Urinal fun

Arno showed me this photo he took from the men’s restroom in the Oregon Convention Center Saturday while he and the boys were at a Lego Con. I love this intentional manipulation, playing with our inability to resist allowing a photo of a waterfall to trigger the need to urinate. We all know the sound of running water tugs at our lower genitourinary tract. There is some brilliant designer somewhere who needed to find a way to get folks in and out of the bathroom quickly, to ensure the Convention Center lines rotated through people on break as quickly as possible. If only the boys could have peered into the women’s bathroom to see what they have. Honestly, I don’t think a photo of a waterfall would be sufficient to get the women to take care of their business and get the heck out of there. You’ve seen the lines to the women’s restroom. It would take a cowboy with a red-hot branding iron, threatening to brand “Dawdler” onto her round pale butt if she didn’t wrap it up in the next 10 seconds. It reminded me of the flies in urinals in Amsterdam. You know, you remember that email that was forwarded to you in 2008, and 2005, and 2004? An article from NPR explores the idea a little more, to my savage delight. It explains that the forwarded email is true, and further, it’s scientifically supported that when men have a target, they aim for it without even knowing they’re aiming. And aiming for a fly is more appealing than aiming for a dot. Is it really proof that men never outgrow boyhood? That when faced with the mundane task of relieving themselves, they can be immediately side tracked by the opportunity to drown a fly? That when thinking about the totally cool Lego Hogwarts replica – complete with quidditch field – they can be so easily reminded that they are in front of the urinal for a single reason, and that is to empty their bladder? Oh, I love you men. I foresee a lifetime of continued amusement for me. 😉