Friday, July 9, 2010

Restroom Symbolism

To get to Amelia Island, we had to fly through Jacksonville airport and I must say, they had fascinating restrooms.

First of all, their sinks were amazing, in that there weren’t any.  I went to wash up, (not because I peed on my hands, but because it’s just the right thing to do), and I saw lots of soap dispensers and spigots, but no sinks.  There was only a long flat countertop.  Upon further review, I noticed that the counter was slanted back towards the wall and between the end of the counter and the wall, there was a long trough for the water to run into.

It really doesn’t take much to amuse me.  I would have taken a picture but then I’d be letting women in on all the secret stuff we have in men’s rooms.*  Luckily I found this one with The Google:
Photo by David King via his Flickr photostream.  Apparently, he thought it was as cool as I did.  More importantly, he avoided showing the secret restroom stuff*.

But the real interesting thing to me was the décor of the restroom entrances.  It seems they put up every existing variation of the restroom symbol of “trouser guy” and “skirt girl” know to mankind.

I stood and stared at it for a while, as ideas began to bubble up.  (Any time you travel with a female in general, or Pinky in particular, there is a lot of time spent standing outside restrooms.)  So of this vast display of manly restroom symbols, I did take a picture, so that I could come home and bring you this:
Click the pic for the full image, which is larger and more readable.

There wasn’t room to describe all the symbols, so I picked my favorites.  I hope you can tell to which symbol each description is pointing.  With one exception, the captions are directly above the arrows that point to the symbol.

I was really intrigued by the one I labeled “WTF?”  I mean, how the hell is that “male”?  I checked the corresponding female one and it was practically the same thing, only the curve was upside down.  What is that?  Bowing dude?  Parenthesis man?  Comma guy?  Scoliosis person?  I give up.

Note: Due to the nature of how I put the picture together, by the time I was done I’d thought of a better one than the one I labeled “Guys w/ T-Rex arms”… I should have labeled it “Jesus.”  (Go look again.)  But I’d have to undo a boatload of other labels and arrows to remove the original label, so I’m left with leaving this anti-climactic and semi-blasphemous note.

*Ok, we really don’t have any secret stuff in the men’s room; I’m just trying to create intrigue.  I know there is secret stuff in the lady’s room.

24 comments:

Raven said...

lmao~ love the pics dude, and the semi blasphemous note at the end. You always crack me up.

bluzdude said...

That's all I aim to do, Raven. Glad it worked. I have to admit, I cracked my own self up with some of those. My favorite: Saddam. (Cuz you have to think about that one.)

Cher Duncombe said...

You know, the ladies rooms I have been in seldom have graffiti. But there was one time when I was at a restaurant in Squirrel Hill. I went to the ladies room and in the stall was scrawled, "For a semi-good time call Phil 412-yadayada." Best put down of a date I've seen.
Loved the photos, bluz!

Jessica R. said...

The man with the hunchback looks like Alfred Hitchcock...

Also who had time and money to do that to an airport restroom? I'd take a normal bathroom for chesper flihjts!

Jessica R. said...

* I meant "flights". Stupid phone typing.

bluzdude said...

Cher,
Maybe Phil was a truck driver.

Jessica,
I was at least appreciative that they put in the effort. You know, it just occurred to me now that there is another use for that pic... Restroom Symbol Bingo! That's a perfect distraction for those travelers with Overactive Bladder Syndrome!

vange said...

I love those kind of sinks.

bluzdude said...

Vange,
I'd never seen one like that before, but I saw a similar bathroom floor once, in an NYC hotel. There was no divider between the shower and the rest of the bathroom, but the floor was angled so that the water didn't spread.

When they cleaned the bathrooms there, they probably just hosed the whole place down.

DG said...

Ha! Ha! Saddam Hussein. Ha! Ha!

I can't imagine the conversation you would have had to have with the other 'gents in the men's room, had you dared to take a picture.

bluzdude said...

DG,
Yeah, cameras in the Men's Room are generally a no-no. Unless you're trying to set up a Senatorial Sting Operation...

Unknown said...

They must have redone the bathrooms since I've been there because I don't remember any of that shit. Nice post and love the picture commentary. Totally with you on renaming T-Rex arms guy to Jesus.

bluzdude said...

