the scoreboard, which will be placed in crowded places and at bus stops, several thousand public and private restrooms located in the city limits will be marked. 30 million Australian dollars (about 21 million US dollars) have already been spent on the innovation.
One of the largest megacities in the world, the capital of Japan, Tokyo, also took care of tourists. Moreover, on the Tokyo Toilet Map website you can not only study the location of WC cubicles, but also see photos of the cleanest and most dirty toilets. Separately, lovers of beauty, the Japanese offer to see and visit the toilets with the most luxurious graffiti.
For some reason, the Chinese did not dare to experiment in large cities at once. Therefore, we conducted an experiment in Changchun, the administrative center of the northeastern province of Jilin. At the same time, it was estimated that there are only 2,200 public toilets, 400 of which are located in the city, which is below the norm. The toilet scheme was published in a local newspaper, 3,000 free copies were handed out to taxi drivers.
There are analogues of such spicy guidebooks in Russia. On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the northern capital, Vodokanal St. Petersburg has issued booklets with the layout of public toilets and a map of the city. True, there are only 61 stationary restrooms on the map. Numerous “blue booths” save the situation, but they will have to search without a map.
However, there are free public toilets that exist in dozens of countries. Of course, they are not designated exactly as a toilet, but any enterprising citizen will not fail to seize the opportunity. McDonald’s is a network of free toilets around the world, “jokes young people. Although, strictly speaking, in some places toilets of this global network are free only when buying fast food. In Russia you will have to navigate by the letter M (not to be confused with the subway). But for the United States, the corporation has added the map service “Travel Planner.” Trip Planner will indicate the nearest eateries, just enter the name of your city or state in the text box of the search page. One of the reviews on the site shows that Americans don’t forget about additional benefit knowledge amenitnyh “eateries”: “There is always a desire to know where there are McDonald’s along the way – there are clean toilets!” For the convenience of those suffering, the site is equipped with a version for PDAs and mobile phones.
In general, he who seeks will always find. But knowing where to look is always much nicer.
