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Saturday Travel Shot: Copenhagen, Denmark
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Nov 14, 2009 in Travel
Move Over Porta-Potty, Urilift Solves A “Wee” Travel Issue
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Jul 7, 2009 in Travel
Well when you gotta go…you gotta go. So the next time you are traveling in a city like Amsterdam, Belfast, and London, be careful when walking down certain streets at night. That seemingly innocent looking manhole cover might start to slowly rise up from the ground to reveal…a bathroom?!
One of the most ingenious ideas in public restrooms to come down the pipe (sorry) since the porta-potty is the Urilift. This “pop-up urinal” is placed under sidewalks in very busy European cities that suffer from public urination issues.
Yes many of these locales noticed that men, after a few pints in the pubs, were wandering home or to the next watering hole with some seriously full bladders. So instead of holding it in until they got to the little boys room, they instead whipped it out and did their “business” on storefronts, homes, and other unacceptable places.
The smell of urine throughout town is not one that many locals enjoyed, so many cities started to invest in a little company called Urilift. The underground outhouse is only available after 10pm in most places and is basically set up for the hectic nightlife in these popular cities. During the day workers, tourists, and locals have no idea that the manhole they are walking over is actually the top of a hidden restroom. So it keeps the area looking, and more importantly, smelling clean.
To all of the females out there reading this that feel their public restroom needs have been ignored, rejoice! Since the introduction of the Urilift in 2000, the company unveiled a unisex solution in 2004 called the UriGienic. Yup now you can access a toilet (with a locking door) when you “gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now” ladies.
Urilift International BV brags that, “The entire toilet is made from stainless steel and is cylindrical in shape. It is so ingeniously designed that it disappears completely from view during the day by means of a clever hydraulic system.”
Urilifts and UriGienics are currently located in The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, France, and Germany with plans to expand elsewhere soon. So if you need a bathroom break when visiting these countries, don’t fret, look down you are probably standing on a lavatory.
Best Town Square Results (Round One)
Posted by Andrew Hickey on May 18, 2009 in Travel
Seven days…50 town squares…over 500 votes cast.
The results of the first round were pretty tight to say the least. For starters, five of the seven days of voting saw first place tied. The final day of voting it became a three-way tie. So who tied for first and what 20 town squares made it to round two of the most unscientific, unprofessional, uncomfortable poll in the history of blogs? Here are the results:
1) Brussels, Belgium: Grand Place
1) Prague, Czech Republic: Old Town Square
1) Krakow, Poland: Rynek Glowny
4) Venice, Italy: Saint Mark’s Square
5) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Rittenhouse Square
6) Florence, Italy: Piazza della Repubblica
7) Moscow, Russia: Red Square
New York, New York: Union Square
9) Copenhagen, Denmark: The City Hall Square
10) San Francisco, California: Union Square
11) Rome, Italy: Piazza del Popolo
12) London, England: Piccadilly Circus
13) Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Museumplein
14) Berlin, Germany: JFK-Platz
15) Barcelona, Spain: Placa d’Espanya
16) Lisbon, Portugal: Praca do Imperio
17) Buenos Aires, Argentina: Plaza de Mayo
18) Marrakech, Morocco: Djemaa el Fna
19) Seville, Spain: Plaza de Espana
20) Kharkov, Ukraine: Freedom Square
Like the results? Hate the results? Shocked by the results? Don’t care about the results? Well then click here to vote on Round Two and help your favorite town square move on to the top 10. You have until Sunday May 24 at 11am EST to vote. Thanks for everyone that voted, left comments and even told me about their experiences at some of these popular locales.
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