Uncorked,
Yeah, that's like how you always think of something funnier to say after the moment has passed.

Burgh Baby said...

Why didn't you take a pic of the girls side of things? HUH? I want to see it, too. I demand you make a return trip.

Anonymous said...

The dancing one amused me...he must be doing the pee pee dance.

Mary Ann said...

The "secret stuff" in the Ladies Room is the toilet paper which is either non existent or hidden in many facilities.
Love the picture page and comments. Once in a YMCA in South Bend, I came across two johns, one marked "Ladies", the other "Women". That's a helluva time for such a decision.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I just get nervous when people in the bathroom start taking pictures. But that's just me.

I'm sure women's restrooms have the same obligatory foosball table, hammock, Hickory Farms store, Cinnabon store, Xbox, Wi, bluegrass band, and vomitorium. Standard stuff.

Bachelor Girl said...

Pinky could've stayed in the ladies' room for HOURS, and that display would've amused me the ENTIRE TIME.

(That probably says a lot about my intellectual capacity, but whatevs.)

P.S. I have several theories about Mr. WTF, but they're all dirty and/or relate in some way to The Da Vinci Code.

bluzdude said...

Burgh Baby,
I was wondering who it was going to be that asked me that question…

All I’ll say is that the first trip was on the house. The second one will have to be subsidized. Heavily!

Goldey,
I’m also noticing that all the guys with really big heads look like Charlie Brown, with a varying number of appendages.

Mary Ann
Yeah, you’d need a whole page of definitions and maybe a panel of judges.

Is there really a “ladylike” way to work out at the Y?

Bagger,
That’s why I didn’t take any “inside” pictures. I didn’t want anyone to come out swinging. (Anything.)

I’ve always thought restaurants should have a Hammock Room for a post-meal rest. You could put in 50 cents for a half hour or so, then when the time’s up, it flips you out onto some cushions.

Further, if I ever managed a women’s clothing, accessory or shoe store, I wouldn’t supply anything like Cosmo or Vanity Fair… I’d lay in some easy chairs, cable TV and Sports Illustrateds for all the husbands and boyfriends that would otherwise be shifting on their feet, looking miserable and trying to hurry their ladies out the door. I guarantee I’d more than make up the outlay on furniture and magazine subscriptions in extended shopping time for the women.

(and I had this idea long before they ever stuck it on a Bud Light commercial…)

Bachelor Girl,
You should elaborate, by all means! It sounds like a cheap post idea for BachelorGirl.net.

Anonymous said...

That pic is awesome! We humans are so easily amused. I've seen those trough/slanted sinks before, too. Why do airports have the coolest technology in their bathrooms, and yet, can't manage to make a stall big enough to wheel in your carry-on w/o bumping the door and almost dropping your purse in the toilet at least 12 times?!?!

I like the dancing guy - great label for that one!

bluzdude said...

Cristy,
I KNOW! I mean, I can’t speak for the purse but shouldn’t they make a stall big enough to park your wheelie suitcase?

Unapologetically Mundane said...

I love exciting bathroom design. It's such a functional, all-business space, so it takes just a little something extra to make a big impact.

Also, unrelatedly, I was just thinking about how you need Intense Debate or Disqus on this blog for as much comment-replying as you do. I looked at both of them for lostandlonelyleftovers.com and went with Intense Debate, though I don't remember why now. It lets you reply directly to comments and sends an e-mail to the author if they've chosen to get one.

bluzdude said...

Mundane,
I'm such a Luddite when it comes to all the gadgets that one can put on the blog. I'll have to check into this one, because I like the idea. I always wondered how other people did it.

It would make me feel better knowing that people were getting the benefit of my dazzling replies, without having to check back.

ettible said...

I just installed Intense Debate on two of my friend's blogs and reminded myself how TOTALLY EASY it is. It literally takes three minutes at most, and it's so wonderful. You know my e-mail address if you have any questions.

Dazzling indeed.

bluzdude said...

Mundane,
I looked up both platforms earlier this week, and was leaning towards Disqus. It seemed pretty easy to install as well. I just have to get up the nerve to tinker with the html, which makes me very nervous.