So I'm slightly fascinated by the trends in style and technology in commercial restrooms. Recently I had the opportunity to experience a whole new level of bathroom tech at a Chicago-area Hyatt.
Walking in to the lobby's restroom to try to tame my frizzy hair on a rainy day, the first thing I noticed was the shiny aquamarine accent wall -- the "it" color for this season. Very trendy and done in a cool metallic/acrylic panel treatment. I thought -- Wow. They must redo this bathroom A LOT. This color is going to be dated in a blink. -- Subdued grey slate and brushed chrome accented the rest of the space.
The place was outfitted with very new touchless soap dispensers, individual designer shallow-bowl sinks and those crazy fancy hand dryers where you stick your hands in and draw them out -- my absolute faves. But above it all, incongruous at first with the urban sleek/chic thing going on, was the din of multiple voices bouncing around the empty space.
A quick look revealed TVs embedded in the mirrors above the sinks (!), playing CNN and some other news channel. A motion sensor eye near the screen seemed to hint that the audio was triggered by the user, and since I'd been running around like a kid in a toy store I'd apparently triggered them all. I wasn't able to locate the speakers, but they maybe were in the soffit.
Still pre-coffee, trying to get my head straight for my meeting, I wondered at those TVs as I washed my hands. Why were they there? I've seen TVs in bathrooms in fancy hotels in the rooms, so perhaps this was just an extension of that logic. Or perhaps the business traveler that frequents this Hyatt must be fed a steady stream of information, even in the restroom. It also made me think of a story my friend told me of restrooms in Tokyo, which have cover noise -- usually some sort of rain sounds -- for the comfort of the user. Perhaps the TV's chatter served the same purpose?
I decided that they were there just because they could. To add a tech edge, very Minority Report. Cute in the short term, but endlessly annoying if I had to use that facility day in and out. Then again, I'm one of the last adults on Earth without an iPod or a smartphone. Heck, my cell can't even take pictures. I am perhaps not the target audience.
I'm surprised you didn't comment on the funky toilets in the restrooms in Japan that you squat over. Those always freak me out, especially because my knees are somewhat damaged from years of distance running and not not regularly squatting, so it hurts for me to squat all the way down and hold it there. Anyway, interesting comments on the restroom at the Hyatt in Chicago. I guess the tvs are sort of like the ones at gas pumps nowadays. I'm not really interested in getting info while I'm pumping either.
Yeah, I've also wondered at the TVs at the pump. And the ones at the checkout line.
Regarding the toilets in Tokyo, my friend hadn't mentioned the different fixture. I've seen those, but in France. I think they're not uncommon in many parts of the world.