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23 February 2007

Urinalfilter: A question for the women of Metachat: Do you use these things?→[More:] I had to investigate a mold issue in a women's restroom and saw this, the only one in a line of 7 or 8 toilets there.

I am just wondering about aiming issues, and stuff like that.

Not to be creepy.

post by: danf at: 13:30 | 26 comments

I've never used a urinal and have never seen one in a restroom that was strictly for women.

Since sitting is an option, I've never tried the aiming thing. Too lazy!

posted by iconomy 23 February | 13:39

I've never seen one.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 23 February | 13:44

Yes! I've seen those a few times, though I can't recall where. I do remember there was a bit of awkwardness with positioning yourself along the trough while your pants were down around your ankles.

posted by jrossi4r 23 February | 13:45

I've never seen one either.

posted by gaspode 23 February | 13:50

From Wikipedia:
Several other designs have been tried since then, but they either required the user to hover awkwardly or to bring her genitals into close contact with the fixture. Most have not caught on. Current clothes fashion such as panty hose and slacks inhibit women from using them because they don't want their garments to touch the urinals or the floor. Often American women have little experience with them and don't know whether to approach them forward or backward.

Frankly, I don't even see using it easily with a skirt, unless you can velcro it up to your shoulders or something.

Funnel varieties, though, seem to be gaining ground ...

Japanese/European something or other, NSFW

mass urinals for women

posted by stilicho 23 February | 13:51

It seems like one would have to drop trou/undies/whatever and then waddle into position.

I am going to talk to our plumbers and get the story on this one. Word is that it is on it's way out but not sure.

posted by danf 23 February | 13:51

Before I knew these existed I wanted to invent urinals for women and I was going to call them squatters.

posted by dodgygeezer 23 February | 13:53

There's one on the UCLA campus; I think it was installed when skirts were more common. I tried it wearing pants--no splashes, but too unwieldy. I've just seen the plastic male pissoirs in London and Amsterdam--not fair! Freshette makes a women's funnel that's less crudely made than the Japanese one.

posted by brujita 23 February | 14:17

They're in some rest stops along interstates in the US. I don't get if you're supposed to face the wall or the other way when you use them. And I don't want my underwear up against the bottom side of it where god knows what on a mop has been. I'm continuing practicing peeing standing up.

posted by chewatadistance 23 February | 14:23

Well, one of my bosses just wanted to know about the mold issues (very minor) and he made a comment in passing about the restroom where there USED to be this urinal. Well, I said, it's still there, and I emailed him the pic.

Turns out he's given orders awhile ago to remove it. No one likes it, and no one knows how long it's been there or who put it in.

So apparently this pic opportunity was not long for this world.

(And I guess now is as good a time as any to disclose that I once had a gf who could pee further than I could.)

posted by danf 23 February | 14:36

I've never seen one and never used one and I think I'll keep it that way.

posted by mygothlaundry 23 February | 14:40

Is it an optical illusion danf or do your bathroom cube doors go right to the floor?

Would one of these really be more awkward than hovering?

posted by Mitheral 23 February | 14:55

I've never used one, never seen one in a women's restroom. I have heard of them.

posted by LoriFLA 23 February | 15:01

Would one of these really be more awkward than hovering?

It would seem so, because of trying to keep your pants/underwear out of the way.

I also have never seen such a thing, and probably wouldn't want to use it. And I got *very* skilled at hovering when using Italian public toilets, most of which have no seats. (I have no idea why. They're designed to have them, they just all seem to be missing. It's very odd. But you develop very strong thighs.)

posted by occhiblu 23 February | 15:20

(And I guess now is as good a time as any to disclose that I once had a gf who could pee further than I could.)

How did you two discover that? Did it come up as a casual challenge?

posted by cmonkey 23 February | 15:37

danf is obviously a redneck.

posted by Mitheral 23 February | 15:57

I've never seen one of those, and like mgl, I'd like to keep it that way.

And those women peeing standing up - how on earth?

posted by deborah 23 February | 16:35

The National Zoo (you know, in DeeCee) has them. Tourists go in and then come out, looking irritated and needing even more desperately to pee.

Even if they were installed when women wore skirts all the time, you know, they wore panties back then.

posted by crush-onastick 23 February | 17:41

How did you two discover that? Did it come up as a casual challenge?

She lived out in the country. . .in the middle of the night, peeing off her deck was a normal thing. . .I guess it just came up.

posted by danf 23 February | 17:43

Is it an optical illusion danf or do your bathroom cube doors go right to the floor?

They certainly seem to hover to me.

True fact: the "gap" was an innovation of Frank Lloyd Wright, for the Larkin building in Buffalo. (He may not have been the first, but it was much imitated afterward.)

posted by stilicho 23 February | 17:57

1. There is a gap, like most restroom stalls.

2. Not a redneck although gf in question grew up on an Eastern Oregon ranch and could have probably torn me in two, if she'd wanted to.

3.

I've never seen one and never used one and I think I'll keep it that way.

I've never seen one of those, and like mgl, I'd like to keep it that way.

*sigh*. . .I guess I need to think of something else for the Eugene Meetup now. It was gonna be so interesting.

posted by danf 23 February | 18:36

Where is this? I recall seeing a few in malls back in the seventies - probably installed when women wore skirts. Mom never used them, she was always wearing slacks.

posted by dabitch 23 February | 20:31

And those women peeing standing up - how on earth?

In conjunction with the P-mate (or any number of similar disposable cardboard devices), it is possible to pee standing up comfortably, with no mess. In the pics stilicho linked to (of women standing at urinals), this is what's going on.

I've done it, it's amazing. My aunt gave me a few p-mates to try and after the immediate novelty use of the first I've been dying to have a legitimate need to use the second. Maybe I'll go for a hike in the summer or something...

posted by SassHat 23 February | 23:55

So they hand out these p-mates before you enter the urinal stall? I'm hoping you get a fresh, new one each time because otherwise .. ewww. Ew ew ew.

And, since I like camping with the mister, where might I buy some? Canadian Tire?

posted by deborah 24 February | 00:12

You can get Freshettes/Sanifems at camping stores.

posted by brujita 24 February | 03:44

Apparently it's possible for many women to pee standing up without mechanical assistance.

posted by Mitheral 24 February | 12:10

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